Showing papers on "Smart grid published in 2001"

Local area grid for distributed power

Abstract: The invention in the simplest form is a system for managing distributed power sources connected to a power grid. The present invention manages power flow to/from the power grid whether for a stand-alone power sourece or for local area utility grid or microgrid. When two or more power sources are interconnected by the local grid, each source has a power conditioning unit and a circuit breaker manager for controlling and regulating the electric flow to/from the grid. The individual power sources are able to independently draw power from the grid when required without extensive master control schemes. In a preferred embodiment the power sources are reformer equipped fuel cells and the heat from the fuel cell is used as a heat source for efficiency.

Energy management system which includes on-site energy supply

Abstract: An energy management system includes one or more electric power generators (14) located at or near a consumer's premises (10), to provide power which is dedicated to the needs of that consumer The power provided by the on-site generators (14) complements that which is delivered via a centralized power grid network (12) In the event that the power grid (12) is disabled, or is otherwise unable to provide adequate power to the consumer (10), the on-site generators (14) are switched to provide power to critical equipment In one embodiment, a computer-driven control facility (18) selectively actuates the on-site generator (14) to intelligently arbitrage between the locally generated power and that which is provided via the grid network, based on a variety of factors The instantaneous cost of power supplied via the grid network is compared against stored costs of operating the on-site generators, such as the price of fuel required to run the generators, maintenance expenses, other types of service and installation expenses, and finance charges When these costs are less than the charges for the power provided by the grid network, the central control system actuates the on-site generators, to partially or totally replace power delivered via the grid Other factors are also employed in the decision whether to activate the on-site generators, such as data relating to weather conditions and peak usage periods Historical data regarding the consumer's power usage is employed to predict times when the usage requirements are likely to be high, and thereby actuate the generators to supplement or replace the power provided from the grid

Integration of Electric Drive Vehicles with the Electric Power Grid -- a New Value Stream

Abstract: Battery-electric vehicles and grid-connected hybrid vehicles rely on the power grid for energy -- they have to plug in to charge their batteries. With power alerts and blackouts a recent reality in California, it is easy to conclude that the energy requirements of grid-connected electric vehicles will make the energy crisis worse. Actually, quite the opposite may be true. With a bi-directional grid power interface, virtually any vehicle that can plug into the grid can potentially provide beneficial support to the grid. Battery electric vehicles can support the grid exceptionally well by providing any of a number of functions known collectively as ancillary services. These services are vital to the smooth and efficient operation of the power grid. A hybrid vehicle can provide ancillary services, and can also generate power. Fuel cells are already being commercialized for small stationary power sources, so a vehiclemounted fuel cell could also serve as a vehicle-to-grid power source. Sharing power assets between transportation and power generation functions can create a compelling new economics for electrically-propelled vehicles.

Voltage Control Methods with Grid Connected Wind Turbines: A Tutorial Review:

Abstract: Within electricity grid networks it is conventional for large-scale central generators to both provide power and control grid node voltage. Therefore when wind turbines replace conventional power stations on a substantial scale, they must not only generate power, but also control grid node voltages. This paper reviews the basic principles of voltage control for tutorial benefit and then considers application of grid-connected wind turbines for voltage control. The most widely used contemporary wind turbine types are considered and further detail is given for determining the range of variables that allow control.

Distributed Accounting on the Grid

Abstract: By the late 1990s, the Internet was adequately equipped to move vast amounts of data between HPC (High Performance Computing) systems, and efforts were initiated to link together the national infrastructure of high performance computational and data storage resources together into a general computational utility 'grid', analogous to the national electrical power grid infrastructure The purpose of the Computational grid is to provide dependable, consistent, pervasive, and inexpensive access to computational resources for the computing community in the form of a computing utility This paper presents a fully distributed view of Grid usage accounting and a methodology for allocating Grid computational resources for use on a Grid computing system

A method integrating deterministic and stochastic approaches for the simulation of voltage unbalance in electric power distribution systems [PowerPoint presentation]

Abstract: Summary form only given. This educational short course will give a brief overview of Smart Grid with a clear description of how and why the vehicle will need to communicate to this grid. An update on the standards and the communication protocol development necessary for this Vehicle to Grid interface will be provided. Discussion will include the Reverse Power Flow development and the net effects this may have on the Electrical Grid, with a primary focus on the communications and architecture needed during these events.

Operating Environment and Functional Requirements for Intelligent Distributed Control in the Electric Power Grid

Abstract: The restructuring of the U.S. power industry will surely lead to a greater dependence on computers and communications to allow appropriate information sharing for management and control of the power grid. This report describes the operating environment for system operations that control the bulk power system as it exists today including the role NERC plays in this process. Some high-level functional requirements for new approaches to control of the grid are listed followed by a description of the next research steps that are needed to identify specific information management functions.

Modeling the grid as a customer-driven system: emerging challenges and opportunities for self-healing infrastructures

Abstract: Summary form only given, as follows. The Consortium for the Intelligent Management of the Electric Power Grid (CIMEG) is developing a new theoretical approach to modeling the deregulated power grid as a customer-driven system. The approach is demonstrated through TELOS, an agent-based anticipatory system that is under development in the service areas of ComEd and TVA. When the grid is viewed through the temporal behavior of customers several possibilities for defensive and ameliorative strategies become easy to implement in an efficient and reliable manner. Yet, new modeling, identification and prediction challenges emerge. The authors present new contributions and give a status report on the CIMEG's accomplishments and work in progress.