Configuring, optimizing, and managing micro-grids

• US 9,923,416 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terrace Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhageria, Gopal K., Reboul, Jean-Gael F., Trevathan, Matthew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US14/921,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20160049830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/001 Methods to deal with contingencies, e.g. abnormalities, faults or failures
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• 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 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling electrical distribution grids. The method includes determining premises in an electrical distribution grid that include an energy resource. The method further includes determining a configuration of the electrical distribution grid including a micro-grid, the micro-grid including the one or more premises. The method further includes electrically isolating, monitoring and controlling the micro-grid from the electrical distribution grid through the use of a micro-grid manager.

Claims

1. A computer system for configuring micro-grids in an electrical distribution grid, the system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to;

determine one or more premises in an electrical distribution grid comprising an energy resource;

determine a configuration of the electrical distribution grid;

determine a configuration of a micro-grid, the micro-grid comprising the one or more premises in the electrical distribution grid and the micro-grid being configured in the electrical distribution grid;

issue messages to switching elements of the electrical distribution grid to modify a topology of the electrical distribution grid and modify a topology of the micro-grid; and

electrically isolate the micro-grid from the electrical distribution grid.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more premises comprises a home area network communicatively linking the energy resource and an energy consuming device; and

the determining the one or more premises comprises receiving information from the energy resource and the energy consuming device via the home area network.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the configuration of the electrical distribution grid is determined based on the information received from the energy resource and the energy consuming device, historical information, and forecast information and determining the configuration of the micro-grid includes a blackstart of the micro-grid.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the home area network communicates using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages.

5. The computer system of claim 4, further comprising:

program instructions to register with a presence server corresponding to the micro-grid; and

program instructions to subscribe to messages published by the energy resource and the energy consuming device.

6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the home area network communicates using Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) messages.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the electrically isolating the micro-grid comprises causing the switching elements in the electrical distribution grid to disconnect the micro-grid from the electrical distribution grid.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein modifying the micro-grid comprises reducing a number of connected premises out of the one or more premises within the micro-grid based on current conditions within the electrical distribution grid.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein modifying the micro-grid further comprises reducing a number of consuming devices within the micro-grid based on current conditions within the electrical distribution grid.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the current conditions comprise weather, load and power generation within the distribution grid.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, further identify the switching elements in the electrical distribution grid that will isolate the micro-grid.

12. A system for configuring a micro-grid comprising:

a computing system comprising one or more computing devices communicatively linked to an electrical distribution grid via an information network, wherein the one or more computing devices;

electrically isolate one or more premises into a micro-grid within an electrical distribution grid by obtaining configuration information and, based on the configuration information, issue commands to open switching elements that isolate the one or more premises into the micro-grid;

subscribe to devices in a home area network of the one or more premises; and

modify power flow in the micro-grid based on current condition information provided from the devices via the home area network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more computing devices further:

determine a forecast of near-term conditions in the electrical distribution grid based on the current condition information, historical information, and forecast information; and

operate in real time.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein electrically isolating the one or more premises into the micro-grid further comprises validating a switching plan by verifying the micro-grid will be viable once disconnected from the electrical distribution grid and controlling the switching elements in the electrical distribution grid to electrically isolate the premises from a remainder of the electrical distribution grid.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising the one or more computing devices dynamically tune a performance of power consuming devices within the micro-grid.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the dynamically tuning the performance of the power consuming devices comprises communicating with the appliances in the home area network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the dynamically tuning the performance of the power consuming devices further comprises controlling the appliances in the home area network to reduce their power the consumption.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the home area network communicates using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages and subscribing to the devices in the home area network of the premises comprises registering with a SIP registrar.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the devices communicate using Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) messages.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein controlling the power flow comprises issuing control messages to the micro grid that causes an energy resource in the micro-grid to increase energy output.