Virtual Energy Storage System for Grid Stability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing trend of energy consumers producing their own electricity, such as through solar PV cells, leads to a mismatch between energy generation and demand, necessitating energy storage solutions that are often expensive and bulky, and not suitable for all homes, while also posing challenges for grid stability.

Innovation Solution

A virtual energy storage system that uses a hardware processor and communication network to optimize charging and discharging of energy storage systems across multiple prosumer facilities, allowing for the sharing of energy resources and reducing storage-related costs, while maintaining grid stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If energy storage systems are installed at each prosumer facility to match generation and demand, then energy independence and reliability are improved, but cost and device complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy independenceVSAvoidstorage system deployment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple small-scale energy storage systems into a single large-scale centralized energy storage system that serves multiple prosumer facilities. This merging approach maintains energy independence and reliability for each prosumer while avoiding the need for each facility to independently install and manage separate storage systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity and deployment burden.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The centralized energy storage system serves multiple prosumer facilities simultaneously, providing energy storage services to multiple users through a single infrastructure. This multi-functional approach allows the system to benefit from economies of scale while maintaining the ability to serve individual prosumer needs, reducing per-capita complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If each prosumer installs their own energy storage system, then energy autonomy is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy autonomyVSAvoidtotal storage capacity required

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the storage needs of multiple prosumers into a single centralized facility, allowing them to share the total storage capacity required. This approach maintains energy autonomy for each prosumer while avoiding redundant storage capacity that would result from each prosumer installing their own system, thereby reducing the total quantity of storage material needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Use of energy by moving object

If solar energy generation is increased to meet peak demand, then energy sufficiency is improved, but the mismatch between generation and demand timing worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy sufficiencyVSAvoidgeneration-demand timing mismatch

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized energy storage system performs preliminary action by storing excess solar energy generated during the day when production exceeds demand. This stored energy is then discharged during peak demand periods when solar generation is insufficient, effectively bridging the timing mismatch between generation and demand while maintaining energy sufficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Quantity of substance

If large-scale centralized energy storage is implemented, then cost efficiency is improved, but grid stability control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacity utilizationVSAvoidscheduling and control system

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a scheduling system that uses feedback from real-time monitoring of prosumer energy generation and demand patterns. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust charging and discharging operations of the centralized energy storage system, optimizing cost efficiency while maintaining grid stability through data-driven control decisions rather than complex manual management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11522387B2Virtualization of large-scale energy storage

Publication Date: 2022.12.06 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A hardware processor may be coupled to a communication network and receive charging requests and discharging requests from a plurality of prosumer facilities via the communication network. One or more energy storage systems may be coupled to an energy grid and able to charge from and discharge to the energy grid, and may communicate with the hardware processor via the communication network. Based on the charging requests and discharging requests, an energy schedule may be generated. The energy schedule may include a first set of the prosumer facilities from which charge requests are accepted, and a second set of prosumer facilities from which discharge requests are accepted. One or several energy storage systems may be controlled or triggered to charge or discharge repeatedly via the energy grid according to an updated energy schedule (e.g., regularly updated).