×

Systems and methods for synchronizing switching within a power distribution network

  • US 9,293,920 B2
  • Filed: 03/30/2011
  • Issued: 03/22/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method comprising:

  • identifying, by a control system associated with a power utility and comprising one or more computers, a switch plan for restoring electrical power to a power distribution network following a power outage;

    directing, by the control system, notifications to one or more components of the power distribution network, wherein the one or more components comprises one or more of;

    a load balancing controller, one or more distributed energy resources (DERs), or an asset management system;

    receiving, by the control system, communication from the one or more components of the power distribution network, wherein the switch plan is dynamically modified based upon the communication received;

    identifying, by the control system, a plurality of switching operations associated with the switch plan, the plurality of switching operations comprising at least one automatic switching operation and at least one manual switching operation;

    directing, by the control system, to a mobile user device a communication of a message to execute the at least one manual switching operation to facilitate execution of the switch plan;

    receiving, by the control system, an indication that at least one switching operation has been completed;

    dynamically modifying, by the control system, the switch plan based at least in part on the received indication, and one or more conditions associated with the power distribution network, wherein the one or more conditions comprises one or more of;

    phase balancing analysis, load balancing analysis, voltage conditions, frequency conditions, reactive power conditions, or maintenance information;

    coordinating, by the control system, a synchronized execution of the plurality of switching operations based at least upon the communication received from the one or more components, indications that the switching operations have been completed, and/or the one more conditions associated with the power distribution network, wherein the synchronized execution facilitates the dynamically modified switch plan and executes a next switching operation included in the plurality of switching operations based at least in part upon the received indication that one switching operation has been completed;

    identifying, by the control system based at least in part on the switch plan, an area of the power distribution network isolated as a result of the plurality of switching operations; and

    directing, by the control system, an optimization of maintenance associated with the identified area, wherein the directing comprises;

    communicating, by the control system to an asset management system, information associated with a power outage for the isolated area, wherein the asset management system schedules maintenance associated with the isolated area based at least in part on the received information;

    receiving, by the control system from the asset management system, scheduled maintenance information for the isolated area; and

    modifying, by the control system based at least in part upon the scheduled maintenance information, the switch plan.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×