Reducing demand/response effects implementing volt/VAR control

• US 9,287,711 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Schmid, James Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US13/108,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 700/298, 700/292, 700/293, 700/294, 700/295, 700/296, 700/297, 307/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• 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 3/16 by adjustment of reactive power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1828 with stepwise control, the possibility of switching in or out the entire compensating arrangement not being considered as stepwise control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/00 Systems supporting electrical power generation, transmission or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/22 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] or power factor or reactive power compensating or correcting units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A method for reducing the effects of a demand/response event in a power distribution network can include identifying a load profile in the power distribution network, in response to detecting a peak in the load profile, decreasing the voltage in the power distribution network and, in response to detecting a trough in the load profile, increasing the voltage in the power distribution network.

Claims

1. A method for reducing effects of a demand/response event in a power distribution network, the method comprising:

identifying a load profile in the power distribution network;

in response to detecting a peak in the load profile, decreasing voltage in the power distribution network;

in response to detecting a trough in the load profile, increasing the voltage in the power distribution network; and

performing power cycling of a capacitor bank of the power distribution network by controlling a coordinated power cycling of inductive appliances to accomplish the decreasing of the voltage in response to detecting the peak, and the increasing of the voltage in response to detecting the trough, wherein the coordinated power cycling of inductive appliances comprises;

estimating a voltage-ampere-reactive (VAR) power generated by each inductive appliance over a predetermined period of time when each inductive appliance is power cycled, wherein the predetermined period of time is determined from historical data associated with a previous occurrence of the demand/response event;

scheduling power cycling for each appliance based at least in part on the estimated VAR power generated by each inductive appliance; and

based on the scheduling, selectively providing VAR support by power cycling each inductive appliance to regulate the voltage in the power distribution network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the peak is a voltage peak prior to the demand/response event.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the peak is a voltage peak after the demand/response event.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trough is a voltage trough after the demand/response event.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a decrease of voltage in response to the detection of the peak and the increase of voltage in response to the detection of the trough reduces an overall load of the demand/response event.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a decrease of voltage in response to the detection of the peak and the increase of voltage in response to the detection of the trough reduces a magnitude of a swing between the peak and the trough during the demand/response event.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising returning the voltage level in the power distribution network to a pre-demand/response event level.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load profile corresponds to the demand/response event.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the load profile includes a pre-rebound effect.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the load profile includes a post-rebound effect.

11. A computer program product for reducing effects of a demand/response event in a power distribution network, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

identifying a load profile in the power distribution network;

in response to detecting a peak in the load profile, decreasing voltage in the power distribution network;

in response to detecting a trough in the load profile, increasing the voltage in the power distribution network; and

performing power cycling of a capacitor bank of the power distribution network by controlling a coordinated power cycling of inductive appliances to accomplish the decreasing of the voltage, in response to detecting the peak, and the increasing of the voltage, in response to detecting the trough, wherein the coordinated power cycling of inductive appliances comprises;

estimating a voltage-ampere-reactive (VAR) power generated by each inductive appliance over a predetermined period of time when each inductive appliance is power cycled, wherein the predetermined period of time is determined from historical data associated with a previous occurrence of the demand/response event;

scheduling power cycling for each appliance based at least in part on the estimated VAR power generated by each inductive appliance; and

based on the scheduling, selectively providing VAR support by power cycling each inductive appliance to regulate the voltage in the power distribution network.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the peak is a voltage peak prior to the demand/response event.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the peak is a voltage peak after the demand/response event.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the trough is a voltage trough after the demand/response event.

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein a decrease of voltage in response to the detection of the peak and the increase of voltage in response to the detection of the trough reduces an overall load of the demand/response event.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein a decrease of voltage in response to the detection of the peak and the increase of voltage in response to the detection of the trough reduces a magnitude of a swing between the peak and the trough during the demand/response event.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises returning the voltage level in the power distribution network to a pre-demand/response event level.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the load profile corresponds to the demand/response event and includes a pre-rebound effect and a post-rebound effect.