Method and system for managing a power grid

• US 8,509,953 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Taft, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANCHAK, WALTER P
• Application Number:
  US12/378,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20090281674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/276
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0073 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source when the main path fails, e.g. transformers, busbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A smart grid for improving the management of a power utility grid is provided. The smart grid as presently disclosed includes using sensors in various portions of the power utility grid, using communications and computing technology, such as additional bus structures, to upgrade an electric power grid so that it can operate more efficiently and reliably and support additional services to consumers. Specifically, the additional bus structures may comprise multiple buses dedicated to the different types of data, such as operational/non-operational data, event processing data, grid connectivity data, and network location data. The multiple buses may comprise different segments in a single bus or may comprise separate buses. The multiple buses may be used to transport the various types of data to other smart grid processes (such as at a centrally located controller).

Claims

1. An integration framework for facilitating communication with a central power grid authority that manages a power grid, the integration framework comprising:

a plurality of grid and power system components configured to generate operational data and event data within the power grid;

an operational bus in communication with the plurality of grid and power system components, the operational bus configured to receive the operational data from a grid component and to communicate the operational data to the central power grid authority, the operational data comprising at least one real-time measurement of voltage, current, real power, or reactive power for at least a part of the power grid; and

an event bus in communication with the plurality of grid and power system components, the event bus configured to receive the event data from the grid component and to communicate the event data to the central power grid authority, the event bus being separate from the operational bus, the event data being distinct from and derived from the real-time measurement and comprising at least one analytical determination as to operation of the power grid based on the at least one real time measurement,

wherein the operational data is communicated via the operational bus and not communicated via the event bus, and

wherein the event data is communicated via the event bus and not communicated via the operational bus.

2. The integration framework of claim 1, further comprising a router for analyzing at least a part of data received and for routing the data to one of the operational bus and the event bus.

3. The integration framework of claim 2, wherein the router analyzes at least one header in the data to determine whether to route the data to the operational bus or to the event bus.

4. The integration framework of claim 2, wherein the router is located at the central power grid authority.

5. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the operational bus further communicates non-operational data, the non-operational data comprising at least one of power quality, power reliability, asset health, and stress data.

6. The integration framework of claim 5, further comprising a service bus for communicating between the central power grid authority and a billing system, the service bus being separate from the operational bus and the event bus.

7. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the operational bus is operatively connected to an operational data storage database and to at least one of an outage management system, an energy management system, and a distribution management system.

8. The integration framework of claim 7, wherein the operational bus is operatively connected to the operational data storage database and to the outage management system, the energy management system, and to the distribution management system.

9. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the event bus is operatively connected to an event log storage database and to at least one of an outage management system, an energy management system, and to a distribution management system.

10. The integration framework of claim 6, wherein the event bus is operatively connected to the event log storage database and to the outage management system, the energy management system, and to the distribution management system.

14. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the grid and power system components further comprise one or more smart meter network device.

15. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the operational bus is configured to:

filter a plurality of event streams to interpret the plurality of event streams according to at least one event pattern; and

send the interpretation of the plurality of event streams to at least the central power grid authority.

16. The integration framework of claim 1, further comprising:

a server coupled with the operational bus and the event bus and configured to receive and store the operational data, the server further configured to;

analyze the operational data with respect to at least one rule;

generate at least one event based on the analysis; and

send the at least one event to at least one of the grid and power system components to trigger self-healing within at least a section of the power grid.

17. The integration framework of claim 16, wherein the server resides in a substation of the power grid, wherein the at least one event triggers a modification to operation of the substation.

18. The integration framework of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured to generate a work-order for transmission to the central power grid authority.

11. A method for communicating data to a central power grid authority that manages a power grid, the method comprising:

communicating, at least partly wirelessly and by a substation, operational data to the central power grid authority on an operational bus, the operational data received from a plurality of grid components outside the substation and power system components within the substation and comprising at least one real-time measurement of voltage, current, real power, or reactive power for at least a part of the power grid; and

communicating, at least partly wirelessly and by the substation, event data to the central power grid authority on an event bus, the event bus being separate from the operational bus, the event data generated by at least one processor of the substation and being distinct from and derived from the at least one real-time measurement, the event data further comprising at least one analytical determination as to operation of the power grid based on the at least one real time measurement,

wherein the operational data is communicated via the operational bus and not communicated via the event bus, and

wherein the event data is communicated via the event bus and not communicated via the operational bus.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

analyzing, by a router, at least a part of data received; and

routing, by the router, the data to one of the operational bus and the event bus based on the analysis of the at least a part of the data received.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the operational bus further communicates non-operational data, the non-operational data comprising at least one of power quality, power reliability, asset health, and stress data.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the grid and power system components further comprise one or more smart meter network device.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

filtering, by the event bus, a plurality of event streams to interpret the plurality of event streams according to at least one event pattern; and

sending, by the event bus, the interpretation of the plurality of event streams to at least one of the plurality of grid and power system components.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving and storing the operational data by a server coupled with the operational bus and the event bus;

analyzing, by the server, the operational data with respect to at least one rule;

generating, by the server, at least one event based on the analysis; and

sending, by the server, the at least one event to at least one of the grid and power system components to trigger self-healing within at least a section of the power grid.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the server resides in the substation of the power grid, further comprising:

triggering, by the server, a modification to operation of the substation based on the at least one event.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a work order by the server for transmission to the central power grid authority.