Arbitrage control system for two or more available power sources
First Claim
1. A computerized method for selecting a mechanical power source for a shaft-driven device from two or more available mechanical power sources, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the shaft-driven device connected to the two or more available mechanical power sources via one or more couplings and one or more drive shafts, wherein the two or more available mechanical power sources comprise at least one motor/generator coupled to an electrical network connection and at least one mechanical power source selected from the group consisting of one or more engines, one or more motors, and one or more turbines;
providing a processor communicably coupled to a database and one or more interfaces to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device and the one or more couplings;
(a) receiving market and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, the one or more couplings and the electrical network connection;
(b) analyzing the market and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device by the processor, the one or more couplings and the electrical network connection;
(c) selecting the mechanical power source for the shaft-driven device from the two or more available mechanical power sources based on a set of financial parameters by the processor, wherein the set of financial parameters comprises an estimated operational cost for the at least one motor/generator and the at least one mechanical source, and a projected potential revenue from using the at least one mechanical source to drive both the shaft-driven device and the at least one motor/generator to provide electricity to the external network connection; and
(d) whenever the shaft-driven device is not already connected to the selected mechanical power source, the processor (1) determines whether it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source based on the projected potential revenue and a projected cost associated with switching to the selected power source, a time period and one or more guidelines, and (2) physically switches the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source by automatically sending one or more control signals to the one or more couplings whenever it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an arbitrage control system for two or more available power sources (106, 108) that enables the automatic or manual control of one or more multi-source systems (202) to take advantage of price differentials across commodities, locations and/or time. The present invention selects a power source for a device or delivery point (110) from two or more available power sources (106, 108) by analyzing market and operational data (406). A power source (106 or 108) for the device or delivery point (110) is then selected from the two or more available power sources (106, 108) based on a set of financial parameters (408). If the device or delivery point (110) is not already connected to the selected power source, one or more signals are sent (418) to switch the device or delivery point (110) to the selected power source. The arbitrage controller (102) includes a user interface (300), market interface (302), multi-source interface (304), database (306) and processor (308). The processor (308) is communicably coupled to the user interface (300), the market interface (302), the multi-source interface (304) and the database (306).
80 Citations
76 Claims
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1. A computerized method for selecting a mechanical power source for a shaft-driven device from two or more available mechanical power sources, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing the shaft-driven device connected to the two or more available mechanical power sources via one or more couplings and one or more drive shafts, wherein the two or more available mechanical power sources comprise at least one motor/generator coupled to an electrical network connection and at least one mechanical power source selected from the group consisting of one or more engines, one or more motors, and one or more turbines; providing a processor communicably coupled to a database and one or more interfaces to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device and the one or more couplings; (a) receiving market and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, the one or more couplings and the electrical network connection; (b) analyzing the market and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device by the processor, the one or more couplings and the electrical network connection; (c) selecting the mechanical power source for the shaft-driven device from the two or more available mechanical power sources based on a set of financial parameters by the processor, wherein the set of financial parameters comprises an estimated operational cost for the at least one motor/generator and the at least one mechanical source, and a projected potential revenue from using the at least one mechanical source to drive both the shaft-driven device and the at least one motor/generator to provide electricity to the external network connection; and (d) whenever the shaft-driven device is not already connected to the selected mechanical power source, the processor (1) determines whether it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source based on the projected potential revenue and a projected cost associated with switching to the selected power source, a time period and one or more guidelines, and (2) physically switches the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source by automatically sending one or more control signals to the one or more couplings whenever it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for selecting a mechanical power source for a shaft-driven device from two or more available mechanical power sources comprising:
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a user interface; a market interface; a multi-source interface comprising one or more interfaces to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, and one or more couplings; a database; a processor communicably coupled to the user interface, the market interface, the multi-source interface and the database, wherein the processor (a) receives market data from the market interface and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, the one or more couplings and an electrical network connection from the multi-source interface or the database, (b) analyzes the market and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, the one or more couplings and the electrical network connection, (c) selects the mechanical power source for the shaft-driven device from the two or more available mechanical power sources based on a set of financial parameters, wherein the set of financial parameters comprises an estimated operational cost for at least one motor/generator and at least one mechanical source, and a projected potential revenue if the at least one mechanical source to drive both the shaft-driven device and the at least one motor/generator to provide electricity to the external network connection and (d) whenever the shaft-driven device is not already connected to the selected mechanical power source, (1) determines whether it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source based on the projected potential revenue and a projected cost associated with switching to the selected mechanical power source, a time period and one or more guidelines and (2) physically switches the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source by automatically sending one or more control signals via the multi-source interface to the one or more couplings whenever it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source; and wherein the shaft-driven device is connected to the two or more available mechanical power sources via the one or more couplings and one or more drive shafts, wherein the two or more available mechanical power sources comprise the at least one motor/generator coupled to the electrical network connection and the at least one mechanical power source selected from the group consisting of one or more engines, one or more motors, and one or more turbines. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and executed by a processor for selecting a mechanical power source for a shaft-driven device from two or more available mechanical power sources, the computer program comprising:
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a code segment for receiving market data and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, one or more couplings and an electrical network connection; a code segment for analyzing market and operational data related to the two or more available mechanical power sources, the shaft-driven device, the one or more couplings and the electrical network connection; a code segment for selecting the mechanical power source for the shaft-driven device from the two or more available mechanical power sources based on a set of financial parameters, wherein the set of financial parameters comprises an estimated operational cost for the at least one motor/generator and the at least one mechanical source, and a projected potential revenue from using the at least one mechanical source to drive both the shaft-driven device and the at least one motor/generator to provide electricity to the external network connection; a code segment for whenever the shaft-driven device is not already connected to the selected mechanical power source, (1) determining whether it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source based on the projected potential revenue and a projected cost associated with switching to the selected mechanical power source, a time period and one or more guidelines, and (2) physically switching the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source by automatically sending one or more control signals to one or more couplings via one or more interfaces communicably coupled to the processor whenever it is profitable to switch the shaft-driven device to the selected mechanical power source; and wherein the shaft-driven device is connected to the two or more available mechanical power sources via the one or more couplings and one or more drive shafts, wherein the two or more available mechanical power sources comprise at least one motor/generator coupled to an electrical network connection and at least one mechanical power source selected from the group consisting of one or more engines, one or more motors, and one or more turbines. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification