Electricity generating installation provided with means for storage of energy and control process for an installation of this type

• US 8,971,064 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Products France SNC (General Electric Co. (Italy))
• Original Assignee: GE Energy Products France SNC (General Electric Co. (Italy))
• Inventors: Pena, Ezio, Vignolo, Jean-Louis, Ingremeau, Jean Marc, Chillar, Rahul J., Chevalier, Frederic, Biellmann, Herve, Buquet, Maxime, Guyot, Julien
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/679,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R
• US Class Current: 363/34
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/00 Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of hot gases or unheated pressurised gases, as the working fluid by the use of combustion products F02C3/00, F02C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/14 Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/30 using dynamo-electric machines coupled to flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/066 characterised by the use of dynamo-electric machines H02J9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• 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: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

An electricity generating installation includes an electricity generation unit of a gas turbine, steam turbine or combined-cycle type, wherein the electricity generation unit is coupled to a generator and is connected to a distribution network, an energy storage unit configured to store kinetic energy and electrical energy, and a standby electricity generation unit. The installation further includes a controller configured to manage the operation of the energy storage unit and configured to manage the connection of the energy storage unit to the electricity generation unit and to the network. The controller receives a series of information originating from the network, the energy storage unit, the electricity generation unit and a network operator in order to control the generation of electricity to be delivered to the network and to auxiliary systems of the installation from the energy storage unit.

Claims

1. An electricity generating installation comprising:

an electricity generation unit of a gas turbine, steam turbine or combined-cycle type, wherein the electricity generation unit is coupled to a generator and is connected to a distribution network;

an energy storage unit configured to store kinetic energy and electrical energy, the energy storage unit being connectable to the distribution network;

a standby electricity generation unit; and

a controller configured to manage the operation of the energy storage unit and configured to manage the connection of the energy storage unit to the electricity generation unit and to the network, wherein the controller receives a series of information originating from the network, the energy storage unit, the electricity generation unit and a network operator in order to control the generation of electricity to be delivered to the network and to auxiliary systems of the installation from the energy storage unit.

2. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the level of primary reserve capacity available in the installation on the basis of the energy available in the energy storage unit.

3. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of electricity to the network from the energy storage unit in response to a request by the network operator.

4. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to participate in frequency control on the network at the request of the network operator subject to the energy available in the energy storage unit.

5. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of electricity to the auxiliary systems of the installation from the energy storage unit in the case of a voltage drop of a predetermined duration.

6. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the electricity generation unit comprises a generator connected to a gas turbine or a steam turbine, and wherein the controller is configured to initiate charging of the energy storage unit upon shutdown of the electricity generation unit from the inertia of a shaft line in the electricity generation unit.

7. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the level of at least one of active and reactive power to be delivered to the network from the energy available in the energy storage unit.

8. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage unit comprises at least one of at least one flywheel connected to a motor, and a series of batteries.

9. The installation according to claim 8, further comprising a series of auxiliary electric power sources connected to associated power electronic components, the associated power electronic components being configured to maintain the rotation of a charged flywheel.

10. The installation according to claim 9, wherein the auxiliary electric power sources are battery power sources or renewable energy power sources.

11. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage unit comprises power electronic components for the regulation of current, voltage and frequency in the energy storage unit.

12. A control process for an electricity generating installation comprising an electricity generation unit of a gas turbine, steam turbine or combined-cycle type, wherein the electricity generation unit is coupled to a generator and is connected to a distribution network, an energy storage unit, and a controller configured to manage the operation of the energy storage unit, and configured to manage the connection of the energy storage unit to the electricity generation unit and to the network, the process comprising:

receiving a series of information originating from the network, the energy storage unit and the electricity generation unit;

controlling the generation of electricity for delivery to the network and to auxiliary systems of the installation from the energy storage unit based on the series of information;

controlling the energy storage unit for the sequential execution of different functions;

controlling the supply of electricity to the network from the energy storage unit in response to a request from a network operator; and

maintaining an optimum state of charge between two functions.

13. The process according to claim 12, further comprising regulating the level of primary reserve capacity available in the installation on the basis of the energy available in the energy storage unit.

14. The process according to claim 12, wherein the energy delivered to the network from the energy storage unit is the difference between the energy demand notified by a network operator and the energy supplied by the electricity generation unit, wherein the energy delivered to the network is limited by the inertia of the gas turbine and the steam turbine.

15. The process according to claim 12, further comprising regulating the network frequency, at the request of a network operator, using the energy available in the energy storage unit.

16. The process according to claim 12, wherein the energy storage unit is charged during a shutdown phase of the electricity generation unit from the inertia of the shaft line in the electricity generation unit.

17. The process according to claim 12, wherein the energy storage unit is configured to support the start-up of the installation and to limit current demand on the network.

18. The process according to claim 12, wherein the energy storage unit is configured to support the shutdown of the electricity generation unit by delivering energy to the auxiliary systems of the installation.

19. The process according to claim 12, further comprising detecting a voltage drop in the network, and delivering energy to the auxiliary systems of the installation from the energy storage unit in response to a detected voltage drop.

20. The process according to claim 19, further comprising delivering energy to maintain voltage in the network, wherein energy is delivered to the auxiliary systems of the installation from the energy storage unit in response to a detected voltage drop in the network of a predetermined duration.

21. The process according to claim 12, further comprising regulating at least one of the level of active and reactive power to be delivered to the network from the energy available in the energy storage unit.