EP2359452A2

EP2359452A2 - Computer-supported method for optimizing energy usage

Info

Publication number: EP2359452A2
Application number: EP09768509A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sahin Albayrak; Wolfram MÜNCH; Lars Walch; Thorsten Niehaus; Alois Kessler; Hellmuth Frey
Original assignee: EnBW Energie Baden Wuerttemberg AG
Current assignee: EnBW Energie Baden Wuerttemberg AG
Priority date: 2008-11-21
Filing date: 2009-11-20
Publication date: 2011-08-24
Also published as: DE102008037576A1; WO2010057987A3; WO2010057987A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer-supported method for monitoring, controlling and optimizing energy usage in a system made up of mobile energy sources, an energy network, a fixed energy supply connected to the energy network, energy consumers connected to the energy network and fixed docking stations for mobile energy users, said stations likewise connected to the energy network. The system is controlled through autonomous agents, wherein said agents assume a representative function relative to the components of the system. The agents associated with the fixed energy supply and the mobile energy sources negotiate, amongst themselves, the time points and the amounts of energy to be exchanged, and then provide the controls necessary for the energy transfer, incorporating other agents if necessary.

Description

Computer-aided process for optimizing energy use

The invention relates to a computer-aided method for monitoring, controlling and optimizing the use of energy in a system comprising at least one mobile energy source, an energy network, a fixed energy supplier connected to the energy network, one or more energy connected to the energy network Consumer and a fixed docking station for mobile energy sources connected to the energy network.

Today, the electrical energy for the supply of households is almost completely produced by the energy supply companies (eg EnBW, Vattenfall etc.). The feed-in of energy into the public electricity grid in the private environment is only a small percentage. It is mainly isolated biogas and photovoltaic systems that make this feed. In Germany, the regenerative electricity generated in this way must be purchased by energy providers at a fixed price fixed by the state. Electricity produced by power plants is traded on the European Electricity Exchange EEX in Leipzig. In principle, a distinction is made between long-term contracts, which ensure basic provision and short-term trading, the so-called spot market. The megawatt hours are traded on this spot market, which are still in reserve with the operators of the power plants and may still be needed by the energy supply companies, since the power requirement can not be completely predicted but must always be balanced with the power supply, otherwise the energy supply collapses. In the field of regenerative energies, such as solar energy, there are efforts to save energy when it is not needed, or when it produces too much to be released when conditions can not produce enough. In particular, salt melts are used here, which store the heat absorbed or produced and can release it at a later time. In the field of wind turbines or Photovoltaic systems are switched off corresponding facilities when the electricity produced is not needed or it is simply lost.

A research project of the "Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization" (CSIRO) deals with the avoidance of peak loads by measures of energy saving with different agents (see also hrtp; / 7w ^^

Consumption reduced in a system, but there is no redistribution of

Load instead. The regulation is therefore accompanied by a restriction of consumption.

Moreover, in the context of electric vehicles, it is known that with a client-server architecture e.g. Owners of PHEVs ("plug-in hybrid electric vehicle") can define parameters, which are then set as the default for charging the car battery (V2Green Inc., Seattle, USA - "Smart Charging" and Vehicle-to-Ghd Services) , The charging process of a vehicle connected to the power grid is coordinated centrally by the grid operator, so that he can better distribute the total load of the power grid over time. The V2Green product also provides loading and unloading services, so that vehicles can be used not only as an "energy buffer" but also as an energy source for the grid, but operations can not be managed remotely or on the spot but always includes the network operator, such as in a field trial the Seattle City Light, with a.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method which enables a distributed, flexible energy management. It should be achieved an optimization of energy use and in particular a smoothing of the load curve in energy consumption in a system. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following. The object is achieved by an inventive method according to claim 1. It is preferably a computerized method of optimizing energy usage in a system including at least: a mobile energy source,

an energy network, the energy preferably being electricity and the energy network preferably being the public electricity network,

a fixed power supplier connected to the power grid, said power utility being understood to mean an energy supply company and / or an infrastructure comprising means for conducting energy and / or producing energy, the energy preferably being electricity and the means for producing energy are preferably power plants, - one or more energy consumers connected to the energy grid, and

a stationary docking station for mobile power sources connected to the power grid, the method comprising at least the following steps (where the order does not necessarily have to be as specified): a) providing at least three agents, wherein

- At least one agent (Car Agent, CA) is running on a computer that is associated with a mobile energy source, and

at least one agent (station agent, SA) is executed on a computer which is assigned to a docking station,

- At least one agent (energy supplier agent, EA) is executed on a scalable computer system, which is connected via an interface with the docking station, wherein the scalable computer system can also be multi-distributed computer, via interfaces and / or a B) calculating a forecast of the energy needs of the energy consumers and determining the amount of energy needed and the times when these amounts of energy to meet the energy needs of the energy Energy consumers are required, the information on the set amounts of energy and times and / or information derived therefrom is transmitted to the EA or calculated by the latter, wherein the forecast of the energy demand is preferably the course of energy demand over time, c) calculation of a Predicting the energy needs of the user of the mobile energy source, as well as determining the amount of energy needed and the times at which these amounts of energy to meet the energy needs of the user are needed, the information on the set amounts of energy and times and / or information derived therefrom to an agent (Deputy Car Agent, DCA), which is executed on the scalable computer system, wherein the forecast of the energy demand is preferably the course of the energy demand over time, d) establishing a communication link between the DCA and an agent (marketplace Ma rodent agent, MMA), which is scalable

E) establishment of a communication link between EA and MMA, f) provision of an interaction protocol by the MMA, g) interaction of the EA with the DCA according to the interaction protocol, based on at least the information on the amounts of energy and

Times from b) and / or c) or the information derived therefrom a determination is made by at least:

- An amount of energy that is to be transferred from the mobile energy source to meet the energy needs of energy consumers in the power grid or

- An amount of energy that is to be transferred from the energy network to the mobile energy source to meet the energy needs of the user of the mobile energy source, and

h) dock the mobile energy source to the docking station and control the transmission of the specified amount of energy from the mobile energy source to the power grid, or vice versa, preferably through the SA to the specified one Time. Preference is given to the sequence of steps given above, wherein the sequence of steps a), b) and c) and optionally f) may be arbitrary with one another. However, the order of the steps may also be arbitrary, it being preferred that the sequence of steps a), b) c) and optionally f) is arbitrary with one another, at least a) (preferably also b) and c)) but before steps d) and e) are carried out, and steps d), e) and, if appropriate, f) are arbitrary in their sequence, but these are carried out before steps g) and h) and wherein steps g) and h) in the order g), h), and in addition that, apart from the said rules, the order preferably takes place according to the ABC.

The present invention describes a technical possibility of implementing trade in energy with mobile energy sources. Preferably, one or more of the mobile energy sources are energy storage devices, in particular batteries, wherein one or more of the mobile energy sources are preferably parts of vehicles, in particular of electric vehicles and / or hybrid vehicles. In this document, the terms "vehicle", "car", "electric car", "electric vehicle" or "battery" in addition to the meaning of the words in addition or alternatively (and / or) any mobile energy source to be understood. Accordingly, "load" is also generally understood to mean the supply of energy to the mobile energy source and "discharge" is generally understood to mean the delivery of energy from the mobile energy source In the following discussion, the mobile energy source is exemplary as a vehicle whose battery is used as an energy supplier, whereby the vehicle is loaded or unloaded via a docking station.

The invention provides an (energy) marketplace that connects supply and demand for energy at docking stations for mobile power sources. This energy trading platform forms the basis for the system according to the invention. On the platform, it is possible, according to various auctioning and trading principles, to use energy, preferably in the form of energy packaging. keten to act. This is done by the mentioned agents according to a suitable interaction protocol, which allows the implementation of the desired trading principle or auction principle. The interaction protocol is provided by an agent (Marketplace Manager Agent, MMA) on the marketplace platform (scalable computer system). The MMA acts as an interface between the individual providers and buyers in the marketplace.

An above-mentioned method is particularly advantageous if the interaction protocol is one of the following protocols:

- an auction log,

- a Contract Net Protocol, or other supply-demand protocol,

an Iterated Contract Net protocol,

- a FIPA English Auction Protocol, - a FIPA Dutch Auction Protocol.

In particular, a method according to the invention is preferred when the MMA has several different interaction protocols. Each provider or requester (DCA and / or CA and / or EA) in the marketplace may prefer to choose the interaction protocol to use. However, it may also be preferred for the MMA to select the interaction protocol.

The marketplace (Energy Marketplace, Marketplace Platform) consists of a scalable computer system on which a multi-agent system runs as a basis. This computer system is connected to the stations via an interface. Alternatively, the computers associated with the stations may be the scalable computer system, ie, the marketplace platform. As mentioned, the marketplace and / or the MMA via the use of interaction protocols preferably several market mechanisms, such as various auction types such as Dutch auction, English auction and fixed price offers with appointment binding available. The Energy Marketplace has special agents that represent the interests of energy providers (utilities, mobile energy sources, etc.). This means that they are in a position to replace offers in their place. to make or accept energy purchases or sales. Each docking station is represented by its own agent, the Station Agent (SA). The docking stations preferably communicate via a secure Internet connection with the marketplace. The SA can act as a representative of the cars that are connected to the same station and make their spare capacity available to power plant operators or other energy suppliers. The SA can then submit offers for energy packages, representative of the connected cars. The cars (or other mobile energy sources) can also operate on the marketplace themselves and are then represented by their own agent. It can either be the agent associated with the mobile energy source (Car Agent, CA), or it can be another agent that owns the CA and / or the mobile energy source user in the marketplace represents. An agent representing a mobile energy source on the marketplace should be referred to in this document as the Deputy Car Agent (DCA).

An above-mentioned method is therefore preferred when the DCA is one of the following: the CA, with the CA previously transferred to the scalable computer system,

- the SA,

a further agent created on the scalable computer system and / or when the MMA is the SA, wherein the computer associated with the docking station is preferably the scalable computer system or a portion thereof.

For example, as an energy provider, the DCA indicates how much energy can be released together with a time frame and a minimum price, eg 10kWh in the next two hours for 0.1 O € per kWh. These values are combined into an offer, which is then published on the marketplace. Is there an energy buyer who meets these conditions? A contract between the supplier and the customer is concluded. For example, the buyer may be an energy supplier who is represented on the marketplace with his own agent (energy supplier agent, EA) or another mobile energy source.

Of course, energy suppliers and consumers must first determine their own energy needs and, in the case of utilities, the energy needs of energy consumers to decide when to buy or sell energy. An above-mentioned method is particularly advantageous if the calculation of the forecast of the energy consumption of the energy consumers and / or the definition of the required amounts of energy and the times at which these amounts of energy to meet the energy needs of energy consumers are needed, at least on the basis the following information is provided:

the estimated total energy consumption Z of the energy consumers at the (future) times T _G -T _H (G ₁ H e IN; C≤G≤H, where "e" means "is element of" and where "IN" means "Natural numbers"), wherein the energy consumption of the energy consumers (or a subset thereof) at the times Ti-Tc (C ε IN, C ≥ 1) or a subset thereof is measured, wherein from the power consumption at the times Ti -T c (C ∈ IN; C ≥ 1) or a subset thereof of the total energy consumption G at the times T ₀ -T _E (D ₁ E e IN; I ≤D≤E≤C) is calculated and then, on the basis of at least the total energy consumption G at the times T ₀ -T _E or a subset thereof, a calculation of the estimated total energy consumption Z at the (future) times T _G -T _H (G ₁ H e IN; C≤G≤H) is performed, and

- the estimated electricity price at the times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof, the price of electricity being predicted on the basis of the normal tariffs for electricity and / or special climate tariffs and / or trading of spot or derivatives on electricity exchanges, and /or

- the current price of fuel and / or the estimated fuel prices at the times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof and the efficiencies of the power plants operating on the fuels, fuel prices being preferably predicted on the basis of the current fuel prices, and / or - the cost of the fuel Energy production and / or

the environmental conditions measured at the times Ti-Tc or a subset thereof, the environmental conditions preferably being the wind force and / or temperature and / or solar radiation and / or daylength, and / or the anticipated environmental conditions at the times T _G -T _H and the efficiencies of power plants that use these environmental conditions for energy production, wherein the environmental conditions are preferably the wind strength and / or temperature and / or solar radiation and / or day length and / or season and / or amount of rainfall, and /or

the result of a calculation which is carried out to determine how much of the estimated total energy consumption Z at the times T _G -T _H and / or of the total current energy consumption by nuclear plants can be covered at a cost lower than the anticipated one Electricity price at the times T _G -T _H and / or

the result of a calculation to determine how much of the estimated total energy consumption Z at the times T _G -T _H and / or the current total energy consumption is covered by energy from one or more mobile energy sources connected to the energy network can and / or how much energy can be delivered from the energy network to mobile energy sources, such that: the value of the total energy consumption Z plus the energy delivered to the mobile energy sources and minus the one covered by the mobile energy sources Share T has over the times T _G -T _H fluctuations less than the estimated total energy consumption Z and / or so that the costs for the coverage of the total energy consumption are minimal. An inventive method as described above is also particularly advantageous if the calculation of the forecast of the energy demand of the user of the mobile energy source, and / or the definition of the required amounts of energy and the times at which these amounts of energy to meet the energy needs of Users of the mobile energy source are required, at least on the basis of the following information:

a user-defined, scheduled charge and / or discharge of the mobile energy source at times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof, which is provided to an agent by the user via a user interface and / or

the amount of energy measured by measuring means supplied to or discharged from the mobile energy source at the times Ti-Tc or a subset thereof, and / or the environmental conditions measured at the times Ti-Tc or a subset thereof the environmental conditions are preferably wind strength and / or temperature and / or solar radiation and / or daylength, and / or

the anticipated environmental conditions at the times T _G -T _H , the environmental conditions preferably being the wind force and / or

Temperature and / or solar radiation and / or day length and / or season and / or rainfall is, and / or

- the expected energy price at the times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof, the energy price preferably coming from the trading of spot or futures products on electricity exchanges, and where the energy price is preferably the electricity price, and / or

- the price of fuel.

A named multi-agent system consists of a system of decentralized, distributed autonomous software units. These units, the agents, can be located in whole or in part in different runtime environments (virtual machines, operating systems, etc.) and are therefore also suitable for operation on heterogeneous systems of different types Hardware or for distributed systems. It is therefore also possible for the computers associated with the docking stations and / or the computers associated with the mobile energy sources to form the scalable computer system or a part thereof. In general, each agent watches over a specific domain (eg mobile energy source, station, etc.) and solves relevant problems independently. The agents have the ability to autonomously decide on specific issues in their domain and are able to communicate about these issues and issues with other agents about their communicative abilities. In this case, the communication preferably takes place on a semantically high level (speech file), which allows the agents to exchange general information (preferably ontology-based), but also to communicate information about the problem or the problem solution and moreover meta-information. This allows all agents of the system to track a possible global destination for all agents, describe it, break it down into subproblems, and distribute the subproblems as tasks for resolution to different agents. It can also be the basis for joint planning and coordination of agents with each other in relation to a particular goal. The fact that the MAS is composed of several agents that can run in different, distributed environments and take on a variety of tasks, the system can develop a high degree of flexibility in terms of the objective. For example, the agents could monitor their environment and intervene directly in certain events or take appropriate action only after consulting with other agents. All of this may depend on the overall objective of the agent system, if one exists. In this way, the system can always respond optimally to specific processes and coordinate measures accordingly.

The DCA submit the quotes or requests from the connected car (CA) agents. If a contract has been concluded, the SA, in consultation with the CA in the vehicle, preferably releases the specified amount of energy for the calculated period. As a system and / or method for billing, a system and / or a method according to DE 10 2008 044 526.6-32 is preferably used.

Among other things, the mobile energy sources are intended to eliminate or at least significantly reduce the peak load problem and to cover a large proportion of the demand for control current in the electricity grid. They act as decentralized energy stores, which can preferably be used as energy buffers by the local energy providers if required. In large cities, most of the cars are in park state 90% of the time. During this time, it will be possible to smooth the load profile curve of the energy distribution system operators. The cars' CAs can report to the higher-level grid management system how much energy they can provide for how long and how much energy they will need. The higher-level energy management system can now calculate an optimal energy distribution over time and communicate this to power plant operators for the creation of the roadmap. They can operate the power plants so much more efficiently because more power plants can operate in the optimum range. The costs saved here for the peak and regulatory load can be passed on to the consumer in the form of a more favorable tariff and as a credit to motorists (users of mobile energy sources) who make their energy sources available to the system. In addition, the entire energy grid is stabilized and environmentally harmful emissions can be significantly reduced.

The agents of the system take over the most important decision-making processes of the distributed energy management system. Their main task is to monitor situations, to anticipate behavior of the system or the user and to optimize the system. Also, errors must be detected and communicated and corrected accordingly. The Station Agent runs on a computer associated with a docking station for mobile power sources. The docking station (station) preferably takes over the regulation of the charge or discharge of the mobile energy source. This process is preferably controlled via one (or more) energy meter, which measures the quantities of energy transmitted and transmits them to the station computer (s). The station itself preferably consists of several components, an electrical component and a computer system. The housing of the station is preferably weatherproof and easy to set up, so that the station can be easily placed in any parking lot. The only requirements for this are a connection to the electrical supply network and a communication link, preferably an Internet connection. The potential operators of these stations are primarily energy distribution system operators, energy suppliers and power plant operators. In addition, of course, cooperation with vehicle manufacturers and vehicle dealers is conceivable. The station preferably has several interfaces to the outside, so that several cars can log on and connect to a station. Each of these interfaces may be configured to connect various types of mobile power sources, such as a plug-in hybrid car or an electric car. It is also possible via this interface both to give energy to the car and to absorb energy from the car. Accordingly, the circuit can deal with different voltages of different mobile energy sources, ie, for example, different battery types in the car. The circuit is also preferably able to supply different voltages at different current levels in order to charge different battery types without damaging the battery.

The CA is located on a computer which is assigned to the mobile energy source, for example a computer in the vehicle owner's vehicle. He has access to the internal software mechanisms of the mobile energy source. This allows it to receive and monitor current values of the state of charge of the battery (or batteries). He also has additional information about the activities and plans of the vehicle user. at possibly alarming states of the battery (state of charge, discharge) he tries to initiate countermeasures. He communicates with the SA and tries this always preferably to transmit a current picture of the state of charge of the battery, so that this can make the discharge of the battery or charging the battery accordingly optimal. The CA is thus responsible for the battery level and its communication, and it monitors other data that exists in the user profiles. For example, the driver profiles are regularly updated with the routes and battery capacity needs. Furthermore, the charge and discharge limits of the battery are always kept up to date and preferably communicated regularly to the SA. The CA is able to record the charge and discharge of the mobile energy source as well as related activities. For example, if the mobile energy source is a vehicle, the CA can record traveled distances and correlate them with the amount of energy used to predict the duration of the trips, the associated energy consumption, and the energy costs of the future can. The CA also has an interface for the user / driver, which can be used to record their interests and cover their information needs. The charging and discharging periods are also preferably set by the CA and it ensures secure communication with the SA.

The Marketplace Manager Agent (MMA) is used to negotiate with sellers and buyers on a marketplace platform. It preferably manages the log-on and log-off handling of the CA, and prefers to locate suitable power suppliers (power companies) represented by agent agents on the marketplace platform (utility agent, EA) , Both suppliers and buyers can submit offers to the MMA. He also takes over part of the negotiations with the energy providers. The MMA is preferably responsible for accepting bids and negotiating with the energy providers. If the CA has corresponding constraints on energy providers, eg because If there are strong ties, the MMA prefers to look for a suitable provider. If the provider is found, the MMA mediates between the two parties until an agreement is found. Alternatively, offers are available that the CA can check with the MMA.

A method according to the invention as described above is particularly advantageous when the CA performs at least the following functions:

Providing an interface through which the user of the mobile energy source can query information and / or enter information, preferably with regard to this information, plans for the use of the mobile energy source and / or information on the permissible minimum amount of energy in the mobile Energy source include, and / or

Management and updating of information concerning the user of the mobile energy source, including, in particular, the planned use of the mobile energy source and, in the event that the mobile energy source is a vehicle, the planned use are preferably scheduled trips, and / or

- recording the distance traveled, the time taken and the associated energy consumption, and predicting the duration of planned journeys and associated energy consumption when the mobile energy source is a vehicle, and / or

Monitoring the state of the mobile energy source and / or the amount of energy stored in the mobile energy source, and / or

Initiation of countermeasures in the event of a critical condition (for example, excessive discharge of the battery, etc.) of the mobile energy source and / or if a certain amount of energy in the mobile energy source is undercut, and / or

- Regulation of the flow of energy from and to the mobile energy source, and / or

Establishment and / or maintenance of a secure communication connection to the SA and / or the DCA and / or the MMA, and / or

Exchange of authentication data with the SA and / or transmission of authentication data to the SA. The agents coordinate independently. In doing so, they authenticate each other and exchange required data. The authentication is preferably carried out by common public-key method. In the following, advantageous embodiments with respect to the individual interactions between the agents will be described, with the example of a vehicle being assumed as the mobile energy source. Of the remarks, however, should (as mentioned above) in each case also includes a general mobile energy source.

The interaction of CA and SA begins with a login (login) of the CA at the SA and ends with a logout. The session is preferably initiated after the vehicle has docked to the charging station. After the successful handshake (i.e., mutual authentication), the CA sends data regarding the state of charge of the battery. The CA exchanges information with the SA about the offered energy prices. Afterwards, the CA submits its offer. If the SA or the MMA can find a suitable provider, then the SA or the MMA notifies the CA of the providers and their offers. If the physical connection between the vehicle and the docking station is disconnected, the CA is deregistered at the SA and preferably the communication link is also resolved by mutual agreement.

The SA or the MMA sends the offer (buy / sell), which it has previously received from the CA, preferably to all EA. These in turn send your offers to the SA or MMA. Preferably, the SA or the MMA now selects the best offers, ie either determines the best offer, or it records a number of the best offers, which it then forwards to the CA. The CA selects an offer from this set of offers and now preferably contacts the corresponding EA who issued the offer and initiates the execution of the offer, ie the loading or unloading of the mobile energy source. The SA or MMA thus preferably assumes the role of a broker who, on behalf of the agents (CA, DCA, EA), issues a bid invitation for their bids. It is also possible that the bidding can be made to any known or any eligible Agents (in particular the EAs and / or CAs) is sent with the order to submit an offer within a certain period of time. Once this is done, the best offers are passed on to the CA who then selects a suitable partner to execute the offer.

An above-mentioned computer-assisted method can advantageously be used when the MMA and / or the SA performs at least the following functions:

Interaction with the CA and / or DCA according to the interaction protocol and

Determining when a mobile power source is approaching the docking station, wherein it is preferred that a broadcast signal determines whether a mobile power source is approaching the docking station and / or a mobile power source is present in the vicinity of the docking station and / or - Establishment and / or maintenance of a secure communication link to the DCA and / or CA and EA, and / or - exchange of authentication data with the CA, and / or

- Carrying out a handshake with the CA, wherein after transmission of the correct authentication data from the CA to the SA, the mobile energy source is connected by means of a power transmission device to the power grid, and / or - function as a communication bridge between EA and DCA, in particular for the communication of the information on the specified amounts of energy and times and / or the information derived therefrom, and the prices associated with that amount of energy, and / or

- Recording the energy flow from the energy network to the mobile energy source and vice versa.

The software components of the system and in particular the agents should be designed flexibly, ie a management of the software components should be made possible, by which one understands all measures of the runtime environment in order to ensure a smooth course of the desired functionalities. This includes the management of the software components' life cycle, the insertion / removal of functionality, fault diagnosis, monitoring (monitoring) of the components and the Locate the components by means of automatic, self-controlled mechanisms. These mechanisms are part of the runtime environment of the software components and serve in part as an infrastructure for the specific functionalities specified in the context of energy transfer in this document.

Another aspect of agent interaction is security. Since personal data on the car, energy consumption, etc. are transmitted and communicated during operation of the system, appropriate security measures must be taken at the software level to prevent possible misuse of this data. This includes actions that appropriately authenticate the user of the mobile energy source (or the CA) and / or the utility (or EA) and verify its authorization. For the auction on a marketplace platform, in particular, it must be ensured that the authenticity of the buyer's / seller's representation claim is met. To ensure that the information exchanged between the individual agents can not be received by third parties, it must be ensured that the communication takes place only between the intended participants. For this purpose, the communication is encrypted accordingly. The data (user profile, etc.) are stored in such a way that access is only possible for authorized persons.

The interaction of the agents is governed by interaction protocols. Preferred embodiments of such protocols are described below.

The finding of the agents, for example finding a CA by an SA, preferably takes place in the environment of an ad hoc network connection. Therefore, the easiest and quickest way to locate an agent of the broadcast, which allows all agents who receive it, to respond to this broadcast request. The initiator makes a request for a broadcast to which a peer receiving this request can respond. As soon as the initiator receives an answer, he can start to establish a session. For example, the session between CA and SA is initiated after the Car was docked to the charging station and is preferably via a secure Wi-Fi connection. After the successful handshake (ie, mutual authentication), the CA sends data regarding the purchase intent (SpeculationProfile) to the MMA, which is preferably an SA, in particular to the SA running on the computer, associated with the station to which the car is docked. It may be particularly preferred if the CA independently makes contact with agents of nearby stations, ie even without the vehicle being connected to a station. Thus, supply and demand information is available earlier in the marketplace, extending the time horizon for planning for both energy suppliers and energy consumers, thereby increasing the stability of the system. Only for the charging or discharging of the mobile energy source, a connection to a station is then still necessary and this can be scheduled according to the results of the negotiations on the marketplace (ie the resulting obligations).

Of particular importance are those interaction protocols that govern events on the marketplace platform, i. the various auction and trading principles by which energy is traded. The collaboration in a multi-agent system according to the invention can be carried out with different strategies, i. using various interaction protocols. Examples include the contract net and auctions.

The Contract Net Protocol (CNP) is an interaction protocol that allows agents to collaborate with each other. It has the advantage that this collaboration between distributed agents can be completely automated. It has also been established as standard in the FIPA standardization process (Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents). The CNP allows for distributed problem solving or negotiation of terms on an electronic marketplace that can be bought or sold. The CNP works by having an initiator issue a bid for a specific task. This call contains specific conditions for a particular issue (for example, a purchase price for a particular item). This call will now be sent to a group of agents who might be able to accept the offer. Some agents will propose an offer (with different conditions) and others will not respond within a given time. Others will decline to participate. The initiator then checks the offers and will accept what is most favorable for him and reject the remainder. Thus, a contract (English, contract) is established, which now applies between the supplier and the customer. Thus, the provider is obliged to execute the offer. A variant of the Contract Net Protocol is the Iterated Contract Net, which is similar to the Contract Net. It also starts with the tender of the initiator to the participants. However, in order to obtain the best possible conditions, the initiator can renew the invitation to tender over and over again. This will always be announced to the participant who has responded to the previous tender with acceptable conditions. All others are rejected. As soon as the initiator accepts an offer, the procedure is the same as in the normal Contract Net.

Auctions are a method of determining a price for a sales item. The price arises from the fact that suppliers and buyers agree on a selling price through a suitable mechanism, which is limited in time. In doing so, certain bids can be made for the item of sale that can be accepted or rejected by the seller. There are different auction options, which often depend on the cultural environment or the sales product. The best-known variants of the auction are the English auction and the Dutch auction. These will be described in a later section.

At auctions, the representation aspect of the agent plays a major role. This means that the agent is acting on behalf of and acting on behalf of a particular buyer or seller, a natural or legal person. Of the Agent is equipped with all rights to handle the intended business accordingly. To do so, it will be given specific strategies that will allow it to do business optimally and within the imposed limits (with all legal consequences). So at an auction, the agent with a particular strategy would try to sell a sale item within a certain time and price range. There are numerous approaches for different systems to realize auctions under MAS. Among other things, FIPA has specified suitable interaction protocols for the various auction strategies ([FIPA English Auction] and [FIPA Dutch Auction]). Of importance may also be a specification for a personal travel agent (see [FIPA Personal Travel Assistant]), which provides different pricing strategies for travel planning. However, this specification has not been fully realized. There is also a competition, the Trading Agent Competition, where agents compete against each other in relation to specific scenarios. The scenarios are (also) based on a travel agent scenario and a supply chain scenario. Auctions are used in the Travel Agent scenario (see [Trading Agent Competition], [TAC Classic] and [TAC SCM]).

The FIPA English Auction Interaction Protocol (see [FIPA English Auction]) works as follows: The bidders in such an auction are the auctioneer and the bidders. When a sale object is auctioned, that object usually has a certain market value. The auctioneer initially sets a selling price of the item at a price below the market value and attempts to raise that price successively. The current price is always announced to the bidders, whereupon they can accept the purchase of the item at the price. As soon as a prize is accepted, the auctioneer announces a new, higher price and waits to see if it is accepted, and the process repeats itself. The auction ends as soon as there are no more bidders willing to accept a prize. The last accepted price of a bidder is the determined selling price of the sale object, if this Price is above the desired price of the seller. Otherwise the object will not be sold.

At the Dutch auction according to FIPA Dutch Auction Interaction Protocol (see [FIPA Dutch Auction]) the auction starts with a price fixing above a presumed market value and will be successively reduced during the auction. If a bidder accepts the announced price, the auction will be terminated otherwise a lower price will be assessed and continued until the market value is reached. If the market value falls below, the auction is also terminated.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures and examples, but these show or describe only preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the subject invention is not limited to these embodiments.

pictures:

Fig. 1: simplified representation of the system

Fig. 2: Procedure of the CA in the negotiation of energy transfers Fig. 3: Purchase of energy from the perspective of the energy supplier Fig. 4: sale of energy from the perspective of the energy supplier

Example 1 :

Here, the Contract-Net method should be used as an example. In principle, it is the same for demand and supply of energy. If the vehicle user wants to offer energy, the process is as follows:

For example, in an urban area, the vehicle user is looking for a parking space nearby a shopping street. Through UMTS (or similar technology), the computer in the vehicle connects to a service that manages locations and connections to docking stations. About it connects the Car Agent (CA) deals with the MMA of a marketplace and informs him how much energy he wants to provide in which interval at which conditions. The parameters of the transaction can be the energy (quantity) to be transferred, the maximum duration of the transaction, the time, the maximum energy flow and other technical, financial and application-related factors. The offer can in principle also transmit to the CA several stations and / or several marketplaces (or one or more of the agents provided thereon, preferably the MMA) in succession. The MMA will now submit this offer to various Energy Demand Agents (EA, CA or DCA) represented on the marketplace, which will then return an offer for the transaction. Among these offers, the most efficient from the point of view of the initiator is chosen and confirmed between the corresponding market participants. The MMA monitors and documents the initiation and execution of the transaction. Following the submission of the first offers, the energy demanders can carry out further iterations of negotiations with selected market participants in a more complex procedure. This iterated Contract Net Protocol can further increase the efficiency of the transaction.

Example 2

The described distributed energy trading system includes at least mobile energy sources, stations and utilities. The users of the mobile energy sources and the energy providers can each buy or sell energy. As a platform for the purchase or sale of energy used on the stations (energy) marketplaces on which agents as representatives of the actors enable energy transactions.

The search for marketplaces and the negotiation of conditions from the point of view of mobile energy sources is as follows: the CA, which is located on a computer in the car, either decides on surplus energy of the battery, based on user preference or energy consumption prognosis. sell or buy energy for the battery. Of course, current energy costs play a role here. Through a search, the CA finds the appropriate marketplaces and contacts the energy providers (or the EA).

The approach of the CA in negotiating energy transfers is as follows (see Fig. 2): The basis for the calculations are factors such as the car usage history (201), the battery state (202) and the scheduled activities with the Car (203). Furthermore, external factors play a role (traffic, weather, etc., (204)). From these factors, the CA calculates a forecast of energy usage (205) that determines current and / or future energy needs. From this expected energy demand is calculated the energy that can be delivered without any problems (206) or must be included after the predicted energy use to meet the demand. If the mobile energy source contains more energy than is necessary to meet the demand according to the predicted energy use, it could be sold, for example. In the case of a purchase, it is determined how much energy is needed for the battery. Then a search (207) determines a number of decentralized energy marketplaces with which the CA wants to negotiate. In the next step, on the determined energy marketplaces with the representatives (agents) of energy suppliers (EAs), other mobile energy sources (DCAs), etc. there are negotiated (208) the conditions on which energy should be sold or bought , In the last step, a transaction plan is set, after which the energy transfer has to take place, i. the conditions (location, time, energy, etc.) for the energy transfer are defined.

From the point of view of the energy supplier (see Fig. 3), who is represented by an agent (EA) on the marketplace, there are different influences to consider when purchasing energy. At least the energy demand of energy consumers has to be taken into account (301) and the current costs of producing energy (302). Furthermore, the supply of energy from mobile energy sources has to be estimated (303), which provides an up-to-date overview of the energy offered on the energy marketplaces. presupposed at that time. Then, demand, supply, and costs can be matched to see if (and how much) energy should be sourced from mobile energy sources (304). In the case of a positive decision, an offer will be calculated, which will be formulated for specially tailored energy services, ie "energy packages" (305) .A search (306) will select energy marketplaces to offer and, if not present - a proxy agent created in the marketplace (EA) to take over any negotiations (307) In the next step (308) negotiations are then conducted there with suppliers of mobile energy or their agents (DCA). These negotiations will establish the conditions (309) under which the energy transfer is to be carried out (date, period, location of the energy transfer) and the energy utility will then plan this energy transfer.

When selling from the perspective of the energy supplier (see Fig. 4) also the 3 points, energy demand by energy consumers (401), costs of energy production (402) and supply of energy from mobile energy sources (403) are used. It then calculates the costs charged for energy packages to be sold through an energy marketplace (404). A search (405) identifies energy marketplaces over which the energy is to be sold. If there is no agent on a found marketplace that represents the company (energy supplier), an appropriate agent (EA) is created on the energy marketplace (406). He represents the energy supplier in the marketplace during the negotiations (407), which lead to the definition of the conditions (408) under which the energy transfer should be carried out (date, period, place of energy transfer). The energy provider then plans this energy transfer. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

101 market place

102 docking stations 103 utilities

104 Mobile Energy Sources

105 Marketplace Manager Agent (MMA)

106 Energy Provider Agent (EA)

107 Deputy Car Agent (DCA) 108 Energy Network

201 car usage history

202 battery condition

203 Car use: planned activities 204 External factors (weather, traffic etc.)

205 Forecast of Energy Use

206 Calculation of available energy

207 Search for energy marketplaces

208 negotiating conditions 209 Planning: date, time, location for the energy transfer

301 energy demand

302 costs of standard care

303 Supply by Decentralized Mobile Energy Sources 304 Calculation of the demand to be met by energy from mobile energy sources

305 Calculation of the offer for energy packages from mobile energy sources

306 Searching for Energy Marketplaces 307 Optional Generation of a Representative Agent

308 Negotiation of conditions

309 Definition of Date, Period and Place of Energy Transfer 401 energy demand

402 costs of standard care

403 supply by mobile energy sources

404 Calculation of the price of energy packages 405 Search for energy marketplaces

406 Optional generation of a representative agent

407 Negotiation of the conditions of sale

408 Determination of date, time and place of energy transfer

Claims

claims

A computer-aided method for optimizing the use of energy in a system comprising at least:

- a mobile energy source,

- an energy network,

a stationary energy supplier connected to the energy network, one or more energy consumers connected to the energy network, and

a stationary docking station for mobile power sources connected to the power grid, characterized in that the method comprises at least the following steps: a) providing at least three agents, wherein

at least one agent (Car Agent, CA) is running on a computer associated with the mobile energy source, and

at least one agent (station agent, SA) is running on a computer associated with the docking station,

at least one agent (energy supplier agent, EA) is executed on a scalable computer system which is connected to the docking station via an interface, b) calculation of a prognosis of the energy requirement of the energy consumers and definition of the required energy quantities and the times for which these amounts of energy are needed to meet the energy needs of the energy consumers, the information on the set amounts of energy and times and / or information derived therefrom being transmitted to or calculated by the EA, (c) calculating a user energy demand forecast mobile energy source, as well as the required amounts of energy and the time at which these amounts of energy are needed to meet the energy needs of the user, the information to the specified Delivering amounts of energy and times and / or information derived therefrom to an Agent (Deputy Car Agent, DCA) running on the scalable computer system; d) establishing a communication link between the DCA and an agent (Marketplace Manager Agent, MMA); on the scalable

i) docking of the mobile energy source to the docking station and regulation of the transmission of the specified amount of energy from the mobile energy source to the power grid or vice versa at the specified time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the DCA is one of the following:

the CA, the CA being previously transferred to the scalable computer system.

- the SA,

a further agent created on the scalable computer system and / or that the MMA is the SA, wherein the computer associated with the docking station is preferably the scalable computer system or a portion thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interaction protocol is one of the following protocols:

- an auction log, - a contract net log,

an Iterated Contract Net protocol,

- a FIPA English Auction Protocol,

- a FIPA Dutch auction protocol.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the calculation of the forecast of the energy demand of the energy consumers and / or the definition of the required amounts of energy and the times at which these amounts of energy to meet the energy needs of energy consumers are required, at least on The following information is based on:

- the estimated total energy consumption Z of the energy consumers at (future) times T _G -T _H (G ₁ H e IN; C≤G≤H), the energy consumption of the energy consumers or a subset thereof at the times Tc (C e IN; C> 1) or a subset thereof, wherein from the energy consumption at the times Ti-T _c (C ∈ IN, C ≥ 1) or a subset thereof, the total energy consumption G at the times T _D -T _E (D ₁ E e IN; I ≤ D≤E≤C) is calculated and then, based on at least the total energy consumption G at the times T _D -T _E or a subset thereof, a calculation of the expected total energy consumption Z is carried out at the (future) times TG-TH (G ₁ H e IN; C≤G≤H), and

- the estimated electricity price at the times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof, the electricity price being based on the normal tariffs for electricity and / or special climate tariffs and / or information resulting from the trading of spot or derivatives products on power exchanges come, is predicted, and / or

the result of a calculation to determine how much of the estimated total energy consumption Z at the times T _G -T _H and / or the current total energy consumption is covered by energy from one or more mobile energy sources connected to the energy network can and / or how much energy can be delivered from the energy network to mobile energy sources, such that: the value of the total energy consumption Z plus the energy delivered to the mobile energy sources and minus the one covered by the mobile energy sources Share of the times T _G -T _{H has} smaller fluctuations than the estimated total energy consumption Z and / or so that the costs for the coverage of the total energy consumption are minimal and / or - the current or anticipated electricity needs of the operator of the power grid to ensure grid stability, in particular the need for control power.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the calculation of the forecast of the energy demand of the user of the mobile energy source, and / or the definition of the required amounts of energy and the times at which these amounts of energy to meet the energy needs of the user of mobile energy Source will be required, based at least on the basis of the following information:

Information about a user-defined, planned charge and / or discharge of the mobile energy source at the times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof, which have been submitted by the user to an agent via a user interface, and / or Measured by measuring devices amount of energy that has been supplied to the mobile energy source at the times Ti-Tc or a subset thereof or delivered by these, and / or

the environmental conditions measured at the times Ti-Tc or a subset thereof, the environmental conditions preferably being the wind force and / or temperature and / or solar radiation and / or daylength, and / or

- the expected environmental conditions at the times T _G -T _H , where the environmental conditions are preferably the wind force and / or temperature and / or solar radiation and / or day length and / or year time and / or amount of precipitation, and / or

- the expected energy price at times T _G -T _H or a subset thereof, the energy price being preferably predicted from information obtained from the trading of spot or futures products on power exchanges and / or - the price of fuel.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the CA assumes at least the following functions: Providing an interface through which the user of the mobile energy source can query information and / or enter information, preferably using plans for the use of the mobile energy source and / or information on the permissible minimum amount of energy in the mobile energy source. Source include, and / or

Management and updating of information concerning the user of the mobile energy source, including, in particular, the planned use of the mobile energy source and, in the event that the mobile energy source is a vehicle, the planned use preferably scheduled trips, the CA preferably deriving therefrom the non-availability of the vehicle at a docking station, wherein it is preferable for the CA to calculate the demand for power based at least on the scheduled trips, and / or

- recording the distance traveled, the time taken and the associated energy consumption, and predicting the duration of planned trips and associated energy consumption when the mobile energy source is a vehicle, and / or

Monitoring the state of the mobile energy source and / or the amount of energy stored in the mobile energy source, and / or initiating countermeasures in the case of a critical state of the mobile energy source and / or falling below a certain amount of energy in the mobile energy source; Source, and / or

- regulating the flow of energy to and from the mobile energy source, and / or - establishing and / or maintaining a secure communication link to the SA and / or the DCA and / or the MMA, and / or

Exchange of authentication data with the SA and / or transmission of authentication data to the SA.

7. Computer-aided method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the MMA and / or the SA performs at least the following functions:

Interaction with the CA and / or DCA according to the interaction protocol and Determining when a mobile power source is approaching the docking station, wherein it is preferred that a broadcast signal determines whether a mobile power source is approaching the docking station and / or a mobile power source is present in the vicinity of the docking station and / or - establishing and / or maintaining a secure communication link to the DCA and / or the CA and the EA, and / or

Exchange of authentication data with the CA, and / or

- Carrying out a handshake operation with the CA, wherein after transmission of the correct authentication data from the CA to the SA, the mobile energy source is connected to the energy network by means of a power transmission device, and / or

Function as a communication bridge between EA and DCA, in particular for the communication of the information on the fixed amounts of energy and times and / or the information derived therefrom, and the prices associated with these amounts of energy, and / or

- Recording of the energy flow from the energy network to the mobile energy source and vice versa.

8. Computer-aided method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the EA assumes at least the following functions:

Establishment and / or maintenance of a secure communication connection to the MMA and / or the SA and / or the DCA.

9. A computer-aided method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least three agents are executed on the scalable computer system, wherein the three agents is at least one MMA, at least one DCA or EA and at least one other DCA or EA.