IP Library Granted Patent US 11,228,180
Granted Patent B2
US 11,228,180 · App. 16/925,225 · Granted Jan 18, 2022

Hierarchical distributed voltage regulation

Inventors: Xinyang Zhou (Golden, CO); Changhong Zhao (Lakewood, CO); Zhiyuan Liu (Boulder, CO); Lijun Chen (South Pasadena, CA)
Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC; The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate
H02J3/381G05B19/042H02J13/00002G05B2219/2639H02J3/32H02J2300/24H02J2300/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,228,180
App. No.
16/925,225
Granted
Jan 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provide for hierarchically distributed voltage regulation and power flow optimization in a power distribution network. According to one embodiment, a regional coordinator system may determine power flow for an autonomous grid (AG) representing a portion of the distribution network based on a set of voltage parameters from nodes in the AG. The set of voltage parameters my include a current voltage magnitude. The regional coordinator system may provide, to a central controller system of the distribution network, one or more power flow parameters based on the determined power flow for the AG.

Claims (50)

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a regional coordinator system comprising at least one processor, based at least in part on a set of voltage parameters from a plurality of nodes in a distribution network, power flow for an autonomous grid (AG) in the distribution network, the AG including the plurality of nodes;

determining, by the regional coordinator system, based on the power flow for the AG, one or more power flow parameters;

outputting, by the regional coordinator system, for use by a central controller system, the one or more power flow parameters;

receiving, by the regional coordinator system, one or more regional parameters for the AG, the one or more regional parameters being determined at least in part by the central controller system based at least in part on power flow parameters for AGs in the distribution network; and

determining, based at least in part on the one or more regional parameters and a topoloay of the AG, an updated power flow for the AG; and

causing, by the regional coordinator system, at least one Distributed Energy Resource (DER) in the AG to modify operation based on the updated power flow for the AG.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more power flow parameters comprise an aggregate voltage violation for the first AG.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the central controller system, the one or more power flow parameters;

determining, based at least in part on power flow parameters for AGs in the distribution network and on one or more line parameters for AGs in the distribution network, one or more regional parameters for the AG; and

providing, by the central controller system, to the regional coordinator system, the one or more regional parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more regional parameters are determined based additionally on a set of voltage parameters from one or more individual nodes, wherein the individual nodes comprise unclustered nodes of the distribution network.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the plurality of nodes comprises a first plurality of nodes,

the regional coordinator system comprises a first regional coordinator system,

the AG comprises a first AG in a plurality of AGs in the distribution network,

the one or more power flow parameters comprise first one or more power flow parameters,

the one or more regional parameters comprise first one or more regional parameters, and

the one or more first regional parameters are determined based at least in part on second one or more power flow parameters corresponding to a second AG that includes a second plurality of nodes, the second one or more power flow parameters being determined by a second regional coordinator system based at least in part on voltage parameters from the second plurality of nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of voltage parameters from each node of the plurality of nodes comprises a current voltage magnitude.

7. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

determine, based at least in part on a set of voltage parameters from a plurality of nodes in a distribution network, power flow for an autonomous grid (AG) in the distribution network, the AG including the plurality of nodes;

determine, based on the power flow for the AG, one or more power flow parameters;

output, for use by a central controller system of the distribution network, the one or more power flow parameters;

wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

receive one or more regional parameters for the AG, the one or more regional parameters being determined at least in part by the central controller system based at least in part on power flow parameters for AGs in the distribution network; and

determine, based at least in part on the one or more regional parameters and a topoloay of the AG, an updated power flow for the AG; and

cause at least one Distributed Energy Resource (DER) in the AG to modify operation based on the updated power flow for the AG.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more regional parameters for the AG is determined by the central controller system based on one or more power flow parameters from a different AG.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein determining the one or more power flow parameters is based further on a power parameter of a root node of the AG.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein causing the at least one DER to modify operation based on the updated power flow for the AG comprises:

determining a power set point for the at least one DER; and

outputting the power set point for use by the at least one DER.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the set of voltage parameters from each node of the plurality of nodes comprises a current voltage magnitude.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more power flow parameters comprise a voltage violation for the AG.

13. A system comprising:

a regional coordinator system comprising a processor and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor of the regional coordinator system and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor of the regional coordinator system, causes the processor of the regional coordinator system to:

determine, based at least in part on a set of voltage parameters from a plurality of nodes in a distribution network, power flow for an autonomous grid (AG) in the distribution network, the AG including the plurality of nodes;

determine, based on the power flow for the AG, one or more power flow parameters; and

output, for use by a central controller system of the distribution network, the one or more power flow parameters; and

a central controller system communicatively coupled with the regional coordinator system, the central controller comprising a processor and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor of the central controller system and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor of the central controller system, causes the processor of the central controller system to:

receive the one or more power flow parameters;

determine, based at least in part on power flow parameters for AGs in the distribution network and on one or more line parameters for AGs in the distribution network, one or more regional parameters for the AG; and

provide, to the regional coordinator system, the one or more regional parameters.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the set of voltage parameters from each node of the plurality of nodes comprises a current voltage magnitude and wherein the one or more power flow parameters comprise a voltage violation for the AG.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the regional coordinator system further cause the processor of the regional coordinator system to receive, from the central controller system, the regional parameters, and determine a power set point for at least one DER in the AG based on the regional parameters.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more regional parameters are determined further based on a set of voltage parameters from one or more individual nodes, wherein the individual nodes comprise unclustered nodes of the distribution network.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 16, 2025
From: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
To: ALLIANCE FOR ENERGY INNOVATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 073993/0276 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2022
From: CHEN, LIJUN; LIU, ZHIYUAN
To: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORAD, A BODY CORPORATE
Reel/Frame 060026/0408 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Jan 11, 2021
From: NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 054877/0808 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2020
From: ZHAO, CHANGHONG; ZHOU, XINYANG
To: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 053276/0159 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62871769 · Jul 9, 2019
Related Publication 20210013720A1 · Jan 14, 2021