Method and system for power management

• US 9,496,754 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Papaevangelou, Diogenis, Otto Van Der Wal, Willem, Kulathu, Ganesh, Gupta, Arinjai, Wimmer, Wolfgang, Nykvist, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/414,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A method and a system for power management for a plant electrical network are provided. The power management system over a plant-wide communication network includes both concepts of hierarchical level and distributed level power management using multiple controllers. At least one controller in the power management system is configured for power management in a first local process area within the plant electrical network and is capable to communicate with at least a second controller configured for power management in a second local process area within the plant electrical network over the communication network.

Claims

1. A power management system for a plant electrical network including power distribution equipment, power actuators, local generators and loads of an industrial plant, the system comprising:

a plant-wide communication network; and

a plurality of controllers for power management in the plant electrical network,

wherein the plurality of controllers are communicatively interconnected via the plant-wide communication network,

wherein a first controller from the plurality of controllers is configured for power management in a first local process area within the plant electrical network by controlling power distribution equipment in the first local process area,

wherein at least a second controller from the plurality of controllers is configured for power management in a second local process area within the plant electrical network by controlling power distribution equipment in the second local process area,

wherein at least one controller of the first controller and the second controller is configured to operate according to an operation mode determined based on at least one of (i) collected electrical connectivity status between the first local process area and the second local process area in the plant electrical network, and (ii) communication connectivity status information between the first controller and the second controller on the plant wide communication network,

wherein the at least one controller is configured to perform power balance computations for the respective local process area in accordance with the operation mode of the at least one controller,

wherein the at least one controller is configured to perform the power management in the respective local process area based on the results of the power balance computations by providing commands for load shedding of the power distribution equipment in the respective local process area to maintain a power balance condition in the respective local process area, and

wherein the at least one controller is configured to perform the power management based on priority definitions associated with loads in the respective local process area.

2. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the first controller from the plurality of controllers is configured as a central controller for the plant electrical network, communicatively connected to any controllers from the plurality of controllers that are configured for power management in respective local process areas within the plant electrical network.

3. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the central controller is configured to perform power management based on priorities assigned with local process areas.

4. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the central controller is configured to communicate one or more power management commands to the second controller from the plurality of controllers.

5. The power management system of claim 1, wherein at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is configured as a local controller in a local process area for a power management function in the respective local process area, and is configured to operate in an operation mode which is determined to be one of a remote control mode, a partial autonomous mode, and a complete autonomous operation mode.

6. The power management system of claim 1, wherein at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is configured for a local process area that includes an electrical network existing as an islanded or as an isolated network.

7. The power management system of claim 1 wherein the power management comprises:

one or more power management functionalities for load shedding including at least one of slow load shedding, manual load shedding, power balance computations, issuance of priorities, and consolidating load power consumption per priority to carry out a power management function.

8. The power management system of claim 1, wherein at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is configured to perform power management functionalities based on priority communication in the plant-wide communication network.

9. The power management system of claim 1, comprising:

at least one process visualizing interface associated with the first and/or second controller for providing priority configuration and manual functions for power management in the plant electrical network.

10. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the first controller from the plurality of controllers and the second controller are distributed in two different hierarchical levels in the plant electrical network.

11. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the first controller from the plurality of controllers and the second controller are distributed in the same hierarchical level in the plant electrical network.

12. The power management system of claim 1, wherein a scope of a local process area for at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is defined in or inferred from device configuration files of the at least one controller.

13. The power management system of claim 1, wherein a scope of a local process area for at least one controller from the plurality of controllers dynamically changes based on contingency conditions in the plant electrical network.

14. The power management system of claim 1, wherein local process areas of at least two controllers from the plurality of controllers are disjoint to each other.

15. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the first local process area controlled by the first controller includes at least one other local process area controlled by a controller from the plurality of controllers in the plant electrical network.

16. The power management system of claim 1, wherein at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is configured to perform slow load shedding for at least one load in the respective local process area of the at least one controller.

17. The power management system of claim 1, wherein at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is configured to perform manual load shedding for at least one load in the respective local process area of the at least one controller.

18. The power management system of claim 1, wherein at least one controller from the plurality of controllers is configured to perform at least one power management function in the respective local process area of the at least one controller based on a communication received in the plant-wide communication network.

19. A method for power management in a plant electrical network including power distribution equipment, power actuators, local generators and loads of an industrial plant, using at least two controllers communicatively interconnected via a plant-wide communication network, each of the at least two controllers being respectively configured for power management in a corresponding local process area within the plant electrical network, the method comprising:

(a) deciding an operation mode for at least one controller from the at least two controllers as (a) a remote control mode or (b) a complete autonomous mode or (c) a partial autonomous mode for power management in the corresponding local process area of the at least one controller, wherein the operation mode is decided based on at least one of (i) collected electrical connectivity status between the corresponding local process areas of the at least two controllers in the plant electrical network, and (ii) communication connectivity status information between the at least two controllers on the plant-wide communication network;

(b) performing power balance computations for the corresponding local process area by the at least one controller in accordance with the operation mode of the at least one controller; and

(c) performing the power management in the corresponding local process area associated with the at least one controller based on results of the power balance computations by providing commands for load shedding of power distribution equipment in the corresponding local process area to maintain a power balance condition, wherein the power management is further based on priority definitions associated with loads in the corresponding local process area of the at least one controller.

20. The method for power management of claim 19 wherein determining the operation mode for the at least one controller comprises:

detecting at least one of (a) a communication connectivity status between the at least two controllers, or (b) an electrically connectivity status between the corresponding local process areas associated with the at least two controllers, or (c) information received from an other controller of the at least two controllers, or (d) one or more user inputs provided through a process visualization interface, or (e) from any combinations of (a), (b), (c) and (d).

21. The method for power management of claim 19, comprising:

initiating the step of performing power balance computations by the at least one controller on (a) detecting change in the operation mode, or (b) detecting a system disturbance in the corresponding local process area, or (c) for providing consolidated electrical network information to the at least one controller.

22. The method for power management of claim 19, wherein the step of performing power management by the at least one controller comprises:

performing at least one function from functions for (a) load shedding based on load shedding priorities, (b) power control based on priority for generator, and (c) power restoration based on reconnecting priority for a load.