Controlling power generators and chillers

• US 9,429,924 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Osogami, Takayuki, Yanagisawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US13/533,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 705/400, 705/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control

Abstract

A method of meeting a power demand of a power consumption unit is disclosed. A forecasted power demand for a power demand scenario for the power consumption unit is determined and a probability of occurrence of the power demand scenario is determined. An objective function for operating at least one power supply device is created that includes the forecasted power demand of the power demand scenario and the determined probability of occurrence of the power demand scenario. A substantial minimum of the objective function is located to determine a schedule for operating the at least one power supply device to meet the forecasted power demand. The at least one power supply device may be operated according to the determined schedule to meet the power demand of the power consumption unit.

Claims

1. A method of meeting a power demand of a power consumption unit, comprising:

providing a chiller for regulating a temperature of the power consumption unit, a heat storage unit for supplying heat to the chiller, and an electric power system of the power consumption unit for providing electrical power to the power consumption unit and to the chiller;

determining, by a processing device, a forecasted power demand for a power demand scenario for the power consumption unit;

determining a probability of occurrence of the power demand scenario;

creating an objective function for operating a power supply device to supply power to the electric power system, wherein the objective function includes the forecasted power demand of the power demand scenario and the determined probability of occurrence of the power demand scenario;

locating a substantial minimum of the objective function to determine a schedule for operating the power supply device to meet the forecasted power demand, wherein a relation between a fuel consumption of the power supply device and a power output of the power supply device is represented using a piece-wise linear function; and

operating the power supply device according to the determined schedule to meet the power demand of the power consumption unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the objective function includes a heat loss at the chiller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one power supply further comprises a generator and the objective function includes a power loss at the generator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the objective function includes terms for at least one of a generator, a battery, the chiller unit and the heat storage unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forecasted power demand is at least one of:

(i) an electrical power demand; and

(ii) a power demand for regulating an environment of the power consumption unit.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a number of intervals of the piece-wise linear function to reduce a computation time for locating the substantial minimum of the objective function.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a selected set of adjacent interval into intervals over which the piecewise linear function is convex.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the objective function is subject to a heat constraint and an energy constraint.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the power consumption unit further comprises a building that includes a local electrical generator as the power supply device and at least one device for supplying power that regulates an environment of the building.

10. A method of determining a power demand of a power consumption unit, comprising:

determining, by a processing device, a forecasted power demand for a selected power demand scenario for the power consumption unit;

determining a probability of occurrence of the selected power demand scenario;

creating an objective function for operating at least one power production device to meet the forecasted power demand and the determined probability of occurrence of the power demand scenario, wherein the at least one power production device supplies power to an electric power system of the power consumption unit and the electric power system provides electrical power to the power consumption unit and to a chiller for regulating a temperature of the power consumption unit, the chiller receiving heat from a heat storage unit; and

finding a substantial minimum of the objective function to determine a schedule for operating the at least one power production device to determine the power demand of the power consumption unit, wherein a relation between a fuel consumption of the power production device and a power output of the power production device is represented using a piece-wise linear function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one power production device further comprises the chiller of a heating unit and the objective function includes a heat loss at the chiller.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one power production device further comprises a generator and the objective function includes a power loss at the at the generator.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the objective function includes terms for at least one of a generator, a battery, the chiller unit and the heat storage unit.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the expected power demand is at least one of:

(i) an electrical power demand; and

(ii) a power demand for regulating an environment of the power consumption unit.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising reducing a number of intervals of the piece-wise linear function to reduce a computation time for locating the substantial minimum of the objective function.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising reducing a selected set of adjacent interval into intervals over which the piecewise linear function is convex.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the objective function is subject to a heat constraint and an energy constraint.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the power consumption unit further comprises a building that includes a local electrical generator as the power production device and at least one device for supplying power that regulates an environment of the building.