Autonomous operation of an energy supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11303131-B2
Application number	US-201716639222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An energy supply device contains: (a) a supply mechanism for supplying electrical power for a power supply system or for an electrical consumer connected to the power supply system; (b) a control unit for controlling an operation of the supply mechanism in first and second operating modes; (c) an interface configured to receive external control signals and to forward the external control signals that indicate how the supply mechanism works in the first operating mode; and (d) a communication monitoring unit that is coupled to the interface and the control unit and monitors whether external control signals are received by the interface, and, if the interface has not received any external control signals or any valid external control signals over a pre-determined amount of time, to transmit an operating mode control signal to the control unit, which causes it to operate the supply mechanism in the second operating mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy supply device, comprising:
an electrical supply connected to a power grid;
a controller for controlling an operation of said electrical supply in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode;
an interface configured for receiving external control signals and for routing the external control signals which are indicative of a manner in which said electrical supply works in the first operating mode; and
a communication monitor coupled to said interface and said controller, said communication monitor is configured:
(i) to monitor whether the external control signals are received by said interface; and
(ii) if, for a predetermined period of time, no external control signal or no valid external control signal was received by said interface, to transmit an operating mode control signal to said controller which induces said controller to operate said electrical supply in the second operating mode;
(iii) if, for a further predetermined period of time, valid external control signals are received, performing the further steps of:
receiving a diagnosis start signal by means of the controller;
transitioning the enemy supply device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode;
collecting diagnosis information which is indicative of operating parameter values of the enemy supply device in the second operating mode; and
transmitting the diagnosis information to a superordinate controller.

2. The energy supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the energy supply device is selected from the group consisting of;
a power generator;
a combined heat and power plant having a power generation turbine;
a photovoltaic system;
a wind turbine system; and
an electrical energy store.

3. The energy supply device according to claim 2 , wherein:
said power generator is a diesel generator; and
said combined heat and power plant is a micro-combined heat and power plant.

4. The energy supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second operating mode is an autonomous operating mode.

5. The energy supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising a power grid monitor which is coupled to said controller and which can be coupled to the power grid at a measurement point.

6. The energy supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the second operating mode, only a primary regulation and/or tertiary regulation takes place.

7. An energy supply system, comprising:
at least two energy supply devices each having:
an electrical supply connected to a power grid;
a controller for controlling an operation of said electrical supply in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode;
an interface configured for receiving external control signals and for routing the external control signals which are indicative of a manner in which said electrical supply works in the first operating mode; and
a communication monitor coupled to said interface and said controller, said communication monitor is configured:
(i) to monitor whether the external control signals are received by said interface; and
(ii) if, for a predetermined period of time, no external control signal or no valid external control signal was received by said interface, to transmit an operating mode control signal to said controller which induces said controller to operate said electrical supply in the second operating mode;
(iii) if, for a further predetermined period of time, valid external control signals are received, performing the further steps of:
receiving a diagnosis start signal by means of a controller;
transitioning the energy supply device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode;
collecting diagnosis information which is indicative of operating parameter values of the enemy supply device in the second operating mode; and

transmitting the diagnosis information to a superordinate controller;
a communication link; and
a superordinate controller, coupled communicatively to said energy supply devices via said communication link, so that, if said communication link is intact, the external control signals from said superordinate controller are transmittable to a respective said controller of said energy supply devices.

8. A method for supplying electric power to a power grid or for electrical loads connected to the power grid by means of an energy supply device, which comprises the steps of:
monitoring whether external control signals are received by an interface of the energy supply device; and
transitioning the energy supply device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode if, for a predetermined period of time, no external control signal or no valid external control signal was received by the interface and routed to a controller of the energy supply device;
if, for a further predetermined period of time, valid external control signals are received, performing the further steps of:
receiving a diagnosis start signal by means of a controller;
transitioning the enemy supply device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode;
collecting diagnosis information which is indicative of operating parameter values of the enemy supply device in the second operating mode; and
transmitting the diagnosis information to a superordinate controller.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the controller of the energy supply device controls an electrical supply of the energy supply device in the second operating mode in such a way that the electrical supply supplies the electric power to the power grid which has a predetermined ratio in relation to further electric power which is supplied to the power grid by another electrical supply of another energy supply device.

10. The method according to claim 8 , which further comprises transitioning the energy supply device from the second operating mode to the first operating mode if, after a certain time, valid external control signals are again received.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a transition from the second operating mode to the first operating mode takes place only after a predetermined delay time after a renewed reception of the valid external control signals.

12. The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises
before transitioning the energy supply device from the second operating mode to the first operating mode, parameterizing the energy supply device with parameter values which, in a case of a transition from the second operating mode to the first operating mode, are indicative of a manner of operation in the first operating mode.

13. A non-transitory computer media having computer executable programming for supplying electric power to a power grid or for electrical loads connected to the power grid, by means of an energy supply device, wherein the computer executable program, if it is executed by a processor, is configured for carrying out a method having the following method steps:
monitoring whether external control signals are received by an interface of the energy supply device; and
transitioning the energy supply device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode if, for a predetermined period of time, no external control signal or no valid external control signal was received by the interface and routed to a controller of the energy supply device;
if, for a further predetermined period of time, valid external control signals are received, performing the further steps of:
receiving a diagnosis start signal by means of a controller;
transitioning the enemy supply device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode;
collecting diagnosis informat

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Weidauer Jens

Classifications

• H02J2101/20

  Dispersed power generation using renewable energy sources · CPC title

• H02J2101/10

  Dispersed power generation using fossil fuels, e.g. diesel generators · CPC title

• H02J13/12

  Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status · CPC title

• H02J3/46

  Controlling the sharing of generated power between the generators, sources or networks · CPC title

• H02J3/381 Primary

  Dispersed generators · CPC title