High speed feedback adjustment of power charge/discharge from energy storage system
View Patent ↗The invention provides systems and methods for control of power charge/discharge from energy storage system. The invention also provides for power monitoring and management. A smart charge system may include a system sensor, one or more energy storage units, and a controller, which may receive information about the power demand, power provided by an electricity provider, and charge/discharge information from an energy storage unit. The information received may all be time synchronized in relation to a time based reference. The controller may provide instructions to an energy storage unit at a rapid rate.
1. A smart charge system comprising:
a control computer;
a system sensor configured to measure power drawn by at least one premises load, and to send system sensor information to the control computer, the system sensor information comprising an indication of the power drawn and a timestamp corresponding to the time at which the power drawn is measured; and
at least one energy storage unit configured to switch between at least two modes of operation, monitor a current state of charge of the energy storage unit, and send energy storage unit information comprising the current state of charge to the control computer, wherein the at least two modes of operation include a charge mode and a discharge mode;
the control computer being configured to switch the mode of operation of the at least one energy storage unit between the charge mode and the discharge mode based on the system sensor information and the energy storage unit information.
2. The smart charge system of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one energy storage units comprises a bi-directional inverter-charger.
3. The smart charge system of claim 2 , wherein the bi-directional inverter-charger comprises a circuit that functions as an inverter when current flows in a first direction through the circuit and as a rectifier when current flows in a second direction through the circuit.
4. The smart charge system of claim 1 , wherein the system sensor is further configured to measure the power drawn by at least one premises load on each phase of power.
5. The smart charge system of claim 4 , wherein the system sensor is further configured to monitor flow of current and to measure voltage on each phase of power.
6. The smart charge system of claim 5 , wherein the control computer is further configured to provide maximum duration information to the at least one energy storage unit, the maximum duration information comprising an indication of a maximum duration of charge or discharge in case of loss of communication between the energy storage unit and the control computer.
7. The smart charge system of claim 6 , wherein the control computer is further configured to provide an indication of a phase of power for which the maximum duration information applies.
8. The smart charge system of claim 7 , wherein the control computer is configured to switch the mode of operation of the at least one energy storage unit at least one time every second.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching the mode of operation of the at least one energy storage unit to the charge mode during a period in which the power drawn by at least one premises load is known to be below a desired limit.
10. A method of power monitoring and management comprising:
measuring power drawn by at least one premises load via a system sensor;
sending system sensor information to a control computer, the system sensor information comprising an indication of the power drawn and a timestamp corresponding to the time at which the power drawn is measured;
monitoring a current state of charge of at least one energy storage unit configured to switch between a charge mode and a discharge mode;
sending energy storage unit information comprising the current state of charge to the control computer; and
transmitting, from a control computer to at least one energy storage unit, a mode switch instruction to switch the mode of operation of the energy storage unit between the charge mode and the discharge mode based on the system sensor information and the energy storage unit information.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the at least one energy storage units comprises a bi-directional inverter-charger.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising measuring the power drawn by at least one premises load on each phase of power.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
monitoring flow of current to the at least one premises load on each phase of power; and
measuring voltage for the at least one premises load on each phase of power.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing maximum duration information to the at least one energy storage unit, the maximum duration information comprising an indication of a maximum duration of charge or discharge in case of loss of communication between the energy storage unit and the control computer.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing an indication of a phase of power for which the maximum duration information applies.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising switching the mode of operation of the at least one energy storage unit at least one time every second.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising switching the mode of operation of the at least one energy storage unit to the charge mode during a period in which the power drawn by at least one premises load is known to be below a desired limit.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
measuring power drawn by at least one premises load via a system sensor;
sending system sensor information to a control computer, the system sensor information comprising an indication of the power drawn and a timestamp corresponding to the time at which the power drawn is measured;
monitoring a current state of charge of at least one energy storage unit configured to switch between a charge mode and a discharge mode;
sending energy storage unit information comprising the current state of charge to the control computer; and
transmitting, from a control computer to at least one energy storage unit, a mode switch instruction to switch the mode of operation of the energy storage unit between the charge mode and the discharge mode based on the system sensor information and the energy storage unit information.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising measuring the power drawn by at least one premises load on each phase of power.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising switching the mode of operation of the at least one energy storage unit to the charge mode during a period in which the power drawn by at least one premises load is known to be below a desired limit.