Method for integrating controls for captive power generation facilities with controls for metallurgical facilities

• US 8,532,834 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hatch Limited (Hatchcos Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hatch Limited (Hatchcos Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Delong, Garth, Hynes, Ruairi, Janzen, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US12/915,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 700/287, 700/290, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 322/10, 322/11, 322/14, 322/15, 322/17, 322 22- 25, 322/44, 322/45, 290/40.R, 290/40.C, 290/52, 606/43, 606/45, 606/52
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A control system for a combined power generation and metallurgical plant facility integrates generator-side and load-side control to provide coordinated operation of the two processes. The power generation facility includes one or more generator units and the metallurgical plant facility includes one or more controllable loads. Operating characteristics of the one or more loads are fed back to the one or generator units through a master controller to determine input control parameters for the one or more generator units. Similarly control signals and operating characteristics of the one or more generators are fed forward to the one or more loads through the master controller to determine input control parameters for the one or more loads. Using feed-forward as well as feed-back loops to exchange generator output and load set-point information, power balance between the generator units and controlled loads is maintained within an operating envelope.

Claims

1. A control system for coordinating operation of a power system comprising at least one generator and at least one controllable load supplied by the at least one generator, the control system comprising:

a generator controller associated with each at least one generator and responsive to generator control parameters for controlling the at least one generator to achieve an overall generator output;

a load controller associated with each at least one load and responsive to load control parameters for controlling the at least one load to achieve an overall load set-point; and

a master system controller communicatively linked to the generator controller and the load controller and configured to coordinate operation of the at least one generator with the at least one load by generating the load control parameters to achieve the overall load set-point based on an operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and by generating the generator control parameters to achieve the overall generator output based on an operating characteristic of the at least one load.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the generator controller and the load controller are each linked to the master system controller using a corresponding bilateral data communication line for providing the operating characteristic of the at least one generator and the operating characteristic of the at least one load to the master system controller.

3. The control system of claim 1, further comprising at least one generator sensor linked to the master system controller and associated with each at least one generator for monitoring the operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and at least one load sensor linked to the master system controller and associated with each at least one load for monitoring the operating characteristic of the at least one load.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the control system comprises at least two generators and at least two controllable loads, and wherein the master system controller is configured to generate the load control parameters, for each at least two loads, based further on the operating characteristic of each other of the at least two loads, and to generate the generator control parameters, for each at least two generators, based further on the operating characteristic of each other of the at least two generators.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein each at least one generator is substantially isolated from a power grid.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one load comprises a metallurgical plant.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the metallurgical plant comprises at least one electric arc furnace and/or at least one ladle furnace.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the operating characteristic of the at least one load comprises, for at least one load, a respective power set-point or load power draw.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the load control parameters comprise, for at least one load, a respective generator capability limit, a positive ramp rate limit, a negative ramp rate limit, a set-point block increase, or a set-point block decrease.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the operating characteristic of the at least one generator comprises, for at least one generator, a positive ramp rate limit, a negative ramp rate limit, a power output block increase, a power output block decrease, or a power output.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the generator control parameters comprise, for at least one generator, a respective power demand.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the master system controller is configured to generate the load control parameters and generator control parameters jointly to maintain a balance between power generation and power consumption within the power system.

13. A power system comprising:

at least one generator responsive to generator control parameters for operation at an overall generator output;

at least one controllable load supplied by the at least one generator and responsive to load control parameters for operation at an overall load set-point; and

a master system controller coupled to and configured to coordinate operation of the at least one generator with the at least one load by generating the load control parameters to achieve the overall load set-point based on an operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and by generating the generator control parameters to achieve the overall generator output based on an operating characteristic of the at least one load.

14. The power system of claim 13, wherein the at least one generator and the at least one load are each linked to the master system controller using a corresponding bilateral data communication line for providing the operating characteristic of the at least one generator and the operating characteristic of the at least one load to the master system controller.

15. The power system of claim 13, further comprising at least one generator sensor linked to the master system controller and associated with each at least one generator for monitoring the operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and at least one load sensor linked to the master system controller and associated with each at least one load for monitoring the operating characteristic of the at least one load.

16. The power system of claim 15, wherein the power system comprises at least two generators and at least two loads, and wherein the master system controller is configured to generate the load control parameters, for each at least two loads, based further on the operating characteristic of each other of the at least two loads, and to generate the generator control parameters, for each at least two generators, based further on the operating characteristics of each other of the at least two generators.

17. The power system of claim 13, wherein the power system is substantially isolated from a power grid.

18. The power system of claim 13, wherein the at least one load comprises a metallurgical plant.

19. The power system of claim 18, wherein the metallurgical plant comprises at least one electric arc furnace and/or at least one ladle furnace.

20. The power system of claim 13, wherein the operating characteristic of the at least one load comprises, for at least one load, a respective power set-point or load power draw.

21. The power system of claim 13, wherein the load control parameters comprise, for at least one load, a respective generator capability limit, a positive ramp rate limit, a negative ramp rate limit, a set-point block increase, or a set-point block decrease.

22. The power system of claim 13, wherein the operating characteristic of the at least one generator comprises, for at least one generator, a positive ramp rate limit, a negative ramp rate limit, a power output block increase, a power output block decrease, or a power output.

23. The power system of claim 13, wherein the generator control parameters comprise, for at least one generator, a respective power demand.

24. The power system of claim 13, wherein the master system controller is configured to generate the load control parameters and generator control parameters jointly to maintain a balance between power generation and power consumption within the power system.

25. A method of coordinating operation of a power system comprising at least one generator and at least one controllable load supplied by the at least one generator, the method comprising:

monitoring an operating characteristic of the at least one generator;

monitoring an operating characteristic of the at least one load; and

coordinating operation of the at least one generator with the at least one load by generating load control parameters to achieve an overall load set-point based on the operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and by generating generator control parameters to achieve an overall generator output based on the operating characteristic of the at least one load.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the power plant system comprises at least two generators and at least two controllable loads, and wherein the method further comprises generating the load control parameters, for each at least two loads, based further on the operating characteristics of each other of the at least two loads, and generating the generator control parameters, for each at least two generators, based further on the operating characteristics of each other of the at least two generators.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, for each at least two loads, generating respective load control parameters to attain respective load set-points of the at least two loads and, for each at least two generators, generating respective generator set-points to attain respective generator outputs of the at least two generators.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein each at least one generator is substantially isolated from a power grid.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one load comprises a metallurgical plant.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the metallurgical plant comprises at least one electric arc furnace and/or at least one ladle furnace.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the operating characteristic of the at least one load comprises, for at least one load, a respective power set-point or load power draw.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the load control parameters comprise, for at least one load, a respective generator capability limit, a positive ramp rate limit, a negative ramp rate limit, a set-point block increase, or a set-point block decrease.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the operating characteristic of the at least one generator comprises, for at least one generator, a positive ramp rate limit, a negative ramp rate limit, a power output block increase, a power output block decrease, or a power output.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the generator control parameters comprise, for at least one generator, a respective power demand.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating the load control parameters and the generator control parameters jointly to maintain a balance between power generation and power consumption within the power system.

36. A controller for coordinating operation of a power system comprising at least one generator and at least one controllable load supplied by the at least one generator, the controller comprising:

a generator interface for receiving a signal representative of an operating characteristic of the at least one generator and for providing generator control parameters to a generator controller associated with the at least one generator, the generator controller responsive to the generator control parameters for achieving an overall generator output of the at least one generator;

a load interface for receiving a signal representative of an operating characteristic of the at least one load and for providing load control parameters to a load controller associated with the at least one load, the load controller responsive to the load control parameters for achieving an overall load set-point of the at least one load; and

a processor configured to provide integrated control of the at least one generator and the at least one load by determining the load control parameters to achieve the overall load set-point based on the operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and by determining the generator control parameters to achieve an overall generator output based on the operating characteristic of the at least one load.

37. A power plant comprising:

at least one generator configured to supply power to at least one controllable load, the at least one generator responsive to generator control parameters for operation at an overall generator output and the at least one load responsive to load control parameters for operation at an overall load set-point; and

a master system controller coupled to and configured to coordinate operation of the at least one generator with the at least one load by generating the load control parameters to achieve the overall load set-point based on an operating characteristic of the at least one generator, and by generating the generator control parameters to achieve the overall generator output based on an operating characteristic of the at least one load.