Demand Response for Power Restoration Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current outage management systems in utility grids face challenges in efficiently restoring power during capacity-constrained equipment outages, as they rely on manual processes and lack integration of Demand Response methods, leading to prolonged restoration times and potential cascading failures.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a processor to determine power requirements, apply Demand Response signals to reduce consumption, and strategically switch on/off devices to reconnect disconnected substations while adhering to power capacity constraints, leveraging Smart Grid technology for automated and efficient power restoration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual outage management processes are used to restore power, then operators can make routing decisions based on experience, but restoration time becomes excessively long (24+ days for 1000 locations)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes (human operators physically evaluating each state) with an automated computer-based search algorithm that evaluates restoration sequences, reducing complexity from O(n log n) manual evaluation to automated computational processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automated planning algorithms that independently determine optimal switching sequences without continuous human intervention, allowing the outage management system to autonomously generate restoration plans
2Productivity
If power is restored to all customers on a feeder simultaneously, then complete restoration is achieved, but power capacity constraints cause overloading and potential equipment damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating power consumption for each customer and determining optimal switching sequences before actual restoration, ensuring capacity constraints are satisfied in advance to prevent overloading
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic restoration by sequentially closing switching devices in optimized sequences rather than simultaneously restoring all customers, allowing real-time monitoring and adjustment to maintain power capacity constraints throughout the restoration process
3Reliability
If Demand Response events are implemented to reduce power consumption, then capacity constraints are satisfied, but customer power availability is reduced during the event
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing Demand Response events that reduce (but do not completely eliminate) power consumption during restoration, providing sufficient capacity relief to satisfy constraints while maintaining essential customer power needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes power consumption parameters dynamically by adjusting customer load through Demand Response events, modifying the power draw from normal levels to reduced levels temporarily during restoration operations to enable capacity-constrained feeders to be safely reconnected
Data Source
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AI summary
A utility network powered by a power source has a plurality of substations enabled to power electrical equipment in a participant site. At least one substation is disconnected from the utility network and is to be reconnected via a substation with a power constraint. A processor determines how much power should be shed in a participant site of the substation with the power constraint to allow reconnection of the substation that is disconnected. The processor initiates a Demand Response signal to power consuming equipment in the participant site of the substation with the power constraint to shed power. After shedding power based on the Demand Response signal, the substation that was disconnected is connected to the utility network by closing a switch.