Control method, control server, and computer-readable recording medium

• US 9,614,401 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Yanami, Hitoshi, Iwane, Hidenao, Sasaki, Tomotake, Anai, Hirokazu, Kaneko, Junji, Hara, Shinji, Fujita, Suguru
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US14/193,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/109 Scheduling or re-scheduling the operation of the DC sources in a particular order, e.g. connecting or disconnecting the sources in sequential, alternating or in subsets, to meet a given demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/002 Flicker reduction, e.g. compensation of flicker introduced by non-linear load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A control server according to an embodiment sorts a plurality of notebook PCs into a plurality of groups so that the total value of the remaining energy is a value similar to the total value of the remaining energy of the rechargeable batteries of a plurality of notebook PCs included in a different group. The control server according to the embodiment performs local search individually on the sorted groups, and generates a control plan for the individual notebook PCs.

Claims

1. A control method executed by a computer, the method causing the computer to execute the processes of:

sorting a plurality of devices into a plurality of groups based on remaining energy of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices;

generating a virtual control plan for the plurality of groups, by changing a state in a control plan which specifies a respective state of each device in each time zone, the state indicating whether the device charges or discharges the rechargeable batteries;

simulating an electric power demand for the each time zone using the virtual control plan, for the plurality of groups;

updating the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan, for the plurality of groups, wherein the updating determines that the simulated result is improved when a peak electric power of the virtual control plan is lower than a peak electric power of the control plan;

outputting the control plan when a termination condition whether a predetermined time elapses is satisfied; and

updating the control plan repeatedly until the termination condition is satisfied when the termination condition is not satisfied.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into the plurality of groups based on remaining energy of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices so a distribution of remaining energy of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a group is equal to a distribution of remaining energy of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a different group.

3. The control method according to claim 2, the method causing the computer further to execute the process of:

calculating electric power allocated to the plurality of groups by dividing a total of electric power allocated to the plurality of devices by a number of the groups, wherein

the updating updates the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan and electric power of the virtual control plan does not exceed the electric power allocated to the plurality of groups.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices in accordance with a remaining energy of each rechargeable battery, of the rechargeable batteries, by grouping the plurality of devices in a descending order of the remaining energy of the rechargeable battery into a plurality of groups of a predetermined number of devices and the generating generates the virtual control plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on the each time zone for the devices by considering a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a single device and a total value of capacitances of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a capacitance of a rechargeable battery of a single device.

5. The control method according to claim 4, the method causing the computer further to execute the process of determining electric power in the each time zone that is usable in the plurality of groups based on the respective state allocated to the each device in the each time zone in a control plan by considering a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a single device and determining a control plan for the devices in the plurality of groups.

6. A control server comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes a process comprising;

sorting a plurality of devices into a plurality of groups based on remaining energy of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices;

generating a virtual control plan for the plurality of groups, by changing a state in a control plan which specifies a respective state of each device in each time zone, the state indicating whether the device charges or discharges rechargeable batteries;

simulating an electric power demand for the each time zone using the virtual control plan, for the plurality of groups;

updating the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan, for the plurality of groups, wherein the updating determines that the simulated result is improved when a peak electric power of the virtual control plan is lower than a peak electric power of the control plan;

outputting the control plan when a termination condition whether a predetermined time elapses is satisfied; and

updating the control plan repeatedly until the termination condition is satisfied when the termination condition is not satisfied.

7. The control server according to claim 6, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into the plurality of groups based on remaining energy of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices so a distribution of remaining energy of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a group is equal to a distribution of remaining energy of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a different group.

8. The control server according to claim 7, wherein the process further comprises calculating electric power allocated to the plurality of groups by dividing a total of electric power allocated to the plurality of devices by a number of the groups and the updating updates the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan and electric power of the virtual control plan does not exceed the electric power allocated to the plurality of groups.

9. The control server according to claim 6, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices in accordance with a remaining energy of each rechargeable battery, of the rechargeable batteries, by grouping the plurality of devices in a descending order of the remaining energy of the rechargeable battery into a plurality of groups of a predetermined number of devices and the generating generates the virtual control plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on the each time zone for the devices by considering a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a single device and a total value of capacitances of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a capacitance of a rechargeable battery of a single device.

10. The control server according to claim 9, wherein the process further comprises determining electric power in the each time zone that is usable in the plurality of groups based on the respective state allocated to the each device in the each time zone in a control plan by considering a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a single device and determining a control plan for the devices in the plurality of groups.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a control program that causes a computer to execute a process comprising:

sorting a plurality of devices into a plurality of groups based on remaining energy of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices;

generating a virtual control plan for the plurality of groups, by changing a state in a control plan which specifies a respective state of each device in each time zone, the state indicating whether the device charges or discharges rechargeable batteries;

simulating an electric power demand for the each time zone using the virtual control plan, for the plurality of groups;

updating the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan, for the plurality of groups, wherein the updating determines that the simulated result is improved when a peak electric power of the virtual control plan is lower than a peak electric power of the control plan;

outputting the control plan when a termination condition whether a predetermined time elapses is satisfied; and

updating the control plan repeatedly until the termination condition is satisfied when the termination condition is not satisfied.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into the plurality of groups based on remaining energy of the rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices so a distribution of remaining energy of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a group is equal to a distribution of remaining energy of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a different group.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the process further comprises calculating electric power allocated to the plurality of groups by dividing a total of electric power allocated to the plurality of devices by a number of the groups and the updating updates the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan and electric power of the virtual control plan does not exceed the electric power allocated to the plurality of groups.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices in accordance with a remaining energy of each rechargeable battery, of the rechargeable batteries, by grouping the plurality of devices in a descending order of the remaining energy of the rechargeable battery into a plurality of groups of a predetermined number of devices and the generating generates the virtual control plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on the each time zone for the devices by considering a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a single device and a total value of capacitances of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a capacitance of a rechargeable battery of a single device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14, wherein the process further comprises determining electric power in the each time zone that is usable in the plurality of groups based on the respective state allocated to the each device in the each time zone in a control plan by considering a plurality of devices included in the plurality of groups as a single device and determining a control plan for the devices in the plurality of groups.