Optimization of energy storage device usage in wind energy applications

• US 8,688,281 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Inventors: Viassolo, Daniel, Hesselbaek, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/872,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 700/287, 700/291, 700/297, 307/18, 307/64, 290/44, 290/55
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/88 of mechanical components
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/20 to optimise the performance of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

System, method, and computer program product for optimally scheduling energy storage devices in wind energy applications. The power production system includes an energy storage device configured to service a first energy storage application at the first wind farm and a supervisory controller configured to determine if an attribute of the energy storage device is less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application. In response to the attribute being less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application, the supervisory controller schedules the energy storage device for a second energy storage application at the first wind farm or at a second wind farm different than the first wind farm. The optimization of the scheduling may be implemented in a computer-implemented method or as a computer program product.

Claims

1. A power production system comprising:

a first wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines;

an energy storage device located at a first physical location at the first wind farm and configured to serve a first energy storage requirement at the first wind farm; and

a supervisory controller configured to;

upon determining that an attribute of the energy storage device is less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage requirement, schedule the energy storage device for physical relocation from the first physical location to a second physical location to service a second energy storage requirement at one or more of the first wind farm and a second wind farm; and

communicate with the energy storage device at the second physical location.

2. The power production system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is a battery, and the attribute is battery capacity.

3. The power production system of claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor operatively coupled with battery, the sensor configured to acquire readings of voltage or current during the operation of the battery in the first wind farm and to communicate the readings to the supervisory controller for use in determining if the battery capacity of the battery is less than or equal to the threshold for the first energy storage requirement.

4. The power production system of claim 1, wherein the second energy storage requirement is at the first wind farm, and the supervisory controller is configured to cause the installation of the energy storage device at the first wind farm to provide stored energy for the second energy storage requirement.

5. The power production system of claim 1, wherein the second energy storage requirement is at the second wind farm, and the supervisory controller is configured to cause the installation of the energy storage device at the second wind farm to provide stored energy for the second energy storage requirement.

6. The power production system of claim 1, wherein each of the first energy storage requirement and the second energy storage requirement is one of power fluctuation suppression, grid power stabilization, power forecast accuracy improvement, transmission curtailment power storage, power capacity firming, and power production time shifting.

17. The power production system of claim 1, wherein the second energy storage requirement is at the first wind farm.

7. A computer-implemented method of optimizing energy storage device scheduling in wind energy applications, the method comprising:

comparing, via a computer processor, an attribute of a first energy storage device located at a first physical location at a first wind farm with a threshold for a first energy storage requirement served by the first energy storage device at the first wind farm;

in response to the attribute being less than or equal to the threshold, scheduling, via a computer processor, the first energy storage device for physical relocation from the first physical location to a second physical location to serve a second energy storage requirement at one or more of the first wind farm and a second wind farm; and

communicating, via a computer processor, with the first energy storage device at the second physical location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first energy storage device is a battery, and the attribute is battery capacity.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

sensing voltage or current during the operation of the battery in the first wind farm; and

in response to changes in the sensed voltage or the sensed current, determining if the battery capacity of the battery is less than or equal to the threshold for the first energy storage requirement.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the second energy storage requirement is at the first wind farm, and scheduling the first energy storage device to serve the second energy storage requirement further comprises:

causing the first energy storage device to be uninstalled from serving the first energy storage requirement;

causing a second energy storage device to be installed at the first wind farm to serve the first energy storage requirement; and

causing the first energy storage device to be installed at the first wind farm to serve the second energy storage requirement.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first energy storage device is scheduled to serve the second energy storage requirement until an end of life of the first wind farm.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the second energy storage requirement is at the second wind farm, and scheduling the first energy storage device to serve the second energy storage requirement further comprises:

causing the first energy storage device to be uninstalled from serving the first energy storage requirement;

causing a second energy storage device to be installed at the first wind farm to serve the first energy storage requirement; and

causing the first energy storage device to be installed at the second wind farm to serve the second energy storage requirement.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first energy storage device is scheduled to serve the second energy storage requirement until an end of life of the second wind farm.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first energy storage device cooperates with a second energy storage device to serve the second energy storage requirement at the second wind farm.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein each of the first energy storage requirement and the second energy storage requirement is one of power fluctuation suppression, grid power stabilization, power forecast accuracy improvement, transmission curtailment power storage, power capacity firming, and power production time shifting.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein scheduling the first energy storage device to serve a second energy storage requirement further comprises determining a length of time that the first energy storage device will satisfy a threshold for the second energy storage requirement.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein scheduling the first energy storage device to serve a second energy storage requirement further comprises predicting one or more future functional requirements for each of the first and second energy storage applications requirements.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first wind farm comprises a plurality of energy storage devices, wherein scheduling the first energy storage device to serve a second energy storage requirement further comprises projecting a future capacity for each of the plurality of energy storage devices, and wherein scheduling the first energy storage device to serve a second energy storage requirement is based on the projected future capacities.

16. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium; and

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium and, which when executed by a processor, perform an operation for optimizing energy storage device scheduling in wind energy applications, the operation comprising;

comparing an attribute of a first energy storage device located at a first physical location at a first wind farm with a threshold for a first energy storage requirement served by the first energy storage device at the first wind farm; and

in response to the attribute being less than or equal to the threshold, scheduling the first energy storage device for physical relocation from the first physical location to a second physical location to serve a second energy storage requirement at one or more of the first wind farm and a second wind farm; and

communicating with the first energy storage device at the second physical location.