Method and system for managing a power grid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534928-B2
Application number	US-37809109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2009
Priority date	May 9, 2008
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A smart grid for improving the management of a power utility grid is provided. The smart grid as presently disclosed includes using sensors in various portions of the power utility grid, using communications and computing technology to upgrade an electric power grid so that it can operate more efficiently and reliably and support additional services to consumers. The smart grid may include distributed intelligence in the power utility grid (separate from the control center intelligence) including devices that generate data in different sections of the grid, analyze the generated data, and automatically modify the operation of a section of the power grid. Further, the intelligent devices in the power utility grid may cooperate together to analyze and/or control the state of the power grid. Finally, the distributed intelligence may further include distributed storage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power grid management system for managing a power grid, the power grid comprising a plurality of grid devices, the power grid management system comprising:
a first grid device positioned in a first section of the power grid, the first grid device comprising:
a first sensor configured to sense a first electrical parameter in the first section of the power grid;
a first processor configured to analyze the first electrical parameter in the first section of the power grid in order to determine an event based on the first electrical parameter, and

a second grid device associated with a substation positioned in a second section of the power grid, the second grid device comprising:
a second sensor configured to sense a second electrical parameter in the second section of the power grid; and
a second processor configured to:
receive the event determined by the first grid device;
analyze the event determined by the first grid device and the second electrical parameter in the second section of the power grid;
modify operation of at least a part of the second section based on the event and the analysis by the second processor, comprising controlling operation of the substation to execute self-healing of the at least a part of the second section of the power grid; and
transmit to a central power grid authority information indicative of the operational modification of the at least a part of the second section of the power grid.

2. The power grid management system of claim 1 , wherein the second grid device is configured to modify operation of the at least a part of the second section of the power grid without intervention of the central power grid authority.

3. The power grid management system of claim 1 , wherein at least one feeder circuit emanates from the substation; and
wherein the first sensor of the first grid device is configured to sense the first electrical parameter for at least a part of the at least one feeder circuit.

4. The power grid management system of claim 1 , wherein the substation further comprises data storage associated with and located proximate to the substation, the data storage comprising a plurality of memory locations for storing the second electrical parameter and the event in the second section of the power grid.

5. The power grid management system of claim 1 , wherein to control operation of the substation, the second processor is further configured to:
receive application data comprising voltage, current, real power and reactive power from a substation device; and
send the application data to a substation computer.

6. A grid device associated with a substation in a first section of a power grid, the first section comprising a sensor configured to sense a first electrical parameter in the first section of the power grid, and the grid device comprising:
a communication interface configured to:
communicate with another grid device positioned in a second section of the power grid, the another grid device configured to sense a second electrical parameter; and
receive an event from the another grid device, the event based on analysis of the second electrical parameter by the another grid device; and

a processor in communication with the sensor and the communication interface and configured to:
analyze the event received by the grid device and the first electrical parameter from the sensor;
modify operation of the first section of the power grid according to the received event and the analysis by the processor, comprising controlling operation of the substation to execute self-healing of the at least a part of the first section of the power grid; and
transmit to a central power grid authority information indicative of the modification of the first section of the power grid.

7. The grid device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to modify operation of the first section of the power grid by controlling operation of the substation without intervention of the central power grid authority.

8. The grid device of claim 6 , wherein a feeder circuit emanates from the substation; and
wherein the communication interface is configured to receive from the another grid device the second electrical parameter for at least a part of the feeder circuit.

9. The grid device of claim 6 , wherein the grid device further comprises data storage associated with and proximate to the substation, the data storage comprising a plurality of memory locations configured to store the first electrical parameter from the sensor.

10. The grid device of claim 6 , wherein to control operation of the substation, the processor is further configured to:
receive application data comprising voltage, current, real power and reactive power from a substation device; and
send the application data to a substation computer.

11. A method comprising:
sensing a first electrical parameter by a first sensor of a first grid device positioned in a first section of a power grid;
analyzing the first electrical parameter with a first processor to determine an event based on the first sensed electrical parameter;
sensing a second electrical parameter by a second processor of a second grid device positioned in a second section of the power grid, wherein the second grid device is associated with a substation;
receiving, with the second processor, the event determined by the first processor based on analysis of the first electrical parameter;
analyzing the event and the second electrical parameter with the second processor;
modifying operation of at least a part of the second section of the power grid based on the event and the analyzing by the second processor, including controlling operation of the substation to execute self-healing of the at least a part of the second section of the power grid; and
transmitting to a central power grid authority information indicative of the operation modification of the at least a part of the second section of the power grid.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operational modification is performed without intervention of the central power grid authority.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first electrical parameter is sensed within at least one feeder circuit emanating from the substation.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
storing the event and the second electrical parameter in a plurality of memory locations of a data storage associated with and located proximate the substation.

Assignees

• Taft Jeffrey D
• Accenture Global Services Ltd

Inventors

• Taft Jeffrey D

Classifications

• G01D4/002 Primary

  Remote reading of utility meters · CPC title

• H02J13/1335

  involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi®, ZigBee® or Bluetooth® · CPC title

• H02J13/1331

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• H02J13/1321

  using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus · CPC title

• H02J13/333

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title