73948 results about "Power grid" patented technology

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for autonomous shifting of at least a portion of a lighting load off an energy distribution grid, comprising electrically connecting a lighting device to the energy distribution grid; causing the lighting device to interpret information obtained from an information source proximate the lighting device; and causing the lighting device to select from at least two different power sources based on the interpretation, where selecting may include a sharing of the load between the two different power sources, and where one power source may be the energy distribution grid.

The present invention is a wireless power system which includes components which can be recharged by harvesting wireless power, wireless power transmitters for transmitting the power, and devices which are powered from the components. Features such as temperature monitoring, tiered network protocols including both data and power communication, and power management strategies related to both charging and non-charging operations, are used to improve performance of the wireless network. Rechargeable batteries which are configured to be recharged using wireless power have unique components specifically tailored for recharging operations rather than for providing power to a device. A wireless power supply for powering implanted devices benefits from an external patient controller which contains features for adjusting both power transmission and harvesting provided by other components of the wireless power network.

An expert system manages a power grid wherein charging stations are connected to the power grid, with electric vehicles connected to the charging stations, whereby the expert system selectively backfills power from connected electric vehicles to the power grid through a grid tie inverter (if present) within the charging stations. In more traditional usage, the expert system allows for electric vehicle charging, coupled with user preferences as to charge time, charge cost, and charging station capabilities, without exceeding the power grid capacity at any point. A robust yet accurate state of charge (SOC) calculation method is also presented, whereby initially an open circuit voltage (OCV) based on sampled battery voltages and currents is calculated, and then the SOC is obtained based on a mapping between a previously measured reference OCV (ROCV) and SOC. The OCV-SOC calculation method accommodates likely any battery type with any current profile.

A low attenuation surface wave transmission line system for launching surface waves on a bare and unconditioned conductor, such as are found in abundance in the power transmission lines of the existing power grids. The conductors within the power grid typically lack dielectric and special conditioning. Accordingly, the present invention includes a first launcher, preferably including a mode converter and an adapter, for receiving an incident wave of electromagnetic energy and propagating a surface wave longitudinally on the power lines. The system includes at least one other launcher, and more likely a number of other launchers, spaced apart from one another along the constellation of transmission lines. The system and associated electric fields along any given conductor are radially and longitudinally symmetrical.

A system for electric grid utilization and optimization, comprising a communications interface executing on a network-connected server and adapted to receive information from a plurality of iNodes, the plurality of iNodes comprising a source iNode, a sink iNode, and a plurality of transmission or distribution iNodes, an event database coupled to the communications interface and adapted to receive events from a plurality of iNodes via the communications interface, a modeling server coupled to the communications interface, and a statistics server coupled to the event database and the modeling server, wherein the modeling server, on receiving a request to establish an allocation of at least one of transmission losses, distribution losses, and ancillary services to a specific sink iNode, computes at least one virtual path for flow of electricity between a source iNode and the specific sink iNode and wherein the modeling server further computes, for each transmission or distribution iNode included in the computed virtual path, at least one energy loss and allocates a portion thereof to the specific sink iNode, is disclosed.

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing the control of energy supply and demand. An energy control unit includes one or more algorithms for scheduling the control of energy consumption devices on the basis of variables relating to forecast energy supply and demand. Devices for which energy consumption can be scheduled or deferred are activated during periods of cheapest energy usage. Battery storage and alternative energy sources (e.g., photovoltaic cells) are activated to sell energy to the power grid during periods that are determined to correspond to favorable cost conditions.

Methods and apparatus for providing and controlling power to loads including one or more LEDs. In one example, a controlled predetermined power is provided to a load without requiring any feedback information from the load (i.e., without monitoring a load voltage and / or load current). In another example, a “feed-forward” power driver for an LED-based light source combines the functionality of a DC-DC converter and a light source controller, and is configured to control the intensity of light generated by the light source based on modulating the average power delivered to the light source in a given time period, without monitoring and / or regulating the voltage or current provided to the light source. In various examples, significantly streamlined circuits having fewer components, higher overall power efficiencies, and smaller space requirements are realized. Based on various power driver configurations, lighting apparatus incorporating one or more power drivers for one or more LED-based loads may be implemented, and multiple such lighting apparatus may be coupled together to form a lighting network in which operating power is efficiently provided throughout the network.

A system and method is provided for the inductive transfer of electric power between a substantially flat primary surface and a multitude of secondary devices in such a way that the power transfer is localized to the vicinities of individual device coils. The contact free power transfer does not require precise physical alignment between the primary surface and the secondary device and can allow the secondary device or devices to be placed anywhere and in arbitrary orientation with respect to the primary surface. Such power transfer is realized without the need of complex high frequency power switching network to turn the individual primary coils on or off and is completely scalable to almost arbitrary size. The local anti-resonance architecture of the primary device will block primary current from flowing when no secondary device or devices are in proximity to the local RF power network. The presence of a tuned secondary device detunes the local anti-resonance on the primary surface; thereby enable the RF power to be transferred from the local primary coils to the secondary device. The uniformity of the inductive coupling between the active primary surface and the secondary devices is improved with a novel multi-pole driving technique which produces an apparent traveling wave pattern across the primary surface.

A high efficiency photovoltaic DC-DC converter achieves solar power conversion from high voltage, highly varying photovoltaic power sources to harvest maximum power from a solar source or strings of panels for DC or AC use, perhaps for transfer to a power grid at high power levels with coordinated control possible for various elements. Photovoltaic DC-DC converters can achieve efficiencies in conversion that are extraordinarily high compared to traditional through substantially power isomorphic photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion capability that can achieve 97%, 98%, 99.2% efficiency, or even only wire transmission losses. Switchmode impedance or voltage conversion circuit embodiments may have pairs of photovoltaic power interrupt switch elements and pairs of photovoltaic power shunt switch elements to first increase voltage and then decrease voltage as part of the desired photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion.

A power system employs an outer voltage feedback loop and an inner current feedback loop to control a power converter, such as a DC to AC inverter for transferring electrical power between a power source, for example a photovoltaic array, and a load, for example a power grid. The outer loop accommodates variations in the output of the power source, for example accommodating anomalies in IV characteristics such as IV droop characteristic associated with photovoltaic cells. The outer loop may employ a first control regime or a second control regime, for example, dependent on whether a DC bus voltage or power is smaller than a value corresponding to measurement resolution or expected noise.

The present invention is a wireless power system which includes components which can be recharged by harvesting wireless power, wireless power transmitters for transmitting the power, and devices which are powered from the components. Features such as temperature monitoring, tiered network protocols including both data and power communication, and power management strategies related to both charging and non-charging operations, are used to improve performance of the wireless network. Rechargeable batteries which are configured to be recharged using wireless power have unique components specifically tailored for recharging operations rather than for providing power to a device. A wireless power supply for powering implanted devices benefits from an external patient controller which contains features for adjusting both power transmission and harvesting provided by other components of the wireless power network.

Systems and methods for financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network are disclosed. A multiplicity of active grid elements are constructed and configured for electric connection and network-based communication over a blockchain-based platform. The multiplicity of active grid elements are operable to make peer-to-peer transactions based on their participation within the electric power grid by generating and executing a digital contract. The multiplicity of active grid elements generate messages autonomously and / or automatically within a predetermined time interval. The messages comprise energy related data and settlement related data. The energy related data of the multiplicity of active grid elements are based on measurement and verification. The energy related data and the settlement related data are validated and recorded on a distributed ledger with a time stamp and a geodetic reference.

One or more outdoor lights may operate independently with sensing and control processes mainly on-pole, or may communicate as a networked array of poles, wherein a master / coordinating pole / node transmits signals from the networked array to a control station, and receive signals from the control station for the networked array, via call phone and / or satellite. Independent poles and / or the networked array of poles may be adapted for energy-saving processes; cooperation with the grid; renewable power production and storage by means of solar panels and associated batteries; and / or to provide Wi-Fi hot-spots, public safety alarms, information or data-analysis to the public or customers. An energy-saving active control system controls charging of the batteries and distribution of energy from the solar panel and / or the batteries, so that the batteries remain undamaged, and the light(s) remain operation even during the winter or other long periods of clouds and diffuse light. The active control of energy distribution by a load controller function may include dimming during the night, except when sensors detect motion, and, in extreme cloudy or diffuse-light periods, increasing increments of dimming and / or load shedding, to preserve the batteries and operability.