POWER DISTRIBUTION CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20160056628A1
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Origami Energy Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Origami Limited
• Inventors: Burstall, Oliver William John, Bance, Peter Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,678,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 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 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 10/14 Energy storage units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A power distribution control system having a string of power assets comprising at least two different power assets selected from sources, stores and responsive loads is disclosed. The assets and associated local routers communicate with a central server and attempt to fulfil high level aims of the server by negotiating times and quantities of power transfer between themselves. Preferably a database stores parameters in relation to the power assets. Preferably a control system at the server anticipates future activity, such as future peaks in demand or supply, in the grid, and local power assets prepare in response. Preferably the power assets communicate between themselves on a peer-to-peer basis and collectively confirm to the server their ability to modify their collective behavior in response to an event in the grid.

Claims

1. A power distribution control system comprising:

a string of power assets including a plurality of power assets selected from;

responsive sources, stores and responsive loads, each power asset being connected to a grid and each having an associated local router;

a server in communication with the local routers; and

a control system at the server for anticipating times of peak activity in the grid and for providing to the local routers parameters indicative of future times of peak activity,

wherein each local router is adapted to receive the parameters from the control system and to cause the local router associated power asset to actively prepare for the future peak by;

in the case of a responsive load, preparing the responsive load to be in a state to consume more energy or require less energy at the time of the peak;

in the case of a store, preparing the store by discharging into the grid or charging from the grid in advance of the peak; and

in the case of a responsive source, preparing the responsive source to be in a state to produce more energy or less energy at the time of the peak,

whereby the power assets co-operate at the anticipated time of peak activity to reduce the effect of the peak on the grid outside the string of power assets.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of power assets communicate between themselves on a peer-to-peer basis and collectively confirm to the server their ability to modify their collective behaviour at the time of the peak.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the respective local router is adapted, in the case of a store and an anticipated peak in demand, to charge the store in advance of the peak, in response to receipt of the parameters.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the respective local router is adapted, in the case of a store and an anticipated peak in supply, to at least partially discharge the store in advance of the peak in response to receipt of the parameters.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the respective local router is adapted, in the case of a responsive source and an anticipated peak in supply, to prepare the source, in response to receipt of the parameters, to produce more power in advance of the peak and thereby be in a state to produce less power during the peak.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the respective local router is adapted, in the case of a responsive source and an anticipated peak in demand, to prepare the source, in response to receipt of the parameters, to produce less power in advance of the peak and thereby be in a state to produce more power during the peak.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the respective local router is adapted, in the case of a load that operates to heat or cool a body, and in the case of an anticipated peak in demand, to heat or cool the body in advance of the peak, in response to receipt of the parameters.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the load has a local controller that controls the load to operate with a temperature range between temperatures T1 and T2 and wherein the local router is adapted to receive the parameters from the control system and to cause the load to actively prepare for the future peak by driving the temperature to one end of the temperature range.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the respective local router is adapted, in the case of a load that operates to heat or cool a body, and in the case of an anticipated peak in supply, to delay heating or delay cooling the body in advance of the peak, in response to receipt of the parameters.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the load has a local controller that controls the load to operate within a critical temperature range between temperatures T1 and T2 and, within that range, within a preferred range between preferred temperatures T3 and T4 and wherein the local router is adapted to receive the parameters from the control system and to cause the load to actively prepare for the future peak by allowing the temperature to drift outside the preferred range while remaining within the critical range.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the assets are of different types (responsive sources, stores and responsive loads) and prepare to be in a position to exchange power at the time of the future peak and co-operate at that time to exchange power to thereby reduce the effect of the peak on the grid outside the string.

12. A power distribution control system comprising:

a string of power assets including a plurality of power assets selected from;

responsive sources, stores and responsive loads, each being connected to a grid and each having a local router; and

a server in communication with the local routers;

wherein the plurality of power assets communicate between themselves on a peer-to-peer basis and collectively confirm to the server their ability to modify their collective behaviour in response to an event in the grid.

13. The system according to claim 12, comprising means for monitoring the grid and communicating an event to the routers.

14. The system according to claim 12, comprising means for communicating the event from the server to the routers.

15. The system according to claim 14, comprising a control system at the server for anticipating a future event in the grid at a future time and for providing to the local routers parameters indicative of the future event.

16. The system according to claim 12 whereby the assets co-operate at the future time to reduce the effect of the event on the grid outside the string.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein the assets of the string of assets are arranged to communicate among themselves their respective flexibilities and reach an agreement over how to limit their overall rate of change of power.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein means are provided for taking measurements in the grid and providing feedback to indicate whether a high-level aim at the level of the server is being achieved by the assets collectively.

19. The system according to claim 12 wherein the assets are arranged to pre-negotiate between themselves in what order they are to respond to an event.

20. A power distribution control system comprising:

a string of power assets including;

at least two different power assets selected from;

sources, stores and responsive loads, and

a router for controlling each of the power assets and for communicating with controllers of other power assets in the string on a peer-to-peer basis; and

a server for communicating with the routers of the power assets in the string of power assets and for indicating to each router;

(i) what are the other assets of the string so that the routers of the assets can commence communication with each other; and

(ii) high level aims at the level of the server which the assets together should attempt to fulfil by negotiating times and quantities of power transfer between themselves.

21. The power distribution control system according to claim 20, further comprising a database in communication with the server, the database containing, for each asset:

(i) its topological position in the power grid relative to other power assets, (ii) its power needs, and (iii) parameters indicative of how flexible are those power needs.

22. The power distribution control system according to claim 20, further comprising a database in communication with the server, the database containing, for each asset:

(i) its topological position in the power grid relative to other power assets, (ii) its power delivery capabilities, and (iii) parameters indicative of how flexible are those power capabilities.

23. The power distribution control system according to claim 21, wherein the time characteristics of the power needs and flexibility parameters are stored in the database.

24. The power distribution control system according to claim 22, wherein the time characteristics of the power delivery capabilities and flexibility parameters are stored in the database.

25. The power distribution control system according to claim 21, wherein the database additionally stores parameters reported by the power assets indicative of real time needs and permissible variations on those needs.

26. The power distribution control system according to claim 21, wherein the database additionally stores parameters reported by the power assets indicative of real time capabilities and permissible variations on those capabilities.

27. The power distribution control system according to claim 20, wherein an asset of the power assets has a local controller for maintaining operation of the local asset within a predefined range by switching the asset on or off, and wherein the local controller is coupled to the router for the asset and receives direction from the router influencing the timing of switching.

28. The power distribution control system according claim 20, wherein a first string of first power assets are connected to a first section of a grid and a second string of second power assets are connected to a second section of the grid, and the first and second sections are connected via a pinch point.

29. The power distribution control system according to claim 20, wherein the power assets include a source, a store and a responsive load such that the store stores energy from the source at times when the source produces more energy than is required by the load and delivers energy to the load at times when the load requires more energy that can be supplied by the source.

30. The power distribution control system according to claim 20, comprising:

first and second strings, each with separate clusters of loads, sources and stores and having respective first and second controllers; and

higher level control means for allocating power elements between the clusters.

31. A method of operation of a power distribution system having power assets including at least two different power assets selected from:

sources, stores and responsive loads, and the method comprising;

providing a local controller for controlling each of the power assets and a server in communication with the local controllers;

identifying at the server a set of power assets that are to form a balanced string that is to try to meet objectives set by the server;

sending a message from the server to each controller indicating the other assets of the balanced string; and

communicating between the local controllers of the assets in the balanced string to negotiate times and quantities of power transfer between themselves that will meet the set objectives.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the asset controllers report conditions of the assets to the server and the server computes an ad hoc string of assets and a period of time for the string and communicates to the assets in the string that they shall together form a string for the indicated period of time.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the asset controllers of the string, upon being informed that they are an ad hoc string, confirm among themselves whether they are able to meet the high level aims of the server and report to the server accordingly.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the server, upon being informed that the string is unable to meet the high level aims of the server, computes another set of aims and/or another ad hoc string to fulfil an alternative set of aims.