Time-variant, multi-stage control system

A control system comprising:

• an input port configured to receive time-varying electric power;
• a plurality of output ports, each output port configured to supply electric power to a respective associated process of a plurality of processes;
• and
• a first controller configured to automatically allocate, in real time, at least a portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port between respective output ports of the plurality of output ports, based on respective characteristics of the plurality of processes, so as to maximize instantaneous aggregate production by the plurality of processes;
• wherein
• a first process of the plurality of processes comprises an electrochemical desalination process;
• a second process of the plurality of processes comprises a pumping process configured to pump a fluid within the first process;
• and
• the first controller comprises a feedforward controller configured to solve a system of equations at an interval:
• {
• i
• ⁡
• (
• V
• )
• =
• r
• i
• ⁢
• i
• lim
• (
• Q
• )
• ,
• P
• el
• (
• V
• )
• +
• P
• pump
• (
• Q
• )
• =
• P
• sol
• (
• t
• )
• ,
• where:
• V is a voltage applied to a stack in the electrochemical desalination process;
• O is a flow rate of water through the stack in the pumping process;
• i is local current density in the stack;
• ilim is limiting current density of the stack;
• ri is a predetermined fraction less than 1;
• Ppump is pumping power of the pumping process;
• Pel is electric power utilized by the stack;
• and
• Psol(t) is instant available power available from the time-varying electric power.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, establish processes for performing a computer-implemented method, the processes comprising:

• a process configured to receive time-varying electric power at an input port;
• a process configured to output power at a plurality of output ports, each output port configured to supply electric power to a respective associated process of a plurality of processes;
• a process configured to automatically allocate, in real time, at least a portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port between respective output ports of the plurality of output ports, based on respective characteristics of the plurality of processes, so as to maximize instantaneous aggregate production by the plurality of processes;
• a process configured to automatically predict future availability of the time-varying electric power;
• a process configured to send and receive electric power to and from an electric energy storage unit;
• and
• a process configured to automatically allocate, in real time:
• (a) a first portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port to the electric energy storage unit, (b) a second portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port to a first controller for allocation to the plurality of processes and (c) a third portion of power from the electric energy storage unit to the first controller for allocation to the plurality of processes, wherein the second controller is configured to allocate the first, second and third portions based on the predicted future availability of the time-varying electric power and a function.

A control system comprising:

• an input port configured to receive time-varying electric power;
• a predictor configured to automatically predict future availability of the time-varying electric power;
• a plurality of output ports, each output port configured to supply electric power to a respective associated process of a plurality of processes;
• an electric energy storage unit;
• a second controller configured to automatically allocate, in real time:
• (a) a first portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port to the electric energy storage unit, (b) a second portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port to the plurality of processes and (c) a third portion of power from the electric energy storage unit to the plurality of processes, wherein the second controller is configured to allocate the first, second and third portions based on the predicted future availability of the time-varying electric power and a function;
• and
• a first controller configured to automatically allocate, in real time, the second and third portions between respective output ports of the plurality of output ports, based on respective characteristics of the plurality of processes, so as to maximize instantaneous aggregate production by the plurality of processes.

A method for sizing components of a system that comprises a plurality of components that perform a plurality of processes and are controlled by a controller according to a plurality of operational parameters, where various sized components have respective associated costs, the method comprising:

• for each combination of component sizes and operational parameters, of a plurality of combinations of component sizes and operational parameters, automatically modeling operation of the system over a time period, including:
• modeling an input port configured to receive time-varying electric power;
• modeling a predictor configured to automatically predict future availability of the time-varying electric power;
• modeling a plurality of output ports, each output port configured to supply electric power to a respective associated process of a plurality of processes;
• modeling an electric energy storage unit;
• modeling a second controller configured to automatically allocate, in real time:
• (a) a first portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port to the electric energy storage unit, (b) a second portion of the time-varying electric power received at the input port to the plurality of processes and (c) a third portion of power from the electric energy storage unit to the plurality of processes, wherein the second controller is configured to allocate the first, second and third portions based on the predicted future availability of the time-varying electric power and a function;
• modeling a first controller configured to automatically allocate, in real time, the second and third portions between respective output ports of the plurality of output ports, based on respective characteristics of the plurality of processes, so as to maximize instantaneous aggregate production by the plurality of processes;
• and
• modeling production by the plurality of processes;
• and
• selecting a combination of component sizes and operational parameters, of the plurality of combinations of component sizes and operational parameters, in which the modeled production by the plurality of processes meets a predetermined criterion, and cost of the modeled components is minimized.