Systems and methods for microgrid power generation management with selective disconnect

• US 9,880,580 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Causam Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Causam Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Darden, II, Thomas Francis, Szyperski, James Kevin, Forbes, Jr., Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US15/425,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/004 Generation forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future energy generation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/08 requiring starting of a prime-mover
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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 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 10/12 : Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• 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 20/12 : Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/248 : UPS systems or standby or emergency generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 : characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

Systems and methods for coordinating selective activation of at least one power storage device over a predetermined geographic area to supply a microgrid of electrical power, and automatic, selective disconnect any of the at least one power storage device from providing power supply to a microgrid or a wider area grid.

Claims

1. A method for distributed power storage management, comprising:

providing at least one power storage device connected to an electric power grid at distributed locations;

providing a controller system connected to the at least one power storage device, wherein the controller system comprises at least one server computer, located centrally or distributed over a network, in network communication with a monitoring device and a controllable device associated with the at least one power storage device;

the monitoring device tracking a real-time energy market price;

the at least one server computer automatically generating event instructions to the controllable device when the real-time energy market price is at least at a threshold at which point the power generated is directed to be released and sold to the electric power grid; and

the controllable device selectively automatically enabling electric power flow from the at least one power storage device to the electric power grid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one power storage device is connected to a microgrid.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the at least one power storage device automatically generating power for use locally in the microgrid based upon at least one market-based factor including at least one of energy rates in the market, pricing changes, and power demand within the microgrid.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the at least one server computer automatically requesting curtailment from a utility company controlling supply and billing for power received through the electric power grid.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the at least one energy storage device automatically storing power from the electric power grid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller system further includes a remote server computer in networked communication with the at least one power storage device for monitoring the status of the at least one power storage device and for activating the at least one power storage device remotely.

7. A system for distributed power storage management, comprising:

at least one power storage device located at predetermined, distributed locations; and

a controller system associated with the at least one power storage device;

wherein the controller system comprises at least one server computer in network communication with a monitoring device and at least one controllable device associated with the at least one power storage device;

wherein a monitoring device is in real-time communication with an energy market;

wherein at least one server computer is responsive to market price fluctuation, and operable for generating event instructions to the at least one controllable device when a market price is at least at a threshold at which point the electric power generated is automatically directed by the at least one server computer to be sold to the electric power grid;

wherein the at least one controllable device is associated with at least one power storage device, wherein the at least one controllable device is remotely operable for automatically enabling and disabling electric power flow from the at least one power storage device to the electric power grid.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising more than one power storage device, and wherein the controllable device is operable for coordinated, selective activation of the more than one power storage device.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a multiplicity of power generation equipment positioned at predetermined distributed locations to supply the electric power grid.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the multiplicity of power generation equipment is selected from the group consisting of wind turbines, solar arrays, fuel cells, natural gas generators, propane generators, diesel generators, and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one power storage device is operable to store energy generated by the multiplicity of power generation equipment.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a database for storing wholesale energy market price.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one server computer is operable to optimize a timing for selective engagement and disengagement of the at least one power storage device based on predictive modeling.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the threshold is predetermined.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the threshold is programmable.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one server computer is operable to store and analyze data indicative of energy remaining in the at least one power storage device on a per power storage device basis.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one server computer is located centrally.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one server computer is distributed over a network.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one power storage device is a battery or power cell.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one server computer is operable for energy optimization based on microgrid resource and commercial information, user interface information, local microgrid metering information, microgrid island condition alarms, critical alarm signals from utility, commercial and resource information from the energy market and utility, and regulatory and environmental data.