Thermal Asset Temperature Inference via Power Consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to determine the actual temperature state of thermal assets without hardware adjustments, enabling their participation in demand-response actions to balance the electrical grid, as existing methods require modifications to the assets or sensors.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine the normalized actual temperature state of thermal assets based on their power consumption profiles, allowing for flexible participation in demand-response actions by temporarily disconnecting or reconnecting power in response to grid load and energy prices, using a system with a power-measurement device and computing device to analyze data and control power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature sensors or hardware adjustments are installed on thermal assets to determine actual temperature, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of manufacture deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical temperature sensors with an electrical measurement system that infers temperature from power consumption data. The computing device calculates actual temperature by analyzing the relationship between power consumption and temperature in thermal assets, eliminating the need for mechanical or electrical temperature sensing hardware on the thermal assets themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces power consumption as an intermediary parameter to indirectly determine actual temperature. Instead of directly measuring temperature, the system measures power consumption and uses computational algorithms to derive temperature information, acting as a mediator between the thermal asset and the measurement system.
2Stability of the object's composition
If thermal assets are integrated into demand-response actions to balance the grid, then grid stability is improved, but the reliability of thermal asset operation deteriorates due to temporary power disconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the thermal buffer capacity of thermal assets as a preliminary protective measure. Before power disconnection occurs, the system ensures that thermal assets have sufficient thermal energy stored in their buffers to maintain operation or protect critical functions during the disconnection period, allowing reliable participation in demand-response actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of power disconnection and reconnection timing based on real-time grid conditions and thermal asset state. The system dynamically adjusts when to disconnect power for demand-response actions and when to reconnect, optimizing both grid stability support and thermal asset reliability by considering the thermal buffer status and operational criticality.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for determining a normalised actual temperature state associated with a thermal asset, wherein the temperature state is in a regular operating mode at a minimum at the beginning of the rise time and at a maximum at the end of the rise time, the method comprising determining, of an electric power consumption of a thermal asset which has a regular operating mode wherein it is repeatedly switched on and off with a predetermined duty cycle, a rise time in the regular operating mode, a fall time in the regular operating mode, defining the temperature state at the beginning of the rise time "0" and at the end of the rise time "1", defining the actual temperature state at a moment after the regular operating mode equal to the product of the cumulative rise time since the end of the last fall time divided by the rise time in the regular operating mode minus the cumulative fall time since the end of the last fail time times divided by the fail time in the normal operating mode.