Mobile micro-grid power system

• US 8,738,194 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Defense Technologies, Inc. (CB-HDT Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hunter Defense Technologies, Inc. (CB-HDT Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Creed, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/658,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

Methods and control apparatus are presented for controlling supply of electrical power to a mobile micro-grid power system, in which a master controller automatically rebalances the micro-grid by activating and deactivating individual power supplies to preferentially activate non-fuel consuming power supplies and deactivate fuel consuming power supplies so as to minimize fuel consumption for the micro-grid power system.

Claims

1. A stand-alone mobile micro-grid power system disconnected from utility power, comprising:

at least one mobile load capable of consuming electrical power when activated;

a plurality of mobile power supplies operatively coupled with the at least one mobile load and with one another to form a mobile micro-grid, the plurality of mobile power supplies comprising;

at least one mobile non-fuel consuming power supply operatively coupled to provide electrical power to the mobile micro-grid when activated,

at least one mobile fuel consuming generator operatively coupled to provide electrical power to the mobile micro-grid when activated, and

at least one mobile energy storage system operative to store electrical energy and operatively coupled to provide electrical power to the mobile micro-grid when activated; and

a master controller operatively coupled with the plurality of mobile power supplies and with the at least one mobile load, the master controller operative to automatically rebalance the mobile micro-grid by changing an activation state of at least one of the plurality of power supplies, wherein the master controller is operative to;

obtain power supply profile data from the plurality of power supplies;

obtain micro-grid load data associated with the at least one mobile load;

determine a load profile for the mobile micro-grid power system based at least partially on the micro-grid load data;

determine an active reserve power level for the mobile micro-grid power system based at least partially on the micro-grid load data;

balance the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system by setting an activation state of one or more of the plurality of power supplies based at least partially on the load profile and the active reserve power level for the mobile micro-grid power system;

receive at least one of a load activation request indicating requested activation of one or more specific electrical loads that are currently deactivated, a load deactivation notification indicating deactivation of one or more specific electrical loads that were previously activated, and an active power supply status change notification indicating a change in a status of a currently active one of the plurality of power supplies;

based on at least one of a received load activation request, a received load deactivation notification, and a received active power supply status change notification, automatically determine if the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system needs to be rebalanced based at least partially on the load profile and the active reserve power level for the mobile micro-grid power system; and

if needed, to automatically rebalance the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system by changing an activation state of one or more of the plurality of power supplies based at least partially on the load profile and the active reserve power level for the mobile micro-grid power system.

2. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 1, wherein the master controller is integrated into one of the plurality of power supplies.

3. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 1, wherein the master controller is operative to rebalance the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system by automatically selecting one or more of the plurality of power supplies for activation state change based at least partially on one or more fuel consumption parameters associated with the plurality of power supplies so as to minimize fuel consumption for the mobile micro-grid power system and to change the activation state of one or more selected ones of the plurality of power supplies.

4. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 3, wherein the master controller is operative to select one or more of the plurality of power supplies for activation state change at least partially to reduce excess spinning reserve capacity in the mobile micro-grid power system beyond the determined active reserve power level.

5. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 3, wherein the master controller is operative to automatically select one or more of the plurality of power supplies for activation state change at least partially to increase efficiency of at least one fuel-consuming generator of the plurality of power supplies in the mobile micro-grid power system.

6. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 3, wherein the master controller is operative to automatically select one or more of the plurality of power supplies for activation state change at least partially to control the power factor of the mobile micro-grid power system.

7. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 3, wherein the master controller is operative to automatically select one or more of the plurality of power supplies for activation state change is done at least partially to control peak shaving in the mobile micro-grid power system.

8. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 1, wherein the master controller is operative to delay activation of one or more specific electrical loads that are currently deactivated for which a load activation request has been received until either the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system has been rebalanced to accommodate the requested activation or a determination has been made that a current supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system is sufficient to accommodate the requested activation.

9. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 8, wherein the master controller is operative for at least one received load activation request to give permission to activate a partial requested load and to delay permission for activation for a remainder of the requested load until the mobile micro-grid power system is rebalanced.

10. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 1, wherein the master controller is operative to rebalance the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system by selecting at least one currently deactivated power supply for activation and selecting at least one currently activated supply for deactivation and by changing the activation state of one or more selected ones of the plurality of power supplies.

11. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 10, wherein the master controller is operative to select one or more of the plurality of power supplies for activation state change by preferentially selecting at least one currently deactivated non-fuel consuming power supply for activation and selecting at least one currently activated fuel consuming power supply for deactivation.

12. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 11, wherein the master controller is operative to preferentially select at least one of a currently deactivated solar energy-based power supply, a currently deactivated wind energy-based power supply, and a currently deactivated battery or capacitive storage-type power supply for activation.

13. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 1, wherein the master controller is operative to selectively adjust at least one of the power supply profile data, the micro-grid load data, and the load profile based at least partially on at least one of environmental information relating to the environmental condition of the mobile micro-grid power system and location information relating to the geographical location of the mobile micro-grid power system.

14. The mobile micro-grid power system of claim 1, wherein the master controller is operative to rebalance the supply of electrical power to the mobile micro-grid power system by changing an activation state of one or more of the plurality of power supplies based at least partially on an indication of imminent loss of at least one of the power supplies.