Method and apparatus for balancing power on a per phase basis in multi-phase electrical load facilities using an energy storage system
Embodiments of the present invention may include control methods employed in multiphase distributed energy storage systems that are located behind utility meters typically located at, but not limited to, medium and large commercial and industrial locations. These multiphase distributed energy storage systems can operate semi-autonomously, but may be in frequent contact with a cloud-based optimization engine that is configured to develop energy control solutions based on various data inputs and to communicate these energy control solutions to one or more of the distributed energy storage systems. Due to characteristics of the electric load location and/or the use of on-site power generation, imbalances in the power draw per phase can be created within the electric load location. Therefore, embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods that are used to control and/or limit the imbalance in power flowing through one phase versus other phases at the electric load location.
1. A system for managing power delivery, comprising:
a power monitor in electric communication with a first phase and a second phase of a multiphase electric line at an electric load location, and is configured to measure a first power transferred through the first phase and a second power transferred through the second phase, the power monitor comprising:
a first device that is configured to measure the first power transferred through the first phase, and
a second device that is configured to measure the second power transferred through the second phase; and
a system controller that is configured to:
receive, from the power monitor, information regarding the first power transferred through the first phase and second power transferred through the second phase, and
generate one or more commands, based on the received information, to control a transfer of a first energy from or to the first phase of the multiphase electric line via a first bidirectional power converter that is in electric communication with a source bus,
wherein the source bus is in electric communication with both an energy source and a second bidirectional power converter that is configured to transfer a second energy from or to the second phase of the multiphase electric line.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy source comprises one or more batteries.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source bus comprises a direct current (DC) source bus.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optimization engine configured to receive one or more external inputs and create a set of operating parameters based on the one or more external inputs,
wherein the system controller is further configured to:
receive the created operating parameters, and
generate the one or more commands, based on the operating parameters, to control an amount of energy flowing through the first phase of the multiphase electric line below a threshold value.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the set of operating parameters are derived from simulations of energy use at the electric load location, and the simulations are performed by the optimization engine.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more external inputs are selected from a group consisting of weather information, sunrise and sunset information, power usage cost information, utility's billing period, geographic location, local solar production, local incident light, customer type, electric load location building specifications, grid operator data and time data.
7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the system controller comprises a set-point controller configured to vary the threshold value.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optimization engine configured to receive one or more external inputs and create one or more operating control curves based on the one or more external inputs,
wherein the system controller is configured to
receive the one or more operating control curves,
compare the one or more operating control curves to information received from the power monitor and the energy source, and
control a transfer of energy from or to the multiphase electric line from the energy source based on the comparison.
9. A system for managing power delivery, comprising:
a power monitor in electric communication with a first phase and a second phase of a multiphase electric line at an electric load location, and is configured to measure first power transferred through the first phase and a second power transferred through the second phase;
a first bidirectional power converter, coupled between the first phase and a source bus, that is configured to transfer a first energy from or to the first phase of the multiphase electric line;
a second bidirectional power converter, coupled between the second phase and the source bus, that is configured to transfer a second energy from or to the second phase of the multiphase electric line; and
a system controller that is configured to:
receive, from the power monitor, information regarding the first power transferred through the first phase and a second power transferred through the second phase, and
generate one or more commands, based on the received information, to control a transfer of a first energy between the first phase of the multiphase electric line and the source bus via the first bidirectional power converter.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising an energy source coupled to the source bus.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the energy source comprises one or more batteries.
12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
an optimization engine configured to receive one or more external inputs and create a set of operating parameters based on the one or more external inputs,
wherein the system controller is further configured to:
receive the created operating parameters, and
generate the one or more commands, based on the operating parameters to control an amount of energy flowing through the first phase of the multiphase electric line below a threshold value.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the set of operating parameters are derived from simulations of energy use at the electric load location, and the simulations are performed by the optimization engine.
14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
an optimization engine configured to receive one or more external inputs and create one or more operating control curves based on the one or more external inputs,
wherein the system controller is configured to
receive the one or more operating control curves,
compare the one or more operating control curves to information received from the power monitor and the energy source, and
control a transfer of energy from or to the multiphase electric line from the energy source based on the comparison.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more operating control curves comprise a battery state-of-charge curve that is used by the system controller to determine an amount of energy to transfer to the electric line based on a measured amount of charge in the energy source.
16. A method of managing power delivery, comprising:
monitoring an amount of first power transferred through a first phase, and an amount of second power transferred through a second phase of a multiphase electric line of an electric load location, wherein a first device is configured to monitor the first power transferred through the first phase, and a second device is configured to monitor the second power transferred through the second phase; and
transferring a first energy to the first phase from a source bus via a first bidirectional power converter based on the information received from monitoring the amounts of power transferred through the first and the second phases,
wherein delivering the first energy to the first phase reduces the difference in the amounts of power transferred through the first and second phases,
wherein the source bus is in electric communication with both an energy source and a second bidirectional power converter that is configured to transfer a second energy from or to the second phase of the multiphase electric line.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
monitoring an amount of a third power transferred through a third phase of the multiphase electric line of the electric load location; and
transferring power to the first phase from the third phase based on the information received from monitoring the amounts of power transferred through the first, second, and third phases.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein transferring the first energy to the first phase from the source bus further comprises:
transferring the first energy to the first phase from a first bidirectional power converter coupled to the source bus; and
transferring the first energy from the second phase to the source bus via a second bidirectional converter.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein transferring the first energy to the first phase from the source bus comprises:
transferring the first energy to a first bidirectional power converter from the second phase;
transferring the first energy from the first bidirectional power converter to an energy source; and
transferring the first energy from the energy source to the first phase.
20. A method of managing power delivery, comprising:
monitoring an amount of first power transferred through a first phase, and an amount of second power transferred through a second phase of a multiphase electric line of an electric load location, wherein a first device is configured to monitor the first power transferred through the first phase, and a second device is configured to monitor the second power transferred through the second phase; and
transferring a first energy to the first phase, via a first bidirectional power converter that is connected to a source bus, from at least one power source selected from a group consisting of an energy source and the second phase, based on the information received from monitoring the amounts of power transferred through the first and the second phases,
wherein delivering the first energy to the first phase reduces the difference in the amounts of power transferred through the first and second phases, and
wherein the source bus is in electric communication with both the energy source and a second bidirectional power converter that is configured to transfer a second energy from or to the second phase of the multiphase electric line.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
monitoring an amount of a third power transferred through a third phase of the multiphase electric line,
wherein transferring the first energy to the first phase from the at least one power source includes transferring the first energy to the first phase from at least one power source selected from a group consisting of the energy source, the second phase and the third phase, based on the information received from monitoring the amounts of power transferred through the first, the second and the third phases, and
wherein transferring the first energy to the first phase further comprises:
transferring a second energy to a first bidirectional power converter from the second phase;
transferring a third energy to a second bidirectional power converter from the third phase;
transferring the second energy from the first bidirectional power converter and the third energy the second bidirectional power converter to an energy source; and
transferring a composite energy from the energy source to a third bidirectional converter; and
transferring the composite energy from the third bidirectional power converter to the first phase.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the energy source comprises a bus line that is coupled to the first, second and third bidirectional converters.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein transferring the first energy to the first phase comprises transferring the first energy to the first phase from a first bidirectional power converter that is coupled to a battery.