Demand Response Integration for Electric Distribution Service Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric distribution systems face challenges in restoring power to downstream areas during faults, as they lack the capacity to bypass faults and provide current from impacted power sources to downstream portions, leading to outages until the fault is repaired.
Innovation Solution
The integration of demand response systems, where demand-responsive loads can be isolated to increase the excess capacity of restoration areas, allowing electric current to be provided from alternative power sources to selected portions of the distribution system during fault repair times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electric distribution system uses a radial topology with single power source per area, then the system structure is simple and easy to operate, but the system cannot bypass faults to provide power to downstream areas during fault repair time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static radial topology into a dynamic reconfigurable network that can change its structure in response to faults. Switching devices enable the system to dynamically create alternative power paths, allowing downstream areas to receive power from upstream areas during fault repair time while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables distribution lines and switching devices to serve multiple functions: normal power delivery in radial mode and fault bypass in mesh mode. The same infrastructure components perform both routine distribution and emergency restoration functions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated restoration pathways.
2Reliability
If the system provides power from alternative power sources to downstream areas during faults, then power supply continuity is improved, but the system capacity and load management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors available capacity in both impacted and restoration areas. Based on this feedback, the controller automatically determines whether to initiate service restoration and selects appropriate demand responsive loads to isolate, ensuring that power transfer does not exceed available capacity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses demand responsive loads that can autonomously respond to isolation signals. These loads self-manage their power consumption by shutting down or reducing operation when isolated, eliminating the need for complex external control of each individual load and simplifying overall system capacity management.
3Power
If demand responsive loads are isolated to increase excess capacity, then available capacity for restoration is increased, but the number of loads receiving power decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by isolating only a subset of demand responsive loads rather than all loads. The system selectively identifies and isolates specific loads whose removal creates sufficient excess capacity to enable service restoration to downstream areas, achieving the necessary capacity increase while minimizing the number of loads affected.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational state parameter of selected demand responsive loads from 'active' to 'isolated'. This parameter change transforms these loads from power consumers to capacity contributors, effectively increasing the available power capacity in the restoration area without physically altering the infrastructure.
4Reliability
If the system restores power to selected portions during fault repair time, then service continuity is improved, but the system requires excess capacity that may not be available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by proactively identifying and isolating demand responsive loads before initiating service restoration. This advance preparation ensures that excess capacity is created in the restoration area prior to power transfer, guaranteeing that sufficient capacity is available to support the restored downstream areas without causing overload.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively reducing the load in the restoration area through demand responsive load isolation. This counteracts the potential capacity deficit that would otherwise prevent service restoration, creating the necessary excess capacity in advance to enable reliable power transfer to downstream areas.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for integrating demand response with service restoration in an electric distribution system. The electric distribution system may include a plurality of regions, zones, and/or areas including at least an outage area that includes a fault and is not receiving electric current from the electric distribution system and a restoration area that is receiving electric current from the electric distribution system and that may be selectively configured to provide electric current to a selected portion of the outage area. The electric distribution system also includes a plurality of demand responsive loads configured to be selectively isolated from the electric distribution system responsive to a load shed signal. The demand responsive loads may be selectively utilized during service restoration, such as to provide additional excess capacity within the restoration area and/or decrease a magnitude of the electric load applied by the selected portion of the outage area.