Portable load balancing and source optimization

• US 9,793,715 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Fischer, Scott, Martin, J. Rick, Brainard, Gregory, Harris, Robert, Tugwell, Jonathan Gray
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Danny
• Application Number:
  US14/469,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 307 18, 361 42, 361 86- 87
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/13 using AC generators and AC motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 51/005 Inversing contactors H01H50/323 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/10 The network having a local or delimited stationary reach
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/26 Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/50 Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for portable load balancing and source optimization are described herein. One portable load balancing and source optimization system, includes one or more electric generators that supply three phase electrical power, at least one sensor to sense whether the three phases have become unbalanced beyond a threshold amount, a set of contactors that enable the contacts of the three phases to be changed to adjust the balance of the three phases, and a controller to determine which reversible contactors of the set of contactors to change to adjust that balance of the three phases based on information from the sensor.

Claims

1. A portable load balancing and source optimization system, comprising:

one or more electric generators that supply three phase electrical power;

at least one sensor to sense whether the three phases have become unbalanced beyond a threshold amount;

a set of contactors that enable the contacts of the three phases to be changed to adjust the balance of the three phases;

a controller to determine which reversible contactors of the set of contactors to change to adjust that balance of the three phases based on information from the sensor; and

wherein the system includes one or more sensors and each sensor is used to determine the load being supplied by the generator and wherein the controller controls the power generated by each of the generators based on information from the one or more the sensors used to determine the load being supplied by the generator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the three phases is accomplished by the controller by utilizing a phase rotation to address generator unbalances.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller uses the information from the sensors to control when a generator is to begin providing power or to cease providing power.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of contactors includes two standard contactors with a software safety interlock that enables the contacts of the three phases to be changed through wiring to adjust the balance of the three phases without reversing one or more loads.

5. A portable load balancing and source optimization system, comprising:

one or more generators that supply a three phase electrical power;

at least one sensor to sense whether the three phases have become unbalanced beyond a threshold amount;

a set of reversible contactors that enable the contacts of the three phases to be changed to adjust the balance of the three phases;

a controller to determine which contactors of the set of contactors to change to adjust that balance of the three phases based on information from the sensor; and

wherein the set of reversible contactors includes a mechanical safety interlock that enables the contacts of the three phases to be changed to adjust the balance of the three phases without reversing the one or more generators.

6. A portable load balancing and source optimization system, comprising:

one or more generators that each generates a three phase electrical power;

at least one sensor to sense one or more criteria each having a threshold amount;

a controller to determine at least one of;

whether the three phases need to be balanced, whether one or more loads on the system need to be shed, whether the system needs to be restored, where one or more generators need to be started, whether one or more generators need to be stopped;

control logic to take an action based on the determination;

wherein one of the one or more the criteria is the phases of the system being out of balance; and

wherein the system analyzes an unbalanced condition of the system and determines whether to adjust a phase arrangement;

from ABC to BCA, from ABC to CAB, or to not make any adjustment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein one of the one or more criteria is an amount of load on the system.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein one of the one or more criteria is a system load being over a threshold amount or a system load being below a threshold amount.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein when one of the one or more criteria is a system load being over a threshold amount it is determined that one or more generators has to be started.

10. The system of claim 6, further includes a set of contactors, wherein the set of contactors includes two three phase contactors and wherein the system analyzes an unbalanced condition of the system and determines if one or more of the loads needs to be rotated and during a transition from one rotation to a next rotation, the system requests that one of the set of contactors currently providing power is open and checks to ensure that the contactor is open, and then closes the other contactor of the set contactors.

11. A portable load balancing and source optimization method, comprising:

sensing a total electrical grid system current with at least one sensor;

calculating an amount of unbalance between system phases A, B, and C, if the result of the calculation is above a phase rotation threshold, the system determines for more than two loads what a phase rotation sequence will be to get the system in balance given a number of loads currently being served by the system by determining one or more rotation solutions by taking individual phase currents of phases A, B, and C on each load and comparing them in one or more un-rotated or rotated possibilities.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further includes summing all loads in each possibility by phases A, B, and C to determine a rotation solution value, and selecting a particular rotation solution that has the lowest rotation solution value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the particular rotation solution value is used to determine one or more loads to be rotated.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further includes converting the particular rotation solution into a binary format.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes performing a bitwise ANDing operation utilizing the binary format particular rotation solution to determine whether or not to rotate one or more loads.