Power-consuming facilities as a source of reserve power

• US 8,588,989 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Heath, Taliver Brooks, Gentry, Denton E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US12/769,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• 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: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/248 UPS systems or standby or emergency generators

Abstract

A system includes a power-consuming, at least one energy storage device, and a power management system. The facility is configured to receive electrical power from an electric utility grid. The energy storage device is located at the power consuming facility and is configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid. The power management system is configured to receive, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power and, in response to the request, to cause at least a portion of the power-consuming facility to be powered by the at least one energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility to grid such that an amount of the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a power-consuming facility configured to receive electrical power from an electric utility grid;

at least one energy storage device located at the power-consuming facility, the energy storage device comprising multiple energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid and connect to computing devices such that a power management system is able to cause one or more of the computing devices to be powered by the energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid; and

,

the power management system configured to;

determine an amount by which power consumed by the power-consuming facility can be reduced by determining which of the computing devices can be powered by the connected energy storage devices because the computing devices are not needed to perform scheduled operations and the connected energy storage devices do not need to be recharged;

send a message to the electric utility grid indicating the amount by which power consumed by the power-consuming facility can be reduced; and

,

receive, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power and, in response to the request, cause at least a portion of the power-consuming facility to be powered by the at least one energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid such that an amount of the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicated amount of power is equal to an amount of power needed to maintain a grid frequency of the electric utility grid at a predetermined value.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the power-consuming facility is a computer data center.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the power-consuming facility comprises multiple computing devices and, to cause at least a portion of the power-consuming facility to be powered by the at least one energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid, the power management system is configured to determine one or more of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power and cause at least some of the determined computing devices to be powered by the energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein, to cause at least a portion of the power-consuming facility to be powered by the at least one energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid, the power management system is configured to determine a set of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power and cause at least some of the computing devices in the set to be powered by the connected energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein, to determine the set of computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power, the power management system is configured to determine a set of computing devices that will consume an amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power, the amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power being based on an expected failure rate of the energy storage devices.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein, to determine the set of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power, the power management system is configured to determine a set of computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power based on one or more models of power consumed by the computing devices for a given utilization.

8. A method comprising:

receiving electrical power at a power-consuming facility from an electric utility grid;

storing energy from the received power in at least one energy storage device located at the power-consuming facility comprising multiple energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid and connect to computing devices such that a power management system is able to cause the computing devices to be powered by the energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid;

determining an amount by which power consumed by the power-consuming facility can be reduced by determining which of the computing devices can be powered by the connected energy storage devices because the computing devices are not needed to perform scheduled operations and the connected energy storage devices do not need to be recharged;

sending a message to the electric utility grid indicating the amount by which power consumed by the power-consuming facility can be reduced;

receiving, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power; and

,

in response to the request, causing at least a portion of the power-consuming facility to be powered by the at least one energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid such that an amount of the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the indicated amount of power is equal to an amount of power needed to maintain a grid frequency of the electric utility grid at a predetermined value.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the power-consuming facility is a computer data center.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein causing at least a portion of the power-consuming facility to be powered by the at least one energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid comprises determining a set of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power and causing at least some of the computing devices in the set to be powered by the connected energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the set of computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power comprises determining a set of computing devices that will consume an amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power, the amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power being based on an expected failure rate of the energy storage devices.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the set of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power comprises determining a set of computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power based on one or more models of power consumed by the computing devices for a given utilization.

14. A system comprising:

a power-consuming facility configured to receive electrical power from an electric utility grid;

at least one energy storage device located at the power-consuming facility, the energy storage device comprising multiple energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid and connect to computing devices such that a power management system is able to cause the computing devices to be powered by the energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid; and

,

the power management system is configured to;

receive, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power;

determine a set of computing devices that will consume an amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power, the amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power being based on an expected failure rate of the energy storage devices; and

,

cause at least some of the computing devices in the set to be powered by the connected energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid such that an amount of the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.

15. A method comprising:

receiving electrical power at a power-consuming facility from an electric utility grid;

storing energy from the received power in at least one energy storage device located at the power-consuming facility comprising multiple energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid and connect to computing devices such that a power management system is able to cause the computing devices to be powered by the energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid;

receiving, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power;

determining a set of computing devices that will consume an amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power, the amount of power in excess of the indicated amount of power being based on an expected failure rate of the energy storage devices; and

,

causing at least some of the computing devices in the set to be powered by the connected energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid such that an amount of the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.

16. A system comprising:

a power-consuming facility configured to receive electrical power from an electric utility grid;

at least one energy storage device located at the power-consuming facility, the energy storage device comprising multiple energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid and connect to computing devices such that a power management system is able to cause the computing devices to be powered by the energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid; and

,

the power management system is configured to;

receive, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power;

determine a computing load of one or more of the computing devices, wherein power consumed by the computing devices varies based on the computing load of the computing devices and the computing load of the computing device varies from an idle computing capacity to a maximum computing capacity;

determine a set of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power based on the determined computing loads and one or more models of power consumed by the computing devices for a given computing load; and

,

cause at least some of the computing devices in the set to be powered by the connected energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid such that an amount of the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.

17. A method comprising:

receiving electrical power at a power-consuming facility from an electric utility grid;

storing energy from the received power in at least one energy storage device located at the power-consuming facility comprising multiple energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy from the electrical power received from the electric utility grid and connect to a computing device such that a power management system is able to cause the computing device to be powered by the energy storage device rather than the power received from the electric utility grid;

receiving, from the electric utility grid, a request that indicates an amount of power;

determining a computing load of one or more of the computing devices, wherein power consumed by the computing devices varies based on the computing load of the computing devices and the computing load of the computing device varies from an idle computing capacity to a maximum computing capacity;

determining a set of the computing devices that will consume at least the indicated amount of power based on the determined computing loads and one or more models of power consumed by the computing devices for a given computing load; and

,

causing at least some of the computing devices in the set to be powered by the connected energy storage devices rather than the power received from the electric utility grid such that the received power consumed by the power-consuming facility is reduced by at least the indicated amount.