Smart Meter Voltage Stability Control at End-User Level
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing strategies for mitigating voltage stability issues focus on controlling system impedance at the transmission side, making it difficult to monitor and address voltage stability at the end-user level, leading to potential voltage collapse events.
Innovation Solution
Smart electric meters are installed at end-users to measure and analyze voltage profiles in real-time, detect critical voltage characteristics, estimate voltage stability margins, and communicate with local power sources and appliances to actively control power transfer and consumption, thereby improving voltage stability at the individual phase level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage stability is monitored and controlled at the transmission side, then system-wide voltage stability is improved, but end-user level voltage stability monitoring capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the voltage stability monitoring function into two levels: transmission side monitoring for system-wide stability and end-user level smart meters for local voltage profile monitoring. This segmentation allows both aggregate system stability and individual user-level voltage characteristics to be monitored simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between system-wide control and local information availability.
2Measurement precision
If smart meters are installed at end-users to monitor voltage profiles, then end-user level voltage stability monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart meter is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional energy measurement, voltage profile monitoring, critical voltage characteristic detection, and communication with local power sources and appliances. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional device, the patent reduces the need for separate monitoring equipment while achieving precise end-user level voltage measurement.
3Reliability
If real-time voltage monitoring and control is implemented at end-user level, then voltage collapse prevention is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart meter continuously monitors voltage profiles and detects critical voltage characteristics in real-time, enabling early warning of potential voltage collapse conditions. By detecting problems before they escalate and enabling preventive control actions at local power sources and appliances, the system prevents voltage collapse without requiring continuous high-energy intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for voltage stability monitoring and active/reactive power support are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a smart electric meter of an end user in a grid power system can measure the voltage supplied to the end user via the grid power system, and can analyze the voltage data to detect critical voltage characteristics. The critical voltage characteristics may indicate that a voltage collapse event is likely. The smart electric meter can further estimate a voltage stability margin based on the voltage data. If necessary, the smart electric meter can control an electrical power source and/or an electric appliance positioned at or near the end user to increase the voltage stability margin.