Power management system for a hydrogen generation network

• US 7,769,495 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TechRadium, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TechRadium, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramsey, Ronald F., Rodkey, John Frank, Ross, Darren Lynn, Hickey, David Lynn, Ledder, Mark Stephen, Rodkey, Ryan Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Application Number:
  US11/837,285
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 700286-287, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25222 Mailbox, email, mail system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A power management system for a hydrogen generating network comprising: a decentralized hydrogen generation network comprising at least one hydrogen generating device operable by a dispatchable power source, a non-dispatchable power source, or combinations thereof, an administrator interface for transmitting messages from an administrator to the hydrogen generating network, a dynamic information database comprising hydrogen generating device identification, discretionary power consumption information, or combinations thereof, and dispatchable power source information, non-dispatchable power source information, or combinations thereof, and computer instructions for providing messages to the hydrogen generating network. The administrator initiations distribution of at least one message to the hydrogen generation network for providing non-dispatchable power information, dispatchable power information, or combinations thereof to the hydrogen generation network through at least one industry standard protocol, wherein the at least one hydrogen generating device provides at least one response to the administrator interface.

Claims

1. A power management system for a hydrogen generation network comprising:

a. a decentralized hydrogen generation network comprising at least one hydrogen generating device operable by at least one dispatchable power source comprising dispatchable power source information, at least one non-dispatchable power source comprising non-dispatchable power source information, or combinations thereof;

b. an administrator interface for transmitting at least one message from an administrator to a hydrogen generation network, wherein the administrator interface comprises at least one processor in communication with data storage;

c. a dynamic information database resident in the data storage, wherein the dynamic information database comprises;

i. at least one hydrogen generating device identification for the at least one hydrogen generating device, discretionary power consumption information of the at least one hydrogen generating device, or combinations thereof;

ii. the dispatchable power source information, the non-dispatchable power source information, or combinations thereof;

d. computer instructions resident in the data storage for instructing the at least one processor to provide the at least one message to the hydrogen generation network; and

wherein an administrator initiates distribution of the at least one message to the hydrogen generation network for providing the non-dispatchable power information, the dispatchable power information, or combinations thereof to the hydrogen generation network through at least one industry standard protocol, and wherein the at least one hydrogen generating device provides at least one response to the administrator interface.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one user contact device comprising user contact device information, wherein the user contact device is in communication with the administrator interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one user contact device enables at least one user to contact the administrator interface to provide at least one command to disable or enable the at least one hydrogen generating device on demand.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one message is received by the at least one user contact device, and the at least one user contact device transmits a response through the at least one industry standard protocol to the dynamic information database.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to monitor the hydrogen generation network and manage use of:

the at least one dispatchable power source, the at least one non-dispatchable power source, or combinations thereof for tracking power usage by the at least one hydrogen generating device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises:

a response code from the at least one hydrogen generating device, an “

error in response”

code that indicates insufficient hydrogen generating device information existed to contact the at least one hydrogen generating device, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises:

a response code from the at least one user contact device, an “

error in response”

code that indicates insufficient user contact device information existed to contact the at least one user contact device, or combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one message comprises at least one predefined message, at least one custom message, or combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one user is an owner of the at least one hydrogen generating device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-dispatchable power source is a member of the group consisting of:

a wind power facility, a solar power facility, ocean power facility using wave height, currents, or combinations thereof, an intermittent water supply hydroelectric facility, or combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one dispatchable power source is a member of the group consisting of:

a hydroelectric power plant, a hydrocarbon based electrical production facility, a nuclear power plant, a geothermal power generation facility, a bank of batteries, at least one capacitor, at least one fuel cell, an ocean powered facility using tidal power, or combinations thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the discretionary power consumption information comprises an amount of power that the at least one hydrogen generating device requires during a time interval that can be determined by the administrator.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the discretionary power consumption information is assigned a priority code based on at least one power rate, a classification of the at least one hydrogen generating device, a quantity of power needed by the at least one hydrogen generating device, or combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the dynamic information database associates the user contact device information with the at least one hydrogen generating device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises a hydrogen generating device location for the at least one hydrogen generating device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises grouping information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the grouping information comprises a member of the group consisting of:

a geographic zone, a quantity of power consumption of the at least one hydrogen generating device, a transmission capacity of the hydrogen generation network, and combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one hydrogen generating device comprises a hydrogen generating device processor and a hydrogen generating device identification code.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator is a member of the group consisting of:

a dispatchable power supplier, a non-dispatchable power supplier, a government agency, an entity responsible for coordinating dispatchable power, non-dispatchable power, and combinations thereof to the hydrogen generation network, a processor in communication with the dynamic information database, a digital notification and response system, an analog notification system, and combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one industry standard protocol is selected from the group consisting of:

a Megaco/H.248 protocol, a simple message transfer protocol (SMTP), a short message service (SMS) protocol, a multimedia message service (MMS) protocol, an enhanced message service (EMS) protocol, a media gateway control protocol (MGCP), a SIP protocol, a H.323 protocol, an ISDN protocol, a PSTN protocol, and combinations thereof.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to permit the administrator to cancel the at least one message when the at least one message is in progress.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to permit the administrator to cancel the at least one message when the at least one message is scheduled for delivery at a future date and time.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to provide a notification to the administrator interface for notifying the administrator when the at least one message has been delivered to at least one hydrogen generating device.

24. The system of claim 2, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to transmit the at least one message to a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one user contact device at periodic intervals, the at least one user contact device in a defined geographic area, the at least one user contact device in a designated disaster zone, the at least one user contact device at a specific date and time, or combinations thereof.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to transmit the at least one message to a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one hydrogen generating device at periodic intervals, the at least one hydrogen generating device in a defined geographic area, the at least one hydrogen generating device in a designated disaster zone, the at least one hydrogen generating device at a specific date and time, or combinations thereof.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising a member of the group consisting of:

at least one security feature for controlling access to the administrator interface, at least one security feature for controlling access to the at least one message, the at least one response, or combinations thereof, at least one security feature for controlling access to the dynamic information database, or combinations thereof.

27. The system of claim 2, wherein the administrator interface further comprises a responder module comprising a receiver function for receiving responses from a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one user contact device, the at least one hydrogen generating device or combinations thereof.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the responder module further comprises an opt-in feature, an opt-out feature, or combinations thereof.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one message is an audio file, an image file, a video file, a text file, an electronic signal, or a combination thereof.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the audio file is transmitted by e-mail, phone, a link on a website, or combinations thereof.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises computer instructions for instructing the at least one processor to generate at least one report using content in the dynamic information database.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises a text-to-sound file converter for translating the at least one message from text to a sound file.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises at least one priority code associated with the at least one hydrogen generating device.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one hydrogen generating device communicates between at least two hydrogen generation networks simultaneously.