Methods and systems for enhancing control of power plant generating units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9960598-B2
Application number	US-201514636857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A method for optimizing a fleet of generating assets in which groupings include remotely located power blocks that operate so to collectively generate a fleet output level. The method may include: receiving real-time and historical measured values of operating parameters; for each of the generating assets, deriving a relational expression between the measured values of the process inputs and the measured values of the process outputs; defining a selected operating period; selecting competing operating modes for the fleet; based on the relational expressions and a generating configuration of the competing operating modes, calculating a result set for the operation of the fleet proposed during the selected operating period; defining a cost function; and evaluating each of the result sets pursuant to the cost function and, based thereupon, designating one of the competing operating modes as an optimized operating mode. The optimized operating mode may include a power sharing recommendation between the power blocks of the fleet.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented control method for optimizing a fleet of generating assets in which groupings of the generating assets comprise remotely located power blocks that operate so to collectively generate a fleet output level for a market, wherein the fleet comprises multiple possible generating configurations, the method including the steps of:
receiving real-time and historical measured values of operating parameters related to an operation of each generating asset, the measured values of the operating parameters including process inputs and process outputs;
for each of the generating assets, deriving a relational expression between the measured values of the process inputs and the measured values of the process outputs;
defining a selected operating period, the selected operating period representing a prospective operating period for the fleet;
selecting competing operating modes for the fleet for the selected operating period, wherein each competing operating mode defines a unique one of the possible generating configurations of the fleet;
based on the relational expressions and the generating configuration for each of the competing operating modes, calculating a result set for the operation of the fleet proposed during the selected operating period;
defining a cost function;
evaluating each of the result sets pursuant to the cost function and, based thereupon, designating at least one of the competing operating modes as an optimized operating mode;
communicating an output signal to control one or more of the generating units within the fleet of generating units based on the optimized operating mode;
wherein the optimized operating mode comprises a power sharing recommendation between the power blocks of the fleet for generating the fleet output level; and
wherein the relational expressions comprise a fleet model in which asset models correlate the measured values for the process input to the process outputs for each of the generating assets;
further comprising the step of tuning the fleet model via a data reconciliation process that includes:
defining a previous operating period relative to the selected operating period;
based on the measured values of the operating parameters during the previous operating period, determining a measured value for a performance indicator;
deriving a predicted value of the performance indicator using a current version of the fleet model and a predicted value for at least one of the operating parameters, wherein the predicted value of the performance indicator is configured to comparatively correspond to the measured value of the performance indicator;
comparing the measured value of the performance indicator against the predicted value of the performance indicator so to determine a differential therebetween; and
adjusting the current version of the fleet model so to reduce the differential;
wherein the relational expression comprises an algorithm correlating a variability of one or more of the process inputs to a variability of one of the process outputs.

2. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 1 , wherein the relational expressions collectively comprise a fleet model in which an asset model correlates the measured values for the process input to the process outputs for each of the generating assets;
wherein, for each of the competing operating modes, the step of calculating the result set for the operation of the fleet proposed during the selected operating period includes using a simulation run inclusive of the following steps performed by a processor:
defining a proposed parameter set for the competing operating mode;
simulating with the fleet model the operation of the fleet over the selected operating period pursuant to the proposed parameter set; and
determining the result set from an output of the simulation;

wherein the power sharing recommendation comprises a block apportionment schedule dividing the fleet output level between the power blocks.

3. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 2 , wherein the simulation runs are executed by a common block controller that includes the processor and is remotely located relative to a plurality of the power blocks;
wherein the selected operating period is configured so to correspond to a future market period as defined by a governing authority of the market; and
wherein the power sharing recommendation comprises an asset apportionment schedule that divides a power block output level between the generating assets included therewithin.

4. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
sensing the real-time and the historical measured values of the operating parameters via sensors located at each of the generating assets; and
electronically communicating the real-time and the historical measured values of the operating parameters from each of the generating assets for storage at a common data base operably linked and proximate to the common block controller.

5. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 4 , wherein an outside generating asset is defined as a generating asset that operates outside of the fleet and comprises a similar generating configuration as at least one of the generating assets within the fleet; and
wherein an outside power block is defined as a power block that operates outside of the fleet and comprises a plurality of the outside generating assets;
further comprising the steps of:
the common block controller receiving outside operating data regarding historical measured values of operating parameters that relate to an operation of a plurality of the outside generating assets and at least one of the outside power blocks; and
storing the outside operating data at the common data base;

wherein the fleet model and the relational expressions included therein are derived, at least in part, based on the outside data.

6. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 4 , wherein an outside generating asset is defined as one operating outside of the fleet that comprises similar possible generating configurations as one of the generating assets within the fleet;
further comprising the steps of:
the common block controller receiving outside data regarding historical measured values of the operating parameters that relates to the operation of at least one of: a plurality of the outside generating assets; and the outside power block;
storing the outside data at the common data base; and
normalizing the real-time measured values of the operating parameters of the generating assets of the fleet based on: the historic measured values of the operating parameters of the generating assets of the fleet; and the outside data regarding outside generating assets.

7. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of normalizing the real-time measured values comprises adjusting a current value for a performance indicator based on a measured value of an operational variable so to determine a true value for the performance indicator.

8. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 7 , wherein the performance indicator comprises one of: an efficiency; and a generating capacity;
wherein the operational variable comprises at least one of: a load level, a fuel characteristic, and an operating parameter relating to ambient conditions; and
wherein the true value for the performance indicator comprises one indicating loss due to performance degradation.

9. The computer-implemented control method according to claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
determining an initial value for the performance indicator for each of the generating assets

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Asati Mahesh Kumar
• Tiwari Awadesh Kumar

Classifications

• G05B2219/2639

  Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low · CPC title

• Y04S20/222

  Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving · CPC title

• Y02B70/3225

  Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving · CPC title

• H02J13/00

  Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network · CPC title

• G05B19/102

  for input of program steps, i.e. setting up sequence · CPC title