Dispatchable renewable energy generation, control and storage facility

• US 9,077,204 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: More, Eduardo J., Ellena, Gregory F., Brake, Daniel, Keener, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US13/554,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20130184884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 700/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/00 Controlling wind motors supplying or distributing electrical power H02J, e.g. arrangements for adjusting, eliminating or compensating reactive power in networks H02J3/18; controlling electric generators H02P, e.g. arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output H02P9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/12 storing kinetic energy, e.g. using flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/00 Adapting or protecting infrastructure or their operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

The present invention includes a system and method for generating, controlling and storing dispatchable renewable energy. The system may include one or more wind power generation facilities and one or more solar power generation facilities to generate power that can be stored by one or more storage facilities. The power can be supplied to a power grid at a level determined by actual or predicted weather conditions, based on variable power demands. The power generated by the renewable energy sources may be combined with power generated by conventional power generation facilities to provide power in a dispatchable manner.

Claims

1. A dispatchable energy generation system comprising:

at least one renewable energy source with integrated energy storage;

at least one point of interconnect for collecting power generated by said at least one renewable energy source;

a power transfer device for supplying collected power to a grid and for supplying power to charge at least one energy storage device, wherein said at least one energy storage device can dispatch power to the grid upon request;

at least one non-renewable energy source for dispatching power to the grid upon request; and

a master controller for controlling the operation of the at least one renewable energy source, the at least one non-renewable energy source, or the at least one energy storage device, by sending at least one output control signal based on a plurality of parameters,

wherein the at least one renewable energy source includes a wind farm site, the wind farm site including a wind speed predictor module, a wind direction predictor module, a temperature predictor module, a relative humidity predictor module, and a control module,

wherein said control module receives data from at least one of a said wind speed predictor module, said wind direction predictor module, said temperature predictor module, or said relative humidity predictor module, and processes said data to command a remedial measure though an actuator module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one renewable energy source includes one of a photovoltaic solar array or wind turbine generator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wind farm site further comprises:

an extreme conditions predictor module;

a wind shadowing predictor module; and

a module storing measured or estimated turbine wear and tear condition information; and

wherein data from said wind speed predictor module is input to said extreme conditions predictor module;

wherein data from said wind speed predictor module and said wind direction module is input to said wind shadowing predictor module; and

wherein said control module may receive additional data from said extreme conditions predictor module, said wind shadowing predictor module, or said module storing measured turbine wear and tear condition information, and said control module processes said data to command the remedial measure though the actuator module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the extreme conditions predictor module processes wind prediction data to predict hurricane-like conditions.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the control module further processes individual turbine parameters measured locally at a turbine in said wind farm.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said remedial measure includes at least one of shutting down a turbine in said wind farm, pitch blades in a direction, or send a command to curtail power to optimize power output produced by the wind farm.

7. The system of claim 3, further comprising at least one energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 3, further comprising a wind blade icing predictor module;

wherein data from said temperature predictor module and said relative humidity module is input to said wind blade icing predictor module; and

said control module processes icing prediction data from said wind blade icing predictor module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one renewable energy source includes a solar photovoltaic bank comprising:

a weather predictor module;

a historical solar parameters database module;

an energy storage module for storing energy produced by said bank;

and a controller module that receives data from said weather predictor module and said database module to control dispatchment of power generated by said solar photovoltaic bank or said energy storage module.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameters comprise at least one of:

historical data corresponding to operation of at least one of said at least one energy storage device, said at least one renewable energy source, or said at least one non-renewable energy source;

metered data corresponding to operation of at least one of said at least one energy storage device, said at least one renewable energy source, or said at least one non-renewable energy source;

site parameters corresponding to at least one site corresponding to said at least one renewable energy source;

forecast information corresponding to at least one site corresponding to said at least one renewable energy source;

or

site requirements corresponding to at least one site corresponding to said at least one renewable energy source.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the master controller includes means for processing said parameters to produce said control signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said energy storage device includes at least one of a battery storage device, capacitor storage device, or flywheel energy storage device.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising renewable energy sources without integrated storage.