Method and system for synchronizing power plants

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of energy storage, and discloses a power station synchronization method and system. In the application, the power station is an energy storage power station, comprises a first controller and N second controllers in communication connection with the first controller, the N second controllers are connected with N energy storage containers, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the method comprises the following steps: the first controller tests the communication time delay of the N second controllers, and obtains N first time delay values corresponding to the N second controllers one by one; and the first controller respectively sends the synchronization signal of the first controller to each second controller in advance based on the N first time delay values and the synchronization signal of the first controller. Thus, the phase deviation caused by physical distance and line delay is eliminated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of energy storage technology, and in particular to a method and system for synchronizing power plants. Background Technology

[0002] Energy storage containers are a type of energy storage system that typically integrates battery systems, battery management systems, power conversion systems (PCS), and energy management systems. They are primarily used for storing and releasing electrical energy. Energy storage container systems can be widely applied in scenarios including, but not limited to, single-unit energy storage power stations, hybrid photovoltaic energy storage power stations, hybrid wind power energy storage power stations, wind power-photovoltaic energy storage power stations, source-grid-load-storage systems, distributed microgrid systems, and industrial energy storage systems.

[0003] Energy storage power stations typically employ a configuration of multiple outdoor energy storage containers to achieve a balance between flexible capacity configuration, safety, and operational efficiency. During grid-connected or off-grid operation, the converters within these containers need to work in coordination, and carrier signal synchronization is a crucial technology for ensuring this coordination. Improper synchronization can lead to issues such as circulating current and uneven power distribution, impacting system stability and efficiency.

[0004] Existing technologies typically employ a master-slave control method for carrier signal synchronization, where one energy storage container is selected as the master container, and the remaining containers act as slave containers. In this scheme, the master container generates a reference carrier signal, which is received by the slave containers and synchronized using phase-locking. However, due to the physical distance between the master and slave containers, phase deviations occur in the synchronization signals received by different slave containers, thus reducing synchronization accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a synchronization method and system for a power plant, avoiding the phase deviation problem of synchronization signals received by different slave containers due to the difference in physical distance between the master container and the slave container, and ensuring the synchronization accuracy of each energy storage container.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a power plant synchronization method.

[0007] The power station is an energy storage power station, including a first controller and N second controllers that are communicatively connected to the first controller. The N second controllers are correspondingly connected to N energy storage containers, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The method includes: the first controller testing the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​that correspond one-to-one with the second controllers; and the first controller sending its synchronization signal to each of the second controllers in advance based on the N first delay values ​​and its own synchronization signal.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a synchronization system for a power station, wherein the power station is an energy storage power station, including a first controller and N second controllers communicatively connected to the first controller, wherein the N second controllers are correspondingly connected to N energy storage containers, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein, the first controller is used to test the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers; the first controller is also used to send the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the second controllers in advance based on the N first delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the first controller.

[0009] In this embodiment of the invention, the first controller measures the communication delay between itself and each of the second controllers to obtain the delay value from the first controller to the second controller for each path. Then, based on these delay values, it sends synchronization signals to each of the second controllers in advance, ensuring that the phases of the synchronization signals received by all the second controllers are aligned, thereby aligning the phases of the synchronization signals received by all the energy storage containers. This ensures that regardless of differences in physical distance or line delay between the energy storage containers, the phase and frequency of the synchronization signals received by all the second controllers remain consistent. Therefore, it is possible to guarantee that multiple energy storage containers are configured based on synchronization signals with completely consistent phase and frequency provided by their respective second controllers, thereby avoiding problems such as circulating current and uneven power distribution, and significantly improving the stability and efficiency of the system.

[0010] Furthermore, when the synchronization of the N second controller signals fails, one of the N second controllers is designated as the third controller. The third controller communicates indirectly with the remaining N-1 second controllers through the first controller. The third controller tests the communication delay with the N-1 second controllers to obtain N-1 second delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with each second controller. The third controller sets the N-1 second delay values ​​to each of the N-1 second controllers and sends its synchronization signal to each of the N-1 second controllers. Based on the N-1 second delay values ​​and the third controller's synchronization signal, the N-1 second controllers send their synchronization signals to the energy storage containers corresponding to their respective second controllers in advance. Simultaneously, the third controller sends its own synchronization signal to the energy storage containers corresponding to its own energy storage container. This allows for the rapid selection of a third controller to take over the synchronization task when the first controller cannot meet the synchronization accuracy requirements, enabling a switchover of the main controller and avoiding disruption to the energy storage system synchronization. Furthermore, the communication delay between the second controllers can be remeasured by the third controller, and this delay can be compensated for by the second controller itself to ensure phase alignment of the synchronization signals sent by the second controllers. Simultaneously, the third controller synchronously sends its synchronization signal to the energy storage container corresponding to it. This ultimately ensures that the frequency and phase of the synchronization signals received by the energy storage container corresponding to the third controller, as well as the N-1 energy storage containers corresponding to the second controllers (i.e., N energy storage containers), remain consistent, thereby improving the fault tolerance and reliability of the energy storage power station.

[0011] Furthermore, the first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with each of the second controllers. This includes: the first controller sending its own synchronization signal to each of the second controllers; each of the N second controllers sending a response signal back to the first controller after receiving the synchronization signal; and the first controller obtaining the N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with each of the second controllers based on the phase deviation between the synchronization signal and the response signal. By exchanging synchronization signals and feedback signals between the first controller and each of the second controllers, the communication delay from the first controller to each second controller can be calculated based on the transmission and reception times, thus providing a data basis for subsequent adjustment of the transmission phase of the synchronization signal.

[0012] Furthermore, the first controller, the N second controllers, and the N energy storage containers constitute an energy storage unit. The energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units. Before the first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers and obtains N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers, the method further includes: before the first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers and obtains N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers, the method further includes: the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units mutually send and receive synchronization signals based on their respective local synchronization signals; the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units adjust the timing of sending the synchronization signals based on the timing of sending and receiving the synchronization signals, until the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units are consistent. Thus, when there are more than two energy storage units, pre-synchronization between the first controllers of multiple energy storage units can lay the foundation for the subsequent synchronization of the second controllers.

[0013] Furthermore, the first controller, the N second controllers, and the N energy storage containers constitute an energy storage unit, and the energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units. The energy storage power station also includes a central controller, which is communicatively connected to the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units. Before the first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with each second controller, the following steps are included: the central controller tests the communication delay with each connected first controller to obtain a third delay value corresponding one-to-one with each first controller; based on the N third delay values ​​and the central controller's synchronization signal, the central controller pre-sends its synchronization signal to each of the first controllers. Thus, by introducing the central controller for signal synchronization, the central controller can ensure that the phase and frequency of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers of different energy storage units remain consistent by pre-synchronizing the first controllers of multiple energy storage units, laying the foundation for the subsequent synchronization of the second controllers. Attached Figure Description

[0014] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an energy storage unit in an energy storage power station according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2This is a flowchart of a power plant synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the calculation of time delay values ​​in a power plant synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a synchronization method using a third controller in a power plant synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a power storage station including multiple energy storage units according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the signal synchronization process of a first controller in a power plant synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a structure including a main controller in an energy storage power station according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the signal synchronization between the first controller and the main controller in a power plant synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] As a modular and mobile energy storage unit, energy storage containers not only have a natural advantage in capacity expansion, but also can flexibly adapt to different application scenarios: from large-scale peak shaving and valley filling on the grid side, to high-reliability backup power for microgrids and off-grid systems, and to buffering links for electric vehicle battery swapping stations and renewable energy access, all rely on the high-precision power conversion and management capabilities within the energy storage container. Compared to fixed battery rooms, the containerized design enables rapid deployment and modular operation and maintenance—it only requires outdoor power, communication, and protection connections to be put into operation; if expansion is needed, only adding or replacing energy storage containers is required, without large-scale civil engineering and line modifications, thereby significantly reducing construction time and cost risks.

[0024] Inside each energy storage container, the core components work together to ensure overall performance: the battery system provides high energy density and long cycle life; the battery management system prevents overcharging, over-discharging, and overheating by real-time monitoring and equalization of individual cell voltage, temperature, and state of charge; the PCS integrates a bidirectional inverter and DC interface for efficient coupling with the grid or DC bus; and the energy management system receives policy commands from the energy storage power station and distributes and switches power within the container to meet various business needs such as frequency regulation, peak-valley arbitrage, and emergency backup. Furthermore, to meet outdoor dustproof, waterproof, and extreme temperature requirements, each energy storage container must have a reliable heat dissipation system, vibration damping structure, and weather-resistant shell to ensure stable operation in strong winds, rain, snow, and even salt spray environments.

[0025] When multiple energy storage containers are connected in parallel to form a large power plant, the power supply circuitry (PCS) between different containers must achieve synchronization of the same carrier signal to ensure that the output AC voltage and current waveforms are in phase and frequency, thereby avoiding problems such as circulating current loss, harmonic injection, and uneven power distribution. Traditional carrier signal synchronization often adopts a "master-slave" architecture: generally, one energy storage container is selected as the master container, and the others are slave containers. During operation, the master container generates a reference carrier signal, and the other slave containers receive the carrier signal and synchronize and lock phase. However, in practical applications, as the deployment distance of energy storage containers can reach tens or even hundreds of meters, cable delays will occur on the signal transmission lines, causing differences in the phase and frequency captured by different slave phase-locked loops. In severe cases, this can trigger local overcurrent protection actions or even system tripping.

[0026] Therefore, the communication delay compensation problem faced by the existing energy storage container structure in wave synchronization urgently requires a synchronization scheme that can overcome the deviation caused by physical distance, so that the various energy storage containers in the energy storage power station can be effectively synchronized.

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details are presented in the various embodiments of the present invention to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented even without these technical details and various variations and modifications based on the following embodiments. The division of the various embodiments below is for ease of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of the present invention. The various embodiments can be combined with and referenced by each other without contradiction.

[0028] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a synchronization method for a power station. The power station is an energy storage power station, including a first controller and N second controllers communicatively connected to the first controller. The N second controllers are correspondingly connected to N energy storage containers, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The method includes: the first controller testing the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with each second controller; the first controller, based on the N first delay values ​​and its own synchronization signal, sending its own synchronization signal to each of the second controllers in advance. In this embodiment, the first controller measures the communication delay with each second controller to obtain the delay value for each path from the first controller to the second controller. Then, based on these delay values, it sends synchronization signals to each of the second controllers in advance, ensuring that the phases of the synchronization signals received by all the second controllers are aligned, thereby aligning the phases of the synchronization signals received by all the energy storage containers. This ensures that regardless of differences in physical distance or line delay between the energy storage containers, the phase and frequency of the synchronization signals received by all the second controllers remain consistent. This ensures that multiple energy storage containers are configured based on a synchronization signal with completely consistent phase and frequency provided by the corresponding second controller, thereby avoiding problems such as circulating current and uneven power distribution, and significantly improving the stability and efficiency of the system.

[0029] The power plant synchronization method and system involved in the embodiments of the present invention can be widely applied in the field of energy storage technology. Its application scenarios include, but are not limited to, single energy storage power plants, photovoltaic energy storage hybrid power plants, wind power energy storage hybrid power plants, wind power photovoltaic energy storage power plants, source-grid-load-storage systems, distributed microgrid systems, industrial energy storage systems, and other energy systems or control cluster scenarios that require precise synchronization of multiple controllers.

[0030] The following is a detailed description of the implementation details of the power plant synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The following content is only for the convenience of understanding and is not necessary for implementing this solution.

[0031] First, the power station is an energy storage power station, and its structure includes at least one energy storage unit. The structure of each energy storage unit is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage unit includes a first controller and N second controllers that are communicatively connected to the first controller. The N second controllers are connected to N energy storage containers, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0032] In this embodiment of the invention, the first controller can be placed outside all energy storage containers as an independent controller, or it can be integrated inside any energy storage container in the energy storage unit. When the first controller is located inside the energy storage container, it can be integrated with the EMS (Energy Management System) controller inside the energy storage container, or with other controller components of the energy storage container, thereby improving the system integration of the energy storage container.

[0033] When located inside an energy storage container, the first controller can be integrated into the control component inside the corresponding energy storage container to achieve carrier signal synchronization of PCS in multiple energy storage containers based on the first controller on the control component.

[0034] The functions of the first controller include: actively sending synchronization signals to multiple second controllers; actively testing the time delay with multiple second controllers; and for each second controller, continuously advancing the transmission time of the synchronization signal based on the current time delay until all second controllers can receive the synchronization signal simultaneously, that is, the phase of the synchronization signal received by each second controller is the same.

[0035] In this embodiment of the invention, each second controller is connected to an energy storage container. The second controller can be placed independently outside the energy storage container or inside the corresponding connected energy storage container.

[0036] When the second controller is located inside the energy storage container, it can be integrated into the EMS controller inside the energy storage container or into other controller components of the energy storage container, thereby improving the system integration of the energy storage container.

[0037] The functions of the second controller include: passively receiving the synchronization signal from the first controller; after receiving the synchronization signal from the first controller, sending a feedback signal to the first controller, the feedback signal being the original synchronization signal received; and forwarding the received synchronization signal to the corresponding connected energy storage container, so that the energy storage container can synchronize its carrier cycle based on the synchronization signal after receiving the synchronization signal.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, the energy storage power station further includes M centralized controllers, each connected to N second controllers; the M centralized controllers communicate with each other, where M is an integer less than or greater than N, and each second controller is connected to at least one centralized controller to determine whether the N second controllers have failed to synchronize. It is understood that each centralized controller can be connected to at least one second controller, ensuring that each second controller is configured with one centralized controller.

[0039] Specifically, a centralized controller can be configured, with one central controller installed inside each energy storage container, or multiple energy storage containers sharing a single central controller. The central controller manages the secondary controllers and PCS within the corresponding energy storage container, and determines the phase state of the synchronization signals received by different secondary controllers through communication between the central controllers of different energy storage containers. Specifically, the central controllers can exchange information to confirm the status of the carrier synchronization signals; if the phases of the carrier synchronization signals received by different containers are not aligned, synchronization is considered to have failed.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the synchronization method of the power station based on the structure of the above-mentioned energy storage power station includes steps 110 to 120.

[0041] In step 110, the first controller tests the communication delay with N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​that correspond one-to-one with the second controllers.

[0042] Specifically, in order to ensure that all second controllers receive a synchronization signal of the same phase, the first time delay value in step 110 can be obtained through the following steps 111 to 113, as follows: Figure 3 .

[0043] In step 111, the first controller sends the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the second controllers.

[0044] In step 112, after receiving the synchronization signal from the first controller, each of the N second controllers sends a response signal back to the first controller.

[0045] The response signal can be a synchronization signal. That is, when the second controller receives the synchronization signal sent by the first controller, it sends a synchronization signal back to the first controller. Furthermore, the feedback synchronization signal can be the synchronization signal received by the second controller from the first controller, meaning the second controller forwards the received synchronization signal to the first controller.

[0046] In step 113, the first controller obtains N first delay values ​​that correspond one-to-one with the second controller based on the phase deviation between the synchronization signal and the response signal of the first controller.

[0047] Through steps 111 to 113 above, by exchanging synchronization signals and feedback signals between the first controller and each of the second controllers, the communication delay from the first controller to each of the second controllers can be calculated based on the transmission and reception times, thereby providing a data basis for subsequent adjustment of the transmission phase of the synchronization signal.

[0048] In step 120, the first controller sends the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the second controllers in advance based on N first delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the first controller.

[0049] Specifically, the first controller will send the phase of the synchronization signal of the first controller to N second controllers, gradually advancing the preset time until the cumulative amount of the preset time is greater than or equal to the first delay value.

[0050] In step 120 above, the first controller sends the synchronization signal to each second controller at a time preset relative to the initial synchronization signal transmission time within the first synchronization cycle. In each subsequent synchronization cycle, the transmission time is cumulatively advanced in units of the same preset time, further increasing the advance amount in each cycle compared to the previous cycle. This cumulative advancement process continues until the cumulative advance amount first exceeds or equals the communication delay of the corresponding second controller. At this point, it can be considered that the impact of the delay on signal arrival has been completely offset, and the further increase stops. When the cumulative advance amount first reaches or exceeds the actual communication delay, each second controller can receive the synchronization signal at the same physical moment, effectively eliminating the phase and frequency deviations caused by line delay.

[0051] By using the above step 120, and by gradually accumulating the advance transmission opportunity in fixed steps over multiple synchronization cycles, the communication delay between the second controllers can be smoothly offset without introducing sudden changes, thus avoiding the system shock caused by a one-time large adjustment.

[0052] To illustrate with a specific example: Assume the default synchronization signal period of the first controller is 100us, the number of currently connected second controllers is 5 (i.e., N=5), and the preset advance time is 5ns (nanoseconds).

[0053] 1. Communication delay measurement: The first controller measured the communication delays of the five second controllers: 12ns, 15ns, 10ns, 18ns, and 14ns respectively. Without any compensation, when the signal is transmitted at 100μs (microseconds), the reception time of each controller is different, and obviously the phase of the received signal is different.

[0054] 2. Gradually advance the transmission until delay is eliminated: In the first cycle, the transmission is advanced by 5ns, accumulating a 5ns advance. 5ns is insufficient to eliminate the delay of any controller. In the second cycle, the transmission is advanced by another 5ns, accumulating a 10ns advance. At this point, the 10ns delay of controller #3 has been eliminated—from this point on, controller #3 is always 10ns advanced. In the third cycle, the transmission is advanced by another 5ns, accumulating a 15ns advance. At this point, the delays of controllers #1 (12ns), #2 (15ns), and #5 (14ns) are all eliminated—they are always 15ns advanced. In the fourth cycle, the transmission is advanced by another 5ns, accumulating a 20ns advance. At this point, the 18ns delay of controller #4 is eliminated—it is always 20ns advanced.

[0055] 3. The final results are as follows: the transmission advance of controllers 1, 2, and 5 is 15ns; the transmission advance of controller 3 is 10ns; and the transmission advance of controller 4 is 20ns. Throughout the process, the period of the synchronization signal remains constant at 100μs. Therefore, this scheme achieves phase alignment of the synchronization signals received by all second controllers without altering the signal rhythm.

[0056] By employing a multi-cycle, small-step progressive advance compensation method, each second controller ultimately corresponds to a fixed transmission advance amount, and completes the transmission of the synchronization signal while maintaining the original 100μs synchronization period. Because the first controller adjusts the transmission timing of the synchronization signal in advance based on the delay differences of each communication path, each second controller, as the receiver, can receive a synchronization signal with the same phase, achieving a high-precision multi-controller synchronization effect.

[0057] In an optional embodiment, after each time the timing of sending the synchronization signal by each second controller is advanced by a preset time relative to the initial timing of the synchronization signal, the first controller will test the delay with each second controller again through step 110, and adjust the synchronization signal adjustment strategy based on the retested delay. This allows for continuous, incremental signal transmission adjustment and delay measurement, enabling more flexible phase synchronization and effectively addressing delay variations caused by external operating conditions during incremental adjustment, significantly improving the stability and dynamic response performance of the entire power conversion system.

[0058] In an optional embodiment, after step 120 is completed, the first controller will continue to measure the time delay with each second controller. When the time delay changes, step 120 will be re-executed to ensure the long-term stable operation of the energy storage power station.

[0059] Through steps 110 to 120 above, it can be ensured that the phase of the synchronization signal received by all the second controllers remains consistent, thereby ensuring that the phase of the synchronization signal received by all the energy storage containers remains consistent after the second controller sends the synchronization signal to the corresponding energy storage container.

[0060] Optionally, to ensure the system continues to function normally even when the first controller fails to achieve carrier synchronization, one of the multiple second controllers can be selected as the third controller. This third controller acts as the master controller, synchronizing signals to all the slave controllers. For example... Figure 4 As shown, steps 210 to 240 are included.

[0061] In step 210, when the synchronization of the N second controller signals fails, one of the N second controllers is set as the third controller; wherein the third controller communicates indirectly with the remaining N-1 second controllers through the first controller.

[0062] In one example, the aforementioned synchronization failure can be identified through a centralized controller.

[0063] Specifically, when the energy storage unit also includes M centralized controllers connected to N secondary controllers respectively, where M is an integer less than or greater than N, and each secondary controller is connected to at least one centralized controller; the M centralized controllers communicate with each other to determine whether the N secondary controllers have failed to synchronize. After steps 110 and 120, if the centralized controllers discover that the phases of the synchronization signals received between different containers are not aligned, the synchronization in steps 110 and 120 is considered a failure, indicating that the first controller may have experienced synchronization failure. In this case, one of the secondary controllers will be selected as the third controller for backup synchronization.

[0064] In step 220, the third controller tests the communication delay with N-1 second controllers to obtain N-1 second delay values ​​that correspond one-to-one with the second controllers.

[0065] In step 230, the third controller sets N-1 second delay values ​​to N-1 second controllers respectively, and sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to N-1 second controllers.

[0066] In step 240, the N-1 second controllers send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage container corresponding to the N-1 second controllers in advance based on the N-1 second delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the third controller. At the same time, the third controller sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage container corresponding to the third controller.

[0067] Through steps 210 to 240 above, all second controllers can continue to operate when needed by the user or when the first controller fails to synchronize, and the phase and frequency of the synchronization signals sent by the second controllers to the corresponding energy storage containers can remain consistent. That is, when the first controller cannot meet the synchronization accuracy requirements, a third controller can be quickly selected to take over the synchronization task, realizing the switching of the main controller and avoiding impact on the synchronization of the energy storage system. Furthermore, the third controller can remeasure and compensate for the communication delay with other second controllers to ensure that the frequency and phase of the synchronization signals received by each energy storage container remain consistent. Simultaneously, the third controller synchronously sends its own synchronization signal to the energy storage container corresponding to it. This ultimately ensures that the frequency and phase of the synchronization signals received by the energy storage container corresponding to the third controller, as well as the energy storage containers corresponding to N-1 second controllers (i.e., N energy storage containers), remain consistent, thereby improving the fault tolerance and reliability of the energy storage power station.

[0068] In an optional embodiment, to increase the flexibility of the structure, the user can also select one of the multiple second controllers as the third controller through a forced command. The third controller acts as the master controller and synchronizes signals with each of the slave controllers. The specific method includes: one of the N second controllers is set as the third controller after receiving a user command; the third controller communicates indirectly with the remaining N-1 second controllers through a first controller; the third controller tests the communication delay with the N-1 second controllers to obtain N-1 second delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with each second controller; the third controller sets the N-1 second delay values ​​to each of the N-1 second controllers and sends a synchronization signal to each of the N-1 second controllers; based on the N-1 second delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the third controller, the second controllers send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage containers corresponding to the N-1 second controllers in advance, and simultaneously, the third controller sends its own synchronization signal to the energy storage containers corresponding to its own energy storage container.

[0069] The first controller, N second controllers, and N energy storage containers described in the above embodiments can be defined as an energy storage unit. That is, the above-described... Figures 1 to 4 The explanation primarily focuses on the synchronization of the energy storage containers within a single energy storage unit. In another example, when the energy storage power station comprises at least two energy storage units, such as... Figure 5 As shown, each energy storage unit is equipped with a first controller, and the first controllers within each energy storage unit are communicatively connected. To achieve signal synchronization of all second controllers, it is necessary to first synchronize the local synchronization signals of the first controllers within all energy storage units, that is, to ensure that the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of all first controllers are consistent.

[0070] like Figure 6 As shown, before synchronizing the signals of each second controller, it is also necessary to unify the starting point of the signal synchronization cycle of each first controller. The method includes steps 310 to 320.

[0071] In step 310, the first controllers in at least two energy storage units send and receive synchronization signals to each other based on their respective local synchronization signals.

[0072] In step 320, the first controllers in at least two energy storage units adjust the starting point of their respective signal synchronization cycles based on the timing of sending and receiving synchronization signals, until the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers in at least two energy storage units are consistent.

[0073] Through steps 310 to 320 above, when there are at least two energy storage units, it is possible to ensure that the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers of different energy storage units remain consistent by pre-synchronizing the first controllers of multiple energy storage units, thus laying the foundation for the subsequent synchronization of the second controller.

[0074] After aligning the start times of the signal synchronization cycles of all first controllers, steps 110 to 120 are performed to adjust the synchronization signal transmission times of the second controllers connected to each first controller. After adjustment, each first controller will be able to start its signal synchronization cycle simultaneously and send a synchronization signal to its respective second controller at the corresponding transmission time. Therefore, even if multiple first controllers operate in parallel, it can still be ensured that all second controllers receive the synchronization signal at the same time, achieving signal synchronization across multiple energy storage containers.

[0075] In another example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first controllers in multiple energy storage units can also be connected to a central controller for signal synchronization. The central controller sends signals to each of the first controllers, and each first controller then sends signals to its corresponding second controller. In this case, the energy storage power station is structured as follows: a first controller, N second controllers, and N energy storage containers constitute one energy storage unit, and the energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units. The energy storage power station also includes a central controller, which is communicatively connected to the first controllers in at least two energy storage units.

[0076] In a structure where all first controllers are connected to the same central controller, signal synchronization of the first controllers must be performed before signal synchronization of the second controllers. Figure 8 As shown, the method includes steps 410 to 420.

[0077] In step 410, the main controller tests the communication delay of each connected first controller to obtain a third delay value corresponding to each first controller.

[0078] In step 420, the main controller sends the main controller's synchronization signal to each of the first controllers in advance, based on the N third delay values ​​and the main controller's synchronization signal.

[0079] Through steps 410 to 420 above, when the main controller is introduced for signal synchronization, the main controller can pre-synchronize the first controllers of multiple energy storage units, so that all the first controllers can receive the synchronization signal sent by the main controller at the same time. This further ensures that the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers of different energy storage units are consistent, laying the foundation for the subsequent synchronization of the second controller.

[0080] After the main controller completes signal synchronization with all the first controllers, steps 110 to 120 are performed, whereby each first controller adjusts the timing of its connected second controller's synchronization signal transmission. After adjustment, all first controllers will receive the synchronization signal from the main controller simultaneously and send their own synchronization signals to the corresponding second controller at their preset transmission times. Therefore, even if multiple first controllers are connected to the main controller in parallel, it can still be ensured that all second controllers receive the synchronization signal at the same time, achieving signal synchronization across multiple energy storage containers.

[0081] Optionally, the communication carrier between the above-mentioned main controller, first controller, second controller, centralized controller and energy storage container is a communication line, and the material of the communication line can be physical media such as optical fiber or cable.

[0082] Optionally, the above-mentioned communication lines can be used to transmit synchronization signals between the main controller, the first controller, the second controller, the centralized controller and the energy storage container. The synchronization signal can be a square wave signal, used for carrier synchronization, switch synchronization or other synchronization objectives such as sampling.

[0083] In this embodiment of the invention, the first controller measures the communication delay between itself and each of the second controllers to obtain the delay value from the first controller to the second controller for each path. Then, based on these delay values, each second controller sends a synchronization signal in advance, ensuring that the synchronization signals sent by the first controller to each second controller are received simultaneously. This ensures that regardless of differences in physical distance or line delay between the energy storage containers, all second controllers receive the synchronization signal at the same time, meaning that the phase and frequency of the synchronization signals received by all second controllers remain consistent. Therefore, it is possible to guarantee that multiple energy storage containers are configured based on completely synchronized signals provided by their respective second controllers, thereby avoiding problems such as circulating current and uneven power distribution, and significantly improving the stability and efficiency of the system.

[0084] The steps described above are for clarity only. In practice, they can be combined into one step or some steps can be split into multiple steps. As long as they include the same logical relationship, they are all within the protection scope of this invention. Adding insignificant modifications or introducing insignificant designs to the algorithm or process, without changing the core design of the algorithm and process, are also within the protection scope of this invention.

[0085] Furthermore, the examples mentioned in the above embodiments can be freely combined, and any combination can be understood as an embodiment. The terms "embodiment" or "example" appearing in various locations in the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they independent or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0086] Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a synchronization system for a power plant, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the device includes an energy storage power station, which comprises a first controller and N second controllers that are communicatively connected to the first controller. The N second controllers are correspondingly connected to N energy storage containers, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The first controller is used to test the communication delay with the N second controllers and obtain N first delay values ​​that correspond one-to-one with the second controllers. The first controller is also used to send the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the second controllers in advance based on the N first delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the first controller.

[0087] In some embodiments, the N second controllers are further configured to, when the signal synchronization of the N second controllers fails, set one of the N second controllers as a third controller; wherein the third controller communicates indirectly with the remaining N-1 second controllers through the first controller; the third controller is configured to test the communication delay with the N-1 second controllers to obtain N-1 second delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers; the third controller sets the N-1 second delay values ​​to the N-1 second controllers respectively, and sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the N-1 second controllers; based on the N-1 second delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the third controller, the second controller sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage container corresponding to the N-1 second controllers in advance, and at the same time, the third controller is also configured to send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage container corresponding to the third controller.

[0088] In some embodiments, the energy storage power station further includes M central controllers that are respectively connected to N second controllers, where M is an integer less than or greater than N, and each second controller is connected to at least one central controller; the M central controllers are used to communicate with each other to determine whether the N second controllers have failed to synchronize.

[0089] In some embodiments, one of the N second controllers is configured as a third controller upon receiving a user instruction; wherein the third controller communicates indirectly with the remaining N-1 second controllers through the first controller; the third controller is used to test the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N second delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers; the third controller is used to set the N-1 second delay values ​​to the N-1 second controllers respectively, and send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the N-1 second controllers; the second controllers are used to send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage containers corresponding to the N-1 second controllers in advance based on the N-1 second delay values ​​and the synchronization signal of the third controller, and at the same time, the third controller is also used to send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage containers corresponding to the third controller.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first controller tests the communication delay with N second controllers to obtain N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers; the first controller is used to send a synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the second controllers respectively; the N second controllers are used to send a response signal back to the first controller after receiving the synchronization signal of the first controller respectively; the first controller is used to obtain N first delay values ​​corresponding one-to-one with the second controllers based on the phase deviation between the synchronization signal and the response signal of the first controller.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first controller is used to progressively advance the phase of the synchronization signal of the first controller sent to N second controllers by a preset time, until the cumulative amount of the preset time is greater than or equal to a first delay value.

[0092] In some embodiments, a first controller, N second controllers, and N energy storage containers constitute an energy storage unit. The energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units. The first controllers in the at least two energy storage units are used to send and receive synchronization signals to each other based on their respective local synchronization signals. The first controllers in the at least two energy storage units are used to adjust the timing of their respective transmission of synchronization signals based on the timing of sending and receiving synchronization signals, until the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units are consistent.

[0093] In some embodiments, a first controller, N second controllers, and N energy storage containers constitute an energy storage unit, and an energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units; the energy storage power station also includes a main controller, which is used to test the communication delay of each connected first controller and obtain a third delay value corresponding to each first controller; the main controller is used to send the main controller's synchronization signal to each first controller in advance based on the N third delay values ​​and the main controller's synchronization signal.

[0094] It is not difficult to see that this embodiment is a device embodiment corresponding to the above method embodiments, and this embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the above method embodiments. The relevant technical details mentioned in the above method embodiments are still valid in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here to reduce repetition. Accordingly, the relevant technical details mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the above method embodiments.

[0095] It is worth mentioning that all modules involved in this embodiment are logical modules. In practical applications, a logical unit can be a physical unit, a part of a physical unit, or a combination of multiple physical units. Furthermore, to highlight the innovative aspects of this invention, this embodiment does not introduce units that are not closely related to solving the technical problem proposed by this invention; however, this does not mean that other units are absent from this embodiment.

[0096] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are specific embodiments for implementing the present invention, and in practical applications, various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing a power plant, characterized by, The power station is an energy storage power station, comprising a first controller and N second controllers in communication connection with the first controller, the N second controllers being connected with N energy storage containers, N being an integer greater than or equal to 2, the method comprising: The first controller tests the communication delay of the N second controllers, obtaining N first delay values corresponding to the N second controllers; wherein the first controller obtains the N first delay values corresponding to the N second controllers based on the phase deviation between the synchronization signal of the first controller and the response signal of the N second controllers; The first controller sends the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the N second controllers in advance based on the N first delay values and the synchronization signal of the first controller; The first controller sends the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the N second controllers in advance based on the N first delay values and the synchronization signal of the first controller, comprising: the first controller gradually advances the phase of the synchronization signal of the first controller sent to the N second controllers by a preset time period until the cumulative amount of the advance is greater than or equal to the first delay value.

2. A method of synchronizing a power plant according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further comprising: When the N second controllers fail to synchronize signals, one of the N second controllers is set as a third controller; wherein the third controller indirectly communicates with the remaining N-1 second controllers through the first controller; The third controller tests the communication delay of the N-1 second controllers, obtaining N-1 second delay values corresponding to the N-1 second controllers; The third controller sets the N-1 second delay values to the N-1 second controllers respectively and sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the N-1 second controllers; The N-1 second controllers send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage containers corresponding to the N-1 second controllers in advance based on the N-1 second delay values and the synchronization signal of the third controller, and the third controller sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage container corresponding to the third controller.

3. A method of synchronizing a power plant according to claim 2, characterized in that, The energy storage power station further comprises M centralized controllers connected with the N second controllers respectively, M being an integer less than or greater than N, and each second controller being connected with at least one centralized controller; The M centralized controllers communicate with each other to determine whether the N second controllers fail to synchronize.

4. The method of synchronizing a power plant of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: One of the N second controllers is set as a third controller after receiving a user instruction; wherein the third controller indirectly communicates with the remaining N-1 second controllers through the first controller; The third controller tests the communication delay of the N-1 second controllers, obtaining N-1 second delay values corresponding to the N-1 second controllers; The third controller sets the N-1 second delay values to the N-1 second controllers respectively and sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the N-1 second controllers; The N-1 second controllers send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the corresponding energy storage container of the third controller in advance based on the N-1 second delay values and the synchronization signal of the third controller, and meanwhile, the third controller sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the corresponding energy storage container of the third controller.

5. A method of synchronizing a power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values corresponding to the N second controllers, including: The first controller sends the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the second controllers; The N second controllers respectively feed back response signals to the first controller after receiving the synchronization signal of the first controller; The first controller obtains N first delay values corresponding to the second controllers based on the phase deviation between the synchronization signal of the first controller and the response signals.

6. A method of synchronizing a power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first controller, the N second controllers and the N energy storage containers constitute an energy storage unit, and the energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units, Before the first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values corresponding to the second controllers, the method further includes: The first controllers in the at least two energy storage units send and receive synchronization signals based on respective local synchronization signals; The first controllers in the at least two energy storage units adjust the time of sending the synchronization signals based on the time of sending and receiving the synchronization signals until the frequency and phase of the local synchronization signals of the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units are consistent.

7. A method of synchronizing a power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first controller, the N second controllers and the N energy storage containers constitute an energy storage unit, and the energy storage power station includes at least two energy storage units; The energy storage power station further includes a general controller, which is in communication connection with the first controllers in the at least two energy storage units, and before the first controller tests the communication delay with the N second controllers to obtain N first delay values corresponding to the second controllers, the method further includes: The general controller tests the communication delay with each of the connected first controllers to obtain N third delay values corresponding to the first controllers; The general controller sends the synchronization signal of the general controller to each of the first controllers in advance based on the N third delay values and the synchronization signal of the general controller.

8. A power station synchronization system characterized by The power station is an energy storage power station, which includes a first controller and N second controllers in communication connection with the first controller, the N second controllers are in corresponding connection with N energy storage containers, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; The first controller is configured to test communication time delays with the N second controllers, and obtain N first time delay values corresponding to the N second controllers respectively; the first controller is further configured to send the synchronization signal of the first controller to each of the N second controllers in advance based on the N first time delay values and the synchronization signal of the first controller; the first controller obtains the N first time delay values corresponding to the N second controllers based on phase deviations between the synchronization signal of the first controller and response signals of the N second controllers. The first controller is further configured to gradually advance the phase of the synchronization signal of the first controller sent to the N second controllers by a preset time length until the cumulative amount of the preset time length is greater than or equal to the first time delay value.

9. A power station synchronization system according to claim 8, characterized in that The N second controllers are further configured to set one of the N second controllers as a third controller when the N second controllers fail to synchronize signals; the third controller communicates with the remaining N-1 second controllers indirectly through the first controller. The third controller is configured to test communication time delays with the N-1 second controllers, and obtain N-1 second time delay values corresponding to the N-1 second controllers respectively; the third controller sends the synchronization signal of the third controller to the N-1 second controllers by setting the N-1 second time delay values to the N-1 second controllers respectively; the N-1 second controllers send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage containers corresponding to the N-1 second controllers in advance based on the N-1 second time delay values and the synchronization signal of the third controller; meanwhile, the third controller is further configured to send the synchronization signal of the third controller to the energy storage container corresponding to the third controller.

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