Battery Energy Storage Control for Multi-Microgrid Peak Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional energy storage systems struggle to manage power requirements of adjacent microgrids or buildings with different peak control timings and power demands, leading to inefficiencies and potential service interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A multi-level control system for battery energy storage systems (BESS) comprising a BESS unit controller, energy control system (ECS), microgrid ECS (MECS) controller, and virtual power plant (VPP) that coordinates power distribution and management across multiple BESS containers, ensuring safe and reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional energy storage system manages power for a single area, then the system operation is simple and reliable, but it cannot manage power requirements of multiple adjacent microgrids or buildings with different peak control timings and power demands
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into multiple independent controllers (BESS unit controller, ECS controller, MECS controller) that each manage specific functions or areas. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple microgrids with different power demands while keeping each controller's complexity manageable through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical control structure with multiple levels (unit level, energy control level, microgrid control level) that adds a dimensional aspect to the control architecture. This hierarchical arrangement enables the system to manage diverse power requirements across multiple microgrids by organizing control functions in layers, thereby increasing adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If multiple BESS containers operate independently, then each container operates simply and reliably, but they cannot coordinate power distribution across multiple microgrids effectively
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple BESS containers and their controllers are merged into a coordinated hierarchical system where the ECS controller and MECS controller integrate the operations of individual units. This merging enables effective power distribution coordination across multiple microgrids while distributing the computational and control complexity across multiple coordinated components rather than concentrating it in a single complex unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The ECS controller and MECS controller act as intermediary layers between individual BESS unit controllers and the multiple microgrids. These intermediary controllers coordinate power distribution decisions, enabling efficient multi-microgrid service while shielding the individual BESS units from the complexity of inter-microgrid coordination.
3Reliability
If the control system manages different peak control timings for adjacent microgrids, then power supply reliability improves, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed to be dynamic, with the MECS controller able to adjust control strategies in real-time based on the specific peak control timings and power demands of different microgrids. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to maintain high power supply reliability for each microgrid while managing the complexity through flexible, situation-aware control rather than fixed complex configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages different peak control timings by dynamically changing operational parameters (charge/discharge schedules, power output levels) for each BESS container based on the specific requirements of served microgrids. This parameter-based control approach enables high reliability for each microgrid while avoiding the need for fundamentally different control system architectures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively manages power requirements across microgrids and buildings, ensuring reliable power supply and demand balancing, while optimizing energy use and reducing service interruptions.
Implementation Method 1
a power conversion system arranged to charge a battery with the energy from the electrical grid and discharge the battery to supply electrical energy to the one or more microgrids
Implementation Method 2
a power conversion system arranged to charge a battery with the energy from the electrical grid and discharge the battery to supply electrical energy to the one or more microgrids
Data Source
AI summary
A battery energy storage system is disclosed that receives energy from an electrical grid and supplies electrical energy to one or more microgrids. The battery energy storage system comprises a power conversion system arranged to charge a battery with the energy from the electrical grid and discharge the battery to supply electrical energy to the one or more microgrids. An energy control system controller communicatively coupled to the power conversion system manages the energy drawn from the electrical grid to charge the battery and to manage the energy discharged from the battery to supply electrical energy to the one or more microgrids.