Power connection control system and method

• US 9,583,941 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Motobayashi, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US14/000,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0073 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source when the main path fails, e.g. transformers, busbars
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• 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 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/248 UPS systems or standby or emergency generators

Abstract

For each of consumers, a connection control apparatus is provided that includes an opening/closing device capable of connecting or disconnecting an electric power system and a consumer, that, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at a command from an outage management apparatus or the like, and that connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device upon receiving a command from the outage management apparatus or the like at the time of restoration from the power outage. A power supply control apparatus supplies electric power from energy provision equipment to electrical appliances during a power outage in the electric power system.

Claims

1. A power connection control system configured to function in conjunction with energy provision equipment to be linked to an electric power system, the energy provision equipment configured to supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the power connection control system comprising:

a connection control apparatus comprising an opening/closing device capable of connecting or disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer, and that, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device based on a command received from outside; and

a power supply control apparatus that, when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to the electrical appliances;

an outage management apparatus that, when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, transmits to said connection control apparatus a parallel-off command for disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer from each other, and, at the time of restoration from the power outage, transmits to said connection control apparatus a linkage command for linking the electric power system and the consumer to each other,

wherein said connection control apparatus, when restoration of power from the power outage in an electric power system is detected, transmits to said outage management apparatus a linkage operation time representing the time from receiving a linkage command, for linking the consumer to the electric power system, to enabling linkage of the units of energy provision equipment with the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing a surplus amount of electric power computed from a predicted amount of electric power generated from the energy provision equipment at the time of linkage and a predicted total power consumption of the electrical appliances at the time of linkage,

wherein said outage management apparatus schedules a time to transmit the linkage command for each consumer based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, and transmits the linkage command to said connection control apparatus according to the scheduled time.

2. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, said power supply control apparatus obtains an amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and power consumption of the electrical appliances, and supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to part of the electrical appliances having a higher degree of importance within a range in which electric power can be provided from the energy provision equipment, based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and the power consumption of the electrical appliances obtained and degree of importance set for the electrical appliances in advance.

3. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage in the electric power system, said connection control apparatus connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device based on a command received from the outside.

4. The power connection control system according to claim 3,

wherein said connection control apparatus disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at the parallel-off command, and connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at the linkage command, and

wherein upon receiving the predicted outage time period through said connection control apparatus, said power supply control apparatus determines to which of the electrical appliances the electric power is to be supplied based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment in the predicted outage time period, the power consumption of the electrical appliances in the predicted outage time period and the degree of importance of the electrical appliances.

5. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein, when the predicted outage time period is updated by an operator, said outage management apparatus transmits the updated predicted outage time period to said connection control apparatus.

6. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein

said connection control apparatus causes connection to be made from the consumer to the electric power system, and, after a lapse of the linkage operation time, causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

7. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein

said connection control apparatus performs frequency adjustment and phase adjustment after the consumer is connected to the electric power system, and causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

8. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein

said connection control apparatus, when the linkage command is received at a time for establishing linkage which is determined on the basis of the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

9. A power connection control method for disconnecting, from an electric power system, energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the method comprising:

providing an opening/closing device that connects or disconnects the electric power system and the consumer;

a control apparatus disconnecting, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device based on a command received from the outside; and

a first computer supplying electric power from the energy provision equipment to the electrical appliances during the power outage in the electric power system, and

when restoration of power from the power outage in an electric power system is detected, transmitting a linkage operation time representing the time from receiving a linkage command, for linking the consumer to the electric power system, to enabling linkage of the units of energy provision equipment with the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing a surplus amount of electric power computed from a predicted amount of electric power generated from the energy provision equipment at the time of linkage and a predicted total power consumption of the electrical appliances at the time of linkage,

when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, a second computer transmitting to a connection control apparatus a parallel-off command for disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer from each other, and, at the time of restoration from the power outage, transmitting to the control apparatus a linkage command for linking the electric power system and the consumer to each other, and

said second computer scheduling a time to transmit the linkage command for each consumer based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, and transmitting the linkage command to said connection control apparatus according to the scheduled time.

10. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, the first computer obtains an amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and power consumption of the electrical appliances, and supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to part of the electrical appliances with a higher degree of importance within a range in which electric power can be provided from the energy provision equipment, based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and the power consumption of the electrical appliances obtained and degree of importance set for the electrical appliances in advance.

11. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage in the electric power system, the first computer connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device based on a command received from the outside.

12. The power connection control method according to claim 11

wherein the control apparatus disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at the parallel-off command, and connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at the linkage command, and

wherein upon receiving the predicted outage time period through the control apparatus, the first computer determines to which of the electrical appliances the electric power is to be supplied based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment in the predicted outage time period, the power consumption of the electrical appliances in the predicted outage time period and the degree of importance of the electrical appliances.

13. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein, when the predicted outage time period is updated by an operator, the second computer transmits the updated predicted outage time period to the control apparatus.

14. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein

said first computer causing connection to be made from the consumer to the electric power system, and, after a lapse of the linkage operation time, causing electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

15. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein

said first computer performs frequency adjustment and phase adjustment after the consumer is connected to the electric power system, and causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

16. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein said first computer, when the linkage command is received at a time for establishing linkage which is determined on the basis of the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

17. A power supply control apparatus that supplies electric power from energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the apparatus comprising:

a processing section that when a power outage occurs in an electric power system supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to part of the electrical appliances within a range in which electric power can be provided from the energy provision equipment; and

a communication section that communicates information to or from the energy provision equipment and the electrical appliances,

wherein said processing section, when restoration of power from the power outage in an electric power system is detected, transmits a linkage operation time representing the time from receiving a linkage command, for linking the consumer to the electric power system, to enabling linkage of the units of energy provision equipment with the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing a surplus amount of electric power computed from a predicted amount of electric power generated from the energy provision equipment at the time of linkage and a predicted total power consumption of the electrical appliances at the time of linkage, and

receives the linkage command for each consumer which is scheduled based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow.

18. The power supply control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein upon receiving a predicted outage time period from the outside in a power outage in the electric power system, said processing section determines to which of the electrical appliances the electric power is to be supplied based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment in the predicted outage time period, the power consumption of the electrical appliances in the predicted outage time period and the degree of importance of the electrical appliances.

19. The power supply control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said processing section causes connection to be made from the consumer to the electric power system, and, after a lapse of the linkage operation time, causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

20. The power supply control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said processing section performs frequency adjustment and phase adjustment after the consumer is connected to the electric power system, and causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

21. The power supply control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said processing section, when the linkage command is received at a time for establishing linkage which is determined on the basis of the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, causes electric power to be supplied from the units of energy provision equipment to the electric power system.

22. An outage management apparatus comprising:

a storage section that, when a power outage occurs in an electric power system, stores outage section information provided from outside and indicates a distribution section where the power outage is occurring, and stores system consumer accommodation information as information indicating consumers accommodated in the electric power system;

a processing section that extracts some of the consumers accommodated in the outage section where the power outage is occurring based on at least one of the outage section information and the system consumer accommodation information, transmits to the extracted consumer a parallel-off command for disconnecting the extracted consumers in the outage section from the electric power system and transmits a predicted outage time period input by an operator as a predicted value of an outage time period, and transmits to the extracted consumers in the outage section a linkage command for linking the extracted consumers to the electric power system at the time of restoration from the power outage; and

a communication section that, under the control of said processing section, receives the outage section information and the system consumer accommodation information through a predetermined communication line, and transmits the parallel-off command and the linkage command to the extracted consumers accommodated in the distribution section where the power outage is occurring,

wherein when said processing section receives, from the extracted consumers, with respect to a notice of restoration from the power outage, a linkage operation time representing the time from receiving the linkage command to enabling linkage of units of energy provision equipment with the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing a surplus amount of electric power computed from a predicted amount of electric power generated from the energy provision equipment at the time of linkage and a predicted total power consumption of the extracted consumer'"'"'s electrical appliances at the time of linkage, said processing section schedules a time to transmit the linkage command for each of the extracted consumers based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, and transmits the linkage command to the extracted consumers according to the scheduled time.

23. The outage management apparatus to claim 22, wherein

said processing section schedules the time to transmit the linkage command for each of the extracted consumers so that the adjustment load on the electric power system is minimized.

24. The outage management apparatus to claim 22, wherein

said communication section, when the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow, that are transmitted from the units of energy provision equipment in response to the restoration of power from the power outage, is received, transmits each linkage command to the consumer.