Electricity supply apparatus of an industrial site

• US 8,624,558 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Cucchietti, Flavio, Bianciotto, Elio, Bianco, Claudio, Griffa, Gianluca
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US12/745,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

An electricity supply apparatus includes a control device configured to calculate an amplitude of a control signal and to generate the control signal; an energy station configured to draw a current from a mains, to provide part of the drawn current to the load, to receive the control signal from the control device, and to vary the drawn current according to the amplitude; and a battery configured to recharge by drawing part of the drawn current and to discharge by supplying the load. The apparatus is characterized in that the control device is further configured to calculate the amplitude of the control signal also according to battery information relating to a recharge and/or a discharge condition of the battery.

Claims

1. An electricity supply apparatus of an industrial site comprising a load configured to draw a predetermined current, said electricity supply apparatus comprising:

a control device capable of being configured to calculate an amplitude of a control signal according to price information indicative of a price per time unit of a first current drawn from a mains and to generate said control signal;

an energy station capable of being configured to draw said first current from said mains to provide at least a first part of said first current to said load, to receive said control signal from said control device, and to reduce said first current by an amount proportional to said amplitude of said control signal; and

a battery electrically connected to said energy station and to said load, said battery capable of being configured to, when said first current drawn by said energy station from said mains is greater than said predetermined current which said load is configured to draw, recharge by drawing a second part of said first current from said energy station and, when said first current drawn by said energy station from said mains is smaller than said predetermined current which said load is configured to draw, to discharge by providing a second current to said load,

wherein said control device is capable of being further configured to calculate said amplitude of said control signal also according to battery information relating to at least one of a recharge condition and a discharge condition of said battery, said amplitude having an intermediate value of a range delimited by a minimum value and a maximum value.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said price information comprises a price table, said price table comprising a number of rows, each of said number of rows comprising an hour of the day and a price per hour of said first current during said hour.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control device is further configured to classify each hour in said price table as one of a peak hour, a neutral hour and an off-peak hour, according to said battery information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said battery information comprises an optimum charge level of said battery, a minimum charge level of said battery and an optimum discharge current of said battery.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control device is capable of being configured to determine a first number N of peak hours as a number of hours required to discharge said battery from said optimum charge level to said minimum charge level with a discharge current equal to said optimum discharge current.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said battery information further comprises an optimum recharge current of said battery.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control device is capable of being further configured to determine a second number M of off-peak hours as a number of hours required to recharge said battery from said minimum charge level to said optimum charge level with a recharge current equal to said optimum recharge current.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control device is capable of being configured to determine a third number of neutral hours according to a formula:

24-N-M.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second number is a function of the day of the week.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control device is capable of being configured to detect a present time and to determine whether said present time corresponds to a peak hour, or to an off-leak hour or to a neutral hour.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control device is capable of being further configured, if said present time corresponds to a neutral hour, to detect a present battery charge level, to determine whether said present battery charge level is equal to a maximum charge level of said battery, and:

in the affirmative, to set said amplitude to said minimum value; and

in the negative, to set said amplitude to a first intermediate value such that said first current is equal to a current requested by said load, said second part of said first current being equal to zero.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control device is capable of being further configured, if said present time corresponds to a peak hour, to detect said present battery charge level, to determine whether said present battery charge level is higher than said minimum battery charge level of said battery, and:

in the affirmative, to set said amplitude to a second intermediate value such that said first current is equal to said current requested by said load decreased by said optimum discharge current of said battery, said battery being discharged with said second current equal to said optimum discharge current; and

in the negative, to set said amplitude to a third intermediate value such that said first current is equal to said current requested by said load, said second current being equal to zero.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control device is capable of being further configured, if said present time corresponds to an off-peak hour, to detect said present battery charge level, to determine whether said present battery charge level is equal to said maximum battery charge level of said battery, and:

in the affirmative, to set said amplitude to said minimum value; and

in the negative, to set said amplitude to a fourth intermediate value such that said first current is equal to said current requested by said load increased by said optimum recharge current of said battery, said battery recharging with said second part of said first current equal to said optimum recharge current.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control device is capable of being further configured to:

detect whether said control device is receiving a load reduction signal;

in the affirmative, determine whether said present battery charge level is higher than said minimum battery charge level of said battery, and;

in the affirmative, set said amplitude to one of said minimum value and a fifth intermediate value, such that said first current is reduced to a target value; and

in the negative, activate a generator and instruct said energy station to start drawing said first current from said generator.

15. A method for supplying an industrial site comprising a load configured to draw a predetermined current, by means of an energy station, comprising:

a) at said energy station, drawing a first current from a mains by means of said energy station and providing at least part of said first current to said load;

b) at a control device, calculating an amplitude of a control signal according to price information indicative of a price per time unit of said first current and providing said control signal to said energy station;

c) at said energy station, receiving said control signal and reducing said first current by an amount proportional to said amplitude of said control signal; and

d) when said first current drawn by said energy station from said mains is greater than said predetermined current which said load is configured to draw, recharging a battery electrically connected to said energy station and to said load with a second part of said first current and, when said first current drawn by said energy station from said mains is smaller than said predetermined current which said load is configured to draw, discharging said battery by providing a second current to said load,

wherein step b) comprises calculating said amplitude of said control signal also according to battery information relating to at least one of a recharge condition and a discharge condition of said battery, said amplitude having an intermediate value of a range delimited by a minimum value and a maximum value.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising, before step b), receiving said price information in a form of a price table, said price table comprising a number of rows, each of said number of rows comprising an hour of the day and a price per hour of said first current during said hour.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising, before step b), classifying each hour in said price table as one of a peak hour, a neutral hour and an off-peak hour, according to said battery information.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising, before step b), determining a first number N of peak hours as a number of hours required to discharge said battery from an optimum charge level to a minimum charge level with a discharge current equal to an optimum discharge current.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising, before step b), determining a second number M of off-peak hours as a number of hours required to recharge said battery from said minimum charge level to said optimum charge level with a recharge current equal to an optimum recharge current.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising before step b), determining a third number of neutral hours according to formula:

24-N-M.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein step b) comprises detecting a present time and determining whether said present time corresponds to a peak hour, or to an off-peak hour or to a neutral hour.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein step b) comprises, if said present time corresponds to a neutral hour, detecting a present battery charge level, determining whether said present battery charge level is equal to a maximum charge level of said battery, and:

in the affirmative, setting and amplitude to said minimum value; and

in the negative, setting said amplitude to a first intermediate value such that said first current is equal to a current requested by said load, said second part of said first current being equal to zero.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein step b) comprises, if said present time corresponds to a peak hour, detecting said present battery charge level, determining whether said present battery charge level is higher than said minimum battery charge level of said battery, and:

in the affirmative, setting said amplitude to a second intermediate value such that said first current is equal to said current requested by said load decreased by said optimum discharge current of said battery, said battery being discharged with said second current equal to said optimum discharge current; and

in the negative, setting said amplitude to a third intermediate value such that said first current is equal to said current requested by said load, and second current being equal to zero.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein step b) comprises, if said present time corresponds to an off-peak hour, detecting said present battery charge level, determining whether said present battery charge level is equal to said maximum battery charge level of said battery, and:

in the affirmative, setting said amplitude to said minimum value; and

in the negative, setting said amplitude to a fourth intermediate value such that said first current is equal to said current requested by said load increased by said optimum recharge current of said battery, said battery recharging with said second part of said first current equal to said optimum recharge current.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein step b) further comprises:

detecting whether a load reduction signal is received;

in the affirmative, determining whether said present battery charge level is higher than said minimum battery charge level of said battery, and;

in the affirmative, setting said amplitude to one of said minimum value and a fifth intermediate value, such that said first current is reduced to a target value; and

in the negative, activating a generator and instructing said energy station to start drawing said first current from said generator.