Abstract:
A power distribution/generation system is disclosed for supplying electrical power to a number of sites ( 32, 33, 34 ), one or more of which has a generator ( 53, 1 ) such as a Stirling engine ( 1 ) which is capable of generating electrical power. The generators ( 53, 1 ) are linked together on a local network that is connectable to an external power grid ( 31 ). A controller ( 35 ) can hold the distribution of power so that a site is supplied with electrical power from the local network if its power demand exceeds the power generated by the generators in that network. However, if the total power demand of all the sites in the network exceeds the total power available from the generators in that network, then the controller ( 35 ) causes power to be drawn from the grid ( 31 ) instead.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed to the delivery of energy to consumers, and more particularly to a system which integrates on-site energy generation capabilities with conventional centralized power distribution networks.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Conventionally, the delivery of various types of energy to consumers, such as industries, commercial entities, and residential customers, has been carried out by regulated agencies. For example, in the United States the distribution of electrical power has been serviced by a few thousand regulated monopoly franchises. In many cases, all of the energy customers within a given geographic area rely upon a single electrical power distribution company for their entire supply.  
         [0003]     From the standpoint of the customer, certain inconveniences are associated with the concentration of power distribution in a single entity. Foremost among these is the reliability with which the power is delivered. The ability of a power company to deliver adequate amounts of energy to all of its customers is dependent upon a variety of factors. Among these factors, the one which has perhaps the most significant impact is the weather. Catastrophic weather conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, and the like, can severely disrupt the power distribution facilities, causing customers to lose access to power for hours, days or even weeks at a time. Increasingly volatile weather patterns have exacerbated this problem. Power reliability is also adversely impacted by construction and motor vehicle accidents that disrupt power lines.  
         [0004]     Another factor, which is sometimes related to the weather, is usage. For instance, during hot summer months, the demands of air conditioning and refrigeration systems may surpass the capacity of the power distribution system during peak periods. As a result, the amount of power delivered to each customer is reduced, resulting in so-called “brown-out” conditions. Under these conditions, certain types of equipment may not operate properly, or may fail to operate at all, due to voltage levels that are below minimum specifications, and/or fluctuations that are created by an electrical utility in balancing of loads. This problem becomes more acute with the increasing use of various types of low-power digital electronic equipment, such as computers, which are much more sensitive to variations in voltage levels. Frequent fluctuations in power quality such as dips, surges, sags and spikes are a significant source of annoyance and disruption to consumers. These and other power quality inconsistencies are driven mainly by the factors described above: weather, accidents and grid congestion.  
         [0005]     Another source of inconvenience associated with centralized power distribution is the unpredictability of costs. The cost to traditional utilities of providing power to consumers changes with the season and time of day, in large part due to scarcity of distribution capacity. In an effort to persuade consumers to reduce their usage during peak periods, energy companies may impose higher rates on power consumption based on time of day or power grid usage levels. As a result, consumer&#39;s bills are significantly increased if they must use power during these times, making it more difficult to predict monthly or yearly energy costs.  
         [0006]     Finally, centralized power generation has deleterious environmental impacts. Key environmental concerns associated with power plants are air emissions, water use and aesthetic objections. The distribution and transmission grid also poses both aesthetic and potential environmental hazards. Government regulations to make power generation more environmentally friendly, as well as on plant and grid construction have imposed new cost pressures on power plants, thereby increasing the price of the energy to the consumer.  
         [0007]     In an effort to alleviate some of these inconveniences, particularly those associated with the unreliability of power delivery, consumers may install a local back-up system. Typically, this type of system may comprise one or more electric power generators that operate on fuels such as natural or liquid gas. These generators are designed to replace, or supplement, the power delivered via a centralized electric power grid during those times when the centralized power is not available, or is insufficient to meet the consumer&#39;s needs.  
         [0008]     While the use of local generators provides some relief when centralized power is not available, they do not offer a totally satisfactory solution. For instance, the purchase of the generators, and all related equipment, can represent a significant up-front investment for the consumer, which may take years to pay for itself. Furthermore, the consumer is required to perform regular maintenance on the generation equipment, even though it may not be used for a considerable period of time. In addition, the quality of the power delivered by local generators may be insufficient to meet the consumer&#39;s needs, and are therefore limited to use in emergency conditions.  
         [0009]     It is an objective of the present invention, therefore, to provide on-site power generation capabilities to consumers that can be integrated with the power delivered via a computer-driven centralized network, to thereby ensure the reliable availability of power at a predictable rate, while avoiding the inconveniences typically associated with consumer-owned generation equipment.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Pursuant to the foregoing objectives, the present invention comprises a method and system in which one or more electric power generators are located at or near a consumer&#39;s premises, to provide power which is dedicated to the needs of that consumer. In one embodiment of the invention, the power provided by the on-site generators complements that which is delivered via a centralized power grid network. For example, the on-site generators can be normally configured to provide power to critical components of the consumer, such as refrigeration equipment, and the power requirements of other equipment can be supplied by the power grid. In the event that the power grid is disabled, or is otherwise unable to provide adequate power to the consumer, the on-site generators can be switched to provide power to the other equipment in lieu of, or in addition to, the principally supported components. If necessary, the power that is supplied to the critical equipment, such as refrigeration, can be cycled on and off, to balance the load on the generators.  
         [0011]     In a further embodiment of the invention, a central control facility selectively actuates the on-site generator(s) to intelligently arbitrage between the locally generated power and that which is provided via the grid network, based on a variety of factors. For example, the instantaneous cost of power supplied via the grid network is provided to a processor in the control facility, where it is compared against stored costs of operating the on-site generators. These costs might include the price of fuel required to run the generators, maintenance expenses, other types of service and installation expenses, and finance charges, if applicable. When all of these costs are less than that power company&#39;s charges for the power provided by the grid network, the central control system can selectively actuate the on-site generators, to partially or totally replace power delivered via the grid. Since the costs for operating the generators are known in advance, to a large degree, it becomes possible to guarantee the consumer a maximum price for its power needs.  
         [0012]     In addition to price-based considerations, other factors can also be employed in the decision whether to activate the on-site generators. For example, data relating to weather conditions and peak usage periods can be employed to actuate the generators at times when the delivery of power via the grid is likely to be interrupted or unreliable. In some cases, the utility may be willing to buy back some of the power which it would otherwise provide to the consumer during peak usage periods, which can influence the decision to employ on-site generation.  
         [0013]     As another factor, historical data regarding the consumer&#39;s power usage can be 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.  
         [0014]     The features of the invention, and the advantages provided thereby, are explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1   a  is a general block diagram of a first embodiment of a power supply arrangement in accordance with the present invention under normal supply conditions; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 1   b  is a general block diagram of a first embodiment of a power supply arrangement in accordance with the present invention when power via the grid is interrupted or diminished;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a general block diagram of a second embodiment of a power supply arrangement, having off-site control of on-site generation equipment:  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a more detailed block diagram of the central control facility; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an application of the second embodiment to the management of energy supply for multiple consumers. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to an arrangement in which power generation equipment is located at the site of a consumer, and provides electrical power that supplements and/or replaces the power delivered by a centralized power distribution network, such as those affiliated with regional power utilities. To facilitate an understanding of the invention, it will be described hereinafter with reference to its use in connection with the power requirements of commercial enterprises and light industry. It will be appreciated, however, that the practical implementations of the invention are not limited to these particular applications. Rather, in view of the reliability and economic advantages offered by the invention, it can be used by all types of electrical power consumers.  
         [0021]     A simplified overview of one implementation of the invention is illustrated in&#39;the block diagram of  FIG. 1   a . An electrical power consumer  10  may have a number of different types of electrically powered equipment, which are represented as various loads. For example, if the consumer is a grocery store, some of these loads might include computers, lighting, ventilation and refrigeration equipment. These different loads may have different levels of priority, as far as their power requirements are concerned. For instance, loss of power to the ventilation equipment may pose an inconvenience, but would not require the store to immediately close. The computers and lighting may be required for operation, and so the store may have to close temporarily if they lose power, but is otherwise unaffected. In contrast, the refrigeration equipment is highly dependent upon a supply of reliable power. Interruption of power to this equipment for an appreciable length of time could result in significant losses to the business because of the highly perishable nature of the inventory.  
         [0022]     In the example depicted in  FIG. 1 , therefore, the power requirements for the less critical loads, such as the computers, lighting and ventilation (depicted as Loads  1 ,  2  and  3  in the figure), are normally supplied via a power grid  12  through which the consumer obtains its electrical energy from a local utility, an energy cooperative, or the like. In contrast, the more critical energy requirements of the refrigeration equipment, Load  4 , are supplied by an on-site generator  14 . Thus, even if the electrical power from the grid should diminish and/or be interrupted, due to weather, excessive loading, etc., the critical load will remain operational.  
         [0023]     In the event that the supply of electricity via the power grid is interrupted or diminished, the on-site generator  14  can be employed to service one or more of the other loads which would be adversely affected by the interruption. For example, the consumer may specify that, if there is a power outage, the lights and computers must remain operable, whereas the ventilation is not as critical. To accommodate this situation, the individual loads can be selectively toggled between the power grid and the on-site generator by means of associated transfer switches  16   a - 16   d . In the event of a power outage, therefore, the transfer switches for the lights and the computers can be switched to connect them to the power supplied by the generator  14 , as depicted in  FIG. 1   b . To prevent an interruption in the power that is supplied to the load as the switch is made from the power grid to the on-site generator, and thereby provide virtual synchronization of the locally-generated power with the grid, the switches preferably include an ultra capacitor, or the like, which can store and provide high-wattage power for the brief period of time while the switching is taking place.  
         [0024]     The decision to switch additional loads to the on-site generator  14  can be based solely upon the ability of the power grid  12  to provide reliable, high-quality power to these additional loads. For instance, in a fairly simple mode of operation, the lower priority loads can always remain connected to the power grid  12 , except when there is a complete power outage. In this case, their respective transfer switches  16  are actuated to connect them to the on-side generator  14 . The actuation of the switches  16   a - 16   d  can be carried out manually by someone at the consumer site, or automatically in response to sensors  17  that detect a loss of power from the grid  12 , or a decrease in current and/or voltage below a preset threshold. In another implementation of this embodiment, the actuation of the switches  16  might be carried out by an off-site control facility which is informed of areas that have lost power via the grid, and toggles the switches to connect them to the on-site generators.  
         [0025]     To accommodate the demand for increased on-site power supply that is represented in the situation of  FIG. 1   b , various implementations can be employed. In one approach, multiple generators can be installed at the consumer&#39;s site, to provide a capacity equal to or greater than the highest expected peak demand for equipment that has been designated as critical by the consumer. For example, the requirements of the refrigeration equipment might be adequately handled by two Generators. To provide increased capacity during power outages, two additional generators can be installed, and remain normally idle when they are not needed. Additional generators can be located at the consumer&#39;s site for additional redundancy. When the switches  16   a - 16   d  are actuated to switch any of the loads from the power grid  12  to the on-site generator  14 , such action can also cause the additional generators to be automatically turned on, and connected to the load. Preferably, when multiple generators are present, an on-site controller is employed to sense the level and quality of the power from the grid, and actuate the switches  16  and generators  14  accordingly. The controller also senses the demands of the various loads, and operates to distribute the loads among the generators. The controller can be a general purpose or special purpose computer, for example.  
         [0026]     Alternatively, or in addition, the power that is supplied to the refrigeration load can be cycled on and off, to balance it among the requirements of the other loads. This approach is practical for loads such as refrigeration, which are capable of operating effectively while the power is being cycled, due to the operational “inertia” inherently associated with them. More particularly, once the perishable items have been cooled to an appropriate temperature, it becomes feasible to divert the power to other loads until such time as the temperature rises to a level that requires further cooling.  
         [0027]     The on-site generation equipment  14  can be one or more of the various types of self-contained power supplies. One example of such a power supply is a fuel cell which is capable of meeting the on-site generation needs of a consumer. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the on-site generation equipment comprises microturbine generators. To be effective in meeting the on-site generation needs of a consumer, particularly in situations where total loss of power from the grid occurs, the on-site generator should possess the following characteristics: 
        (1) Unlimited ability to follow changing loads;     (2) Ability to start and operate with full functionality whether in conjunction with or independent from an external power source, such as the power grid;     (3) Ability to provide unaffected service despite large, unpredictable inrush currents such as those associated with starting motors at a commercial or light industrial locations;     (4) Environmental emissions performance sufficient to allow full-time operation without violating environmental regulations. 
 
 An example of a microturbine generator which possesses these features is described in commonly assigned, co-pending application Ser. No. 09/034,259, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       
 
         [0032]     Generally speaking, the embodiment of  FIG. 1  can be considered to be a “reactive” arrangement for the management of energy supplies, in which the decision to switch between the power grid and the on-site generation equipment is carried out in reaction to the state of the power grid. In a further embodiment of the invention, additional factors beyond the state of the power grid can be employed in determining whether to connect loads to the power grid or the on-site generation equipment. A general overview of this embodiment is depicted in  FIG. 2 . In addition to being reactive to conditions at the site, the embodiment of  FIG. 2  is “pro-active” in operation, in that the decision whether to employ on-site generation facilities is also based on a larger, and somewhat predictive, range of input parameters.  
         [0033]     As in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the embodiment of  FIG. 2  includes one or more loads at the consumer&#39;s site  10 , which can be selectively connected between the power grid  12  and on-site generation equipment  14  by means of transfer switches  16 . These switches are actuated in response to commands that are provided from a control facility  18 , as well as in response to sensors  17  or an on-site controller, as described previously. The control facility also sends commands to the on-site generation equipment  14 , to cause it to start up or shut down, as necessary. Preferably, the control facility  18  is located at a site remote from the consumer, from which it is able to manage the energy supply for a number of different consumers.  
         [0034]     The commands which are issued by the control facility  18  to actuate the switches  16  and activate the generator  14  are based upon various types of data from different sources.  FIG. 3  illustrates the control facility  18  in greater detail. The facility includes a processor  20 , which can be a general purpose or special purpose computer, for instance. This processor receives the data and generates commands to control the switches and on-site generators. Some of this data is received in real time from external sources, whereas other data is stored at the control facility, in one or more tables and/or databases.  
         [0035]     One type of data that is employed by the processor  20  is the pricing of the power that is supplied by the power company  22 , through the power grid  12 . With the deregulation of the power companies, time-of-day pricing becomes more prevalent, and it is feasible to evaluate the costs of grid versus on-site power on a continuing basis. The example of  FIG. 3  illustrates the situation in which the price data is provided in real time by the power company. As an alternative, the data may be published on a day-ahead or hour-ahead basis. In this case, it can be downloaded on a timely basis, e.g. from a site on the Internet, and stored locally at the central control facility. This data is compared against the costs that are associated with operating the on-site generation equipment  14 . These costs can include the charges for fuel that is consumed by the equipment, such as the prices for natural gas or any other type of hydrocarbon fuel that might be employed to run the equipment. These prices might be stored in a table  24  that is updated on a regular basis from information provided by the suppliers of the fuel. Other costs that might be included in this process include those associated with the regular maintenance of the equipment, the costs for the installation and marketing of the equipment, which might be amortized over its life, finance charges, and the like. These costs could be stored in another table  26  within the control center  18 . The processor  20  compares the aggregate of these generator-related costs against the rate structure for the power company. From this comparison, a determination is made whether it is more economical to employ power from the grid  12  or to use the on-site generation equipment  14 .  
         [0036]     In effect, therefore, the control center  18  functions to arbitrage between the grid power and the locally generated power. This capability is facilitated by having on-site power generation which is capable of being substituted for the power grid, such as that provided by the microturbine generators described previously.  
         [0037]     The decision to switch between the two different power sources can be made on a relatively simple basis. Whenever the cost of power supplied over the power grid  12  is less than the aggregate costs of operating the on-site generator, the switches  16  can connect the loads to the power grid. When the cost of grid power exceeds that of on-site generation, the appropriate switches are activated to connect the loads to the local generators. To avoid frequent switching between the two sources, for instance when the respective costs are fluctuating in narrow ranges that are close to one another, it may be preferable to employ a form of hysteresis, or a minimum difference, before switching from one source to the other.  
         [0038]     In addition to pricing types of considerations, other factors are preferably employed by the control center to determine when to switch between grid power and locally generated power. Current weather conditions, such as temperature and humidity, can be received on a real-time basis and evaluated against statistical data  28  stored in the central control facility to determine the likelihood that an outage will occur in the power grid. This evaluation can also include geographically related factors, such as the altitude of a particular consumer&#39;s site. In the event that there is a reasonable probability that a power outage might occur at a consumer&#39;s site, based upon the statistical data  28 , the control center can switch the loads over to the on-site generation equipment as a pre-emptory move, rather than wait until an actual outage occurs. In addition to interruptions due to adverse weather conditions, the statistical data  28  can be used to predict when loads may change, prices may change, or the reliability of the grid may vary, and switch between the power sources accordingly.  
         [0039]     Another factor in the switching decision can be historical usage data of the consumer. For each consumer, therefore, the control facility can store a profile in a database  30 , which might include the usage data, geographical data, etc. The usage data might indicate patterns of peak demand that can be anticipated to determine when additional power may be needed. For instance, in the case of a restaurant, the usage data may show that, at 4:00 a.m. each day, the load increases significantly, as grills and ovens are first turned on. This information can be used to determine whether to start an additional generator at that time, to accommodate the increased demand.  
         [0040]     The data profile can also include information regarding the operating parameters of the on-site generation equipment which provides the most efficient and/or economic operation. For example, if each generator operates most efficiently above a certain level of output power, it may be advisable to turn one or more generators off if they are all currently operating below that level.  
         [0041]     Each of these various factors can be appropriately weighted relative to one another and combined in the processor  20  to produce a decision whether to maintain the connection to the current power source or switch to the alternative one. If a decision is made to switch to the alternative source, a command is sent to a controller interface  32  identifying the particular switches to be activated. If an on-site generator needs to be started, the command can also identify this fact. In response, the controller interface sends signals to the designated switches and generators to carry out the necessary actions. These signals can be transmitted through any suitable medium, such as via telephone, cable, dedicated lines, over the Internet using TCP/IP protocol, satellite and other wireless transmissions, etc.  
         [0042]     At the consumer&#39;s site, the signals from the central control facility  18  are received at equipment  34  that is analogous to a “set-top box” used for cable and satellite communications. For instance, if the internet is used as the medium to transmit the control signals, each receiver  34  can have its own IP address for receiving packets of control information from the central site. Preferably, the receiver  34  is implemented within an on-site controller that functions to dispatch the power requirements among multiple generators, as described previously. Upon receipt, the receiver decodes each packet and sends a command to the appropriate switch  16  to connect its associated load to the power grid or on-site generator, as required. The receiver can also send commands to the individual oil-site generators to start up or shut down, as necessary.  
         [0043]     In a preferred implementation of the invention, the consumer-site receiver can also provide information upstream regarding the status of the switches  16  and the on-site generators. For instance, each generator which is currently operating can provide information to the on-site controller regarding its power output. The controller can provide this information to the central control facility  18 , to thereby indicate the percentage of each generator&#39;s capacity that is being utilized. If the percentage reaches a threshold level, the control facility can issue a command to start another generator, to thereby provide sufficient extra capacity in the event that a power boost is needed, for example when a compressor motor starts up. Conversely, if multiple generators are operating at a low percentages the control facility can send a command to shut down one or more of the generators, to thereby reduce on-site power generation costs. Alternatively, the distribution of the power requirements among multiple generators can be carried out locally by the on-site controller.  
         [0044]     The upstream transmission of data to the central control facility also provides usage data that can be employed to update the consumer&#39;s profile in the database  30 . In addition to providing information regarding the utilization of the individual on-site Generators, it may be desirable to obtain information about the total power utilization at the consumer&#39;s site, whether that power is being supplied via the power grid or the on-site generators. This data can be obtained by sensing the current consumption at each load, for example, and uploading it to the central control facility on a regular basis. e.g. every five minutes, once an hour, etc.  
         [0045]     The example of  FIG. 2  illustrates a single consumer&#39;s site connected to the control center. In a practical application of the invention, the control center can be employed to monitor and control the on-site generation equipment of multiple consumers in a geographic area, as depicted in  FIG. 4 . Such a grouping of consumer sites under the control of a central facility can form a local network of controlled sites, which might encompass a well-defined area such as a city block or neighborhood. Each of these local networks can, in turn, be subnetworks within a larger network of power-managed sites. Some of the in-put information, such as pricing data and weather data, can be used to collectively control the on-site generation equipment at all of the consumers sites within the network. Other input information, such as historical usage data and consumer demand information that is stored in the database  30 , can be employed to selectively control each consumer&#39;s site individually or within the local network. While the example of  FIG. 4  depicts each consumer&#39;s site as having three on-site generators, labeled A, B and C, it will be appreciated that the sites could have different numbers of generators which are suitable to handle the particular requirements of those sites, respectively.  
         [0046]     In another aspect of the invention, the on-site generation equipment can be used to complement the resources of the power company. For example, in periods of high demand, the power grid may not have the capacity to deliver a reliable level of power to all consumers. Rather than impose a brown-out condition under these circumstances, the power company  22  can present requests to the control center to keep the on-site generation equipment operating during these periods, and thereby reduce the load on the power grid. With this approach, the on-site generation equipment not only facilitates the on-going operation of the individual consumer to which it is connected, but also works to the advantage of all other consumers of the power company, by alleviating the possibility of an extended brown-out condition.  
         [0047]     From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides an arrangement which enables on-site power generation to be successfully integrated with centralized power delivery, in a manner which provides the consumer with power at the most economical rate available, while meeting the consumer&#39;s service needs as to reliability, power quality and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, by switching between centrally delivered power and locally generated power in an intelligent manner based upon a variety of factors, the present invention operates in both a reactive and a pro-active manner to ensure a reliable source of power to the consumer at all times. As a result, it becomes possible to effectively arbitrage between the power grid and the on-site generation, so that power can be delivered to the consumer at a guaranteed constant price.  
         [0048]     It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.