US 11,990,753 B1
Use of distributed generator (DG) inverters as STATCOMs for decreasing line losses
Rajiv Kumar Varma, London (CA)
Filed by Rajiv Kumar Varma, London (CA)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/159,534.
Application 18/159,534 is a continuation of application No. 16/745,509, filed on Jan. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,586,236.
Application 16/745,509 is a continuation of application No. 15/796,555, filed on Oct. 27, 2017, granted, now 10,571,948.
Application 15/796,555 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/229,980, filed on Aug. 5, 2016, granted, now 9,841,778, issued on Dec. 12, 2017.
Application 15/229,980 is a continuation of application No. 13/836,276, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, granted, now 9,436,200, issued on Sep. 6, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/681,335, filed on Aug. 9, 2012.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05B 19/042 (2006.01); H02J 3/18 (2006.01); H02J 3/38 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 3/18 (2013.01) [G05B 19/042 (2013.01); H02J 3/381 (2013.01); G05B 2219/2639 (2013.01); H02J 2300/24 (2020.01); H02J 2300/28 (2020.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for use in a power network, said method comprising:
(a) performing, by a power utility energy control center, acquisition of operating conditions of said power network, said power network having inverter-based facilities operatively coupled thereto;
(b) determining, by said power utility energy control center, reference voltages for specific inverter-based facilities in said power network, said specific inverter-based facilities being facilities that are participating in performing at least one of a specific set of functions in said power network, said reference voltages being voltage levels that perform at least one of said specific set of functions within said power network when implemented at said specific inverter-based facilities:
(c) communicating, by said power utility energy control center, said reference voltages to said specific inverter-based facilities,
(d) regulating, by each of said specific inverter-based facilities, a voltage level at a point of common coupling with said power network, said voltage level being regulated towards a corresponding said reference voltage by either of:
(i) injecting controlled reactive power into said power network; and
(ii) absorbing controlled reactive power from said power network;
(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) after a set time interval to ensure that at least one of said specific set of functions is achieved, said time interval being determined by said power utility energy control center;
wherein said specific inverter-based facilities include at least one of:
(i) a photovoltaic solar farm;
(ii) a photovoltaic solar farm with energy storage system;
(iii) a wind farm;
(iv) a wind farm with energy storage system,
(v) an energy storage system;
(vi) an electric vehicle battery charging system; and
(vii) a voltage source inverter-based facility;
and wherein said specific inverter-based facilities execute said injecting of controlled reactive power or said absorbing of controlled reactive power using inverter capacities that are not being used for real power generation or real power absorption;
and wherein said specific set of functions includes:
(i) reduction of line losses;
(ii) Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR);
(iii) reduction of load demand,
(iv) reduction of peak demand; and
(v) reduction of energy consumption;
and wherein said power network is one of:
(i) a power transmission network;
(ii) a power distribution network; and
(iii) a combination power transmission and distribution network.