Multiple renewables site electrical generation and reactive power control

• US 9,368,971 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Ellena, Gregory F., Thorp, Scott, McWhorter, Kevin, Quiroga, George, Mango, Mark, Caceres, Maximiliano
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US13/532,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 307/52, 307/57, 307/55, 307/62, 307/67, 307/71, 307/76, 307/84, 290/40.A, 290/40.B, 290/44, 700/3, 700/287, 700/292, 700/304
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/16 by adjustment of reactive power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

A method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system uses a master controller and a plurality of controllers configured to control a cluster of renewable energy resources to deliver predetermined amounts of actual power and reactive power to a point of interconnect with a grid in accordance with contractual requirements with users of electrical power while reducing reactive power flow between renewable resources in the cluster.

Claims

1. In a renewable energy system comprising a plurality of renewable energy resources distributed over a geographic area, a method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system comprising the steps of:

providing a master controller;

providing a plurality of controllers configured such that each controller is at a discrete location remote from said master controller and is operative to controls one or more of said renewable energy resources;

configuring said master controller and said plurality of controllers such that said master controller receives information from said plurality of controllers and issues commands to said plurality of controllers;

wherein a communication link is established between said master controller and each of said plurality of controllers, thereby enabling said master controller to communicate with resources at each discrete location;

providing said master controller with information comprising at least predetermined ranges of actual power and reactive power to be delivered to a point of interconnect remote from each said discrete locations;

processing said information and issuing commands to cause said renewable energy resources to provide power such that the aggregate of power from said renewable energy resources is delivered to said point of interconnect within said predetermined ranges of actual and reactive power.

2. The method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system claimed in claim 1 wherein said information provided to said master controller includes curtailment information.

3. The method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of establishing and communicating set points for power and reactive power for at least wind turbine renewable energy resources.

4. The method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of monitoring active and reactive power at a plurality of points among said renewable energy resources, and issuing commands to said plurality of controllers to cause the flow of reactive power between resources to be reduced to a minimal amount while maintaining active and reactive power delivered to said point of interconnect within said predetermined ranges.

5. The method of configuring a renewable energy curtailment and control system claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of monitoring voltages and setting voltage set points for at least some of said renewable energy resources.