Dynamic Voltage Control via Subset Metering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical power distribution systems face challenges in maintaining voltage levels within predetermined limits while ensuring efficiency and reliability, especially under changing load conditions and unforeseen disruptions, which can lead to power shortages or blackouts.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a computing device to select a subset of metering devices based on delivered voltage information to generate control signals for power controllers, optimizing voltage distribution by determining the number of metering devices to use for controlling power delivery across multiple sites, considering variance, covariance, and error margins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If measurements of power demand and delivered voltage are made every few seconds and adjustments are made once or twice an hour, then overall power consumption is reduced through conservation voltage reduction, but the system cannot respond dynamically to unforeseen disruptions such as extreme weather conditions or generator malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static, periodic voltage adjustments (once or twice per hour) to dynamic, continuous voltage optimization by processing real-time measurements every few seconds. The computing device continuously analyzes power demand and delivered voltage data, enabling the system to adapt voltage levels in real-time according to actual system conditions and loading variations, thereby achieving both energy reduction and dynamic responsiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where measurements of power demand and delivered voltage are continuously collected and fed back to the computing device. This feedback loop enables the system to detect changes in system conditions (such as extreme weather effects or generator issues) and automatically adjust voltage levels in response, resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and adaptability
2Reliability
If a large number of metering devices are monitored to ensure accurate voltage control across all sites, then voltage levels can be maintained within predetermined limits, but the computational complexity and data processing requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and processes only the essential features from the large set of metering device measurements - specifically focusing on power demand and delivered voltage data. By identifying and analyzing only the critical parameters needed for voltage control decisions, the system maintains reliable voltage level control across all sites while significantly reducing computational complexity compared to processing all available data from every metering device
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the large set of metering device data into manageable analytical components, processing measurements every few seconds and grouping them by site and time period. This segmentation approach allows the computing device to handle the data from multiple metering devices in discrete, manageable units, reducing the overall computational burden while maintaining comprehensive voltage control
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to providing voltage via a power distribution system. A computing device receives delivered voltage information from metering devices metering power distributed to sites by a controller. The computing device determines a number of metering devices to use to generate a control signal to control operation of the controller. The number can be determined based on the delivered voltage information for each site. The computing device selects, based on the delivered voltage information, at least the determined number of metering devices to form a subset of metering devices for a subset of sites. The computing device uses the delivered voltage information of the subset of metering devices to generate the control signal. The control signal can control operation of the at least one controller distributing power to the plurality of sites.