Energy loads, sources or batteries exchange mathematical models with each other to form clusters of devices that together provide a service (self-reliance, frequency control, etc.) to a grid operator. Models are exchanged before or after forming clusters; a particular model is used to control its own device and is also used by another load/source to influence its control policy. Heuristics and an optimization technique (using models) are used to form a cluster of devices. Exchanging models obviates the need for a central entity to directly control loads/sources, and the need to exchange real-time data between loads/sources, providing resilience against communication failure. A service manager (demand-response aggregator) sends a service or technical constraints to loads/sources to form clusters on their own. Negotiation between manager and clusters occurs to form consensus on a response. Each device in a cluster is controlled by its own control policy which may depend upon the model of another device in the cluster. If communication is lost the clusters continue to implement the service.
Claim CLM-00001. 1. A method of controlling an energy device, said method comprising:
receiving at each energy device in a pool of energy devices a service context from a central entity that commands each energy device to provide said service to a grid operator; applying a heuristic at a first device agent executing on a first computer representing a first energy device in order to identify a second energy device in said pool; receiving at said first computer a power model of said second energy device identified by said heuristic, wherein a power model of said first energy device exists on said first computer; performing an optimization on said first computer to calculate a value of said first and second energy devices working together to provide said service; forming a cluster of said first and second energy devices; and outputting a first control action from said first device agent to provide a first power level to said first energy device that partially depends upon said power model of said second energy device and that provides said service to said grid operator.
Claim CLM-00012. 12. A system for controlling an energy device, said system comprising:
a central entity computer; a pool of energy devices, each of said devices receiving a service context from said central entity computer that commands each energy device to provide said service to a grid operator, said pool including a first energy device and a second energy device; a first device agent executing on a first computer representing said first energy device arranged to apply a heuristic in order to identify said second energy device in said pool, wherein a power model of said first energy device exists on said first computer, said device agent being further arranged to receive a power model of said second energy device identified by said heuristic, to perform an optimization on said first computer to calculate a value of said first and second energy devices working together to provide said service, and to output a first control action from said first device agent to provide a first power level to said first energy device that partially depends upon said power model of said second energy device and that provides said service to said grid operator.
Claim CLM-00013. 13. A method of controlling an energy device in a self-reliance mode, said method comprising:
applying a heuristic at a first device agent executing on a first computer representing a first energy device in order to identify a second energy device in a pool of energy devices that provides energy complementary to said first energy device; forming a cluster of said first and second energy devices in which a net energy to or from said cluster is minimized; receiving at said first computer a power model of said second energy device, wherein a power model of said first energy device exists on said first computer; and outputting a first control action from said first device agent to provide a power level to said first energy device that partially depends upon said power model of said second energy device.
Claim CLM-00025. 25. A system for controlling an energy device in a self-reliance mode, said system comprising:
a pool of energy devices, each of said devices having a service context that commands each energy device to operate in a self-reliance mode, said pool including a first energy device and a second energy device; a first device agent executing on a first computer representing said first energy device arranged to apply a heuristic in order to identify said second energy device in said pool that provides energy complementary to said first energy device, to form a cluster of said first and second energy devices in which a net energy to or from said cluster is minimized, wherein a power model of said first energy device exists on said first computer, said device agent being further arranged to receive a power model of said second energy device identified by said heuristic, and to output a first control action from said first device agent to provide a first power level to said first energy device that partially depends upon said power model of said second energy device and that minimizes said net energy.
Claim CLM-00026. 26. A method of providing a service to a grid operator, said method comprising:
forming a plurality of clusters of energy devices out of a pool of energy devices, each cluster being formed by exchanging models between energy devices of said each cluster and optimizing said each cluster using said models to provide said service; sending a request from a service manager to said each cluster for a bid that partially provides said service, said each bid being based upon a current multiplier; comparing a total of all bids from said clusters to a bid from said service manger to provide said service; determining that said total of all bids from said clusters is close enough to said service manager bid; and each energy device of each of said clusters implementing a control policy based upon said optimizing of said each cluster, wherein said service is provided.
Claim CLM-00034. 34. A system for providing a service to a grid operator, said system comprising:
a plurality of clusters of energy devices, each cluster being formed by exchanging models between energy devices of said each cluster and optimizing said each cluster using said models to provide said service, wherein each energy device of each of said clusters being arranged to implement a control policy based upon said optimizing of said each cluster, wherein said service is provided; and a service manager computer arranged to send to each of said clusters a request for a bid to partially provide said service and a current multiplier, to receive said each bid based upon said current multiplier from said each cluster, to compare a total of all of said bids from said clusters to a bid from said service manger to provide said service, to determine that said total of all bids from said clusters is close to said service manager bid, and to direct said energy devices to implement said each control policy based upon said each bid from said clusters.
Claim CLM-00035. 35. A method of providing a service to a grid operator using a distributed architecture, said method comprising:
forming a plurality of clusters of energy devices out of a pool of energy devices, each cluster being formed by exchanging models between energy devices of said each cluster and optimizing said each cluster using said models to provide said service; executing a plurality of service manager processes, each service manager process representing one of said clusters and executing on a computer local to one of said clusters; implementing a peer-to-peer consensus-seeking technique in order to iteratively request bids from said clusters using said service manager processes, wherein each of said bids partially providing said service, and wherein said each bid being based upon a current multiplier; comparing a total of all bids from said clusters to a bid from one of said service manager processes that represents a service manger to provide said service; determining that said total of all bids from said clusters is close enough to said service manager bid; and each energy device of each of said clusters implementing a control policy based upon said optimizing of said each cluster, wherein said service is provided.
Claim CLM-00043. 43. A system of providing a service to a grid operator using a distributed architecture, said system comprising:
a plurality of clusters of energy devices, each cluster being formed by exchanging models between energy devices of said each cluster and optimizing said each cluster using said models to provide said service, wherein each energy device of each of said clusters being arranged to implement a control policy based upon said optimizing of said each cluster, wherein said service is provided; and a plurality of computers, each computer representing one of said clusters and executing a service manager process, wherein each service manager process being arranged to implement a peer-to-peer consensus-seeking technique in order to iteratively request and receive bids from other of said service manager processes to partially provide said service based upon a current multiplier, to compare a total of all of said bids from said clusters to a bid from one of said service manager processes that represents a service manger to provide said service, to determine that said total of all bids from said clusters is close to said service manager bid, and to direct said energy devices to implement said each control policy based upon said each bid from said clusters.
Claim CLM-00044. 44. A method of controlling an energy device, said method comprising:
receiving at each energy device in a pool of energy devices a technical constraint of one of said devices or of a power grid from a central entity that commands each energy device to satisfy said technical constraint; applying a heuristic at a first device agent executing on a first computer representing a first energy device in order to identify a second energy device in said pool; receiving at said first computer a power model of said second energy device identified by said heuristic, wherein a power model of said first energy device exists on said first computer; performing an optimization on said first computer to calculate the ability of said first and second energy devices working together to satisfy said technical constraint; forming a cluster of said first and second energy devices; and outputting a first control action from said first device agent to provide a first power level to said first energy device that partially depends upon said power model of said second energy device and that satisfies said technical constraint.
Claim CLM-00045. 45. A system for controlling an energy device, said system comprising:
a central entity computer; a pool of energy devices, each of said devices receiving a technical constraint from said central entity computer that commands each energy device to satisfy said technical constraint, said pool including a first energy device and a second energy device; a first device agent executing on a first computer representing said first energy device arranged to apply a heuristic in order to identify said second energy device in said pool, wherein a power model of said first energy device exists on said first computer, said device agent being further arranged to receive a power model of said second energy device identified by said heuristic, to perform an optimization on said first computer to calculate the ability of said first and second energy devices working together to satisfy said technical constraint, and to output a first control action from said first device agent to provide a first power level to said first energy device that partially depends upon said power model of said second energy device and that satisfies said technical constraint.
