# US 2012/0074779 A1 · System and method for phase balancing in a power distribution system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0074779 A1 - Document ID: US20120074779A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/893,864 - Filed: 2010-09-29 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-29 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jason Wayne Black; Kannan Natarajan Tinnium; Ronald Ray Larson; Xiaofeng Wang; Harjeet Johal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120074779A1 ## CPC - H02J 3/26: Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks - H02J 3/003: {Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand} - Y02E 40/50: Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks - Y04S 10/50: Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications - 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 - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A phase balancing system includes a load forecasting module, a phase unbalance identification module and a demand response module. The load forecasting module determines a load forecast for the distribution system for the period of interest and the phase unbalance identification module determines voltage unbalance on the distribution system for the period of interest. The demand response module estimates an available demand response on the distribution system for the period of interest and allocates an optimized demand response from the available demand response to minimize the voltage unbalance on the distribution system for the period of interest. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A phase balancing system for a distribution system comprising: a load forecasting module for determining a load forecast for the distribution system for a period of interest; a phase unbalance identification module for determining voltage unbalance on the distribution system for the period of interest; a demand response module for estimating an available demand response on the distribution system for the period of interest; wherein the demand response module is further configured for allocating an optimized demand response from the available demand response to minimize the voltage unbalance on the distribution system for the period of interest. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The phase balancing system of claim 1, wherein the load forecasting module comprises at least one of a regression algorithm, a time series algorithm, a neutral network algorithm, a fuzzy logic algorithm or a statistical learning algorithm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The phase balancing system of claim 2, wherein the load forecast is determined based on time, weather conditions, customer types, distribution system conditions and historical data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The phase balancing system of claim 3, wherein distribution system conditions include topology of the distribution system, location of customers along the network, and information on control devices. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The phase balancing system of claim 4, wherein information on control devices includes information on voltage regulators and capacitor banks. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The phase balancing system of claim 1, wherein phase unbalance identification module comprises a load flow algorithm to determine voltage information at various nodes in the distribution system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The phase balancing system of claim 6, wherein the voltage information comprises a voltage angle and a voltage magnitude information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The phase balancing system of claim 6, wherein the load flow algorithm comprises of numerical methods such as William Kersting's backward/forward sweep algorithm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The phase balancing system of claim 1, wherein the demand response module comprises a critical peak pricing (CPP) program, a variable peak pricing (VPP) program or a direct load control (DLC) program. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The phase balancing system of claim 1, wherein the period of interest comprises a number of time steps. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The phase balancing system of claim 1, wherein the period of interest comprises an hour, a day or a week. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The phase balancing system of claim 1, wherein allocating an optimized demand response comprises utilizing one of a dynamic programming, an evolutionary programming, a neutral network and fuzzy system, a heuristic technique, a genetic algorithm, or an interior point method to identify the optimized demand response. ### Claim 13 A method for phase balancing in a distribution system comprising: determining a load forecast for the distribution system for a period of interest; determining a voltage unbalance on the distribution system for the period of interest; estimating an available demand response on the distribution system for the period of interest; and allocating an optimized demand response from the available demand response to minimize the voltage unbalance on the distribution system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the load forecast is determined based on time, weather conditions, customer types, distribution system conditions and historical data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein determining the voltage unbalance comprises determining voltage information on each of the node in the distribution system by applying a load flow algorithm on the load forecast. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage information comprises a voltage angle and a voltage magnitude information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the load flow algorithm comprises of a numerical method such as William Kersting's backward/forward sweep algorithm ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein determining the available demand response comprises utilizing at least one of a critical peak pricing (CPP) program, a variable peak pricing (VPP) program or a direct load control (DLC) program. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein allocating an optimized demand response comprises utilizing one of a dynamic programming, an evolutionary programming, a neutral network and fuzzy system, a genetic algorithm, or an interior point method to identify the optimized demand response. ### Claim 20 A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions of a computer program that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for phase balancing in a distribution system comprising: determining a load forecast for the distribution system for a period of interest; determining a voltage unbalance on the distribution system for the period of interest; estimating an available demand response on the distribution system for the period of interest; and allocating an optimized demand response from the available demand response to minimize the voltage unbalance on the distribution system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein load forecast is determined based on time, weather conditions, customer types, distribution system conditions and historical data. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining the voltage unbalance comprises determining voltage information on each of the node in the distribution system by applying a load flow algorithm on the load forecast. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the voltage information comprises a voltage angle and a voltage magnitude information. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the load flow algorithm comprises of a numerical method such as William Kersting's backward/forward sweep algorithm ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining the available demand response comprises utilizing at least one of a critical peak pricing (CPP) program, a variable peak pricing (VPP) program or a direct load control (DLC) program.