Recloser control with distributed energy resource synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11316349-B2
Application number	US-201916435830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a recloser control that provides autosynchronization of a microgrid to an area electric power system (EPS). For example, a recloser control may include an output connector that is communicatively coupled to a recloser at a point of common coupling (PCC) between the area EPS and the microgrid. The recloser control may include a processor that acquires a first set of measurements indicating electrical characteristics of the area EPS and acquires a second set of measurements indicating electrical characteristics of the microgrid. The recloser control may send synchronization signals to one or more distributed energy resource (DER) controllers to synchronize one or more DERs to the area EPS based on the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recloser control, comprising:
an output connector configured to be communicatively coupled to a recloser at a point of common coupling between an area electric power system (EPS) in an electric power delivery system and a microgrid;
a memory; and
one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
acquire, via a first electrical sensor, a first set of measurements indicating first electrical characteristics of the area EPS;
acquire, via a second electrical sensor, a second set of measurements indicating second electrical characteristics of the microgrid; and
send a synchronization signal to one or more distributed energy resource (DER) controllers of the microgrid indicating a difference between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements to allow the one or more DER controllers to perform control operations to adjust operation of the one or more DERs to reduce the difference between the first electrical characteristics and the second electrical characteristics to synchronize operation of the one or more DERs of the microgrid to the area EPS.

2. The recloser control of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
determine that the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements are within a window of each other; and
send a signal, via the output connector, to the recloser to close the recloser upon determining that the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements are within the window.

3. The recloser control of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a first potential transformer, wherein the first potential transformer is configured to be communicatively coupled between the recloser and the area EPS to allow the processor to acquire, via an analog-to-digital converter of the recloser control, the first set of measurements indicating the first electrical characteristics of the area EPS, wherein the second sensor is a second potential transformer configured to be communicatively coupled between the recloser and the microgrid to allow the recloser control to acquire, via the analog-to-digital converter, the second set of measurements indicating the second electrical characteristics of the microgrid while the microgrid is islanded from the area EPS.

4. The recloser control of claim 1 , wherein the difference is a phase difference between voltages of the area EPS and voltages of the one or more DERs.

5. The recloser control of claim 1 , wherein the one or more DERs comprise a generator, wherein the synchronization signal is configured to adjust the frequency, the phase, the magnitude, or any combination thereof, of voltages produced by the generator to synchronize the generator with the area EPS.

6. The recloser control of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to send the synchronization signal directly to the one or more DER controllers.

7. The recloser of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization signal comprises a pulse width signal having a width proportional to a phase difference between the microgrid and the area EPS.

8. The recloser of claim 1 , wherein the difference is a frequency difference, and wherein the processor is configured to send the synchronization signal comprising an indication of the frequency difference to allow the one or more DER controllers to increase the frequency or decrease the frequency of the one or more DERs in the microgrid.

9. The recloser of claim 1 , wherein the difference is a voltage difference, wherein the processor is configured to send the synchronization signal comprising an indication of the voltage difference to allow the one or more DER controllers to raise the voltage or to lower the voltage of the one or more DERs in the microgrid.

10. A non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause operations comprising:
acquiring, via a first electrical sensor, a first set of measurements indicating first electrical characteristics of an area electric power system (EPS) in an electric power delivery system;
acquiring, via a second electrical sensor, a second set of measurements indicating second electrical characteristics of one or more distributed energy resources (DERs) of a microgrid in the electric power delivery system; and
sending a synchronization signal to one or more DER controllers of the microgrid indicating a difference between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements to allow the one or more DER controllers to perform control operations to adjust operation of the one or more DERs to reduce the difference between the first electrical characteristics and the second electrical characteristics to synchronize operation of the one or more DERs to the area EPS.

11. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause operations comprising:
upon sending the synchronization signal, determine that the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements are within a window of each other; and
send a signal to close the recloser upon determining that the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements are within the window.

12. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first set of measurements comprise a frequency, a phase, and a magnitude of the area EPS, and wherein the second set of measurements comprise a frequency, a phase, and a magnitude of the microgrid.

13. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause operations comprising sending the synchronization signal to the one or more DER controllers having a pulse width corresponding to a voltage difference between a voltage of the area EPS voltage and a voltage of the one or more DERs.

14. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising determining a phase difference between voltages of the area EPS and voltages of the microgrid.

Assignees

• Schweitzer Engineering Lab Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Craig
• Manson Scott M

Classifications

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02H3/027

  with automatic disconnection after a predetermined time (H02H3/033, H02H3/06 take precedence {; timing in overcurrent protection circuits H02H3/093; in undervoltage protection circuits H02H3/247; staggered disconnection H02H7/30}) · CPC title

• H02J3/40 Primary

  Synchronisation of generators for connection to a network or to another generator · CPC title

• H02J3/388

  Arrangements for the handling of islanding, e.g. for disconnection or for avoiding the disconnection of power · CPC title

• Y04S10/20

  using protection elements, arrangements or systems · CPC title