Distributed energy storage system and method of distributing energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10958074-B2
Application number	US-201214374833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2012
Priority date	Feb 1, 2011
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

This patent describes embodiments of systems, apparatus and methods to provide improved control and coordination of a multiplicity of electric distribution grid-connected, energy storage units deployed over a geographically-dispersed area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling the distribution of energy within an energy distribution system, the energy distribution system a plurality of distributed energy storage units operably disbursed throughout the energy distribution system, the method comprising:
forming groups of distributed energy storage units from the plurality of energy storage units to provide a plurality of groups of energy storage units; and
operably controlling operation of the distributed energy storage units within the groups such that at least charging, discharging or reactive compensation functions of the distributed energy storage units is accomplished on a group basis;
wherein an aggregated output of at least one group is operably controlled such that if a total reactive compensation required is less than an aggregated maximum output of the distributed energy storage units group, the required reactive power output is proportioned relative to a maximum output of the distributed energy storage unit group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if at least one group is charging or discharging no other group may be discharging or charging, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to discharge according to a scheduled fixed discharge rate or a scheduled fixed discharge power.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively in response to a compensation requirement of the energy distribution system.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining an available discharge rate for a group and operably controlling the group to discharge responsive to the available discharge rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to discharge to provide a peak shaving or load leveling function.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge to compensate the energy distribution system in accordance with a hierarchy of conditions within the energy distribution system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to discharge to reduce an overload of a transformer, a feeder or a transformer and a feeder.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a scheduled maximum contribution of all groups to the energy distribution system and allocating a portion of the scheduled maximum contribution to groups of the plurality of groups.

10. An energy distribution system comprising:
a plurality of sources, substations and feeders operably interconnected to form a distribution grid;
a plurality of distributed energy storage units coupled to respective substations and feeders, wherein each distributed energy storage unit is further associated with a group of a plurality of groups of distributed energy storage units; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the distributed energy storage units, the sources, stations and feeders, the controller operable to control a charge, discharge or reactive compensation of distributed energy storage units on a group basis to provide a compensation function to the grid;
wherein the controller is configured to control at least one group of the plurality of groups such that if a total reactive compensation required is less than an aggregate maximum output of the distributed energy storage units in the group, the required reactive power output is proportioned relative to their maximum output.

11. An energy distribution system including a plurality of sources, substations and feeders operably interconnected to form a distribution grid, and a plurality of distributed energy storage units coupled to respective substations and feeders, wherein each distributed energy storage unit is further associated with a group of a plurality of groups of distributed energy storage unit; and a controller, the controller comprising:
at least one communication interface;
a user interface;
an information database; and
a dispatch engine operably coupled to the communication interface, the user interface and the database, the dispatch engine operable to determine a condition of the energy distribution system and to command one or more groups of distributed energy storage units to charge, discharge or provide reactive power as a group to the grid such that if a total reactive compensation required is less than an aggregated maximum output of the distributed energy storage units in the group, the required reactive power output is proportioned relative to their maximum output.

12. The energy distribution system of claim 11 , wherein energy distribution system comprises multiple phases and the distributed energy storage units are coupled to respective single phases of the multiple phases.

13. The energy distribution system of claim 11 , wherein energy distribution system comprises multiple phases and the distributed energy storage units are coupled to each of the multiple phases.

14. The energy distribution system of claim 11 , wherein the dispatch engine comprises one or more charge algorithms and one or more discharge algorithms and the dispatch engine being operable to command a group to charge or discharge in accordance with a selected one of the charge or discharge algorithms.

15. The energy distribution system of claim 14 , wherein the discharge algorithms comprise a fixed duration priority discharge algorithm and a fixed power priority discharge algorithm.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively, in response to a schedule or a condition of the energy distribution system.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively, in response to a total available discharge rate based upon the available discharge rates of the respective group.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively, in response to a discharge priority assigned to the respective group.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively, to preserve an islanding reserve.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively, in response to an energy cost parameter.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more groups are operably controlled to charge or discharge, respectively in response, to a thermal parameter.

Assignees

• Berkowitz Donald S
• Porter David
• Bellei Terrence
• Sember James W
• Williams Stephen
• S & C Electric Co

Inventors

• Berkowitz Donald S
• Porter David
• Bellei Terrence
• Sember James W
• Williams Stephen

Classifications

• H02J3/32 Primary

  using batteries or super capacitors with converting means · CPC title

• Y02E40/30

  Reactive power compensation · CPC title

• H02J3/1807

  using series compensators, e.g. thyristor-controlled series capacitors [TCSC] · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title