Method for controlling an energy storage system

• US 9,692,233 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Neubert, Marc, James, Paul, Becker, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US15/080,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20160211668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 320103, 320110, 320126, 320136, 320138, 705 11, 705400
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means

Abstract

A method for controlling an energy storage system. The same battery system shall support multiple services at the same time. During a planning phase, the multiple services to be provided are determined, based on the market situation and the capabilities of the energy storage system, and prioritized according to predefined criteria. During an operation phase, the power and energy status of the energy storage system is periodically monitored, and compared against the power and energy demands of the multiple services, in order to determine whether at each time instance, the multiple services can indeed be supported at the same time. In case power and/or energy limits are exceeded by the multiple services, at least one service is interrupted to allow the operation of the energy storage system to be within power/energy limits again. The interrupted service(s) is resumed when the power/energy limits are met.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an energy storage system connected to an electric grid, the method comprising:

determining at least two different energy services according to which the energy storage system is to be operated;

operating the same energy storage system in parallel according to the two different energy services to provide, from the energy storage system to the electric grid, total power associated with the two different energy services; and

decreasing provision of low-priority power associated with at least one out of the two different energy services in an ascending order of priority to adjust the total power to predefined power limits of the energy storage system, in case that the total power does not lie within the predefined power limits,

wherein the two different energy services are prioritized using a descending order of Return on Investment (RoI) as a descending order of priority.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the energy storage system is operated according to at least one out of the two different energy services in a descending order of priority, in case that the total power does not lie within the predefined power limits.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the provision of the low-priority power is stopped, in case that the total power is beyond an adjustable range in which the total power is adjusted to the predefined power limits.

4. A method for controlling an energy storage system connected to an electric grid, the method comprising:

determining at least two different energy services according to which the energy storage system is to be operated;

operating the same energy storage system in parallel according to the two different energy services to provide, from the energy storage system to the electric grid, total power associated with the two different energy services;

decreasing provision of low-priority power associated with at least one out of the two different energy services in an ascending order of priority to adjust the total power to predefined power limits of the energy storage system, in case that the total power does not lie within the predefined power limits;

monitoring an energy content of the energy storage system;

monitoring a power demand corresponding to power to be provided to the electric grid according to each of the two different energy services;

calculating a total power demand; and

comparing the total power demand with the predefined power limits,

wherein in a set-up mode, the method comprises the determining,

in a working mode, the method comprises the operating, the monitoring of the energy content, the monitoring of the power demand, the calculating, the comparing, and

the operating includes;

operating the energy storage system according to, in parallel, the two different energy services, in case that the calculated total power demand lies within the predefined power limits and that the monitored energy content lies within predefined energy limits; and

operating the energy storage system according to at least one of the two different energy services in a descending order of priority, in case that the calculated total power demand does not lie within the predefined power limits or that the monitored energy content does not lie within the predefined energy limits.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising in the working mode,

controlling operation of the energy storage system according to at least one of the two different energy services in the ascending order of priority such that the predefined power limits are met by first reducing the power provided by the energy storage system according to the at least one of the two different energy services, and by then increasing the power provided according to the at least one of the two different energy services.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising in the working mode:

interrupting operation of the energy storage system according to at least one of the two different energy services in the ascending order of priority, in case that the calculated total power demand does not lie within the predefined power limits or that the monitored energy content does not lie within the predefined energy limits;

operating the energy storage system according to the remaining energy service of the two different energy services; and

resuming, after the interrupting operation of the energy storage system, operation of the energy storage system according to the interrupted one of the two different energy services, in case that the calculated total power demand lies within the predefined power limits and that the monitored energy content lies within the predefined energy limits.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising in the set-up mode:

identifying a plurality of different energy services; and

calculating for each of the plurality of different energy services the at least one predefined criterion.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising in the set-up mode:

comparing, for each of the identified plurality of different energy services, requirements of the energy service against parameters of the energy storage system to determine whether the energy storage system is able to be operated according to the energy service or not; and

determining the two different energy services according to which the energy storage system is operated, based on a result of the comparison of requirements of the energy services against parameters of the energy storage system.

9. The method according to claim 4,

wherein the predefined energy limits includes a minimum or maximum predefined energy content limit of the energy storage system, and

the method further comprises in the working mode,

comparing the monitored energy content of the energy storage system with the minimum or maximum predefined energy content limit of the energy storage system.

10. The method according to claim 4,

wherein the predefined power limits is defined by a maximum discharge power and a maximum charge power the energy storage system is able to provide to the electric grid, and

the comparing of the total power demand with the predefined power limits includes comparing the calculated total power demand with the maximum discharge power and with the maximum charge power of the energy storage system.

11. The method according to claim 4, further comprising in the working mode:

determining whether the energy storage system is blocked by determining whether the energy storage system is not able to be operated according to at least one energy service; and

determining at least one energy service according to which the energy storage system is operated to de-block the energy storage system, in case that the energy storage system is blocked.

12. A control apparatus for controlling an energy storage system to be connected to an electric grid, comprising a processor, a memory, and communications circuitry, the processor being configured to:

determine at least two different energy services according to which the energy storage system is to be operated;

operate the same energy storage system according to, in parallel, the two different energy services to provide, from the energy storage system to the electric grid, total power associated with the two different energy services; and

decrease provision of low-priority power associated with at least one of the two different energy services in an ascending order of priority to adjust the total power to a predefined power limits of the energy storage system, in case that the total power does not lie within the predefined power limits,

wherein the two different energy services are prioritized using a descending order of Return on Investment (RoI) as a descending order of priority.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the processor operates the energy storage system according to at least one of the two different energy services in a descending order of priority, in case that total power does not lie within the predefined power limits.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the processor stops the provision of the low-priority power, in case that the total power is beyond an adjustable range in which the total power is adjusted to the predefined power limits.

15. An energy storage system comprising at least one storage battery and a control apparatus according to claim 12.