Renewable Energy Diagnostics via Virtual Sensor Modeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current monitoring systems for renewable energy power systems, such as solar arrays, fail to accurately differentiate between environmental factors and system issues, leading to inefficient diagnosis and potential loss of generation capacity due to incomplete data and reliance on costly sensors.
Innovation Solution
A computer processor-based method that compares the performance of multiple renewable energy systems within a geographic area using diagnostic variables like weather and system cover status, calculates normalized performance, and alerts consumers to underperformance, thereby identifying system-specific issues without the need for extensive sensor networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional monitoring systems use extensive sensor networks to detect system issues, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of physical sensor data by using weather service data and geographic information to generate expected performance models. Instead of deploying extensive physical sensors, the system copies environmental data from weather services and uses it to create virtual performance baselines for comparison with actual system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces geographic information and weather service data as intermediary elements between the physical environment and the monitoring system. These intermediaries provide environmental context that allows the system to differentiate between weather-related performance variations and actual system issues without requiring direct environmental sensing.
2Measurement precision
If monitoring systems collect comprehensive environmental data to differentiate environmental factors from system issues, then diagnostic accuracy improves, but loss of information increases due to incomplete data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the monitoring system universal by integrating multiple data sources including weather services, geographic information, and performance data. This multi-functional approach allows a single system to collect, process, and analyze diverse environmental and operational data to comprehensively differentiate between environmental factors and system issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously compares actual performance data against expected performance data derived from environmental conditions, creating a feedback loop. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from discrepancies and improve its ability to differentiate between environmental variations and actual system problems over time.
3Productivity
If monitoring systems perform detailed analysis of all performance factors, then productivity improves through better diagnostics, but loss of time increases due to complex data processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by focusing diagnostic efforts only on the most significant performance factors and using threshold-based filtering. Instead of analyzing every possible variable in equal detail, the system identifies and prioritizes key performance indicators and environmental factors that have the greatest impact on system performance, processing them with higher detail while using simpler analysis for less critical parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer processor implemented method of measuring, monitoring, comparing and diagnosing the power generated of at least two renewable power systems provided to at least two consumers and alerting at least one of consumers in the event of comparative underperformance, the method taking into account at least two diagnostic variables including weather and the renewable power system cover status (such as covered by snow), wherein the at least one computing device determines comparative information for a predetermined geographic area based upon at least two diagnostic variables, and at least two normalized performances to provide a comparative value; and informing the consumer of the comparative value in the event of an underperforming comparative value.