Grid adapter systems and methods
Embodiments described herein include systems and methods for managing electrical power among various energy generation, storage, and consumption systems, including micro-grids or nano-grids. Computing systems and electrical hardware send and receive electrical power, to or from various energy storage, transfer, and consumption sites, particularly where certain nano-grids are not electrically wired to the energy generation and storage subsystems. A grid adapter receives energy from various sources, reduces noise in the electrical waveform (e.g., harmonics), and determines an amount of power to deliver to nano-grids via electrical connections or delivery vehicles to achieve acceptable operation according to grid codes or other operational configurations. A storage system may include a flow battery that exchanges electricity, based on required power or surplus power, with delivery vehicles according to an electrolyte swap for the flow battery.
1 . A system comprising:
a grid adapter between and connected to a source grid and a nano-grid for decoupling the source grid and the nano-grid, wherein the nano-grid is an alternating current (AC) nano-grid, the grid adapter comprising:
an internal storage system configured for storing an amount of internal-stored energy;
a plurality of power processing units comprising a plurality of power converters arranged in a series of power conversion stages, each power processing unit configured for converting an amount of power associated with the nano-grid, the plurality of power processing units comprising a first power processing unit including a bidirectional converter connected between the internal storage system and the nano-grid for converting input electricity to the nano-grid from the source grid and output electricity from the nano-grid to the source grid according to an operational instruction indicating a power flow direction, wherein the bidirectional converter is controlled to condition a first electricity waveform of power from the nano-grid according to one or more control algorithms and a required power quality level associated with the nano-grid; and a second power processing unit including a bidirectional converter connected between the source grid and the internal storage system and configured to condition a second electrical waveform of power from the source grid according to the one or more control algorithms and a required power quality level associated with the source grid; and
a grid adapter controller configured for executing software programming, configured to:
receive, from one or more data sources, power data indicating a power requirement for the nano-grid or for the source grid;
determine the required power quality levels respectively associated with the nano-grid and the source grid; and
transmit an instruction to the internal storage system to exchange the amount of power with the nano-grid or the source grid, via the plurality of power converters arranged in the series of power conversion stages of the plurality of power processing units including the first power processing unit, according to the power requirement.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an external storage system for storing energy according to the grid adapter controller, including the amount of power indicated by the power requirement for the nano-grid.
3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the external storage system includes a first flow battery for exchanging the amount of power via an electrolyte swap with at least one of a second flow battery of a storage vehicle or a vehicle electrolyte tank of the storage vehicle configured to contain an electrolyte fluid.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the external storage system includes a reactor stack of the first flow battery and a storage system electrolyte tank configured to contain the electrolyte fluid.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein each power processing unit of the plurality of power processing units includes one or more power conversion stages configured to condition a respective electricity waveform by reducing an amount of noise or harmonics on the respective electricity waveform.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a third power processing unit configured to convert a second amount of power associated with a distributed energy resource, the third power processing unit includes a direct current-to-direct current converter for converting input electricity or output electricity according to the second amount of power.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a third power processing unit configured to convert a second amount of power associated with a distributed energy resource, the third power processing unit includes an alternating current-to-direct current converter for converting input electricity or output electricity according to the second amount of power.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second power processing unit including a multi-level converter configured to convert input electricity received from the source grid coupled to the grid adapter.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the grid adapter is operable to be disconnected from the source grid.
10 . A system comprising:
a grid adapter between and connected to a distribution network grid and a nano-grid for decoupling the distribution network grid and the nano-grid, wherein the nano-grid is an alternating current (AC) nano-grid, the grid adapter comprising:
an internal storage system configured to store internal-stored energy;
a plurality of power processing units comprising a plurality of power converters arranged in a series of power conversion stages, each power processing unit configured for converting an amount of power for exchange with the nano-grid and the distribution network grid, the plurality of power processing units comprising a first power processing unit including a bidirectional converter connected between the internal storage system and the nano-grid and configured to convert the amount of power for exchange between the internal storage system and the nano-grid and the distribution network grid according to an operational instruction indicating a power flow direction, and wherein the bidirectional converter is controlled to condition a first electricity waveform of power from the nano-grid according to one or more control algorithms and a required power quality level associated with the nano-grid determined at a grid adapter controller; and a second power processing unit including a bidirectional converter connected between the distribution network grid and the internal storage system and configured to condition a second electrical waveform of power from the distribution network grid according to the one or more control algorithms and a required power quality level associated with the distribution network grid; and
an external storage system comprising a first flow battery configured to exchange the amount of power using the plurality of power converters arranged in the series power conversion stages of the one or more power processing units including the first processing unit according to the operational instruction via an electrolyte swap with at least one of a second flow battery of a storage vehicle or an electrolyte tank of the storage vehicle.
11 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
the grid adapter controller for executing software programming, configured to:
receive, from one or more data sources, power data indicating a power requirement for the nano-grid; and
transmit an instruction to the internal storage system to exchange the amount of power with the nano-grid, via the first power processing unit, according to the power requirement.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the external storage system includes a reactor stack of the first flow battery and a storage system electrolyte tank configured to contain an electrolyte fluid.
13 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein each power processing unit of the plurality of power processing units includes one or more power conversion stages configured to condition a respective electricity waveform by reducing an amount of noise on the respective electricity waveform.
14 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a third power processing unit configured to convert a second amount of power associated with a distributed energy resource, the third power processing unit includes a direct current-to-direct current converter for converting input electricity or output electricity according to the second amount of power.
15 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the second power processing unit includes a multi-level converter configured to convert input electricity received from the distribution network grid coupled to the grid adapter.
16 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the grid adapter is operable to be disconnected from the distribution network grid.
17 . A system comprising:
a grid adapter between and connected to a distributed network grid and a nano-grid for decoupling the distributed network grid and the nano-grid, wherein the nano-grid is an alternating current (AC) nano-grid, the grid adapter comprising:
an internal storage system configured for storing an amount of internal-stored energy;
a plurality of power processing units comprising a plurality of power converters arranged in a series of power conversion stages, each power processing unit configured for converting an amount of power associated with the nano-grid, the plurality of processing units comprising a first power processing unit including a bidirectional converter connected between the internal storage system and the nano-grid and configured to convert the amount of power for exchange between the nano-grid and the distributed network grid according to an operational instruction indicating a power flow direction, and condition a first electrical waveform of power from the nano-grid and an external storage system according to one or more control algorithms and a required power quality level associated with the nano-grid determined at a grid adapter controller; and
a second power processing unit configured for converting distributed energy from the distributed network grid, the second processing unit includes a multi-level bidirectional converter connected between the distributed network grid and the internal storage system and configured to condition a second electrical waveform of the distributed energy from the distribution network grid coupled to the grid adapter according to the one or more control algorithms and a required power quality level associated with the distributed network grid determined at the grid adapter controller.
18 . The system according to claim 17 , wherein the external storage system comprises a first flow battery configured to exchange the amount of power via an electrolyte swap with at least one of a second flow battery of a storage vehicle or an electrolyte tank of the storage vehicle.
19 . The system according to claim 17 , further comprising:
the grid adapter controller for executing software programming, configured to:
receive, from one or more data sources, power data indicating a power requirement for the nano-grid; and
transmit an operational instruction to the internal storage system to exchange the amount of power with the nano-grid, via the first power processing unit, according to the power requirement.
20 . The system according to claim 17 , further comprising a third processing unit for converting a second amount of power associated with a distributed energy resource, the third processing unit includes at least one of a direct current-to-direct current converter or alternating current-to-direct current converter configured to reduce noise on a third electrical waveform of the second amount of power from the distributed energy resource.