US 2026/0229889 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UNPLANNED SEAMLESS MICROGRID ISLANDING

Abstract

A system and method for unplanned seamless microgrid islanding. An islanding breaker may open in an unplanned transition of a plant from grid-tied to islanded. To maintain power to customer loads of the plant, the system and method may use a power plant controller and grid-forming inverters in combination to provide for the seamless and substantially uninterrupted power to the customer loads of the plant in the unplanned transition. For example, upon the islanding breaker islanding, the islanding breaker may send a direct communication, such as via a hardwired electrical connection, to the plant controller indicating that islanding has occurred so that the plant controller is quickly notified of the islanding. After which, the plant controller may generate commands to the grid-forming inverters in order to coordinate the power routed to the microgrid, thereby enabling the seamless and substantially uninterrupted power to the customer loads of the plant.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for unplanned transitioning a plant between grid-tied to a power grid and islanded from the power grid, the method comprising:

receiving, by a plant controller, a direct communication from electronics within or associated with at least one islanding breaker indicating that the at least one islanding breaker has islanded the plant from the power grid;
responsive to receiving the direct communication, performing by the plant controller:
generating, based on power requirements for one or more customer loads of the plant, one or more commands to control grid-forming devices of the plant;
and
sending the one or more commands to the grid-forming devices;
after islanding of the plant and prior to receiving the one or more commands from the plant controller, establishing or maintaining a microgrid by the grid-forming devices independently of one another in order to provide power to the one or more customer loads of the plant;
and
responsive to receiving the one or more commands from the plant controller, modifying operation of the grid-forming devices to operate in a coordinated manner according to the one or more commands in order to maintain the microgrid to provide the power to the one or more customer loads of the plant.

5 more elements

A plant configured as grid-tied to and islanded from a power grid via at least one islanding breaker and configured for seamless transition from the grid-tied to the islanded, the plant comprising:

a plant controller comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive a direct communication from electronics within or associated with the at least one islanding breaker indicating that the at least one islanding breaker has islanded the plant from the power grid;
and
at least one controller in communication with the communication interface, the at least one controller configured, responsive to receiving the direct communication, to:
determine power requirements for one or more customer loads of the plant;
generate one or more commands to control grid-forming devices of the plant;
and
send the one or more commands to the grid-forming devices;
the one or more grid-forming devices configured to:
after islanding of the plant and prior to receiving the one or more commands from the plant controller, establish or maintain a microgrid by the grid-forming devices independently of one another in order to provide power to the one or more customer loads of the plant;
and
responsive to receiving the one or more commands from the plant controller, modifying operation of the grid-forming devices to operate in a coordinated manner according to the one or more commands in order to maintain the microgrid to provide the power to the one or more customer loads of the plant.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for unplanned seamless microgrid islanding

Life of this patent

System and method for unplanned seamless microgrid islanding

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20