Methods and systems for adjusting power consumption based on a fixed-duration power option agreement

• US 10,608,433 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2019
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lancium LLC
• Original Assignee: Lancium LLC
• Inventors: McNamara, Michael T., Cline, Jr., Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US16/702,931
• Time in Patent Office: 118 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5094 where the allocation takes into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• 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 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• 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 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Examples relate to adjusting load power consumption based on a power option agreement. A computing system may receive power option data that is based on a power option agreement and specify minimum power thresholds associated with time intervals. The computing system may determine a performance strategy for a load (e.g., set of computing systems) based on a combination of the power option data and one or more monitored conditions. The performance strategy may specify a power consumption target for the load for each time interval such that each power consumption target is equal to or greater than the minimum power threshold associated with each time interval. The computing system may provide instructions the set of computing systems to perform one or more computational operations based on the performance strategy.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a set of computing systems, wherein the set of computing systems is configured to perform computational operations using power from a power grid;

a control system configured to;

monitor a set of conditions;

receive power option data based, at least in part, on a power option agreement, wherein the power option data specify;

(i) a set of minimum power thresholds, and (ii) a set of time intervals, wherein each minimum power threshold in the set of minimum power thresholds is associated with a time interval in the set of time intervals;

responsive to receiving the power option data, determine a performance strategy for the set of computing systems based on a combination of at least a portion of the power option data and at least one condition in the set of conditions, wherein the performance strategy comprises a power consumption target for the set of computing systems for each time interval in the set of time intervals, wherein each power consumption target is equal to or greater than the minimum power threshold associated with each time interval; and

provide instructions to the set of computing systems to perform one or more computational operations based on the performance strategy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to monitor the set of conditions comprising:

a price of power from the power grid; and

a plurality of parameters associated with one or more computational operations to be performed at the set of computing systems.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to:

determine the performance strategy for the set of computing systems based on a combination of at least the portion option data, the price of power from the power grid, and the plurality of parameters associated with the one or more computational operations.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the performance strategy further comprises:

an order for the set of computing systems to follow when performing the one or more computational operations, wherein the order is based on respective priorities associated with the one or more computational operations.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the performance strategy further comprises:

at least one power consumption target that is greater than a minimum power threshold when the price of power from the power grid is below a threshold price during the time interval associated with the minimum power threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

receive subsequent power option data based, at least in part, on the power option agreement,

wherein the subsequent power option data specify to decrease one or more minimum power thresholds of the set of minimum power thresholds.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control system is further configured to:

responsive to receiving the subsequent power option data, modify the performance strategy for the set of computing systems based on a combination of at least the portion of the subsequent power option data and at least one condition in the set of conditions,

wherein the modified performance strategy comprises one or more reduced power consumption targets for the set of computing systems.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control system is further configured to:

provide instructions to the set of computing systems to perform the one or more computational operations based on the modified performance strategy.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is a remote master control system positioned remotely from the set of computing systems.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is a mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to receive the power option data while monitoring the set of conditions.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

provide a request to a qualified scheduling entity (QSE) to determine the power option agreement; and

receive power option data in response to providing the request to the QSE.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the power option data specify:

(i) a first minimum power threshold associated with a first time interval in the set of time intervals, and (ii) a second minimum power threshold associated with a second time interval in the set of time intervals,

wherein the second time interval is subsequent to the first time interval.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to:

determine the performance strategy for the set of computing systems such that the performance strategy comprises;

a first power consumption target for the set of computing systems for the first time interval, wherein the first power consumption target is equal to or greater than the first minimum power threshold; and

a second power consumption target for the set of computing systems for the second time interval, wherein the second power consumption target is equal to or greater than the second minimum power threshold.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a total duration of the set of time intervals corresponds to a twenty-four hour period.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of conditions monitored by the control system further comprise:

a price of power from the power grid; and

a global mining hash rate and a price for a cryptocurrency; and

wherein the control system is configured to;

determine the performance strategy for the set of computing systems based on a combination of at the portion of the power option data, the price of power from the power grid, the global mining hash rate and the price for the cryptocurrency,

wherein the performance strategy specifies for at least a subset of the set of computing systems to perform mining operations for the cryptocurrency when the price of power from the power grid is equal to or less than a revenue obtained by performing the mining operations for the cryptocurrency.

17. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a computing system, a set of conditions;

receiving, at the computing system, power option data based, at least in part, on a power option agreement, wherein the power option data specify;

(i) a set of minimum power thresholds, and (ii) a set of time intervals, wherein each minimum power threshold in the set of minimum power thresholds is associated with a time interval in the set of time intervals;

responsive to receiving the power option data, determining a performance strategy for a set of computing systems based on a combination of at least a portion of the power option data and at least one condition in the set of conditions, wherein the performance strategy comprises a power consumption target for the set of computing systems for each time interval in the set of time intervals, wherein each power consumption target is equal to or greater than the minimum power threshold associated with each time interval; and

providing instructions to the set of computing systems to perform one or more computational operations based on the performance strategy.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the performance strategy for the set of computing systems comprises:

identifying information about the set of computing systems; and

determining the performance strategy to further comprise instructions for at least a subset of the set of computing systems to operate at an increased frequency based on a combination of at least the portion of the power option data and the information about the set of computing systems.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving subsequent power option data based, at least in part, on the power option agreement, wherein the subsequent power option data specify to decrease one or more minimum power thresholds of the set of minimum power thresholds;

responsive to receiving the subsequent power option data, modifying the performance strategy for the set of computing systems based on a combination of at least the portion of the subsequent power option data and at least one condition in the set of conditions, wherein the modified performance strategy comprises one or more reduced power consumption targets for the set of computing systems; and

providing instructions to the set of computing systems to perform the one or more computational operations based on the modified performance strategy.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising:

monitoring a set of conditions;

receiving power option data based, at least in part, on a power option agreement, wherein the power option data specify;

(i) a set of minimum power thresholds, and (ii) a set of time intervals, wherein each minimum power threshold in the set of minimum power thresholds is associated with a time interval in the set of time intervals;

responsive to receiving the power option data, determining a performance strategy for a set of computing systems based on a combination of at least a portion of the power option data and at least one condition in the set of conditions, wherein the performance strategy comprises a power consumption target for the set of computing systems for each time interval in the set of time intervals, wherein each power consumption target is equal to or greater than the minimum power threshold associated with each time interval; and

providing instructions to the set of computing systems to perform one or more computational operations based on the performance strategy.