Distributed energy system edge unit

• US 10,622,835 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunverge Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sunverge Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanders, Dean, Statman, Stu
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, Abdelmoniem I
• Application Number:
  US16/125,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20190288556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 15/00 Systems for storing electric energy mechanical systems therefor F01-F04; in chemical form H01M
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/388 Islanding, i.e. disconnection of local power supply from the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

In accordance with aspects of the present invention a distributed energy system edge unit is presented. An edge unit includes a power grid interface; one or more device interfaces; a processing unit coupled to the power grid interface and the one or more device interfaces, the processing unit including a communication state that allows communications with an external entity; a control and monitor state that communicates with the communication state; a check unit state that communicates with the control and monitor state and provides a unit state data; wherein the control and monitor state and the communication state provide an instruction data set, current operating parameters according to the unit state data, the instruction set data, and a characterization parameter data, and wherein the control and monitor state provides control signals to the power grid interface and the one or more device interfaces.

Claims

1. A distributed energy system edge unit, comprising:

a power distribution section, the power distribution section including

a power grid interface that transfers power between the distributed energy system edge unit and a power grid, and

one or more power interfaces that transfers power between the edge unit and one or more power devices;

a processing unit coupled to the power distribution section and providing control signals to the power grid interface and the one or more power device interfaces, the processing unit including

a processor,

a memory coupled to the processor, and

a communication interface coupled to the processor, the communication interface providing communications with other devices,

the processing unit executing software according to state functions, the state functions including

a control and monitor state, the control and monitor state coupled to characterization parameters that characterizes operation of capabilities of the power distribution section, current operating parameters that describes the current operating parameters of the power distribution section, and unit state data that describes the current operation of the power distribution section,

a communication state coupled to the control and monitor state that allows communications of characterization parameters and current state parameters with the other devices and receives an instruction set from the other devices that includes a set that the edge unit is to perform;

a check unit state that measures current parameters of the power distribution section to determine and provide the unit state data;

wherein the control and monitor state sets current operating parameters according to the unit state data, the instruction set data, and the characterization parameter data to conform with the instruction set, and

wherein the control and monitor state provides control signals to the power distribution section according to the current operating parameters,

wherein the control and monitor state includes

a configuration command executor,

a plurality of programs, each of the plurality of programs receiving a configuration from the configuration command executor and each of the plurality of programs generating a mode that describes an action;

a negotiator that receives a vote provided by each of the plurality of programs identifying one of the modes for each of the plurality of programs to execute, the negotiator choosing a winning mode to execute based on the vote; and

a mode enforcer receiving the winning mode from the negotiator, generating the current operating parameters based on the winning mode, and providing instructions to the power distribution section to execute the current operating parameters.

2. The edge unit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of programs has a priority and the negotiator considers the priority with the vote from each of the plurality of programs to choose the winning mode.

3. The edge unit of claim 2, wherein the priority is based on the type of program, with the plurality of programs be prioritized in order of safety, longevity, utility demands, consumer interests, and default programs.

4. The edge unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of programs includes one or more of rule set programs, sequence programs, override programs, timeline programs, PV self-consumption programs, energy arbitrage programs, power flow limiting programs, alert programs, and client tag timeline programs.

5. The edge unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more power devices includes one or more power storage devices.

6. The edge unit of claim 5, wherein the one or more power storage devices includes a battery.

7. The edge unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more power devices includes one or more energy generation devices.

8. The edge unit of claim 7, wherein the one or more energy generation devices can include one or more devices from a set consisting of photo-voltaic solar generators, fuel cell generators, hydro-electric generators, and internal combustion generators.

9. A method of operating a distributed energy system edge unit, comprising:

receiving an instruction set from an external entity, the instruction set providing requested instructions for operation of the edge unit from the external entity;

monitoring a state of the edge unit to provide unit state data that describes the current operation of the power distribution section;

providing a configuration formed from current operating parameters according to the unit state data, and characterization parameter data describing capabilities of the edge unit, and the instruction set to a plurality of programs;

each of the plurality of programs generating a mode describing an action based on the configuration;

negotiating a winning mode based on a vote from each of the plurality of programs as to which of the modes to execute;

enforcing the winning mode by generating new operating parameters based on the winning mode; and

providing control signals to a power distribution section that includes a power grid interface that transfers power between the edge unit to a power grid and to one or more device power interfaces that transfers power between the edge unit and one or more power devices according to the new operating parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of programs has a priority and negotiating the winning mode includes considering the priority of the program with the vote from each of the plurality of programs to choose the winning mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the priority is based on the type of program, with the plurality of programs be prioritized in order of safety, longevity, utility demands, consumer interests, and default programs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of programs includes one or more of rule set programs, sequence programs, override programs, timeline programs, PV self-consumption programs, energy arbitrage programs, power flow limiting programs, alert programs, and client tag timeline programs.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the control signals are generated by interface drivers that provide the operating signals to the power grid interface and the one or more device power interfaces.

14. The edge unit of claim 9, wherein the one or more device power interfaces includes one or more storage interfaces to one or more storage devices.

15. The edge unit of claim 14, wherein the one or more storage devices includes a battery.

16. The edge unit of claim 9, wherein the one or more device power interfaces includes one or more generator interfaces to one or more energy generation device.

17. The edge unit of claim 16, wherein the one or more energy generation device can include one or more devices from a set consisting of photo-voltaic solar generators, fuel cell generators, hydro-electric generators, and internal combustion generators.