SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE GRID STABILIZATION

• US 20110001356A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Pollack, Seth B.
• Application Number:
  US12/751,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20110001356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system and methods that enables power flow management using AGC commands to control power resources. Power regulation can be apportioned to the power resources. An AGC command requesting an apportioned amount of the power regulation may be transmitted to a power resource. The power flow manager can determine a power regulation range for a power resource, and transmit an AGC command based on the power regulation range. In addition, a power flow management system can detect a change in an intermittent power flow and implement a power flow strategy in response to the change in the intermittent power flow. The power flow strategy may be a smoothing strategy or a leveling strategy.

Claims

1. A method for managing power flow, comprising the steps of:

controlling a plurality of power resources via Automatic Generation Control (AGC) commands, wherein the AGC commands are transmitted by a power flow manager to the plurality of power resources, wherein the AGC commands request power regulation;

apportioning the power regulation to the plurality of power resources based on an apportionment scheme; and

,

transmitting an AGC command to at least one of the plurality of power resources, wherein the AGC command requests an apportioned amount of the power regulation from the at least one of the plurality of power resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power regulation is frequency regulation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power regulation is power generation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power regulation is power consumption.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the power regulation is requested in response to a power surplus event, and wherein the power regulation requests a decrease in power.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power regulation is requested in response to a power shortage event, and wherein the power regulation requests an increase in power.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the power regulation is bi-directional, wherein the power regulation requests an increase in power from a first power resource and requests a decrease in power from a second power resource.

8. The method of claim 1, furthering comprising:

setting at least one of the plurality of power resources to consume or generate at a maximum rate; and

,

adjusting power consumption or power generation for the at least one of the plurality of power resources in response to the AGC commands, wherein the power consumption is decreased or the power generation is increased during a power shortage, wherein the power consumption is increased or the power generation is decreased during a power surplus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the apportionment scheme relates to factor selected from a group consisting of the following:

power range of each of the plurality of power resources;

power range of a portion of the plurality of power resources;

minimization of communications to the plurality of power resources;

fairness to the plurality of power resources;

maximization future abilities to provide power services by the plurality of power resources;

preferences of the plurality of power resources;

or, requirements of the plurality of power resources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the power resources are electric vehicles.

11. A method for managing power flow, comprising the steps of:

controlling a plurality of power resources via Automatic Generation Control (AGC) commands, wherein the AGC commands are transmitted by a power flow manager to the plurality of power resources, wherein the AGC commands request power regulation;

determining a power regulation range for at least one of the plurality of power resources; and

,

transmitting an AGC command to the at least one of the plurality of power resources, wherein the AGC command is based on the power regulation range for the at least one of the plurality of power resources.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the AGC command comprises a power level set point, wherein the power level set point is within the power regulation range for the at least one of the plurality of power resources.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the power level set point is negative.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the power flow manager treats the negative power level set point as requests for power consumption.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the power regulation range for the at least one of the plurality of power resources shifts, whereby the negative power level set point is set to zero, wherein the an offset amount becomes a load amount.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the AGC command comprises a relative power request, wherein the relative power request increases or decreases power relative a current power level, and wherein the power increase or power decrease is within the power regulation range for the at least one of the plurality of power resources.

17. The method of claim 11, furthering comprising:

adjusting a net balance of power supply and power demand for the plurality of power resources; and

,

aggregating power from the plurality of power resources.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the power resources are electric vehicles.

19. A method for managing power flow, comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in an intermittent power flow, wherein a power flow manager detects the change in the intermittent power flow; and

,

implementing a power flow strategy in response to the change in the intermittent power flow, wherein the power flow manager coordinates a plurality of power resources to respond to the change in the intermittent power flow.

20. The method for claim 19, wherein the power flow strategy is a smoothing strategy, wherein the plurality of power resources are utilized to spread the change in the intermittent power flow over a time period.

21. The method for claim 20, wherein the smoothing strategy utilizes stored power, deferred charging, or shifts in net power draw.

22. The method for claim 19, wherein the power flow strategy is a leveling strategy, wherein the plurality of power resources are utilized to balance the change in the intermittent power flow.

23. The method for claim 22, wherein the leveling strategy requests an adjustment to charging rates of a portion of the plurality of power resources.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the power resources are electric vehicles.