Message Bus System for Distributed Energy Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems face challenges in efficiently deploying and controlling integrated energy generation and storage systems due to centralized communication architectures, which lead to latency issues, bottlenecks, and reduced flexibility, especially on a large scale, as they rely on a tightly coupled central server and heterogeneous device interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A Message Bus System (MBS) is implemented using a publish/subscribe model between site gateways and central servers, prioritizing power management messages over data acquisition requests to enhance communication efficiency and flexibility, allowing site gateways to manage transmission based on message priority and device-specific logic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized communication architecture with tight coupling between central server and remote devices is used, then system control and management can be achieved, but communication latency and bottlenecks increase, reducing system flexibility and scalability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized communication architecture into a distributed publish/subscribe message bus system where multiple message bus instances operate independently across different sites and devices. This segmentation eliminates the single-point bottleneck of the central server, allowing parallel message processing and reducing communication latency while maintaining system control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a message bus as an intermediary layer between devices and the central server. The message bus uses topic-based publishing and subscribing mechanisms to facilitate asynchronous communication, decoupling the timing and location of message production and consumption. This intermediary architecture reduces direct communication latency while preserving centralized monitoring and control capabilities.
2Loss of information
If all devices connect to the central server simultaneously, then centralized data collection is achieved, but communication bottlenecks and latency issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monolithic data collection architecture into distributed message bus instances at different sites and devices. Each message bus instance independently handles local publishing and subscribing operations, segmenting the data collection load. This eliminates the bottleneck of simultaneous connections to a single central server while ensuring comprehensive data collection across the distributed system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by allowing devices to publish messages to local message bus instances immediately when data becomes available, without waiting for central server availability or initiating connections. Messages are queued and processed asynchronously, enabling continuous data collection while improving communication efficiency through non-blocking operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If heterogeneous device interfaces are supported across different sites, then system versatility is improved, but communication complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal message bus interface that can publish and subscribe to standardized topics regardless of the specific device type, manufacturer, or protocol. The message bus system provides a common communication language that abstracts away device-specific heterogeneity, allowing diverse devices (PV inverters, battery systems, controllable loads) to interoperate through unified publish/subscribe mechanisms while maintaining support for multiple device types and protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A message bus is utilized for energy management/control. The publish/subscribe message bus present between site gateways, a central server farm, and other entities, facilitates exchange of messages pertaining to management and control of power generation and/or storage. On-site publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., PV inverters, battery devices, energy meters, etc. Non-site specific publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., web clients, database servers (for logging), and various server components of the message bus. Messages exchanged between publishers and subscribers can include control messages (e.g., begin charging battery X) and measurement messages (e.g., the current charge of battery X is Y). Embodiments may implement logic at a site gateway prioritizing transmission of messages to local site devices. Thus where a gateway cannot simultaneously transmit device control messages and device data acquisition messages (e.g., due to processing burden or congestion), site gateway logic can prioritize transmission of the control messages over the locally-generated data acquisition requests.