Granted Patent B2

US 12,235,668 · App. 18/227,238 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Inventors: Stephen J. Tyler (Henrico County, VA); Phillip W. Powell (Chesterfield County, VA)

Assignee: Dominion Energy, Inc.

G05F1/66G05B19/042G05B19/0428G06Q50/06H02J3/16H02J3/28H02J3/38H02J3/381H02J3/388H02J2300/24H02J2300/28Y02E10/56Y02E10/76Y02E40/30Y02E40/70Y02E70/30Y04S10/50

Abstract

Claims (21)

1. A method of controlling an electric power grid configured to supply electric power from a supply point to a plurality of user locations, the method comprising:

receiving measurement data based on a sensed component of supplied electric power from a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is located at a respective one of a plurality of distribution locations on the grid at or between the supply point and at least one of the plurality of user locations, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of sensors are associated with a plurality of inverters, respectively, wherein the plurality of inverters are, respectively, located within a plurality of non-overlapping blocks of the grid and are adapted to generate and/or absorb reactive power;

minimizing a plurality of block voltage slopes associated, respectively, with the plurality of blocks;

modifying a target voltage value of the supplied electric power based on an amount of distributed power generation, wherein the target voltage value is raised as an amount of distributed power generation generated by the plurality of inverters increases;

generating an energy delivery parameter based on the controller target value of the supplied electric power, and

controlling the plurality of inverters to modify a voltage on the respective blocks; and

adjusting a component of the electric power grid at the supply point in response to the energy delivery parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component of the supplied electric power is voltage and the controller target voltage value has a voltage set point and a voltage deviation range.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller target voltage value is lowered as the amount of distributed power generation decreases.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding the measurement data received from the plurality of sensors to a load profile, assessing the state of the grid, and generating the energy delivery parameter to hedge against predictable voltage risk.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying volts-amperes reactive (VAR) absorption or production by the plurality of inverters.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising modifying VAR absorption or production by the plurality of inverters to maintain a desired voltage at the respective inverters.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising modifying VAR absorption or production by the plurality of inverters to maintain a respective desired voltage within the respective blocks.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the respective desired voltages minimize the plurality of block voltage slopes, respectively.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising adjusting, respectively, the desired voltages based on a proactive schedule.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the component adjusting to vary at least one of a voltage, a phase angle, a current angle, a power factor, a VAR and a power vector.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the target voltage value of the supplied electric power, and/or the voltage on the respective blocks, based on the distributed energy resource injection and a pattern of voltage changes at the plurality of sensors.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target voltage value of the supplied electric power has first upper and lower limits for a first control mode and has second upper and lower limits for a second control mode and the method further comprises selecting either the first or second modes based on the measurement data received from the sensors.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling at least one of the plurality of inverters to offset a voltage drop associated with a load in the same block as the respective inverter by producing volts-ampere reactive (VARS).

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling at least one of the plurality of inverters to offset a voltage rise associated with another distributed energy resource injecting power into the same block as the respective inverter by absorbing volts-ampere reactive (VARS).

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling at least one of the plurality of inverters to meet the block voltage slope associated with its respective block by producing or absorbing volts-ampere reactive (VARS).

Assignments (2)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (400)