Using bi-directional communications in a market-based resource allocation system

• US 9,026,473 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Chassin, David P., Pratt, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US13/965,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for distributing a resource (such as electricity) using a resource allocation system. In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of requests for electricity are received from a plurality of end-use consumers. The requests indicate a requested quantity of electricity and a consumer-requested index value indicative of a maximum price a respective end-use consumer will pay for the requested quantity of electricity. A plurality of offers for supplying electricity are received from a plurality of resource suppliers. The offers indicate an offered quantity of electricity and a supplier-requested index value indicative of a minimum price for which a respective supplier will produce the offered quantity of electricity. A dispatched index value is computed at which electricity is to be supplied based at least in part on the consumer-requested index values and the supplier-requested index values.

Claims

1. A method for generating a bid value for purchasing electricity in a market-based resource allocation system, comprising:

by computing hardware,

receiving an indication of a current status of a system controlled by an electrical device;

computing an average dispatched value using multiple dispatched values from a previous time period, the multiple dispatched values representing values at which electricity was dispatched by the market-based resource allocation system during the previous time period;

computing a bid value for purchasing electricity sufficient to operate the electrical device, the computing being performed using at least the current status of the system and the average dispatched value;

transmitting the bid value to a central computer in the market-based resource allocation system;

receiving from the central computer an indication of a dispatched value for a current time frame;

comparing the bid value to the dispatched value for the current time frame; and

generating a signal to activate the electrical device if the bid value is equal to or exceeds the dispatched value for the current time frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises computing a standard deviation of the multiple dispatched values from the previous time period, and wherein the computing of the bid value is additionally performed using the standard deviation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving a user comfort setting selected by a user, the user comfort setting being selected from at least a first user comfort setting and a second user comfort setting, the first user comfort setting indicating the user'"'"'s willingness to pay more to achieve a desired status of the system controlled by the electrical device relative to the second user comfort setting, and wherein the computing of the bid value is additionally performed using the user comfort setting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a pump and the current status is a measurement of a water level affected by the pump.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is an electric charger for charging a battery, and wherein the current status of the system is the state of charge of the battery.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the bid value is computed according to the following equation:

P_bid=P_avg−

kP_stdSOC_dev

where P_bid is the bid value, P_avg is an average daily clearing price of energy, P_std is a daily standard deviation of price, and SOC_dev is the fractional deviation of the SOC from a desired SOC (SOC_des) with respect to minimum and maximum limits (SOC_min and SOC_max) set by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising continuously repeating the acts of receiving, computing the average dispatched value, and computing the bid value over fixed periods of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fixed periods of time are periods of 15 minutes or less.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is an air-conditioning unit;

heating unit;

heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

hot water heater;

refrigerator;

dish washer;

washing machine;

dryer;

oven;

microwave oven;

pump;

home lighting system;

electrical charger, electric vehicle charger;

or home electrical system.

10. An integrated circuit, pump, or electrical charger comprising computing hardware configured to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for generating a bid value for purchasing electricity in a market-based resource allocation system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a current status of a system controlled by an electrical device;

computing an average dispatched value using multiple dispatched values from a previous time period, the multiple dispatched values representing values at which electricity was dispatched by the market-based resource allocation system during the previous time period;

computing a bid value for purchasing electricity sufficient to operate the electrical device, the computing being performed using at least the current status of the system and the average dispatched value;

transmitting the bid value to a central computer in the market-based resource allocation system;

receiving from the central computer an indication of a dispatched value for a current time frame;

comparing the bid value to the dispatched value for the current time frame; and

generating a signal to activate the electrical device if the bid value is equal to or exceeds the dispatched value for the current time frame.

12. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises computing a standard deviation of the multiple dispatched values from the previous time period, and wherein the computing of the bid value is additionally performed using the standard deviation.

13. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises receiving a user comfort setting selected by a user, the user comfort setting being selected from at least a first user comfort setting and a second user comfort setting, the first user comfort setting indicating the user'"'"'s willingness to pay more to achieve a desired status of the system controlled by the electrical device relative to the second user comfort setting, and wherein the computing of the bid value is additionally performed using the user comfort setting.

14. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the electrical device is a pump and the current status is a measurement of a water level affected by the pump.

15. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the electrical device is an electric charger for charging a battery, and wherein the current status of the system is the state of charge of the battery.

16. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the bid value is computed according to the following equation:

P_bid=P_avg−

kP_stdSOC_dev

where P_bid is the bid value, P_avg is an average daily clearing price of energy, P_std is a daily standard deviation of price, and SOC_dev is the fractional deviation of the SOC from a desired SOC (SOC_des) with respect to minimum and maximum limits (SOC_min and SOC_max) set by a user.

17. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises continuously repeating the acts of receiving, computing the average dispatched value, and computing the bid value over fixed periods of time.

18. The storage device of claim 17, wherein the fixed periods of time are periods of 15 minutes or less.

19. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the electrical device is an air-conditioning unit;

heating unit;

heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

hot water heater;

refrigerator;

dish washer;

washing machine;

dryer;

oven;

microwave oven;

pump;

home lighting system;

electrical charger, electric vehicle charger;

or home electrical system.

20. A system for generating a bid value for purchasing electricity in a market-based resource allocation system, the system comprising:

computing hardware configured to receive an indication of a current status of a system controlled by an electrical device;

computing hardware configured to compute an average dispatched value using multiple dispatched values from a previous time period, the multiple dispatched values representing values at which electricity was dispatched by the market-based resource allocation system during the previous time period; and

computing hardware configured to compute a bid value for purchasing electricity sufficient to operate the electrical device, the computing being performed using at least the current status of the system and the average dispatched value;

computing hardware configured to transmit the bid value to a central computer in the market-based resource allocation system;

computing hardware configured to receive from the central computer an indication of a dispatched value for a current time frame;

computing hardware configured to compare the bid value to the dispatched value for the current time frame; and

computing hardware configured to generate a signal to activate the electrical device if the bid value is equal to or exceeds the dispatched value for the current time frame.