Patent US10018972 Energy Financial Settlements

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Patent US10018972

Issued 2018-07-10

Economic Optimization Of Power Generation System With Alternative Operating Modes

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus including: a controller communicatively coupled to a power generation system and configured to shift the power generation system between a first operating mode and a second operating mode, the second operating mode being different from the first operating mode; and a economic optimization engine in communication with the controller, wherein the economic optimization engine calculates: an economic benefit for shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode based on at least one of a power generation demand, a power generation cost, and an operating condition of the power generation system; and a billing rate per unit of time of operation in the second operating mode based on at least one of the economic benefit, an operating difference between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and a predetermined cost differential.

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3 Independent Claims

1. A power generation system comprising: a controller communicatively coupled to the power generation system and configured to shift the power generation system from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, the second operating mode having a different peak load, base load, and load rate from the first operating mode, wherein the first operating mode and the second operating mode of the power generation system use a same power source; and an economic optimization engine in communication with the controller, wherein the economic optimization engine calculates: an economic benefit for shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode based on a power generation demand, a power generation cost, and an operating condition of the power generation system; and a billing rate per unit of time of operation in the second operating mode based on the economic benefit, an operating difference between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and a predetermined cost differential, wherein the controller shifts the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in response to the economic benefit for shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode being greater than an economic benefit of continuing the first operating mode, and wherein the controller shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode adjusts a controllable component of the power generation system to yield continued operation of the power generation system in the second operating mode with the different peak load, base load, and load rate.
11. A method for economic optimization of a power generation system, the method being implemented with a processing unit of a computing device and comprising: operating a power generation system in a first operating mode having a corresponding peak rate, base load, and load rate; calculating an economic benefit of shifting a power generation system from the first operating mode to a second operating mode, the second operating mode being different from the first operating mode, wherein the economic benefit is based on an operating condition of the power generation system, a power generation demand, and a power generation cost; shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in response to the economic benefit for shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode being greater than an economic benefit of continuing the first operating mode, wherein the shifting includes adjusting a controllable component of the power generation system to yield continued operation of the power generation system in the second operating mode with a different peak load, base load, and load rate relative to the peak rate, base load, and load rate of the first operating mode; calculating a billing rate per unit of time of operating the power generation system in the second operating mode based on the economic benefit, an operating difference between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and a predetermined cost differential; and generating an economic impact vector for integrating the economic benefit and the billing rate per unit of time with a summary of the second operating mode.
20. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for economic optimization of a power generation system, the computer readable storage medium comprising program code for causing a computer system to: operate a power generation system in a first operating mode having a corresponding peak rate, base load, and load rate; calculate an economic benefit of shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to a second operating mode, the second operating mode being different from the first operating mode, wherein the economic benefit is based on an operating condition of the power generation system, a power generation demand, and a power generation cost; shift the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in response to the economic benefit for shifting the power generation system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode being greater than an economic benefit of continuing the first operating mode, wherein shifting to the second operating mode includes adjusting a controllable component of the power generation system to yield continued operation of the power generation system in the second operating mode with a different peak load, base load, and load rate relative to the peak rate, base load, and load rate of the first operating mode; calculate a billing rate per unit of time of operating the power generation system in the second operating mode based on the economic benefit, an operating difference between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and a predetermined cost differential; and generate an economic impact vector for integrating the economic benefit and the billing rate per unit of time with a summary of the second operating mode.