Granted Patent B2

US 9,081,373 · App. 13/297,014 · Granted Jul 14, 2015

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. An energy-management system that manages energy within a predominantly closed power system, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, at a component driver, current status information for a component associated with the component driver;

constructing a performance model for the component, wherein constructing the performance model involves computing a cost function and a deficit function, and wherein the cost function and the deficit function are associated with an operating mode of the component; and

sending the performance model, which includes the cost function and the deficit function, to an optimization and control module to facilitate the optimization and control module to optimize operations of the component based on the cost function and the deficit function.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving options from the optimization and control module; and

issuing operation commands to the component.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component driver is collocated with the optimization and control module.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component driver is collocated with the component.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the performance model further includes a power function.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the performance model includes one or more control-action offers.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a control action from the plurality of control-action offers, and

issuing an operation command that is specific to the component based on the selected control action.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the performance model includes a finite state machine comprising a number of state transitions, and wherein a respective control-action offer is represented by an optional state transition.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component is a load or a supply.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component driver is configured to communicate with the optimization and control module using a standardized language, thus allowing plug-and-play operations of the component.

11. A method for managing energy within a predominantly closed power system, the method comprising:

receiving, by an energy managing device via a component driver, current status information for a component associated with the component driver;

constructing a performance model for the component, wherein constructing the performance model involves computing a cost function and a deficit function, and wherein the cost function and the deficit function are associated with an operating mode of the component; and

sending the performance model, which includes the cost function and the deficit function, to an optimization and control module to facilitate the optimization and control module to optimize operations of the component based on the cost function and the deficit function.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving options from the optimization and control module; and

issuing operation commands to the component.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the performance model further includes a power function.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the performance model includes one or more control-action offers.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising issuing an operation command that is specific to the component based on the received control action, wherein the received control action is selected from the plurality of control-action offers.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the performance model includes a finite state machine comprising a number of state transitions, and wherein a respective control-action offer is represented by an optional state transition.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the component is a load or a supply.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for managing energy within a predominantly closed power system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a component driver, current status information for a component associated with the component driver;

constructing a performance model for the component, wherein constructing the performance model involves computing a cost function and a deficit function, and wherein the cost function and the deficit function are associated with an operating mode of the component; and

sending the performance model, which includes the cost function and the deficit function, to an optimization and control module to facilitate the optimization and control module to optimize operations of the component based on the cost function and the deficit function.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving options from the optimization and control module; and

issuing operation commands to the component.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the performance model further includes a power function.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the performance model includes one or more control-action offers.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises issuing an operation command that is specific to the component based on the received control action, wherein the received control action is selected from the plurality of control-action offers.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the performance model includes a finite state machine comprising a number of state transitions, and wherein a respective control-action offer is represented by an optional state transition.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the component is a load or a supply.

Assignments (10)