Method and system for managing an electric grid

Abstract

A method and system for efficiently managing an electrical grid is provided. In one embodiment, a power output deviation from a target is identified at a node in an electrical grid topology including a plurality of nodes, and in response to identifying the power output deviation, nodes below a control node in the electrical grid topology are scanned and the power output at each scanned node is adjusted until at least one terminal node is reached.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 385,805, filed December 2, 2022, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] "DER" (Distributed Energy Resource) is a general term that refers to a variety of small-scale power generation and storage devices. These sources can include various energy types, such as solar, wind, and battery storage, among others. Typically, the devices (i.e., DERs) can adjust their generation and / or demand up or down on command to meet the needs of a utility on the grid, e.g., electricity needs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention enable a much more efficient method for controlling devices, e.g., DERs, within an electric grid than previously achieved. Specifically, one embodiment provides a recursive coordinated dispatch system (RRDS) that enables a DER management system (DERMS) to respond to simultaneous violations of electric grid integrity constraints at multiple points throughout the grid using a single system, e.g., a controller, at the dispatching station or substation level, among other examples. Embodiments include computer-implemented methods and computer-based systems that recursively dispatch DERs to correct electric grid integrity violations. Furthermore, embodiments can apply different relative priorities to different levels of the electric grid.

[0004] An exemplary embodiment is directed to a computer-implemented method for managing an electric grid. Initially, at a node in an electric grid topology including a plurality of nodes, the method identifies a power output deviation from a target. In response to identifying the power output deviation, the method scans nodes subordinate to the control node in the electric grid topology and adjusts the power output at each scanned node until a terminal node is reached. In one embodiment, the method further includes performing the scanning and adjustments until all terminal nodes are reached. According to another embodiment, the power output deviation from the target includes a power output violation and / or a deviation from a user-specified value.

[0005] In one embodiment, the method further includes identifying a control node in the electrical grid topology before identifying the power output deviation. According to one such embodiment, identifying a control node in the electrical grid topology includes scanning a first terminal node, i.e., a node above a given terminal node, in the electrical grid topology until a first node, i.e., a given node that satisfies a criterion, is reached, and identifying the first node that satisfies the criterion as the control node. In another embodiment, the method may further include scanning nodes above resources in the electrical grid topology, determining that the given node is active in coordination and satisfies at least one additional criterion, and identifying the given node as the control node. According to yet another embodiment, the method may further include configuring the control node to control one or more previously scanned nodes and / or resources.

[0006] According to another embodiment, the criteria (for identifying the control node) include: the first node is a first regulation point; the first node is within a first power output deviation; an ancestor node of the first node, e.g., a direct parent, intermediate parent, or ultimate parent, is a second regulation point; and the ancestor node is not within a second power output deviation. In yet another embodiment, the criteria include: (i) the first node is a first regulation point; the first node is within the first power output deviation; an ancestor node of the first node is a second regulation point; and the ancestor node is within a second power output deviation; or (ii) the first node is not within the first power output deviation; the ancestor node is not within the second power output deviation; and the first user-defined priority of the first node is greater than the second user-defined priority of the ancestor node. According to yet another embodiment, the criteria include: the first node has at least one resource belonging to a user-defined group (UDG); an ancestor node of the first node is a coordination point; and (i) the UDG is within a first power output deviation and the ancestor node is not within a second power output deviation; (ii) a first user-defined priority of the UDG is greater than a second user-defined priority of the ancestor node; and / or (iii) the UDG has an active state and the ancestor node has an inactive state. In one embodiment, the UDG may be evaluated or considered at a lower level of the electrical grid topology; for example, the UDG may be an initial node for examination as a potential control node. According to another embodiment, the criteria include: the first node is a first coordination point; the first node has an active state; an ancestor node of the first node is a second coordination point; and the ancestor node has an inactive state. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, the node (i.e., the node at which the power output deviation is identified) is a control node. According to one embodiment, having an active state, eg, a state designated by a user to indicate that the node will participate in coordination, may be a requirement for a node to participate in coordination.In another embodiment, it is known that if no node meeting the criteria is identified, for example, if the node is not responding to a grid violation or is not attempting to reach a user-specified target value, the closest active node (i.e., most directly connected to the starting DER of the topology) with resources connected to that node may be selected as the control node.

[0007] In one embodiment, adjusting the power output includes adjusting the power output at the scanned given node based on resources of at least one node subordinate to the scanned given node in the electrical grid topology. According to another embodiment, it is noted that other nodes in the electrical grid topology, in addition to the terminal nodes, may have resources connected or attached. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, adjusting the power output based on the resources includes adjusting the power output based on at least one of an increase margin of the power output of the resource and a decrease margin of the power output of the resource.

[0008] Another exemplary embodiment is directed to a computer-based system for managing an electric grid. The system includes a processor and a memory having computer code instructions stored or maintained thereon. In such an embodiment, the processor and the memory with the computer code instructions are configured to cause the system to implement any embodiment or combination of embodiments described herein.

[0009] Yet another exemplary embodiment is directed to a non-transitory computer program product for managing an electric grid. The computer program product includes a computer-readable medium having computer code instructions stored thereon. The computer code instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause a device associated with the processor to perform any embodiment or combination of embodiments described herein. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, one or more processors may execute the computer code instructions to cause a device to perform an embodiment.

[0010] It is noted that the embodiments of the methods, systems, and computer program products may implement any embodiment or combination of embodiments described herein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the embodiments.

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrical grid topology in which embodiments address power output deviations, eg, violations and imbalances. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary power grid environment and an embodiment for controlling them. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for managing an electrical grid according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a computer network in which embodiments may be implemented. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a computer node in the computer network of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A description of an exemplary embodiment follows.

[0014] As described herein, embodiments provide functionality for managing an electric grid. Figure 1 illustrates an example of an electric grid topology 100. The topology 100 includes a region 102 (e.g., representing a geographic area such as a county) at level 118a. Below the region 102 are regions 104a-b (representing smaller geographic areas than the region 102, e.g., towns or neighborhoods) at level 118b. Next, below the region 104a are substations 106a-b at level 118c. Further below the substation 106a are substation transformers (XFMRs) 108a-b at level 118d. Below the substation XFMR 108a are power feeders 112a-b. Next, below the power feeder 112a are service XFMRs 114a-b at level 118f. Further, below service XFMR 114a are DERs 116a-b (e.g., solar panel 116a and wind farm 116b). Similarly, below service XFMR 114b are DERs 116c-d (e.g., solar panel 116c and wind farm 116d). In contrast to substation XFMR 108a, substation XFMR 108b has DERs 116e-f (e.g., solar panel 116e and wind farm 116f) immediately below it. DERs 116a-d are at level 118g, while DERs 116e-f are at the same level 118e as power supply stations 112a-b. In one embodiment, data and / or parameters of the electrical grid topology, e.g., 100, may be stored in a GIS (geographic information system) or other suitable system or database known to those skilled in the art.

[0015] Continuing with FIG. 1 , as mentioned above, topology 100 includes DERs 116a-f. “DER” is a general term that refers to a variety of small-scale power generation and storage devices. These electricity or power sources may provide various energy types, such as solar, wind, and battery storage, among others. DERs, e.g., 116a-f, are devices that can adjust their generation up or down on command to meet the power needs of a grid, e.g., a utility on topology 100. There are multiple levels, e.g., 118a-g, on the grid (the topology), and DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, may be installed at any of these different levels, e.g., 118e or 118g. In FIG. 1 , each level 118a-g is depicted or represented by a line for illustrative purposes and not by limitation.

[0016] Referring again to FIG. 1 , a non-limiting example of a problem addressed and solved by embodiments is when there is a power imbalance at a node, e.g., substation 106a, on the grid, e.g., topology 100, due to too much power being generated below substation 106a. Such a scenario can cause transformers to overheat, leading to outages and resulting in thousands to millions of dollars of damage. To mitigate this problem, a utility company may require DERs, e.g., 116a-f, at different topology levels (rows), e.g., 118e and 118g, below substation 106a to reduce their total power output by a calculated amount in real time. Embodiments provide such functionality and can automatically control DERs 116a-f to reduce their power output. In one such embodiment, such functionality is implemented by performing a method described herein, e.g., method 300, described below in this specification with reference to FIG. 3.

[0017] Continuing with FIG. 1 , a further non-limiting example of a problem addressed and solved by embodiments may relate to a residential solar system, e.g., solar system 116a. The residential solar system 116a may be connected to a local electrical grid via a step-down transformer or service transformer, e.g., local service transformer 114a. The local service transformer 114a may then be connected to a local substation, e.g., substation 106a, via a substation circuit (formed by power feed station 112a and substation transformer 108a). Finally, the local substation 106a may be part of a region of a utility company's electrical network, e.g., region 102 of electrical network 100. To continue, an operator may install a "coordination point" at any topology node within the network, e.g., 100, such as service XFMRs 114a-b, substations 106a-b, and / or region 102. A regulation point, or regpoint, may be a logical construct or other suitable module or component that specifies an objective for the regulated subnet to achieve. Non-limiting examples of regulation point goals include thresholds or limits for a particular variable or a particular target value for a particular variable. Additionally, different types of variables may be used. As a non-limiting example, a given variable may represent net demand. For example, the net demand of a local service transformer, such as 114a, may be defined as the difference between the load that customers, e.g., solar system 116a and wind farm 116b, are drawing from the grid, e.g., 100, and the power generated by customer systems 116a-b. Staying with this example, the limits on the net demand of local service transformer 114a may be -10 kW and 10 kW, although other limits are appropriate. For example, if the solar system 116a alone or in conjunction with the wind farm 116b produces more than 10 kW, i.e., exceeds the 10 kW threshold, the embodiment may cause the service transformer 114a to curtail power generation at the solar system 116a and / or the wind farm 116b.Continuing with this example and moving to higher levels of grid 100, at local substation 106a, net demand limits may be specified as -100 kW and 100 kW, although other limits are appropriate. In one example, local substation 106a may operate normally, i.e., its net demand may be within the exemplary -100 kW and 100 kW limits. In another example, due to, for example, "backfeed" from substation 106a's subnetwork, substation 106a's net demand may be -105 kW, i.e., exceeding the exemplary -100 kW limit. When this situation occurs, embodiments may identify resources within substation 106a's network, e.g., solar system 116a, and cause solar system 116a to reduce power generation, thereby bringing substation 106a's net demand back within the -100 kW limit. In yet another example, the net demand at substation 106a may exceed the limit of -150 kW, again at a value of -100 kW. If such a situation occurs, embodiments may identify resources within substation 106a's network, such as all solar systems 116a, 116c, and 116e, as well as other resources, such as batteries (not shown) that can charge / discharge between -50 kW and 50 kW. Embodiments may then use the batteries to absorb excess power generation by charging. Staying with the current example, embodiments may also provide a combined savings of, for example, 10 kW to solar systems 116a, 116c, and 116e if the batteries approach the limits of their charge capacity. As seen in the non-limiting examples above, "control errors," defined as exceeding thresholds or limits that may result in the need for adjustments, may occur at different individual levels of an electrical grid, such as grid 100, e.g., 118e and 118g.

[0018] Another non-limiting example of a problem addressed and solved by embodiments may imply an electrical grid with multiple different levels. For example, an exemplary customer grid may have four levels. In an exemplary customer grid, there may be two sets of solar and storage at a single interconnection point. Furthermore, the lowest constraint may be a transformer interconnected with a battery. For example, if the solar is at maximum production and the battery is at maximum discharge, this may overload the transformer. Using embodiments, such as method 330, overloading of the transformer may be avoided.

[0019] Yet another non-limiting example of a problem addressed and solved by embodiments may also imply multiple different levels of the electric grid. For example, an exemplary customer grid may have a constraint at one level that batteries can only be charged from solar power. At a next level, embodiments may need to analyze solar power generation and / or weather conditions. Furthermore, each substation in the exemplary customer grid may have a different location price threshold. For example, if a given price is high enough, it may not be desirable to charge batteries even if a solar system is generating electricity. Another constraint in the exemplary customer grid may be that the grid's own load must be met with its own power generation. The grid may also increase battery charging to consume excess power generation. As mentioned in this example, the customer grid may include, for example, four separate levels, such as a DER interconnection point level, a substation level, a neighborhood level, and a region level, with different priorities that are simultaneously addressed by embodiments. To provide a non-limiting example of different priorities, a first priority may be associated with the interconnection point. Designating the interconnection point as the highest priority may, for example, avoid the risk of overcharging batteries. A second exemplary priority may be related to ensuring that the area control error (ACE) in a region remains within a defined threshold. Furthermore, a third exemplary priority may be related to pricing. A fourth, lowest exemplary priority may be related to a "greedy charging" methodology. Thus, for example, if a customer grid is experiencing three different types of violations related to interconnection points, greedy charging, and ACE events, an embodiment may address the interconnection point violation first because that type is assigned the highest priority. It is also known that information, such as violation information, regarding an electric grid, such as grid 100, may be obtained using a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system or other suitable system known to those skilled in the art.

[0020] 1, prior to the present disclosure, existing tools such as Integra™ DERMS (Aspen Technology, Inc., Bedford, Massachusetts) could only control DERs, e.g., 116a-f, separately at each of the levels (rows), e.g., 118e and 118g. This meant that an operator had to set separate thresholds, e.g., at substation XFMR 108b, service XFMR 114a, and service XFMR 114b, and control devices separately at each of them, e.g., DERs 116e-f, 116a-b, and 116c-d, respectively. Thus, for example, substation XFMR 108b controls, for example, solar panel 116e and wind farm 116f; service XFMR 114a controls, for example, solar panel 116a and wind farm 116b; and service XFMR 114b controls, for example, solar panel 116c and wind farm 116d, all separately from each other. In the non-limiting example described above in which a utility needs all DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, to reduce power output, the operator needs to understand how much each set (e.g., the set of DERs 116e-f associated with substation XFMR 108b, the set of DERs 116a-b associated with service XFMR 114a, and the set of DERs 116c-d associated with service XFMR 114b) needs to reduce power output and manage each set separately. This process is resource-intensive and error-prone manual. Each level (row), eg, 118a-g, may also have its own priorities, which may hinder reaching a suitable overall solution.

[0021] 1 , embodiments of the present disclosure provide, among other things, a much more efficient way to control DER devices, e.g., 116a-f. Using embodiments, an operator can provide instructions regarding the power output of any node in grid 100, e.g., substation 106a, and embodiments can automatically control the nodes and / or resources below the node to comply with the operator-provided instructions. Furthermore, embodiments (as a non-limiting example, the next-generation Integra™ DERMS tool improved by the principles of the present disclosure) can recursively traverse, e.g., substation 106a's subordinate topology 118d-g, etc., and automatically delegate / allocate separate power reductions to, e.g., substation XFMR 108b, service XFMR 114a, and service XFMR 114b. Embodiments can then cause each of those topology nodes to reduce the generation of their subordinate DERs, e.g., 116e-f, 116a-b, and 116c-d, respectively. The total derating may be equal to the derating required given the operational guidelines provided by the operator for the substation 106a. Embodiments may have each level, e.g., 118d, delegate the calculated derating to its subordinate level, e.g., 118e, until the embodiment reaches the actual DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, at which point the derating required for a given level, e.g., 118d, may be allocated / distributed among the DER devices immediately below that level, e.g., 116e-f.

[0022] Continuing with FIG. 1 , power generation from DERs, e.g., 116a-f, inherently fluctuates due to clouds, wind speed changes, etc., posing additional challenges in controlling the overall power balance. Embodiments incorporating principles of the present disclosure can monitor the power output of, for example, substation 106a's subordinate elements (e.g., DERs 116a-f, substation XFMRs 108a-b, service XFMRs 114a-b, power feeders 112a-b, etc.) and adjust allocations in real time as needed. By way of another non-limiting example, if, for example, solar panel 116a and wind farm 116b under service XFMR 114a have reduced power output below a required threshold (e.g., due to cloud or wind speed changes), embodiments can adjust other DERs at different levels, e.g., DERs 116e-f at level 118e, to increase their power output to compensate for the reduction under service XFMR 114a. (In this non-limiting example, DERs 116e-f are currently being saved, and some of that savings may be released by embodiments; however, if DERs 116e-f are not being saved, for example, embodiments may alternatively discharge one or more batteries (not shown).) An overall power threshold may be specified at a high level in the grid, e.g., at substation 106a of topology 100. Then, when a threshold is crossed and DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, are required to reduce or increase their power output, the necessary adjustments to individual devices, e.g., 116a-f, below that point (level), e.g., at substation 106a, at level 118c in the grid (potentially at different descending levels in the grid) may be automatically allocated level by level down to the actual devices (DERs), e.g., 116a-f. Embodiments may continuously monitor the DER devices (e.g., 116a-f), i.e., their power output, and adjust them (i.e., their power output) up or down as needed to achieve the overall objective.

[0023] Whenever the grid condition that caused the original threshold violation at the higher level ends, embodiments may automatically return devices, e.g., DERs 116a-f (FIG. 1), to their normal power output levels. This may again be performed in a recursive manner, but this time in the opposite direction, i.e., up the levels 118a-g of the grid topology, e.g., topology 100 (FIG. 1). As each lower level returns all of its DERs, such as DERs 116e-f in level 118e, to their normal power output, the grid network may be returned to a normal state overall.

[0024] In summary, embodiments provide, for example, a computer-based system and a computer-implemented method for: a) There is an electrical grid having multiple levels in its topology, e.g., topology 100 (FIG. 1) having levels 118a-g, and one or more power generating DER devices, e.g., 116a-f (FIG. 1), may be installed at any of the levels. b) Thresholds (high and low power limits) can be assigned to any level of the grid, eg, 118a-g. c) If a threshold is crossed at any level, e.g., 118c, the increase or decrease in total power required (depending on whether the upper or lower limit was crossed) may be recursively distributed and divided among each level, e.g., 118d-g, below the point where the threshold was crossed. Each level, e.g., 118d, may then divide that amount among its subordinate levels, e.g., 118e-g, until an embodiment reaches a level with actual DER devices, e.g., level 118e, with DERs 116e-f, at which point the increase / decrease in power required for that level may be divided among those DER devices, e.g., 116e-f. d) An embodiment may continuously monitor all levels, e.g., 118a-g, and DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, and as the load on the grid, e.g., topology 100, naturally changes over time, the total amount of increase or decrease required from the DER devices may go up or down. An embodiment may monitor these requirements (increased / decreased amounts) and automatically distribute levels, e.g., 118a-g, to DER devices, e.g., 116a-f. e) An embodiment may continuously monitor all levels, e.g., 118a-g, and DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, and if some devices, e.g., 116a-b, reduce or increase their power output too much, other devices in other levels, e.g., DERs 116e-f in level 118e, can be assigned new values ​​to make up the difference. This may be done automatically by an embodiment. f) When grid conditions return to normal, embodiments may automatically and recursively return DER devices, e.g., 116a-f, to their normal power output at the grid level, e.g., 118g, bottom-up, so that ultimately the highest thresholds, such as the thresholds of substation 106a at level 118c (FIG. 1), are no longer violated.

[0025] To manage DERs connected to network devices, e.g., 116a-f (FIG. 1), an embodiment DERMS may create and manipulate coordination points, e.g., devices that can be controlled. In one embodiment, coordination points are represented in memory as part of a topology, e.g., in the form of a graph. In such a graph, a coordination point may be a logical construct that represents a coordinated device. Furthermore, a "coordination point" may be a property of a node in the graph. For example, a solar panel, e.g., 116a, 116c, or 116e, may be represented in the graph by a node, and that node may have a coordination point property indicating that the solar panel can be adjusted.

[0026] While direct dispatch of coordination points may be sufficient to address single or unrelated violations, such a strategy breaks down for multiple related violations, especially when one violating device is an ancestor of another. According to one embodiment, RRDS may employ recursive coordination assignment to optimally correct simultaneous violations at multiple levels of the grid hierarchy, e.g., levels 118a-g of topology 100 (FIG. 1). This can be done automatically without operator intervention, but operators can prioritize coordination points to prepare for anticipated network conditions.

[0027] While AGC (Automatic Generation Control) is a well-established tool in power system control, ADC (Automatic DER Control) extends AGC to DERs, and RRDS implementing embodiments can advantageously be further extended by providing a reliable, e.g., computer-based, system for conflict resolution when conflicting violations occur at multiple levels of the grid, e.g., levels 118a-g of topology 100 (FIG. 1). The disclosed embodiments and principles also improve performance over existing approaches, such as cascade control, by not only resolving (e.g., fully addressing or minimizing violations) faster with a single system, e.g., a controller, but also by converging to steady state faster by recursively aggregating information from lower grid topology levels to higher grid topology levels to inform the decision process. Furthermore, embodiments can apply different relative priorities to different levels of the grid. Further details and non-limiting example embodiments are presented next.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, an RRDS, e.g., a computer-based system implementing the embodiment, may first identify each DER, e.g., 116a-f (FIG. 1), involved in coordination. Next, the closest coordination point and the controlling active coordination point may be found. The closest coordination point and the controlling active coordination point may be identified by starting with a DER, e.g., 116a-f, and ascending the network hierarchy, e.g., topology 100, having levels 118a-g (FIG. 1), and examining any coordination points attached to network devices found on the way to the top level of the grid topology, e.g., level 118a of topology 100. The first coordination point found may be both the closest coordination point (most directly connected to the starting DER; e.g., the node closest to node 116c is directly connected to node 114b, and the node closest to 116e is directly connected node 108b) and the first controlling coordination point. In this way, one embodiment may go beyond the hierarchy and compare any other coordination points found in a “contest,” determined based on the following non-limiting exemplary criteria: a) If the current regulation point is at the power output deviation and the new regulation point is not at the power output deviation, the control remains at the current regulation point. b) If the new regulation point is at the power output deviation and the current regulation point is not at the power output deviation, the control moves to the new regulation point. c) If neither or both are at power output deviation, but one has a higher user-defined priority, control moves to that regulation point. d) If the priorities are equal but the current coordination point is for a DER that belongs to a group that is a user-defined group (UDG) rather than a group defined by the base topology, the characteristics of the UDG are replaced with the attributes of the current coordination point, and the above example criteria a)-c) are re-evaluated based on the characteristics of the UDG. In one embodiment, the group of DERs defined by the base topology may include all DERs for which a given topology node is its ancestor. For example, according to another embodiment, DERs 116a-d are in the topology group of power feeder 112a (FIG. 1) as well as in the ancestor nodes of power feeder 112a (i.e., substation XFMR 108a, substation 106a, area 104a, and area 102 (FIG. 1)). Meanwhile, in yet another embodiment, DERs 116e-f are not in the topology group of power supply station 112a and substation XFMR 108a, but are in the topology group of substation XFMR 108b, substation 106a, region 104a, and region 102. In contrast, according to one embodiment, a UDG may contain DERs regardless of their location within the topology. For example, according to another embodiment, a UDG may be created to include all solar resources on the grid, such as DERs 116a, 116c, and 116e. In yet another embodiment, a coordination point within this UDG would control all three DERs 116a, 116c, and 116e, regardless of their location across grid 100.

[0029] It is this rule that allows RRDS (and other embodiments of this disclosure) to be made a recursive system. A coordination point can be controlled by a coordination point at a higher level (of a grid topology, e.g., topology 100 of FIG. 1) only if all of the former coordination point's DERs, e.g., 116a-f (FIG. 1), are controlled by the latter coordination point. Thus, as coordination is dispatched, it can be recursively dispatched down through the controlled coordination points until it finally reaches a DER, e.g., 116a-f. This has two-fold advantages over direct dispatch: (1) because control errors propagate through violations to the devices closest to the DERs, such as the service XFMRs 114a-b (Figure 1) closest to DERs 116a-d, or the substation XFMR 108b (Figure 1) closest to DERs 116e-f, the ultimate management of the DERs, e.g., 116a-f, remains as localized as possible, while the problem may be resolved at any level of the hierarchy, e.g., levels 118a-g of topology 100 (Figure 1), and (2) if a violation is resolved and a new violation occurs, the coordination point selection process described above may allow the chain of command to be automatically re-modified.

[0030] 2 provides a non-limiting, expanded example of a subnetwork 200 having multiple violations 222a-c. The example subnetwork 200 includes four tiers 218a-d. The top tier 218a of the illustrated grid tiers 218a-d is a substation (SUB) 206, in which one violation 222a (e.g., a high load violation) may occur. The SUB 206 may have non-limiting, example characteristics (HL = high level, LL = low level) as provided in Table 1 below.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] In descending tier (grid topology) order, the tier 218b following the SUB 206 tier (i.e., top tier 218a) includes power feeding stations 212a-b. Another violation 222b, e.g., a low load violation, may occur at power feeding station 212b. Power feeding station 212a may have non-limiting example characteristics as provided in Table 2 below.

[0033] [Table 2]

[0034] Similarly, power station 212b may have non-limiting example characteristics as provided in Table 3 below.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] Grid tier 218c, following power supply stations 212a-b tier (i.e., tier 218b), includes XFMRs 214a-b (e.g., service XFMRs). Another (third) violation 222c, e.g., a high load violation, may occur in XFMR 214a. XFMR 214a may have non-limiting example characteristics as provided in Table 4 below.

[0037] [Table 4]

[0038] Similarly, the XFMR 214b may have non-limiting exemplary characteristics as provided in Table 5 below.

[0039] [Table 5]

[0040] At the terminal (lowest) level 218d of grid topology 200 are DERs 216a-b. DERs 216a may have non-limiting example characteristics as provided in Table 6 below.

[0041] [Table 6]

[0042] Similarly, DER 216b may have non-limiting exemplary properties as shown in Table 7 below.

[0043] [Table 7]

[0044] For the three illustrated example violations 222a-c, an energy resource control system (e.g., RRDS) implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure may make non-limiting example allocations as detailed below in Table 8. The active adjustment points in Table 8 may be determined using functionality described herein.

[0045] [Table 8]

[0046] With reference to the exemplary characteristics (shown in Tables 1-7) and Table 8, a non-limiting exemplary detailed process of allocation may be as follows: a) A control error of 0 kW may be inherited by the dispatching station 212a regulation point from SUB 206 at a high load violation 222a of, for example, 500 kW (i.e., 1500 kW [actual value] - 1000 kW [HL threshold] = 500 kW), leaving an unallocated control error of 500 kW at SUB 206. b) A control error of 0 kW may be inherited by the dispatching station 212b regulation point from SUB 206, leaving SUB 206 with an unallocated control error of 500 kW. c) A control error of 0 kW may be inherited by the XFMR 214a regulation point from the power supply station 212a. d) A 5 kW control error may be inherited by the XFMR 214b adjustment point from power feeder 212b at, for example, a -20 kW low load violation 222b (i.e., -70 kW [actual] - -50 kW [LL threshold] = -20 kW), leaving an unallocated control error of -15 kW (of the initial -20 kW control error) at power feeder 212b. e) A 5 kW control error may be allocated from the XFMR 214a to the DER 216a, for example, at a 10 kW high load violation 222c (i.e., 20 kW [actual] - 10 kW [HL threshold] = 10 kW), and the XFMR 214a may act as an active adjustment point for the DER 216a using the functionality described herein. f) A 5 kW control error may be allocated from XFMR 214b to DER 216b (i.e., the same 5 kW inherited by XFMR 214b regulation point from power feeder 212b), and power feeder 212b may act as the active regulation point for DER 216b using the functionality described herein.

[0047] In some embodiments, one or more nodes may not be directly controlled by a coordination point but may nevertheless be involved in coordination. For example, in one embodiment, a region within an electrical grid, e.g., region 102 within grid 100 (FIG. 1), may be a corresponding coordination point. However, according to one such embodiment, substations within the grid, e.g., substations 106a-b (FIG. 1), may not be coordination points. In one embodiment, control commands may pass through the highest-level node that can be directly coordinated, e.g., region 102, or through a lower-level node even if the given lower-level node does not have specific coordination requirements, e.g., substations 106a-b. According to one such embodiment, the highest-level node, e.g., region 102, may be considered a “master” point with a corresponding highest priority that ultimately controls any lower-priority nodes below it, including, e.g., substations 106a-b. In another embodiment, there may be multiple master points, and a particular resource may be assigned to only one master point at any given time. According to one such embodiment, once a violation at one master point is resolved, resources allocated to that master point may then be reallocated to a different master point. In particular embodiments, the reallocation may occur automatically based on the non-limiting exemplary criteria described above. For example, according to one embodiment, after a master point is no longer in a power output deviation, the master point may become less preferred when the non-limiting exemplary criteria are applied. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the master point selection process may occur continuously; thus, as the configuration or characteristics of the grid, nodes, and / or resources change over time, this may cause DERs to be reallocated to support "more important" (e.g., higher priority) power output deviations as defined by the selection system of an embodiment.

[0048] 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary method 300 for managing an electric grid, according to one embodiment. Method 300 is a computer-implemented method, and as such, method 300 may be performed using any computing device or combination of computing devices known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, one or more digital processors.

[0049] In step 301, method 300 begins by scanning nodes above a first terminal node in an electrical grid topology including multiple nodes until a first node that satisfies at least one criterion is reached. In an embodiment, the electrical grid topology may be a hierarchical or tree structure including multiple nodes, such as electrical grid topology 100 of FIG. 1 including nodes 102, 104a-b, 106a-b, 108a-b, 112a-b, 114a-b, and 116a-f, or electrical grid topology 200 of FIG. 2 including nodes 206, 212a-b, 214a-b, and 216a-b. According to one embodiment, the first terminal node may be a DER, e.g., solar panel 116a, wind farm 116b, solar panel 116c, wind farm 116d, solar panel 116e, or wind farm 116f (FIG. 1), or DER 216a or DER 216b (FIG. 2). In one embodiment, the scan is a bottom-up search in which method 300 examines each node (starting with the terminal node) until it reaches a node that meets at least one criterion. According to another embodiment, the first terminal node of a DER, e.g., 116a-f or 216a-b, may be the closest node of that DER. Furthermore, in another embodiment, if multiple DERs are experiencing a power output deviation, method 300 may perform step 301 for the terminal node of one such DER, and once the power output deviation for that DER is finally resolved, method 300 may repeat step 301 for the terminal node of another such DER that also has a power output deviation. In yet another embodiment where multiple DERs are in the power output deviation, method 300 may perform step 301 simultaneously for each DER in the power output deviation.

[0050] Continuing with FIG. 3, in one embodiment, at step 303, method 300 identifies a first node that meets at least one criterion as the control node. According to one embodiment, the at least one criterion includes: the first node being a first regulation point; the first node being within a first power output deviation; an ancestor node of the first node being a second regulation point; and the ancestor node not being within a second power output deviation. For example, in another embodiment, referring to FIG. 1, if power feeding station 112a is in a power output deviation and the ancestor nodes of power feeding station 112a (i.e., substation XFMR 108, substation 106a, area 104a, and area 102) are in another power output deviation, power feeding station 112a will meet the criterion. Additionally, in yet another embodiment, the at least one criterion is (i) the first node is a first adjustment point and the first node is within a first power output deviation (e.g., node 212b with violation 222b (FIG. 2) and an ancestor node of the first node is a second adjustment point and the ancestor node is within a second power output deviation (e.g., node 206 with violation 222a (FIG. 2)), or (ii) the first node is not within the first power output deviation and the ancestor node is within the second power output deviation. and a first user-defined priority of the first node (e.g., node 222b (FIG. 2) having medium priority 224d) is greater than a second user-defined priority of an ancestor (e.g., node 206 (FIG. 2) having low priority 224a). In another embodiment, the at least one criterion includes the first node being a first coordination point, the first node having an active state, an ancestor node of the first node being a second coordination point, and the ancestor node having an inactive state.According to yet another embodiment, the at least one criterion includes the first node having at least one resource that belongs to the UDG and an ancestor node of the first node being a coordination point, and at least one of (i) the UDG being within a first power output deviation and the ancestor node not being within a second power output deviation, (ii) a first user-defined priority of the UDG being greater than a second user-defined priority of the ancestor node, or (iii) the UDG having an active state and the ancestor node having an inactive state.

[0051] Returning to FIG. 3 , according to one embodiment, at step 305, method 300 identifies a power output deviation from a target at a node in the electrical grid topology. With reference to FIG. 1 , method 300 may, for example, determine at step 305 that a power imbalance in the electrical grid topology is occurring at substation 106a due to too much power being generated below substation 106a. Similarly, with reference to FIG. 2 , method 300 may, for example, determine that a power output violation (e.g., 222a) exists at substation 206. In another embodiment, the power output deviation from a target includes a power output violation, or a deviation from a target value, for example, a user-specified value or a target value determined by a control methodology.

[0052] Continuing with FIG. 3, in one embodiment, at step 307, method 300, in response to identifying the power output deviation, scans nodes downstream of the control node in the electrical grid topology and adjusts the power output at each scanned node until a terminal node is reached. According to one embodiment, adjusting the power output includes adjusting the power output at the given scanned node based on resources of nodes downstream of the given scanned node in the electrical grid topology, e.g., DERs 116a-f (FIG. 1) or 216a-b (FIG. 2). In one such embodiment, the resources include a power output increase margin or a power output decrease margin, e.g., a power output increase margin or a power output decrease margin, as described above with respect to DERs 216a-b of FIG. 2. According to one embodiment, and referring to Figure 2, the method 300, in step 307, scans the nodes below the substation 206, i.e., the feeders 212a-b, the XFMRs 214a-b, and the DERs 216a-b, and allocation occurs as described in more detail above in connection with Figure 2. In another embodiment, the method 300 further includes performing the scanning and adjustment 307 until all terminal nodes are reached.

[0053] As mentioned above, method 300 of Figure 3 is computer-implemented, such that the functions and operations, e.g., scanning (301 and 307), identifying (303 and 305), and adjusting (307), are automatically implemented by one or more digital processors. Furthermore, method 300 may be implemented using any computer device or combination of computing devices known in the art. Among other examples, method 300 may be implemented using computers / apparatuses 50 and / or 60, described later in this specification in connection with Figures 4 and 5 and interchangeably referred to as system 300.

[0054] It is further noted that embodiments of method 300 may not implement steps 301 and 303. Instead, such embodiments of method 300 begin at step 305 by identifying a power output deviation, and then move to step 307 where, in response to identifying the deviation, nodes below the control node are scanned and the power output at each scanned node is adjusted until it reaches at least one terminal node.

[0055] Embodiments provide functionality for managing an electric grid. According to one embodiment, an electric grid is formed from nodes, which may include, for example, junctions within the electric grid that can measure characteristics of sections of the grid in a topology. Nodes within the grid may represent various objects, for example, resources. According to another embodiment, a resource, for example, a DER, may include a physical or virtual piece of electrical equipment that can receive and respond to control signals by decreasing or increasing its contribution to the grid. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, a resource may have an associated margin, where the margin of the resource may include the amount by which the resource can decrease or increase its contribution to the grid. Similarly, according to one embodiment, a node may have a margin, where the margin of the node may include the sum of the margins of all nodes and / or resources directly connected to that node. Embodiments may utilize control signals to implement changes / actions within the grid. In one embodiment, a control signal may include an instruction to decrease or increase a contribution to the grid, for example, to apply an adjustment. Furthermore, according to yet another embodiment, a control signal received by a resource may decrease or increase the resource's contribution to the grid. In one embodiment, control signals received by a node may be distributed to nodes and / or resources directly connected to that node. According to another embodiment, the embodiment may identify and limit violations within the grid. According to one embodiment, a violation may include an event occurring on the grid in which a node measures an undesirable amount of a characteristic of a portion of the grid responsive to electrical contributions from resources. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, types of violations may include, but are not limited to, actual power violations, reactive power violations, voltage violations, and frequency violations. According to one embodiment, a control node, which may be of the master "regpoint" type, may include a node selected by the system of the embodiment, for example, by a software system, or controller, to respond to grid violations measured at the node itself.In another embodiment, the control node's response may be to adjust the power output of resources within the control node's section of the grid until the violation is resolved or until the resources no longer have any further margin to contribute. Furthermore, according to yet another embodiment, the control node may adjust the power output by sending control signals to any directly connected intermediate nodes and / or resources. In one embodiment, an intermediate node that may be a coordination point may include any node through which a control signal propagates to a resource. According to another embodiment, a terminal node may include any node that has no further nodes connected to it, although it is noted that terminal nodes need not be the only nodes with resources connected to them. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, a UDG may include a collection of resources selected by an end user. It is noted that a UDG including a collection of nodes is also contemplated by embodiments. According to one embodiment, a UDG may function as a control node but not as an intermediate node.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a computer network environment in which embodiments may be implemented.

[0057] The client computers / devices 50 and server computers 60 provide processing, storage, and input / output (I / O) devices for executing application programs and the like. The client computers / devices 50 can also be linked to other computing devices (including other client devices / processors 50 and server computers 60) via a communications network 70. The communications network 70 can be part of a remote access network, a global network (e.g., the Internet), a cloud computing server or service, a global collection of computers, a local or wide area network, and gateways currently using respective protocols (e.g., TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol), Bluetooth®, etc.) to communicate with each other. Other electronic device / computer network architectures are also suitable.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a computer node (e.g., client processor / device 50 or server computer 60) in the computer network of FIG. 4. Each computer node 50, 60 includes a system bus 79, which is a series of hardware lines used to transfer data between components of a computer or processing system. The bus 79 is essentially a shared conduit connecting different elements of a computer system (e.g., processor, disk storage, memory, I / O ports, network ports, etc.), allowing information to be transferred between the elements. Attached to the system bus 79 is an I / O device interface 82 for connecting various input / output devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, display, printer, speakers, etc.) to the computer node 50, 60. A network interface 86 allows the computer node to connect to various other devices attached to a network (e.g., network 70 of FIG. 4). A memory 90 provides volatile storage for computer software instructions 92 and data 94 used in one embodiment of the present disclosure (e.g., method 300 described herein above in connection with FIG. 3). Disk storage 95 provides non-volatile storage for computer software instructions 92 and data 94 used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. Central processing unit 84 is also attached to system bus 79 and provides for the execution of computer instructions.

[0059] In one embodiment, the processor routines 92 and data 94 are a computer program product (generally referenced 92) including a computer-readable medium (e.g., a removable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, diskette, tape, etc.) that provides at least a portion of the software instructions to the disclosed system. The computer program product 92 can be installed by any suitable software installation procedure, as is known in the art. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the software instructions may also be downloaded over a cable, communication, and / or wireless connection. In other embodiments, the program of the present disclosure is a propagated signal product embodied in a propagated signal on a propagating medium (e.g., radio waves, infrared waves, laser waves, sound waves, or radio waves propagated over a global network such as the Internet or other networks). Such a carrier medium or signal provides at least a portion of the software instructions to the routines / programs 92 of the present disclosure.

[0060] In alternative embodiments, the propagated signal is an analog carrier wave or a digital signal transmitted over a propagation medium. For example, the propagated signal may be a digitized signal propagated over a global network (e.g., the Internet), a telecommunications network, or other network (such as network 70 of FIG. 4). In one embodiment, the propagated signal is a signal transmitted over a propagation medium over a period of time, such as instructions for a software application sent in packets over a network over milliseconds, seconds, minutes, or longer periods. In another embodiment, the computer-readable medium of computer program product 92 is a propagation medium that computer system 50 receives and reads, such as by receiving the propagation medium and identifying a propagated signal embodied in the propagation medium, as described above for propagated signal products of a computer program.

[0061] Generally speaking, the term "carrier medium" or transient carrier wave encompasses the aforementioned transient signals, propagated signals, propagated media, storage media, and the like.

[0062] In other embodiments, the program product 92 may be implemented as a so-called software as a service (SaaS) or other installation or communication aid to an end user.

[0063] The embodiments or aspects thereof may be implemented in the form of hardware (including but not limited to hardware circuitry), firmware, or software. If implemented in software, the software may be stored on any non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to enable a processor to load the software, or a subset of its instructions. The processor is then configured to execute the instructions to operate or cause a device to operate in the manner described herein.

[0064] Furthermore, hardware, firmware, software, routines, or instructions may be described herein as performing certain operations and / or functions of a data processor, but it will be understood that such description contained herein is merely for convenience and that in reality such operations result from a computing device, processor, controller, or other device executing the firmware, software, routines, instructions, etc.

[0065] It should be understood that the flow diagrams, block diagrams, and network diagrams may include more or fewer elements, may be arranged differently, or may be represented differently, but it should also be understood that a particular implementation may dictate that the block diagrams and network diagrams, and several block diagrams and network diagrams, illustrating the execution of an embodiment are implemented in a particular way.

[0066] Accordingly, further embodiments may also be implemented in a variety of computer architectures, physical, virtual, cloud computers, and / or some combination thereof, and thus the data processors described herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and not as limitations of the embodiments.

[0067] The teachings of all patents, published applications, and references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0068] While exemplary embodiments have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the embodiments contained in the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for managing an electric grid, comprising: Identifying a power output deviation from a target at a node in an electrical grid topology including a plurality of nodes; and in response to identifying the power output deviation, scanning nodes subordinate to the control node in the electrical grid topology and adjusting the power output at each scanned node until at least one terminal node is reached.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the scanning and the adjusting until all terminal nodes are reached.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the power output deviation from the target comprises at least one of: (i) a power output violation; and (ii) a deviation from a user-specified value.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the control node in the electrical grid topology before identifying the power output deviation.

5. identifying the control node within the electrical grid topology; scanning nodes above a first terminal node in the electrical grid topology until a first node that satisfies at least one criterion is reached; and identifying the first node that meets the at least one criterion as the control node.

6. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the at least one criterion includes the first node being a first regulation point, the first node being within a first power output deviation, an ancestor node of the first node being a second regulation point, and the ancestor node not being within a second power output deviation.

7. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the at least one criterion comprises: (i) the first node is a first regulation point; the first node is within a first power output deviation; an ancestor node of the first node is a second regulation point; and the ancestor node is within a second power output deviation; or (ii) the first node is not within the first power output deviation; the ancestor node is not within the second power output deviation; and a first user-defined priority of the first node is greater than a second user-defined priority of the ancestor node.

8. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the at least one criterion includes: the first node being a first coordination point; the first node having an active state; an ancestor node of the first node being a second coordination point; and the ancestor node having an inactive state.

9. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the at least one criterion includes: the first node having at least one resource that belongs to a user-defined group (UDG); and an ancestor node of the first node being a coordination point; and at least one of: (i) the UDG being within a first power output deviation and the ancestor node not being within a second power output deviation; (ii) a first user-defined priority of the UDG being greater than a second user-defined priority of the ancestor node; and (iii) the UDG having an active state and the ancestor node having an inactive state.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the node is the control node.

11. Adjusting the power output 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising adjusting, at a given scanned node, power output based on at least one resource of at least one node subordinate to the given scanned node in the electrical grid topology.

12. 12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the power output based on the at least one resource comprises adjusting the power output based on at least one of a power output increase margin of the at least one resource and a power output decrease margin of the at least one resource.

13. 1. A computer-based system for managing an electric grid, comprising: a processor; and a memory in which computer code instructions are stored, wherein the processor and the memory comprising the computer code instructions provide the computer-based system with: Identifying a power output deviation from a target at a node in an electrical grid topology including a plurality of nodes; a computer-based system configured, in response to identifying the power output deviation, to scan nodes subordinate to the control node in the electrical grid topology and cause each scanned node to adjust its power output until at least one terminal node is reached.

14. The processor and the memory with the computer code instructions provide the computer-based system with: The computer-based system of claim 13 , further configured to identify the control node in the electrical grid topology before identifying the power output deviation.

15. and a processor and a memory comprising the computer code instructions for identifying the control node within the electrical grid topology, the processor and the memory comprising the computer code instructions for the computer-based system, the processor and the memory comprising the computer code instructions for identifying the control node within the electrical grid topology, the processor and the memory comprising the computer code instructions for traversing nodes above a first terminal node in the electrical grid topology until a first node that satisfies at least one criterion is reached; The computer-based system of claim 14 , further configured to cause the first node that meets the at least one criterion to be identified as the control node.

16. 16. The computer-based system of claim 15, wherein the at least one criterion includes the first node being a first regulation point, the first node being within a first power output deviation, an ancestor node of the first node being a second regulation point, and the ancestor node not being within a second power output deviation.

17. 16. The computer-based system of claim 15, wherein the at least one criterion comprises: (i) the first node is a first regulation point; the first node is within a first power output deviation; an ancestor node of the first node is a second regulation point; and the ancestor node is within a second power output deviation; or (ii) the first node is not within the first power output deviation; the ancestor node is not within the second power output deviation; and a first user-defined priority of the first node is greater than a second user-defined priority of the ancestor node.

18. 16. The computer-based system of claim 15, wherein the at least one criterion includes: the first node being a first coordination point; the first node having an active state; an ancestor node of the first node being a second coordination point; and the ancestor node having an inactive state.

19. 16. The computer-based system of claim 15, wherein the at least one criterion includes the first node having at least one resource that belongs to a user-defined group (UDG) and an ancestor node of the first node being a coordination point, and includes at least one of: (i) the UDG being within a first power output deviation and the ancestor node not being within a second power output deviation; (ii) a first user-defined priority of the UDG being greater than a second user-defined priority of the ancestor node; and (iii) the UDG having an active state and the ancestor node having an inactive state.

20. 1. A non-transitory computer program product for managing an electric grid, the non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer code instructions stored therein, the computer code instructions, when executed by a processor, causing a device associated with the processor to: Identifying a power output deviation from a target at a node in an electrical grid topology including a plurality of nodes; a non-transitory computer program product configured to, in response to identifying the power output deviation, scan nodes subordinate to the control node in the electrical grid topology and cause each scanned node to adjust its power output until at least one terminal node is reached.

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