IP Library Granted Patent US 12,626,310
Granted Patent B2
US 12,626,310 · App. 17/478,696 · Granted May 12, 2026

Enhancing distribution system resiliency using transactive mechanisms

Inventors: Bishnu P. Bhattarai (Kennewick, WA); Jing Xie (Bellevue, WA); Kevin P. Schneider (Seattle, WA); Wei Du (Richland, WA); Laurentiu D. Marinovici (Kirkland, WA)
Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
G06Q50/06H02J13/00001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,626,310
App. No.
17/478,696
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Computing apparatus and methods to increase operational flexibility in an energy distribution system include using a transactive mechanism to adjust voltage supplied to a power grid by one or more distributed energy resources (DERs). In some examples of the disclosed technology, the transactive mechanism is configured to cause the one or more DERs to adjust a corresponding supply of voltage to the power grid in order to reach a targeted voltage difference across terminals of a switching device of the power grid, thereby enabling the switching device to be switched to increase reliability of the power grid.

Claims (47)

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing a transactive mechanism with one or more distributed energy resources (DERs) for a power grid, wherein the transactive mechanism includes determining an effectiveness of offered supply from the one or more DERs for contributing to an achievement of a targeted voltage difference across terminals of a switching device of the power grid and identifying DERs of the one or more DERs having a highest effectiveness, wherein determining the effectiveness comprises converting the offered supply from first bids expressed in a form of energy price versus reactive power quantity to second bids expressed in a form of voltage price versus reactive power quantity, the voltage price versus reactive power quantity indicating network voltage sensitivity of a respective at least one of the DERs, and wherein the transactive mechanism is configured to, based on the second bids, determining a voltage adjustment for a subset of the DERs and based on the voltage adjustment, notify the identified DERs to cause the identified DERs to adjust a corresponding supply of voltage to the power grid in order to reach the targeted voltage difference; and

in response to determining that the targeted voltage difference across the terminals of the switching device is reached, switching the switching device to stabilize the power grid.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transactive mechanism comprises generating, at the one or more DERs, respective supply curves reflecting a cost of providing reactive power to a supplier of the power grid, and wherein the first bids comprise the respective supply curves.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the transactive mechanism further comprises generating, at a distribution management system (DMS), a demand curve based on the targeted voltage difference and the supply curves of the DERs.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the transactive mechanism further comprises aggregating, at a market operation system, the supply curves from the DERs and clearing the demand curve based on an intersection between the aggregated supply curves and the demand curve.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the effectiveness of the offered supply includes determining an effectiveness of each of the respective supply curves for contributing to the achievement of the targeted voltage difference based on respective locations of the DERs.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the transactive mechanism further comprises informing the identified DERs of a requested change in voltage to be supplied, wherein the requested change in voltage is based on the intersection between the aggregated supply curves and the demand curve.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the energy price comprises price per unit of reactive power.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the transactive mechanism utilizes a double auction market to clear the demand curve.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the DERs include third-party DERS, the method further comprising, prior to performing the transactive mechanism, controlling utility-owned DERs that are directly controlled by a distribution management system of the power grid to adjust a voltage supplied to the power grid based on the targeted voltage difference.

10 . A distribution management system (DMS) for a power grid, comprising:

memory for storing executable instructions; and

one or more processors that execute the instructions to:

monitor the power grid;

determine a switching operation for a switching device in the power grid to increase a stability of the power grid;

determine an adjustment to a voltage difference across terminals of the switching device to enable performance of the switching operation;

output, to a market computing system, a demand curve based on the adjustment to the voltage;

receive, via the market system, an indication of market-cleared supply curves from one or more distributed energy resources (DERs) of the power grid identified as having a highest effectiveness of offered supply for contributing to an achievement of the adjustment to the voltage based at least in part on respective locations of the one or more DERs, wherein the market-cleared supply curves are converted from first bids expressed in a form of energy price versus reactive power quantity to second bids incorporating voltage sensitivity expressed in a form of voltage price versus reactive power quantity to reflect an effectiveness of a corresponding offered supply in terms of the demand curve;

based on the second bids, determining a respective voltage adjustment for a subset of the DERs;

determine that respective voltage supplies from the one or more DERs provide the respective voltage adjustment to the voltage difference across the terminals of the switching device; and

perform the switching operation on the switching device.

11 . The DMS of claim 10 , wherein the switching operation is performed responsive to determining that the respective voltage supplies provide the adjustment to the voltage difference, and wherein the instructions are further executed to output an updated demand curve to the market computing system to perform another transactive mechanism responsive to determining that the respective voltage supplies from the one or more DERs cause a resulting voltage difference across the terminals of the switching device that is outside a targeted voltage range for performing the switching operation.

12 . The DMS of claim 10 , wherein:

the one or more DERs include third-party DERs; and

the instructions are further executable to control additional, utility-owned DERs directly to adjust a voltage supplied to the power grid based on the determined adjustment.

13 . The DMS of claim 12 , wherein the demand curve is based on a remaining adjustment to the voltage difference to enable performance of the switching operation after the voltage supplied to the power grid by the utility-owned DERs is adjusted.

14 . The DMS of claim 10 , further comprising a module for implementing transactive energy algorithm TEA 1, the module being used to perform at least one of: determining the switching operation, determining the voltage difference adjustment, or producing the demand curve.

15 . The DMS of claim 10 , further comprising a module for implementing transactive energy algorithm TEA 2, the module being used to perform at least one of: determining the switching operation, determining the voltage difference adjustment, or producing the demand curve.

16 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a demand curve, wherein the demand curve is based on a targeted voltage adjustment for a voltage difference across terminals of a switching device of a power grid determined by a distribution management system (DMS) to enable performance of a switching operation on the switching device for stabilizing the power grid;

receiving supply curves from one or more distributed energy resources (DERs) for supplying voltage to the power grid, the supply curves comprising first bids expressed in a form of energy price versus reactive power quantity;

determining an effectiveness of each of the one or more DERs to clear the demand curve based on the respective supply curves and a respective location of the one or more DERs, wherein determining the effectiveness comprises converting the supply curves to second bids expressed in a form of voltage price versus reactive power quantity, the voltage price versus reactive power quantity indicating network voltage sensitivity for respective the one or more DERs;

based on the second bids, determining a voltage adjustment for a subset of the DERs; and

transmitting incentive signals indicating the voltage adjustment to the subset of the one or more DERs based on the determined effectiveness, the transmitted incentive signal causing at least one of the subset of DERs to adjust a respective voltage supplied to the power grid to reach the targeted voltage adjustment across the terminals of the switching device, wherein the switching operation is performed responsive to reaching the targeted voltage adjustment across the terminals of the switching device.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the supply curves reflect a cost of providing, with the respective DERs, reactive power to a supplier of the power grid.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising aggregating the supply curves and determining an intersection between the demand curve and the aggregated supply curves.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein the incentive signals include an indication of the intersection between the demand curve and the aggregated supply curves.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising notifying the DMS of the aggregated supply curves.

21 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the computer to receive a demand curve, wherein the demand curve is based on a targeted voltage adjustment for a voltage difference across terminals of a switching device of a power grid determined by a distribution management system (DMS) to enable performance of a switching operation on the switching device for stabilizing the power grid;

instructions that cause the computer to receive supply curves from one or more distributed energy resources (DERs) for supplying voltage to the power grid, the supply curves comprising first bids expressed in a form of energy price versus reactive power quantity;

instructions that cause the computer to determine an effectiveness of each of the one or more DERs to clear the demand curve based on the respective supply curves and a respective location of the one or more, wherein determining the effectiveness comprises converting the supply curves to second bids expressed in a form of voltage price versus reactive power quantity, the voltage price versus reactive power quantity indicating network voltage sensitivity for respective the one or more DERs;

instructions that cause the computer to based on the second bids, determine a voltage adjustment for a subset of the DERs; and

instructions that cause the computer to transmit incentive signals indicating the voltage adjustment to the subset of the one or more DERs based on the determined effectiveness, the transmitted incentive signal causing at least one of the subset of DERs to adjust a respective voltage supplied to the power grid to reach the targeted voltage adjustment across the terminals of the switching device, wherein the switching operation is performed responsive to reaching the targeted voltage adjustment across the terminals of the switching device.

22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to aggregate the supply curves and determining an intersection between the demand curve and the aggregated supply curves.

23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to notify the DMS of the aggregated supply curves.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2022
From: BHATTARAI, BISHNU P.; XIE, JING; SCHNEIDER, KEVIN P.; DU, WEI; MARINOVICI, LAURENTIU D.
To: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 062215/0084 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63079525 · Sep 17, 2020
Related Publication 20220084139A1 · Mar 17, 2022
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