# US 12,603,501 B2 · Device and method for controlling the voltage of microgrids using a central controller and a second controller > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,501 B2 - Document ID: US12603501B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/037,360 - Filed: 2021-11-17 - Published: 2023-12-28 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-18 - Assignees: Electricite de France - Applicants: Electricite de France - Inventors: Fabien Benavent - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603501B2 ## CPC - H02J 3/32: using batteries or super capacitors with converting means - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02J 3/16: by adjustment of reactive power - H02J 3/48: Controlling the sharing of active power - H02J 3/50: Controlling the sharing of reactive power - Y02E 40/30: Reactive power compensation - Y02P 80/10: Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present invention concerns a device for controlling a plant with an electricity generation and/or electricity storage unit and a connection terminal intended to be connected to a microgrid, comprising an automatic controller (100) configured to compute a setpoint voltage Uref(i) of each unit, members (1, 2, 3, 4i, 5) for measuring or determining a total active power Pcentrale, a voltage URmes of the terminal, of a voltage reference UcentraleRef according to a function f depending at least on the total active power Pcentrale, of a first individual reactive power Qmes(i) of each unit, a first voltage corrector (5), having a second prescribed transfer function corr, the automatic controller being configured to compute UcentraleRef=f(Pcentrale), and Uoffset=corr(UcentraleRef−URmes) and Uref(i)=Uoffset(i)−KUQ(i)−Qmes(i). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for controlling a plant, wherein the plant comprises at least one electricity generation unit and/or at least one electricity storage unit, and at least one common connection terminal, wherein the at least one common connection terminal is connected to the at least one electricity generation unit and/or to the at least one electricity storage unit and to at least one line of an electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, the control device comprising at least one first central automatic controller and at least one second automatic controller for each at least one electricity generation unit and/or electricity storage unit, the at least one second automatic controller being connected to the at least one first central automatic controller, the at least one first central automatic controller being configured to compute and transmit to the at least one second automatic controller at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) of each at least one electricity generation unit and/or of each at least one electricity storage unit, so that a voltage of the at least one common connection terminal is set to a voltage reference UcentraleRef, wherein the at least one first central automatic controller comprises a first member for measuring or determining a total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, a second member for measuring or determining a voltage URmes of the at least one common connection terminal, a third computing member for computing the voltage reference UcentraleRef of the at least one common connection terminal according to a first prescribed function f depending at least on the total active power Pcentrale, each at least one second automatic controller comprises a fourth member for measuring or determining a first individual reactive power Qmes(i) supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller to the at least one common connection terminal, the at least one first central automatic controller comprises a first voltage corrector, having a second prescribed transfer function corr, the at least one first automatic controller being configured to compute UcentraleRef=f(Pcentrale) Uoffset=corr(UcentraleRef−URmes) where Uoffset is a first central offset voltage, computed by applying the second prescribed transfer function corr of the first voltage corrector to a difference UcentraleRef−URmes, the at least one first automatic controller is configured to compute the at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) according to a third prescribed function from the first central offset voltage Uoffset and to transmit the at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) to the at least one second automatic controller for the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or for the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller, the at least one second automatic controller is configured to compute at least a local setpoint voltage Uref(i) for the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or for the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller, according to Uref(i)=Uoffset(i)−KUQ(i)·Qmes(i) where KUQ(i) is a prescribed, non-zero coefficient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first central automatic controller comprises another member for measuring or determining a first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, the first prescribed function f depends at least on: the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, and on the first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first prescribed function f is affine or linear and depends on: the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first central automatic controller comprises another member for measuring or determining a first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, the first prescribed function f is affine or linear and depends: on the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, and on the first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first prescribed function f comprises a hysteresis function, which takes for increasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit: a prescribed nominal voltage value being strictly positive, when the increasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit become higher than or equal to a first prescribed strictly negative active power value while remaining lower than a second prescribed strictly positive active power value, a prescribed minimum voltage value being strictly positive, when the increasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit remain lower than the first prescribed strictly negative active power value, a prescribed maximum voltage value being strictly positive, when the increasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit are higher than the second prescribed strictly positive active power value, the prescribed nominal voltage value being higher than the prescribed minimum voltage value and being lower than the prescribed maximum voltage value, the hysteresis function taking for the decreasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit: the prescribed nominal voltage value, when the decreasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit become lower than or equal to a third prescribed strictly positive active power value while remaining higher than a fourth prescribed strictly negative active power value, the prescribed minimum voltage value, when the decreasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit are lower than the fourth prescribed strictly negative active power value, the prescribed maximum voltage value, when the decreasing values of the total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit are higher than the third prescribed strictly positive active power value, the third prescribed strictly positive active power value being lower than the second prescribed strictly positive active power value, the fourth prescribed strictly negative active power value being lower than the first prescribed strictly negative active power value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first automatic controller further comprises at least a fifth receiving member to receive: first voltage remote measurement values respectively of decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, remote by at least a first non-zero distance from one another and from the at least one common connection terminal of the plant, second voltage remote measurement values respectively of decentralized electricity consumer stations of the at least one line of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, remote by at least a second non-zero distance from one another and from the at least one common connection terminal of the plant, the first prescribed function f comprises: computing a voltage maximum of the voltage URmes of the at least one common connection terminal of the plant and of the first voltage remote measurement values respectively of the decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, computing a voltage minimum of the voltage URmes of the at least one common connection terminal of the plant and of the second voltage remote measurement values respectively of the decentralized electricity consumer stations of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, taking into account a half-sum of the voltage maximum and of the voltage minimum for the computation of the voltage reference UcentraleRef. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the third computing member comprises a second corrector of proportional-integral-derivative type supplying the voltage reference UcentraleRef from the difference between a prescribed nominal voltage of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid and a half-sum of the voltage maximum and of the voltage minimum. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first central automatic controller comprises another member for measuring or determining a first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, the at least one first automatic controller comprises: a sixth member for computing reactive power setpoints of respective decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, remote by at least a non-zero distance from the at least one common connection terminal, which are proportions at least of the first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one first automatic controller further comprises at least a seventh receiving member to receive: third respective reactive power remote measurement values of the respective decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, the sixth computing member being configured to compute a second total reactive power equal to a sum of the first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit and of the third respective reactive power remote measurement values of the respective decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid and to compute the reactive power setpoints of the respective decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid as being proportions of the sum. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the proportions in the reactive power setpoints of the respective decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid correspond to respective ratios of a first prescribed reactive power capacity of the respective decentralized electricity production sources of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, divided by a sum of the first prescribed reactive power capacities of the respective decentralized electricity production sources of the at least one line of the electricity consumption and/or production microgrid and of the second respective prescribed reactive power capacities of the at least one electricity generation unit and/or of the at least one electricity storage unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third prescribed function comprises a division of the first central offset voltage Uoffset by a prescribed nominal voltage of the at least one electricity generation unit and/or of the at least one electricity storage unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one first central automatic controller comprises, as other member, another member for determining the first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit by summing the first individual reactive powers Qmes(i). ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one first central automatic controller comprises, as other member, another member for measuring the first total reactive power Qmes of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit on the at least one common connection terminal. ### Claim 14 A method for controlling a plant, wherein the plant comprises at least one electricity generation unit and/or at least one electricity storage unit, and at least one common connection terminal to at least one line of an electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, wherein the at least one common connection terminal is connected to the at least one electricity generation unit and/or to the at least one electricity storage unit, the method comprising: computing and transmitting by at least one first central automatic controller for controlling the at least one electricity generation unit and/or of the at least one electricity storage unit at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) of each at least one electricity generation unit and/or of each at least one electricity storage unit to at least one second automatic controller for controlling each at least one electricity generation unit and/or electricity storage unit, so that the voltage of the at least one common connection terminal is set to a voltage reference UcentraleRef, measuring or determining by a first measuring or determining member of the at least one first central automatic controller a total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, measuring by a second measuring member of the at least one first central automatic controller a voltage URmes of the at least one common connection terminal, computing by a third computing member of the at least one first central automatic controller the voltage reference UcentraleRef of the at least one common connection terminal according to a first prescribed function f depending at least on the total active power Pcentrale, measuring or determining by a fourth measuring or determining member of the at least one second automatic controller a first individual reactive power Qmes(i) supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or by the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller to the at least one common connection terminal, the at least one first central automatic controller having a first voltage corrector, having a second prescribed transfer function corr, computing by the at least one first central automatic controller UcentraleRef=f(Pcentrale) Uoffset=corr(UcentraleRef−URmes) where Uoffset is a first central offset voltage, computed by applying the second prescribed transfer function corr of the first voltage corrector to the difference UcentraleRef−URmes, computing by the at least one first automatic controller the at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) from the first central offset voltage Uoffset according to a third prescribed function and transmitting by the at least one first automatic controller the at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) to the at least one second automatic controller for the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or for the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller, computing by the at least one second automatic controller at least a local setpoint voltage Uref(i) for the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or for the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller, according to Uref(i)=Uoffset(i)−KUQ(i)·Qmes(i) where KUQ(i) is a prescribed, non-zero coefficient. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of at least one first central automatic controller and at least one second automatic controller, cause the processor to execute operations for controlling a plant, wherein the plant comprises at least one electricity generation unit and/or at least one electricity storage unit, and at least one common connection terminal, wherein the at least one common connection terminal is connected to the at least one electricity generation unit and/or to the at least one electricity storage unit and to at least one line of an electricity consumption and/or production microgrid, the operations comprising: computing and transmitting by the at least one first central automatic controller for controlling the at least one electricity generation unit and/or of the at least one electricity storage unit at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) of each at least one electricity generation unit and/or of each at least one electricity storage unit to the at least one second automatic controller for controlling each at least one electricity generation unit and/or electricity storage unit, so that the voltage of the at least one common connection terminal is set to a voltage reference UcentraleRef, measuring or determining by a first measuring or determining member of the at least one first central automatic controller a total active power Pcentrale of the plant, supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit and/or the at least one electricity storage unit, measuring by a second measuring member of the at least one first central automatic controller a voltage URmes of the at least one common connection terminal, computing by a third computing member of the at least one first central automatic controller the voltage reference UcentraleRef of the at least one common connection terminal according to a first prescribed function f depending at least on the total active power Pcentrale, measuring or determining by a fourth measuring or determining member of the at least one second automatic controller a first individual reactive power Qmes(i) supplied or absorbed by the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or by the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller to the at least one common connection terminal, the at least one first central automatic controller having a first voltage corrector, having a second prescribed transfer function corr, computing (E5) by the at least one first central automatic controller UcentraleRef=f(Pcentrale) Uoffset=corr(UcentraleRef−URmes) where Uoffset is a first central offset voltage, computed by applying the second prescribed transfer function corr of the first voltage corrector to the difference UcentraleRef−URmes, computing by the at least one first automatic controller the at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) from the first central offset voltage Uoffset according to a third prescribed function and transmitting by the at least one first automatic controller the at least one second offset voltage Uoffset(i) to the at least one second automatic controller for the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or for the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller, computing by the at least one second automatic controller at least a local setpoint voltage Uref(i) for the at least one electricity generation unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller and/or for the at least one electricity storage unit associated with the at least one second automatic controller, according to Uref(i)=Uoffset(i)−KUQ(i)·Qmes(i) where KUQ(i) is a prescribed, non-zero coefficient.