Controlling Virtual Power Circuits

• US 20110208367A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sackman, Ronald Ward, Meier, John Leo
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• 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 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling circuits in an electrical power grid. Parameters in the circuits are monitored. Each circuit comprises nodes in the electrical power grid and a number of lines connected to the nodes in the electrical power grid. The number of lines is configured to carry electrical power. The nodes control the electrical power in the number of lines. A number of agent processes associated with the nodes communicate with each other using a communications network, configure the nodes in the electrical power grid into a number of circuits, and control a delivery of the electrical power through the number of circuits to loads. A determination is made as to whether to make a change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and a policy. The circuits are changed using the policy in response to a determination to make the change.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a number of circuits in an electrical power grid, the method comprising:

monitoring a number of parameters in the number of circuits in the electrical power grid, wherein each circuit in the number of circuits comprises a plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid and a number of lines connected to the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid, wherein the number of lines is configured to carry electrical power, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to control the electrical power carried in the number of lines, and wherein a number of agent processes associated with the plurality of nodes is configured to communicate with each other using a communications network, configure the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid into the each circuit, and control a delivery of the electrical power through the each circuit to a number of loads;

determining whether to make a change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and a policy; and

responsive to a determination to make the change to the number of circuits, changing the number of circuits using the policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing the number of circuits using the policy comprises:

changing a configuration of at least a portion of the plurality of nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing the number of circuits using the policy comprises:

changing a composition of the plurality of nodes in at least one of the number of circuits.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing the number of circuits using the policy comprises:

adding a new circuit to the number of circuits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring the number of parameters in the number of circuits in the electrical power grid comprises:

receiving information from a number of sensors associated with the number of circuits in the electrical power grid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether to make the change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and the policy comprises:

determining whether to make the change to the number of circuits based on the information received from the number of sensors associated with the number of circuits in the electrical power grid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of parameters comprises at least one of a capacity in a line, a temperature in the line, a presence of a voltage having a value greater than a desired level, and a reduction in capacity in the line.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an agent process in the number of agent processes includes at least one of a control device interface process, a demand and response system interface process, an optimization process, a stabilization process, a power flow signaling process, an advertisement process, and a cyber security process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the optimization process in the agent process performs at least one of load balancing power flow within the electrical power grid, reducing power loss within the electrical power grid, reducing a cost of delivering power within the electrical power grid, reducing congestion in the electrical power grid, protecting control devices from operating outside of safety thresholds, and increasing the power flow relative to a capacity of the electrical power grid.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a number of circuits in an electrical power grid, wherein each circuit in the number of circuits comprises a plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid and a number of lines connected to the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid wherein the number of lines is configured to carry electrical power;

wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to control the electrical power carried in the number of lines; and

wherein a number of agent processes associated with the plurality of nodes is configured to communicate with each other using a communications network, configure the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid into the each circuit, and control a delivery of the electrical power through the each circuit to a number of loads; and

agent processes associated with the number of circuits, wherein at least a portion of the agent processes is configured to monitor a number of parameters in the number of circuits in the electrical power grid, determine whether to make a change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and a policy, and change the number of circuits using the policy in response to the determination to make the change to the number of circuits.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in changing the number of circuits using the policy, the agent processes are configured to change a configuration of at least a portion of the plurality of nodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in changing the number of circuits using the policy, the at least a portion of the agent processes is configured to change a composition of the plurality of nodes in at least one of the number of circuits.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in changing the number of circuits using the policy, the at least a portion of the agent processes is configured to add a new circuit to the number of circuits.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in monitoring the number of parameters in the number of circuits in the electrical power grid, the at least a portion of the agent processes is configured to receive information from a number of sensors associated with the number of circuits in the electrical power grid.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein in determining whether to make the change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and the policy, the at least a portion of the agent processes is configured to determine whether to make the change to the number of circuits based on the information received from the number of sensors associated with the number of circuits in the electrical power grid.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the number of parameters comprises at least one of a capacity in a line, a temperature in the line, a presence of a voltage having a value greater than a desired level, and a reduction in capacity in the line.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein an agent process in the agent processes includes at least one of a control device interface process, a demand and response system interface process, an optimization process, a stabilization process, a power flow signaling process, an advertisement process, and a cyber security process.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the optimization process in the agent process performs at least one of load balancing power flow within the electrical power grid, reducing power loss within the electrical power grid, reducing a cost of delivering power within the electrical power grid, reducing congestion in the electrical power grid, protecting control devices from operating outside of safety thresholds, and increasing the power flow relative to a capacity of the electrical power grid.

19. A method for controlling power in an electrical power grid, the method comprising:

selecting a plurality of nodes and a number of lines connected to the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid to send electrical power from a number of sources to a number of loads based on a capacity to send the electrical power through the plurality of nodes and the number of lines;

configuring the plurality of nodes and the number of lines into a circuit to carry the electrical power from the number of sources to the number of loads using the plurality of nodes;

monitoring parameters for the number of lines in the circuit;

determining whether the parameters exceed threshold tolerances; and

responsive to a determination that the parameters exceed threshold tolerances, adjusting a configuration of the plurality of nodes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of responsive to the determination that the parameters exceed the threshold tolerances, adjusting the configuration of the plurality of nodes further comprises:

changing nodes in the plurality of nodes in the circuit with other nodes in the electrical power grid.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of responsive to the determination that the parameters exceed the threshold tolerances, adjusting the configuration of the plurality of nodes further comprises:

adjusting a phase of impedance associated with nodes in the plurality of nodes in the circuit.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of monitoring the parameters for the number of lines in the circuit comprises:

receiving information from a number of sensors associated with the circuit in the electrical power grid.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the number of sensors is attached to the number of lines.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the parameters for the number of lines comprise at least one of a capacity, a bus voltage, volts amps reactive, a power flow in the number of lines, a phase of power sent in through the number of lines, an amount of power consumed by the number of lines, and a voltage drop across the number of loads.

25. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical power grid comprising nodes and lines;

agent processes associated with the nodes in the electrical power grid, wherein at least a portion of the agent processes are configured to select a plurality of nodes in the nodes and a number of lines in the lines connected to the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid to send electrical power from a number of sources to a number of loads based on a capacity to send the electrical power through the plurality of nodes and the number of lines;

configure the plurality of nodes and the number of lines into a circuit to carry the electrical power from the number of sources to the number of loads using the plurality of nodes;

monitor parameters for the number of lines in the circuit;

determine whether the parameters exceed threshold tolerances; and

adjust a configuration of the plurality of nodes in response to a determination that the parameters exceed the threshold tolerances.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein in adjusting the configuration of the plurality of nodes in response to the determination that the parameters exceed the threshold tolerances, the at least a portion of the agent processes are configured to change a portion of nodes in the plurality of nodes in the circuit with other nodes in the electrical power grid.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein in adjusting the configuration of the plurality of nodes in response to the determination that the parameters exceed the threshold tolerances, the at least a portion of the agent processes are configured to adjust a phase of impedance associated with nodes in the plurality of nodes in the circuit.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein in monitoring the parameters for the number of lines in the circuit, the at least a portion of the agent processes are configured to receive information from a number of sensors associated with the circuit in the electrical power grid.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the number of sensors is attached to the number of lines.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the parameters for the number of lines comprise at least one of a capacity, a bus voltage, volts amps reactive, a power flow in the number of lines, a phase of power sent in through the number of lines, an amount of power consumed by the number of lines, and a voltage drop across the number of loads.