Microgrid Emergency Power Coordination via Market Price Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing microgrid power generation and management systems lack efficient methods for selectively engaging and coordinating emergency power generation equipment to provide backup power supply and storage, often resulting in unnecessary energy generation during maintenance activations that is not harnessed or utilized.

Innovation Solution

The system selectively activates emergency power generation equipment, such as generators, for distribution and storage within a microgrid, utilizing a Price Resource Management System (PRMS) that monitors real-time wholesale energy market prices to optimize power generation timing and release electricity to the grid when prices reach predetermined thresholds, allowing for temporary storage and peak demand distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If emergency power generation equipment is activated for maintenance testing, then the equipment functionality is verified, but unnecessary energy is generated and wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment functionality verificationVSAvoidunnecessary energy generation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of grid conditions and energy prices before activating emergency power generation equipment for maintenance testing. By checking whether the grid is experiencing peak demand and whether energy prices are favorable, the system determines the optimal timing for maintenance activation, ensuring that testing occurs only when it will not result in wasted energy generation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If emergency power generation equipment is selectively activated based on market prices, then energy management is optimized, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy management efficiencyVSAvoidcoordination system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors real-time wholesale energy market prices and grid conditions, using this feedback to dynamically adjust the activation decisions of emergency power generation equipment. The coordination system receives price signals from the energy market, processes this information through optimization algorithms, and adjusts equipment operation accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes energy management while managing complexity through automated decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If power is stored for later distribution during peak demand, then energy utilization is optimized, but storage capacity requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy utilization efficiencyVSAvoidstorage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the balance between immediate power distribution and storage based on real-time market conditions and grid demand. Rather than maintaining fixed storage capacity allocations, the system flexibly modulates power flow to storage and from storage according to changing energy prices and peak demand conditions, optimizing energy utilization while adapting storage usage to actual needs rather than predetermined capacity requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9979198B2Systems and methods for microgrid power generation and management

Publication Date: 2018.05.22 CAUSAM VENTURES

AI summary

Systems and methods for coordinating selective activation of a multiplicity of emergency power generation equipment over a predetermined geographic area for distribution and/or storage to supply a microgrid of electrical power for a substantially similar geographic area.