Supervisory Controller Battery Scheduling Wind Farms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Utility-scale wind energy systems face challenges in maintaining consistent power output due to intermittent wind conditions, leading to inefficient use of energy storage devices like batteries, which have limited cycle lifetimes and require optimized management to meet power grid demands.

Innovation Solution

A supervisory controller is used to monitor and schedule battery capacity across multiple wind farms, reallocating batteries based on degradation to ensure optimal energy storage device usage, extending battery life and improving power production accuracy by matching battery capacity with energy storage applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If batteries are used to store energy during high wind production and release during low wind production, then power production forecast accuracy is improved, but battery cycle lifetime is reduced due to frequent charge and discharge cycles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower production forecast accuracyVSAvoidbattery cycle lifetime
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts battery scheduling based on real-time battery capacity assessment. The supervisory controller continuously monitors battery state of charge and capacity, and adapts the charge/discharge schedule accordingly, optimizing the balance between forecast accuracy and battery life extension

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters by adjusting charge and discharge rates based on battery capacity thresholds. When battery capacity falls below a threshold, the system modifies the scheduling parameters to reduce stress on the battery, thereby extending its lifetime while maintaining forecast accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If batteries are scheduled for multiple charge and discharge cycles to meet power grid demands, then power production requirements are met, but battery capacity degrades faster

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower productionVSAvoidbattery capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The supervisory controller implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors battery capacity and adjusts scheduling decisions. When battery capacity drops below a threshold, the system receives feedback and automatically modifies future charge/discharge schedules to protect battery reliability while maintaining power production requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary assessment of battery capacity before scheduling charge/discharge cycles. By evaluating battery state in advance and comparing it with threshold values, the system prevents scheduling that would excessively degrade battery capacity, thereby maintaining reliability while meeting power production needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If conventional pitch control is used to manage wind turbine power output, then power production consistency is improved, but energy storage device utilization is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower production consistencyVSAvoidenergy storage device utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system makes energy storage devices multi-functional by using them not only for power smoothing but also for forecast accuracy improvement and capacity management. The supervisory controller coordinates pitch control with battery scheduling, allowing energy storage devices to serve multiple purposes and improving overall utilization efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2612026B1Optimization of energy storage device usage in wind energy applications
Publication Date: 2015.10.21 VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS AS
  • EP2612026B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2612026B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2612026B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

System, method,and computer program product for optimally scheduling energy storage devices in wind energy applications. The power production system includes an energy storage device configured to service a first energy storage application at the first wind farm and a supervisory controller configured to determine if an attribute of the energy storage device is less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application. In response to the attribute being less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application, the supervisory controller schedules the a battery capacity of the battery for a second energy storage application at the first wind farm or at a second wind farm different than the first wind farm. The optimization of the scheduling may be implemented in a computer-implemented method or as a computer program product.