Dynamic distributed power grid control system

• US 9,300,137 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avista Development, Inc. (Avistar)
• Original Assignee: Spirae, Inc.
• Inventors: Cherian, Sunil, Pacific, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Carlos Ortiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPEZ ALVAREZ, OLVIN
• Application Number:
  US13/099,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/16 by adjustment of reactive power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/48 : Controlling the sharing of the in-phase component
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/50 : Controlling the sharing of the out-of-phase component
• 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: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 : Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 : Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 : the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 : State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A control system for a distributed power grid includes a simulation module operative to directly interface with operational control of distributed energy resources (DER) to develop and when necessary dynamically modify control inputs of the distributed power grid. By conducting a decentralized and distributed simulation of DER topology (components and their surrounding infrastructure) each distributed control module can simulate control response characteristics of a plurality of DER to determine a control methodology necessary to achieve a desired target. Once developed the same control inputs can be directly applied to physical DER and thereafter monitored to validate performance. Once validated, operational control of the DER is established while ongoing modifications of the control inputs continues in parallel to maintain desired performance.

Claims

1. A distributive transmission and distribution power grid control system, comprising:

a transmission and distribution power grid including a plurality of distributed energy resources wherein a subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources are controllable;

a first machine, wherein the first machine executes instructions embodied as software to form a transmission and distribution grid model of the transmission and distribution power grid including distributed energy resources the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable;

a second machine, independent from the first machine and external to the transmission and distribution grid model, wherein the second machine executes instructions embodied as software to receive a request for specified performance of a portion of the transmission and distribution power grid, to develop a set of control inputs to modify operation of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in order to meet the request for specified performance of the transmission and distribution power grid, and to apply the developed set of control inputs to the model of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable to validate that the external simulated power system model of the portion of the transmission and distribution power grid meets the request for specified performance; and

a third machine, communicatively coupled to the transmission and distribution power grid and the second machine and wherein the third machine executes instructions embodied as software to be a control interface to transform and deliver the developed set of control inputs to to the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable to control the transmission and distribution power grid.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each distributed energy resource includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution components and a plurality of energy generation, storage, conditioning and demand components coupled to the transmission and distribution power grid.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the model produced by the first machine is operable to represent combined interactions of the plurality of distributed energy resources to determine response characteristics of the network topology to various control inputs.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the control interface transforms the set of control inputs into a standardized set of communication parameters for dissemination to the plurality of distributed energy resources of the transmission and distribution power grid.

5. The system of claim 4

wherein the control interface receives operational and control response information regarding each distributed energy resource and issue queries regarding an ability of each distributed energy resource to meet operational and control response parameters.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the control interface communicates operational and control response capabilities of the distributed energy resources to the second machine.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the control interface mediates requests or commands to a control engine.

8. The system of claim 4

wherein the control interface acts as an intermediary to moderate communications from other control engines and to report appropriate results and capabilities of an associated control engine to the other control engines without presenting a means by which the appropriate results were achieved.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second machine monitors performance of the transmission and distribution grid and responsive to performance of the transmission and distribution grid failing to meet the request for specified performance developing a new set of control inputs to modify operation of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in order to meet the request for specified performance of the transmission and distribution power grid.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein monitoring performance of the transmission and distribution grid and developing control inputs to modify operation of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in order to meet the request for specified performance of the transmission and distribution power grid is iterative.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the control interface reports actions taken and results achieved to the second machine.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the model changes dynamically based on changes to the transmission and distribution grid topology.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication network operable to convey changes in network topology to the first machine.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein plurality of distributed energy resources represent a virtual distributed energy resource.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein operational and control response characteristics of one or more distributed energy resources are monitored and the set of control inputs are dynamically modified to meet the request for specified performance.

16. A system for distributed energy resource control, comprising:

a plurality of distributed energy resources in a transmission and distribution power grid wherein a subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources are controllable;

a distributed control system having a plurality of control engines wherein one of the plurality of control engines issues a set of operating instructions to a simulation of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable to control an external model simulating the transmission and distribution power grid, and, once validated, to the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in the transmission and distribution power grid to meet a request for specified performance of the transmission and distribution power grid; and

an interface interposed between, and communicatively coupled to, one of the plurality of control engines and either the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in the external model simulating the transmission and distribution grid or the plurality of distributed energy resources in the transmission and distribution power grid that are controllable.

17. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 16 wherein each distributed energy resource includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution grid components and a plurality of energy generation, storage, conditioning and demand components.

18. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 17 wherein the interface is operable to transform the set of operating instruction into a standardized set of communication parameters for dissemination to other control interfaces.

19. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 16 further comprising using one or more iterative processes to match a simulated operational and control response characteristics of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable based on issued operating instructions with a desirable outcome before establishing operational control of the distributed energy resources by the control engine.

20. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 19 wherein operational and control response characteristics of the subset of distributed energy resources responsive to the issued operating instructions are continually monitored by the control engine.

21. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 16 wherein the external model simulating the plurality of distributed energy resources operates independently of each other model simulating another plurality of distributed energy resources and wherein each model can be a part of another independent simulation model.

22. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 16 wherein the interface acts as an intermediary to moderate communications from other interfaces and to report appropriate results and capabilities to the other interfaces without presenting a means by which the results were achieved.

23. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 16 wherein the external model simulating the transmission and distribution power grid is operable to dynamically model and modify operational and control response characteristics based on changes to the plurality of distributed energy resources or changes in transmission and distribution grid topology, and based on changes to other distributed energy resources and changes in transmission and distribution grid topology.

24. A method for distributed energy resource modeling and control in a transmission and distribution power grid wherein the transmission and distribution power grid includes a plurality of distributed energy resources and wherein a subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources are controllable by control inputs, the method comprising:

creating an external simulated power system model of the transmission and distribution power grid including the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable;

receiving a request for specified performance of a portion of the transmission and distribution power grid;

developing a set of distributed energy resource control inputs to modify operation of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable to meet the request for specified performance of the portion of the transmission and distribution power grid;

applying the developed set of distributed energy resource control inputs to that portion of the external simulated power system model corresponding to the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in order to validate that the developed set of control inputs will meet the request for specified performance; and

responsive to validating that the portion of the transmission and distribution power grid in the external simulated power system model meets the request for specified performance based on the applied set of energy resource control inputs, deploying the set of distributed energy resource control inputs to the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable to control the transmission and distribution power grid.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the external simulated power system model represents the plurality of distributed energy resources and includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution grid components.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the plurality of distributed energy resources includes compound distributed energy resources.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising

iteratively monitoring performance of the transmission and distribution grid, and responsive to performance of the transmission and distribution grid failing to meet the request for specified performance, developing a new set of control inputs to modify operation of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that are controllable in order to meet the request for specified performance of the portion of the transmission and distribution power grid.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising identifying one or more control parameters for each of the subset of the plurality of distributed energy resources that can be controlled.

29. The method of claim 27

wherein responsive to operational control responses of the plurality of distributed energy resources failing to meet simulated operational control response expectations within the external independent simulated power system model, modifying the set of distributed control inputs until operational control responses of the plurality of distributed energy resources meet simulated operational control response expectations.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein responsive to the set of control inputs operational control responses of the distributed energy resources failing to meet the request for specified performance, replicating in an independent simulated environment the plurality of distributed energy resources and the set of control inputs to evaluate one or more modifications of the validated set of control inputs while operational control of the plurality of distributed energy resources is unaffected.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising implementing the one or more modifications responsive to operational control response expectations being met in the replicated independent simulated environment.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein creating, developing and applying is conducted independently on a local, regional and enterprise basis.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein each instance of creating, developing and applying provides informational data for other distributed energy resource modeling and control.