Management of energy demand and energy efficiency savings from voltage optimization on electric power systems using AMI-based data analysis

• US 9,325,174 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dominion Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dominion Resources Incorporated
• Inventors: Tyler, Stephen J., Powell, Phillip W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US14/562,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20150137600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• 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 40/70 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: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• 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 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system and computer program is provided for controlling an electric power system, including implementation of a voltage control and conservation (VCC) system used to optimally control the independent voltage and capacitor banks using a linear optimization methodology to minimize the losses in the EEDCS and the EUS. An energy validation process system (EVP) is provided which is used to document the savings of the VCC and an EPP is used to optimize improvements to the EEDCS for continuously improving the energy losses in the EEDS. The EVP system measures the improvement in the EEDS a result of operating the VCC system in the “ON” state determining the level of energy conservation achieved by the VCC system.

Claims

1. A control system for an electric power grid configured to supply electric power from a supply point to a plurality of consumption locations, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is located at a respective one of a plurality of distribution locations on the electric power grid at or between the supply point and at least one of the plurality of consumption locations, and wherein each sensor is configured to sense a component of the supplied electric power received at the respective distribution location and at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate measurement data based on the sensed component;

a controller configured to generate an energy delivery parameter based on a comparison of the measurement data received from the sensors to a controller target band;

a component adjusting device configured to adjust a component of the electric power grid in response to the energy delivery parameter;

wherein the controller target band has upper and lower limits, the upper and lower limits defining a range of acceptable values for the component of electric power at the distribution locations,

wherein the controller is configured to derive a linear model for at least one power loss from an upstream location to a downstream location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the component of the supplied electric power is voltage and the controller target band is a controller target voltage band, the controller is adapted to control in real time using the voltage measurement data, and the component adjusting device includes at least one independent variable voltage control device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller target band upper and lower limits define a lower portion of a range of acceptable voltage at distribution locations.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to receive measurement data from each sensor of a subset of the plurality of sensors, and to generate the energy delivery parameter based on a comparison of the measurement data received from the subset to a controller target voltage band.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the subset is chosen based on a characteristic of the sensor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the characteristic is that the sensors are within a specific block of the electric power grid.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the voltage component of electric power includes both voltage magnitude and voltage angle, and there are a plurality of said subsets, each corresponding to a respective block of the electric power grid, and the controller is further adapted to determine for each subset the slope of the average voltage of the subset as a function of the electric current at the supply point and as a function of the at least one independent variable voltage control device, and to control the voltage control device based on the average voltages and the slopes.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the voltage controller is further adapted to control the voltage control device to minimize the slope of the average voltages.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the subsets corresponds to a respective zone of the electric power grid and each of the at least one independent variable voltage control device corresponds to a respective block or zone of the electric power grid.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the component adjusting device is configured to adjust a component of the electric power grid in response to the energy delivery parameter based on energy demand and energy efficiency savings.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage measurement data from a plurality of portions of the grid is displayed to an operator of the system based on a per unit value.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the data from the supply point and the distribution points are displayed based on a per unit value referenced to 120 volts.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to compare measurement data received from the sensors to the linear model and to previously fingerprinted deviations to determine the identity of an abnormal condition.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to control the optimal solution by deriving the two boundary conditions to solve the boundary search using minimum voltages for the EUS to ED point and minimum voltage slope from the capacitor bank position.

15. A method for controlling electric power supplied to a plurality of distribution locations located at or between a supply point and at least one consumption location, each of the plurality of distribution locations including at least one sensor configured to sense a component of the supplied electric power received at the respective distribution location and generate measurement data based on the sensed component, the method comprising:

generating an energy delivery parameter based on a comparison of the measurement data received from the sensors to a controller target band, the controller target band having upper and lower limits, the upper and lower limits defining a range of acceptable value of the sensed component at distribution locations;

operating a component adjusting device configured to adjust a component of the electric power grid in response to the energy delivery parameter;

deriving a linear model for at least one power loss from an upstream location to a downstream location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the component of the supplied electric power is voltage and the controller target band is a controller target voltage band.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the voltage component of the supplied electric power includes the voltage magnitude and the voltage angle.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling to an optimum level in real time using the voltage measurement, and the component adjusting device includes at least one independent variable voltage control device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller target band upper and lower limits define a lower portion of a range of acceptable voltage at distribution locations.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the measurement data received from the sensors is measurement data from each sensor of a subset of the plurality of sensors, and generates the energy delivery parameter based on a comparison of the measurement data received from the subset to a controller target voltage band.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the subset is chosen based on a characteristic of the sensor.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the characteristic is that the sensors are within a specific block of the electric power grid.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the voltage component of electric power includes both voltage magnitude and voltage angle, and there are a plurality of said subsets, each corresponding to a respective block of the electric power grid, and the method further includes determining for each subset the slope of the average voltage of the subset as a function of the electric current at the supply point and as a function of the at least one independent variable voltage control device, and controls the voltage control device based on the average voltages and the slopes.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising controlling the voltage control device to minimize the slope of the average voltages.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the subsets corresponds to a respective zone of the electric power grid, and each of the at least one independent variable voltage control device corresponds to a respective block or zone of the electric power grid.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage measurement data from a plurality of portions of the grid is displayed to an operator of the system based on a per unit value.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein the data from the supply point and the distribution points are displayed based on a per unit value referenced to 120 volts.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing measurement data received from the sensors to the linear model and to previously fingerprinted linear deviations to determine the identity of an abnormal condition.

29. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the optimal solution by deriving the two boundary conditions to solve the boundary search using minimum voltages for the EUS to ED point and minimum voltage slope from the capacitor bank position.

30. The method of claim 15, wherein the component adjusting device is operated to adjust a component of the electric power grid in response to the energy delivery parameter based on energy demand and energy efficiency savings.