Methods and adapters for use with electric devices to manage energy services

• US 8,983,875 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AES Corporation
• Original Assignee: AES Corporation
• Inventors: Shelton, John Christopher, Zahurancik, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US13/282,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 705/412, 320/104, 320/109, 320/111, 320/125
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/008 : Rewarding for providing delivery of electricity to the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0005 : the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/00 : The network for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by its spatial reach or by the load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 : Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 : characterised by data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 : Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 : with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/00 : Market activities related to the operation of systems integrating technologies related to power network operation or related to communication or information technologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/16 : Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation

Abstract

Methods and adapters for realizing energy services by a device via a grid connection point are disclosed. An adapter includes a detection unit for measuring a quantity of energy services realized by a mobile device; an identification unit for detecting the identifier of the grid connection point electrically connected to the device; and a communication unit to report connection event information including: quantity of the energy service realized by the device; an identifier associated with the adapter; and the identifier of the grid connection point. In another embodiment, a method receives an energy service signal indicating operating set points for a mobile device; communicates the indicated operating set points to the device; and measures a quantity of energy services realized by the device. The method communicates quantity information of energy services realized by the device and sends updated operating set points for the device based on the communicated quantity information.

Claims

1. An adapter configured to realize energy services by a device via a grid connection point, the grid connection point including an identifier, the adapter comprising:

adapter housing, wherein a detection unit, an identification unit and a communication unit are disposed within the adapter housing;

said detection unit configured to measure a quantity of energy services realized by the device;

said identification unit configured to detect the identifier of the grid connection point electrically connected to the device; and

said communication unit, coupled to the detection unit and the identification unit, configured to report connection event information including at least;

the quantity of the energy service realized by the device;

an identifier associated with the adapter; and

the identifier of the grid connection point, wherein the grid connection point is not required to have a separate communication connection to a grid for realizing the energy services or reporting the connection event information.

2. The adapter of claim 1, the adapter further comprising:

a first mating connector configured to selectively, electrically couple to the grid connection point; and

a second mating connector coupled to the first mating connector and configured to selectively, electrically couple to the device;

wherein the adapter is disposed external and intermediate to the grid connection point and the device, and adjacent to power conductors interconnecting the grid connection point and the device.

3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is further configured to:

communicate with an energy services controller in a communication protocol of the energy services controller,

receive one or more operating constraints of the device in the protocol of the device and further reports the one or more operating constraints of the device such that, in response to the further reports of the one or more operating constraints by the communication unit, the communication unit receives an energy service signal indicating one or more operating set points for the device and communicates the indicated one or more operating set points to the device via a communication protocol of the device.

4. The adapter of claim 3, wherein the one or more operating set points indicated in the energy service signal are updated based on an anticipated energy service level of the device and the communication unit communicates the updated one or more operating set points to the device,

and wherein the anticipated energy service level is determined by the energy service controller based on at least the reported quantity of the energy service realized by the device and the reported one or more operating constraints of the device.

5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said adapter housing further houses:

a processor, coupled to the communication unit, configured to receive;

an offer of energy services to be realized by the device from an energy services controller and

one or more operating constraints from the device; and

further configured to select one of the offered energy services, as the selected energy service to be realized by the device based on the one or more operating constraints received from the device.

6. The adapter of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the selected energy service from one of:

capacity support service;

volt-ampere reactive (VAR) support service;

frequency support service;

regulation support service;

or

spinning reserve service; and

notifies, via the communication unit, the energy services controller of the selected energy service.

7. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said adapter housing further houses:

a timing unit configured to determine a time or a time range associated with a connection event for realizing the energy service by the device;

a memory configured to store the connection event information, the connection event information further including the time or the time range associated with the connection event;

said adapter housing coupled to and surrounding power conductors of the mobile device, wherein the adapter is disposed externally and intermediate to the grid connection point and the device; and

wherein the detection unit is further configured to measure at least one of;

one or more voltages between or among the power conductors of the device;

or

one or more currents flowing through the power conductors of the device.

8. The adapter of claim 7, wherein:

the adapter housing has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being movable relative to the second portion when opened and the first portion being fixed relative to the second portion to define a through opening for the power conductors when closed such that the power conductors of the device selectively couple to and extend through the adapter housing when the adapter housing is closed.

9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the detection unit includes conductor contactors electrically connecting the power conductors of the device and a current sensor sensing current flow in the power conductors when the power conductors extend through the adapter and the adapter housing is closed.

10. The adapter of claim 1, wherein:

the device is a mobile device configured to connect to a first one of a plurality of grid connection points during a first connection event and to connect to a second one of the plurality of grid connection points during a second connection event; and

the adapter is further configured to be movable together with the mobile device and configured to couple to at least the mobile device during the first and second connection events.

11. A method of managing energy services for a device via a grid connection point using an adapter comprising adapter housing, the grid connection point including an identifier, the method comprising:

disposing the adapter external and intermediate to the grid connection point and the device by selectively coupling the adapter to the grid connection point and to the device, wherein the grid connection point is not required to have a separate communication connection to a grid for realizing the energy services or reporting the connection event information;

measuring, by a detection unit disposed within the adapter housing of the adapter, a quantity of energy services realized by the device;

detecting, by a identification unit disposed within the adapter housing of the adapter, the identifier of the grid connection point electrically connected to the device; and

reporting, by a communication unit disposed within the adapter housing of the adapter, connection event information including at least;

the quantity of the energy service realized by the device;

an identifier associated with the adapter; and

the identifier of the grid connection point, the reported connection event information enabling adjustment of accounts associated with the adapter and the grid connection point based on the quantity of energy service realized.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

coupling the adapter housing to power conductors of the device, wherein the measuring of the quantity of energy services realized by the mobile device includes measuring at least one of;

one or more voltages between or among the power conductors of the device;

or

one or more currents flowing through the power conductors of the device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the adapter from an energy services controller, an energy service signal indicating one or more operating set points for the mobile device, the energy service signal being received in a protocol of the energy services controller; and

communicating the indicated one or more operating set points to the device using a communication protocol of the mobile device,

wherein the communicating of the indicated operating set points to the mobile device includes;

determining the operating set points indicated in the energy service signal; and

translating the determined operating set points to the protocol of the mobile device from the protocol of the energy services controller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communicating of the indicated operating set points to the device using the communication protocol of the device includes:

relaying, by the adapter, the one or more operating set points indicated in the energy service signal to the mobile device using a protocol common to the device and the energy services controller.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, at an energy services controller, one or more operating constraints of the device; and

determining, by the energy services controller, the operating set points for the device based on at least the measured quantity of the energy service realized by the device and the one or more operating constraints of the device,

wherein the determining of the operating set points for the device includes;

simulating, by the energy service controller, operation of the electric grid in a vicinity of the grid connection point using the one or more operating constraints of the device and one or more operating constraints of the electric grid in a vicinity of the grid connection point, as a simulation result; and

establishing the operation set points in accordance with the simulation result.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, at the adapter;

an offer for energy services to be realized by the device and one or more operating constraints of the device; and

selecting, by the adapter, one of the offered energy services, as the selected energy service to be realized by the mobile device, based on the received operating constraints of the device,

wherein the selecting of one of the offered energy services including selecting one of the energy services from among;

a capacity support service;

a volt-ampere reactive (VAR) support service;

a frequency support service;

regulation support service;

or

spinning reserve service.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

notifying, by the adapter, the energy services controller of the selected energy service.

18. A method of managing energy services by a mobile device using an adapter, the method comprising:

disposing the adapter external and intermediate to a grid connection point and the mobile device by selectively coupling the adapter to the grid connection point and to the mobile device, wherein the grid connection point is not required to have a separate communication connection to a grid for realizing the energy services or reporting connection event information;

receiving, by the adapter;

an offer for energy services to be realized by the mobile device; and

operation status information of the mobile device indicating the operation status of the mobile device; and

selecting, by the adapter, one of the offered energy services, as the selected energy service to be realized by the mobile device, based on the operation status information.

19. A method of managing energy services by a mobile device via a grid connection point using an adapter comprising an adapter housing, the method comprising:

disposing the adapter external and intermediate to the grid connection point and the device by selectively coupling the adapter to the grid connection point and to the mobile device, wherein the grid connection point is not required to have a separate communication connection to a grid for realizing the energy services or reporting connection event information;

receiving, by a communication unit disposed within the adapter housing the adapter, an energy service signal indicating operating set points for the mobile device;

communicating, by the communication unit disposed within the adapter housing of the adapter to the mobile device, the indicated operating set points to the mobile device using a communication protocol of the mobile device;

measuring, by a detection unit disposed within the adapter housing the adapter, a quantity of energy services realized by the mobile device;

communicating, by the communication unit disposed within the adapter housing of the adapter to an energy services controller, quantity information of the energy services actually realized by the mobile device; and

sending, by the communication unit disposed within the adapter housing of the adapter to the mobile device, received updated operating set points for the mobile device that are updated based on at least the communicated quantity information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the updated operating set points are updated based on the communicated quantity information and operating constraints of an electric grid coupled to the mobile device.