US 11,791,631 B2
Dynamic computation and control of distributed assets at the edge of a power grid
Frank Kreikebaum, Seattle, WA (US); and Haroon Inam, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Smart Wires Inc., Durham, NC (US)
Filed by Smart Wires Inc., Union City, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/461,609.
Application 17/461,609 is a continuation of application No. 16/559,433, filed on Sep. 3, 2019, granted, now 11,159,046.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/784,007, filed on Dec. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0391747 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. H02J 3/38 (2006.01); H02J 3/32 (2006.01); G05B 13/02 (2006.01); H02J 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 3/32 (2013.01) [G05B 13/024 (2013.01); H02J 3/381 (2013.01); H02J 13/00007 (2020.01); H02J 2203/20 (2020.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for integrated and hierarchical control of a power grid, the power grid comprising a plurality of power transmission lines to transport power at high-voltage or medium-voltage from distributed power generators to substations, loads, and distributed loads having demand-response capabilities, the system comprising:
one or more power storage devices coupled to the power transmission lines of the power grid to store excess power and to provide the power to the loads;
a plurality of sensors coupled to and collectively distributed over or deployed along the power transmission lines, wherein each sensor measures and communicates environmental conditions of its respective power transmission line in-real time;
a plurality of flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) based controllers to couple the power generators, power storage devices, loads, and distributed loads to the power grid within, at, or outside edges of the power grid;
a plurality of FACTS based impedance injection modules (IIMs) deployed or distributed along the power transmission lines, wherein each FACTS based IIM senses real-time power flow characteristics that comprise currents, voltages, or power flow changes on a respective segment of a power transmission line, and in response to the sensed real-time power flow characteristics, generates and injects a voltage or an impedance into the respective segment of the power transmission line to control power flow in the respective segment of the power transmission line;
a plurality of localized intelligence centers, wherein each of the power generators, the power storage devices, the loads, and the distributed loads is coupled to at least one localized intelligence center through the FACTS based controllers, and some of the plurality of FACTS based IIMs are communicably coupled to a localized intelligence center covering a local area of the power grid, to coordinate control of power flow in the local area of the power grid, wherein the each FACTS based IIM is in communication with at least one localized intelligence center; and
at least one processor to:
receive the real-time environmental conditions from the sensors and the sensed real-time power flow characteristics from the FACTS based IIMs,
identify constraints and at least one objective function,
utilize the constraints, the real-time environmental conditions, and the sensed real-time power flow characteristics to optimize the at least one objective function, and
generate decisions and settings based on the constraints, the real-time environmental conditions, and the sensed real-time power flow characteristics;
wherein the generated decisions and settings are utilized to hierarchically control power flow of the power grid and enable the power grid to achieve the at least one objective function.