JP7281159B2 - Power and information communication control device and complex network system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power and information communication control device and a composite network system.

Daily social and economic activities depend on electric power. And the daily power consumption is steadily increasing. At present, power generation using fossil fuels accounts for most of the power supply, and there are strong concerns that an increase in power consumption is a factor that accelerates the destruction of the global environment. A shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is being considered, but the current situation is that the shift is not progressing as expected due to issues such as the stability of the power supply and the absolute amount of supply.

While the installation of large-scale power generation facilities using renewable energy has not progressed, the movement of individual consumers to introduce facilities such as photovoltaic power generation is gradually spreading. In addition, the introduction of household storage batteries that store the power generated by such facilities is gradually progressing. In addition, the number of consumers who have introduced EVs (Electric Vehicles) is increasing, and facilities for storing electricity generated at home are being enhanced.

In addition to the environmental changes in terms of facilities as described above, advances in IoT (Internet of Things) technology have enabled adaptive control of power generation and storage facilities owned by individuals. For this reason, a mechanism is being studied to construct an electric power network by connecting the power generation and storage facilities of each household, and utilize the IoT technology to exchange electric power between consumers. Among such power networks, small-scale ones are called microgrids.

The spread of microgrids is expected to promote the shift to renewable energy. As an example, devices called power routers may be utilized within microgrids to control the flow of power. Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose a power router that connects three power lines and controls power flow in three directions. By using this power router, it is possible to create a variety of network configurations that promise a stable power supply with a constant balance between supply and demand even against dynamic fluctuations in the power load. It is expected to support In addition, as shown in Non-Patent Document 3, a passive network configuration has also been proposed in which nodes in a microgrid are connected in a daisy chain with copper cables.

Yuichi Kado, Katsumi Iwatsuki, Keiji Wada, “Multi-port power router and its impact on resilient power grid systems”, Invited paper, SPIE Photonics West 2016, San Francisco, vol. 9772, 9772-18 (2016). Yuichi Kado, Daiki Shichijo, Keiji Wada, and Katsumi Iwatsuki, "Multiport power router and its impact on future smart grids", Radio Science, 51, 1234-1246 (2016). https://www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/sustainable/netzero/objective1_14/index.html

The power routers of Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above are power control devices that configure each node of the microgrid and control the flow of power. Information on time fluctuations of the power load connected to each node of the microgrid is collected by many sensors together with environmental information. The collected information is accumulated in nodes of the information communication network that exist physically independently of the power network. The accumulated information (so-called big data) is analyzed by information processing technology such as artificial intelligence technology and deep learning technology. Then, power transmission control information is generated from the analysis result. The power transmission control information is fed back to the power network via the information communication network and contributes to stabilization of power supply.

A time delay (latency) of several minutes or more occurs in the flow of data signals in the feedback loop associated with the above power control. For example, latency does not pose a problem for load fluctuations that occur gradually over several hours or more, such as changes in sunshine conditions during the day or seasonal changes. However, when charging an EV, a large amount of power of the order of 10 KW (eg, 400 V and 25 A) is consumed instantaneously, causing large fluctuations in the power supply voltage at the start and end of charging. In addition to EVs, similar voltage fluctuations can occur at the start and end of charging of electric power devices equipped with large-capacity storage batteries.

In addition, due to the growing demand for rapid charging, the charging time is being shortened. Such large instantaneous power load fluctuations can hinder stable power supply to peripheral power equipment connected to the microgrid. By arranging large-capacity storage batteries that can absorb the effects of power fluctuations in the microgrid, it is expected that the power supply will be stabilized to some extent.

However, since the capacity and charging/discharging capacity (charging/discharging capacity per unit time) of storage batteries placed in a microgrid are limited, if there is a fluctuation in the power consumed by a specific power device (load fluctuation), In order to stably supply power to other power devices, it is necessary to control which storage battery is connected to which power device, and to control the charge/discharge amount of each connected power device. Therefore, the latency of the power control information is a factor that hinders stable power supply and at the same time is a factor that increases dependence on the storage battery. In other words, this latency exposes the problem of increased cost and increased energy consumption of the power system.

Also, pay attention to the power consumption of the information communication network through which information signals (information collected from sensors, signal processing information for generating meaningful control information from the information, and signals that propagate the control information) are routed. The orientation increases the power consumed by the information communication network in proportion to the physical distance traversed by the information signal. The present inventor considers the microgrid from a broad perspective that includes the relationship between the power network and the information communication network described above, and by improving the node, it is possible to respond to dynamic and difficult-to-estimate small (high-speed) power load fluctuations with a small time constant. Also, we studied a network mechanism that is more stable and can reduce power consumption. For the convenience of explanation, the problems are described using a microgrid as an example, but the problems described above exist regardless of the size of the grid configuration.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a control device and a complex network system capable of further reducing power consumption.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power and information communication control device that functions as one of a plurality of nodes forming a composite network that integrates a power network and a communication network. The power and information communication control device includes a power control unit for controlling the flow of power, a communication control unit for controlling the flow of information signals, and an operation control unit for controlling the operations of the power control unit and the communication control unit. and a power storage unit that stores power flowing through the power control unit and supplies operating power to the power control unit, the communication control unit, and the operation control unit.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to further reduce power consumption.

1 is a schematic diagram showing one configuration example of a composite network system; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a complex network system in which an alternating current (AC) operating area and a direct current (DC) operating area are mixed; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a node (power and information communication control device); FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an optical ADM; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an electric ADM; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a physical network; FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of logical topology update operation when a failure occurs; 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to update a logical topology; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an operation example of a node;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements having substantially the same functions in the present specification and drawings may be denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

The present embodiment relates to a composite network system that builds a composite network in which an electric power network and an information communication network are integrated to achieve power saving and fault tolerance in the event of a disaster at a high level. The composite network system according to the present embodiment will be described below, but prior to this, the necessity of the composite network system will be described first.

Recently, due to the development of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), a super smart society is being realized in which people and things are connected in real time. In such an environment, it is important to maintain the same information and communication network as in normal times even if a disaster occurs. Therefore, realization of an information communication network with resilience is desired. In addition, daily social and economic activities that utilize information communication networks depend on electric power, and the demand for electric power continues to increase along with economic development.

Due to the need to take measures against natural disasters and the protection of the global environment into account, it is important to improve the efficiency of power energy use and advance ICT at the same time in order to realize a super smart society. In terms of improving the efficiency of power energy use, for example, smart meters are used to notify suppliers of the power supply and demand status of consumers, and demonstration experiments of smart grids that adaptively control power generation, transmission, and distribution are being conducted around the world. . Demonstration experiments are also being conducted on microgrids that perform adaptive control for each power network connected to the power system.

Until now, the power network and the information communication network have developed independently, and the infrastructures for both networks have been constructed separately and operated independently of each other. Although smart grids and microgrids use ICT to control power networks, an information communication network independent of the power networks is used for the control. However, as mentioned above, the issues of power saving and strengthening of resilience are common to both networks, and integration of both networks is necessary to realize a super smart society.

This embodiment proposes a composite network system in which the physical topologies of the power network and the information communication network are matched and the nodes and links forming the topologies overlap. The fusion of both networks will improve the efficiency of power energy use, reduce the workload and cost burden of infrastructure development, facilitate the implementation of IoT, strengthen resilience, reduce operating costs, and create more attractive services. Expansion is expected.

The configuration of the composite network system according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

(Configuration example of complex network system)
A configuration example of a composite network system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a composite network system.

FIG. 1A shows microgrids 10 and 20 to which the structure of the complex network system according to the present embodiment can be applied as an example of system configuration. The microgrids 10 , 20 may be powered by an existing power system 30 via distribution facilities 31 , 32 . For example, power (eg DC 400V) is supplied to the microgrids 10, 20 via power distribution facilities 31, 32 and AC (Alternating Current)/DC (Direct Current) converters 13, 23 .

The system configuration example shown in FIG. 1A is merely an example, and the microgrids 10 and 20 may be configured to operate on AC, or may operate on DC as shown in FIG. It may be configured as Also, the interior of each microgrid may be divided into an area operating on AC (AC operating area) and an area operating on DC (DC operating area) (see FIG. 2). Alternatively, one of the microgrids 10 and 20 may be set to the AC operation area and the other to the DC operation area.

The microgrid 10 includes installations 11a, ..., 11g and power routers 12a, ..., 12h. The power routers 12 a , . . . , 12 h are connected via power lines 14 and communication lines 15 . The installations 11a, . . . , 11g are connected to power routers 12a, . The facilities 11a, . Similarly, the microgrid 20 includes facilities 21a, ..., 21e and power routers 22a, ..., 22f.

Note that FIG. 1A schematically shows an EV, a storage battery, a solar panel, housing equipment, and the like. For example, household equipment is connected to the power router 12b as equipment 11b. Household equipment includes a plurality of power appliances such as home appliances and lighting. Housing equipment may also include storage batteries, charging stations, and the like. Also, in the example of FIG. 1A, the EV and the power router are directly connected to each other for simplicity of notation, but the EV and the power router may be connected via a charging station. In this way, the type of equipment is arbitrary. In the following description, the type of equipment may be specifically set and described, but the scope of application of the present embodiment is not limited to that example.

In this embodiment, like the microgrid 10, a link is configured by a composite line that bundles the power line 14 and the communication line 15, and the power routers 12a, . Imagine a system.

For convenience of explanation, the composite network system 100 shown in FIG. 1 configured by the facilities 101a, . In the example of FIG. 1, the microgrid 10 is shown in association with the composite network system 100, but the composite network system 100 is a single microgrid or a system in which a plurality of microgrids are directly connected. can be mapped to the whole of Here, "directly connected" means locally connected without going through distribution lines of the electric power system.

When the AC operation area and the DC operation area are separated in the complex network system 100, the system configuration can be modified as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a composite network system in which alternating current (AC) operation areas and direct current (DC) operation areas are mixed.

In the example of FIG. 2, an AC operation area R1 and a DC operation area R2 are separated. Also, nodes 102b and 102e included in the system configuration of FIG. 1 are replaced with nodes 202b and 202e in the system configuration of FIG. The nodes 202b and 202e have a simple node configuration in which connection ports of power lines connected from other adjacent nodes and facilities are directly connected, unlike the power routers described above. The difference between nodes 102b, 102e and nodes 202b, 202e will be described later.

Installations 101a, . A terminating device is a computer with wireless communication capabilities. A generator is an example of power generation equipment that generates power using renewable energy. A storage battery is an example of power storage equipment that stores electric power. Nodes 102a, .

In the following description, facilities 101a, . . . , 101i may be denoted as facilities #a, . Also, the nodes 102a, . . . , 102m may be denoted as nodes #a, . Also, a link connecting nodes #x and #y (where x and y are any of a, . . . , m) may be expressed as link #xy.

Nodes #a, . The composite network system 100 can take, for example, power states AC shown in FIG. 1B. State A is a state in which all the equipment and nodes are D (the amount of stored electricity is less than the threshold Th). State B is a state in which one or more facilities or nodes are U (the amount of stored electricity is equal to or greater than the threshold Th). State C is the U state for all equipment and nodes. Th is set in advance to be, for example, 20% of the predetermined amount of stored electricity.

When the power state of the composite network system 100 is in state B, the total power consumption by all equipment and nodes exceeds the total power generation by all equipment, and the power storage amount of all equipment and nodes becomes equal to or less than the threshold Th1, the power state changes to state B. Transition from B to state A. Conversely, the power state transitions from state B to state C when the total amount of power generated by all equipment exceeds the total power consumption by all equipment and nodes, and the amount of power stored in all equipment and nodes becomes equal to or greater than the threshold Th2.

When the power state of the composite network system 100 is state C, the nodes #a, . In this case, the power stored or generated by each facility and each node is used for consumption. When each piece of equipment and each node consumes power and the amount of electricity stored in one or more pieces of equipment or node becomes equal to or less than the threshold Th1, the power state transitions from state C to state B. In state B, power is interchanged from the facility in state U, which generates more power than it consumes, to the node or facility in state D.

Each node holds information (state information) about the state of equipment (U or D) and the state of other nodes (U or D). Node and equipment status information is communicated using wired (communication lines) or wireless communication means. The timing for exchanging status information may be a preset constant cycle timing, a preset date and time, or a predetermined number (for example, one or the total number of nodes and facilities). (e.g., 5% of the number of nodes or facilities).

Since each node maintains state information of other nodes and equipment, it can determine the power state (states AC) of the composite network system 100 . In addition, when the power state is in state B, each node determines the source and supply of power according to a predetermined specific logic based on the combination of the node or facility in state U and the node or facility in state D. A destination and a supply route of power can be specified. Then, each node can autonomously control the flow of power based on the specified supply route, and can interchange power within the complex network system 100 .

Since the composite network system 100 integrates the information communication network and the power network, each node instantly grasps its own power consumption and the power consumption and/or storage amount of the equipment connected to itself. In addition, it is possible to instantaneously grasp the power consumption amount and the power storage amount of other nodes and facilities connected to other nodes via the information communication network.

Therefore, in the composite network system 100, information such as power fluctuations can be collected in an order of magnitude shorter than the conventional network configuration in which information is collected via an information communication network that exists physically independently of the power network. It can be carried out.

For example, with the spread of EVs, it is expected that many EVs will be connected to nodes. However, it is possible to stabilize the power supply by predicting the power load fluctuations in advance and realizing real-time power control in response to the power load fluctuations instantaneously. be possible. Furthermore, the amount of power consumed by the information communication network can also be reduced compared to conventional network configurations.

As will be described later, each node includes an element that controls the flow of power (eg, power ADM, etc.) and an element that controls the flow of information communication (eg, optical ADM, etc.). The power consumed by the hardware of each node including these elements also fluctuates according to the flow of power and the flow of information communication (traffic), and the complex network system 100 can sense the amount of fluctuation in real time. Therefore, each node can realize stable power supply by compensating for fluctuations in the power it consumes. In other words, by matching the physical topology of the electric power network and the information communication network, it is possible to grasp in real time not only the power consumption of the equipment connected to the network, but also the entire power consumption including the nodes that make up the network. Feedback control that compensates for As a result, a further reduction in the amount of power consumed by the information communication network and a more stable power supply can be realized at the same time.

The effect of the above-described composite network system 100 can be obtained even when the AC operation area and the DC operation area are separated as shown in FIG. Moreover, the above effects can be obtained not only when the configuration of the composite network system 100 is applied to a single microgrid, but also when it is applied to a network configuration in which a plurality of microgrids are locally connected. Naturally, such a modified example also belongs to the technical scope of the present embodiment.

(Example of node configuration)
The functions of each node described above are implemented by, for example, the power and information communication control device 102 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a node (power and information communication control device).

As shown in FIG. 3 , the power and information communication control device 102 has a communication control section 121 , an operation control section 122 , a power control section 123 , and a power storage section 124 .

The power and information communication controller 102 is connected to three composite lines L1, L2, L3. The composite lines L1, L2, and L3 can be composed of, for example, a composite cable (see FIG. 3A) that bundles a power line composed of a metal wire and a communication line composed of an optical fiber cord. However, the configuration of the composite lines L1, L2, and L3 is not limited to this, and the number, material, and shape of the communication lines and power lines can be arbitrarily changed, and the communication lines and power lines do not have to be integrated.

Power lines 125 a , 125 b , 125 c drawn from composite lines L<b>1 , L<b>2 , L<b>3 are connected to power control section 123 . Communication lines 126a, 126b, and 126c drawn from the composite lines L1, L2, and L3 are connected to the communication control section 121. FIG. In addition, the power lines 125a, 125b, and 125c may be composed of copper wires, superconducting wires, or the like. Further power saving can be achieved by using superconducting wires. The communication lines 126a, 126b, 126c may consist of fiber optic cords.

AC or DC can be applied to each connection port that connects the power lines 125a, 125b, and 125c to the power control unit 123, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to realize the system configuration shown in FIG. 2 in which the AC operation area and the DC operation area are mixed. Each node included in the DC operation area may have a simple configuration in which the power control unit 123 is omitted and the connection ports of the power lines 125a, 125b, and 125c are directly connected. For example, the above-described nodes 202b and 202e (see FIG. 2) have a configuration in which the power control unit 123 is not mounted and the connection ports of the power lines 125a, 125b, and 125c are directly connected. That is, the major difference between the nodes 102b and 102e and the nodes 202b and 202e described above is whether or not the power control unit 123 has an intelligent power control function.

The communication control unit 121 has a wireless I/F (Interface) 127 for performing wireless communication using an antenna 128 . The wireless I/F 127 can convert an information signal flowing through the communication control unit 121 into an RF (Radio Frequency) signal and wirelessly transmit the RF (Radio Frequency) signal. Also, the wireless I/F 127 can construct an autonomous decentralized wireless network (ad-hoc network) with a node group that configures the complex network system 100 . This function makes it possible to provide information and communication services even if an adjacent node fails or a link is disconnected.

The communication control unit 121 controls the flow of information signals transmitted and received via the communication lines of the composite lines L1, L2, and L3. For example, the communication control unit 121 can be configured with an optical ADM (Add Drop Multiplexer). The optical ADM has a function of bundling multiple signals into one stream and a function of separating one stream into multiple signals. A configuration example of the optical ADM will be described later. A router may be used as the communication control unit 121 . A router has a function of adjusting to which port an input signal is output.

The power control unit 123 controls the flow of power transmitted and received through the power lines of the composite lines L1, L2, and L3. For example, the power controller 123 may be configured with a power ADM. A configuration example of the power ADM will be described later. Instead of the power ADM, the power control unit 123 may employ a simple connection configuration in which the connection ports of the three power lines are connected with copper wires or the like. When this connection configuration is adopted, even if the load of the power equipment connected to each connection port fluctuates, disconnection of the connection port and control of power flowing through the connection port are not performed. In addition, although the power equipment connected to each connection port is equally affected by load fluctuations, they gradually settle into a stable state over time, so in environments where load fluctuations are small, there are cases where the above connection configuration is sufficient. Also, the above connection configuration contributes to the cost reduction of the node.

The operation control unit 122 executes processing for exchanging information regarding the configuration of the complex network system 100 (for example, state information of each node and equipment described above) with other nodes. For example, the operation control unit 122 acquires state information from the connected equipment via the communication control unit 121, and transmits it to other nodes along with its own state information. At this time, state information received from other nodes may be transmitted together. The operation control unit 122 also receives state information from other nodes via the communication control unit 121 . It should be noted that the transmission and reception of status information can be implemented by one or both of wired and wireless methods.

For example, the operation control unit 122 monitors states such as the amount of power consumption and the amount of stored electricity of its own node and each power device (equipment) connected to its own node. Monitoring of the state is performed based on sensor data acquired by sensors mounted on or attached to the node or power equipment, for example. Sensor data is collected by the operation control unit 122 and transmitted to other nodes via the communication control unit 121 . On the other hand, sensor data of other nodes are acquired by the operation control unit 122 via the communication control unit 121 . The operation control unit 122 executes sensor data analysis processing and signal processing to generate power control information, and outputs a control signal indicating the power control information to the power control unit 123 . In this manner, the communication control unit 121 and the power control unit 123 operate cooperatively via the operation control unit 122, so that it is possible to instantaneously cope with load fluctuations of power equipment.

The operation control unit 122 also determines the power state of the complex network system 100 (see FIG. 1B) based on the state information of each node. When the power state is state B, the operation control unit 122 controls the power control unit 123 based on predetermined decision logic to adjust the output direction and amount of current flowing through the power lines 125a, 125b, and 125c. When the power state is state C, the operation control unit 122 stops power control for power interchange between nodes.

The operation control unit 122 also has a function (virtual network setting function) of setting a logical network topology (logical topology) different from the physical network topology (physical topology) of the complex network system 100. good. Setting the logical topology will be described later. Note that the operation control unit 122 may cooperate with other nodes connected via a communication line to provide a distributed computing environment.

The functions of the operation control unit 122 as described above are realized by, for example, the following computing circuit. A computing circuit has, for example, a processor, memory, and a connection I/F. The processor may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like. The memory may be ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, or the like.

The connection I/F may be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, IEEE1394 port, SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), or the like. For example, an input interface such as a touch panel, a printer, and a portable recording medium can be connected to the connection I/F. This recording medium may be, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory. The processor can read the program stored in this recording medium, store it in the memory, and control the operation of the computing circuit according to the program read from the memory.

The power storage unit 124 of the power and information communication control device 102 is composed of, for example, a storage battery. A portion of the power flowing through power control unit 123 is stored in power storage unit 124 . Further, the power stored in the power storage unit 124 is supplied to the communication control unit 121, the operation control unit 122, and the power control unit 123 as power for operation.

As described above, in the power and information communication control device 102 , the control of the communication control section 121 and the power control section 123 is integrated into the operation control section 122 . Further, in the power and information communication control device 102, the communication control unit 121 and the power control unit 123 share the power source (electricity storage unit 124). Therefore, a node can be constructed with fewer hardware elements than a conventional power router in which an optical ADM and a power ADM are configured as separate units and each is provided with control means and a power source. Therefore, sharing the control means and the power supply contributes to power saving and cost reduction even for individual nodes.

In addition, when viewed as a whole system, the function of an information node and the function of a power node are integrated within each node, so the power load fluctuation sensor data collected at each node can be immediately transmitted to other nodes. In addition, it is possible to immediately receive and analyze sensor data of power load fluctuations from other nodes, and to reflect it in power control on the spot. As a result, even if a large power load fluctuation occurs instantaneously, the system as a whole can immediately cope with it, and the power supply can be stabilized.

Of course, the combination of both functions can reduce the system introduction cost and operation management cost compared to the case where the information communication and power infrastructure are developed separately. Power saving is also realized. In addition, there is also the advantage that the length of the transmission path for transmitting sensor data and power control information can be shortened by integrating both functions. Due to this advantage, the cost for information communication can be reduced and power consumption can be reduced. Thus, by applying the above node configuration, the above advantages can be enjoyed at the same time.

When an optical ADM is adopted for the communication control unit 121 and a power ADM is adopted for the power and information communication control device 102, a four-terminal transistor (second Further power savings can be achieved by applying a single transistor device in which one gate performs power control and a second gate performs communication control. Power consumption can be further reduced by promoting sharing of other electronic circuits.

(Electric power and information communication control scenario)
As described above, the node according to the present embodiment instantaneously compensates for power load fluctuations of power equipment connected to the network, and realizes highly stable power supply to each connected power equipment. It has characteristic functions. This characteristic function makes it possible to autonomously and adaptively control the amount of power supply and the power supply route. The role played by such a characteristic function in the system and various advantages obtained by the function will be further described along a specific scenario with reference to the system configuration example shown in FIG.

In this scenario, power equipment (loads) such as EV charging stations and home appliances, renewable energy sources (power sources) such as solar panels, and storage batteries that can store surplus power are connected by nodes and links. Assume a microgrid 10 .

Hereinafter, in the microgrid 10, the EV 11d1 is connected to the node 12d via the charging station. It is also assumed that a storage battery 11d2 is connected to the node 12d. When the EV starts to be charged from this storage battery, a large amount of electric power of 10 KW (eg, 400 V and 25 A) class is consumed instantaneously. On the other hand, power consumption stops at the end of charging the EV. Therefore, the power supply voltage fluctuates greatly at the start and end of charging. In the case of fast charging, instantaneous power load fluctuations are even greater. Such power load fluctuations, for example, hinder the stability of power supply to peripheral power devices (household equipment of reference numeral 11b, etc.).

If a large-capacity storage battery (for example, storage battery 11c) capable of absorbing power fluctuations as described above is arranged in the microgrid 10, a stable power supply can be expected. However, if load fluctuations occur that cannot be covered by the storage battery capacity and charge/discharge capacity (charge/discharge capacity per unit time), and if the power control by the power router of each node cannot keep up with the instantaneous power fluctuations, A problem such as a delay in power supply to electric power equipment (household equipment 11b and other node 12e) may occur.

By adopting a node to which the configuration of the power and information communication control device 102 described above or a modification thereof is applied, an instantaneous power load fluctuation that occurs when a charging station in the microgrid 10 starts charging an EV is It is instantly recognized by the sensing monitor function. Further, the information acquired by the sensing/monitoring function is analyzed by the operation control unit 122, and supplied from the storage battery 11c to the charging station that has started charging (for example, the charging station that charges the EV indicated by reference numeral 11d1). It can be used to limit the amount of power to a certain level. In addition, this information is instantaneously exchanged between nodes, and the other electric power equipment is sent to nodes (for example, nodes 12b and 12e) that connect other electric power equipment to the storage battery 11c in the microgrid 10. and the storage battery 11c, and send a command to reconnect to another storage battery (for example, the storage battery 11f) that is not connected to the charging station.

That is, if the configuration of the power and information communication control device 102 described above is applied, which power device is to be connected to which storage battery within the microgrid 10 in response to dynamic and instantaneous fluctuations in the power load. Information for deciding how to appropriately control the charge/discharge amount of each power device connected to the node is instantaneously exchanged between nodes, and the connection and charge/discharge amount control are instantaneously executed. becomes possible. As a result, stable electric power can be autonomously and adaptively supplied to all electric power devices in the microgrid 10 at all times. This means that the information communication network is closed and complete within the microgrid 10, and that the collection of information on load fluctuations of electric power equipment and the transmission of control command information for stabilizing the supply of electric power according to the information are performed. This is an effect that can be obtained by being able to complete it in an extremely short time, and it is an effect that could not be achieved with the conventional microgrid, which involves a large signal delay because the power network and the information communication network physically exist independently. In addition, compared to conventional microgrids, which were equipped with large-capacity storage batteries to prepare for power fluctuations, large-capacity storage batteries are no longer necessary, so system introduction and operation costs can be reduced. It is possible to reduce the power loss that occurs when operating a storage battery with a large capacity, and it is also possible to obtain the effect of suppressing the power consumption of the entire system.

(Configuration example of optical ADM)
Here, the configuration of the optical ADM applicable to the communication control unit 121 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an optical ADM. In the case of the TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) system, the configuration of the optical ADM is as shown in FIG. 4(A). In the case of the WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) system, the configuration of the optical ADM is as shown in FIG. 4(B). Note that the configuration of the optical ADM shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and it is possible to apply an optical ADM other than this configuration to the communication control unit 121 .

As shown in FIG. 4A, the TDM optical ADM has electrical/optical converters 121a, 121b, 121c and an electrical SW (Switch) 121d.

For example, when an optical multiplexed signal obtained by multiplexing optical signals on the time axis is input from the communication line 126b to the optical ADM, and each optical signal is separated and distributed to the communication lines 126a and 126c, the optical ADM operates as follows. do.

First, an optical multiplexed signal is converted into an electrical signal by the electrical/optical converter 121b, and separated into signal components corresponding to each optical signal by the electrical SW 121d. At this time, the electrical SW 121d receives a control signal designating the time slot corresponding to each optical signal, and separates the signal component corresponding to each time slot from the electrical signal. These signal components are input to corresponding electrical/optical converters 121a and 121c, converted into optical signals, and transmitted via communication lines 126a and 126c.

As another example, when optical signals input to the optical ADM via the communication lines 126a and 126b are multiplexed to generate an optical multiplexed signal and the optical multiplexed signal is output to the communication line 126c, the optical ADM performs the following: works like

First, optical signals are converted into electrical signals by electrical/optical converters 121a and 121b, and these electrical signals are multiplexed by electrical SW 121d. At this time, a control signal designating a time slot corresponding to each electrical signal is input to the electrical SW 121d, and the electrical signals are multiplexed by allocating each electrical signal to each time slot. The electric signal after multiplexing is converted into an optical signal by the electric/optical converter 121c and transmitted through the communication line 126c.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the WDM optical ADM has an optical SW 121e, AWGs (Arrayed Waveguide Gratings) 121f and 121g, and optical amplifiers 121h and 121i.

For example, when an optical multiplexed signal is input from the communication line 126b, the optical multiplexed signal is amplified by the optical amplifier 121h and separated into signal components of respective wavelengths by the AWG 121f. Also, the signal component of the wavelength specified by the control signal is separated by the optical switch 121e, and the separated signal component is output to the communication line 126a. The remaining signal components are multiplexed by the AWG 121g, amplified by the optical amplifier 121i, and output to the communication line 126c.

When optical signals are multiplexed, the optical signals input via the optical SW 121e are multiplexed by the AWG 121g. In the above explanation of the optical ADM, the operation as a cross-connect (XC) for line setting was explained, but the function of a layer 2 switch (eg Ether switch) or a layer 3 switch (IP router) is added, It can also be modified to perform signal routing processing by frame processing or packet processing of the transmitted signal. Such a modification naturally belongs to the technical scope of this embodiment.

(Configuration example of electric ADM)
Next, the configuration of an electric ADM that can be applied to the power control unit 123 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the electric ADM. Note that the configuration of the electrical ADM shown in FIG. 5 is an example, and an electrical ADM other than this configuration can be applied to the power control unit 123 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the electrical ADM has AC/DC converters 123a, 123b, 123c, isolated DC/DC converters 123d, 123e, 123f, and a 3-winding transformer 123g. In this example, the power lines 125a, 125b, and 125c are used as 3-port input/output. Each of the 3 ports can be DC or AC independently. No AC/DC converter is required for DC ports.

This electric ADM applies a square-wave voltage to each port and adjusts the phase difference between the square-wave voltages between the ports to control the magnitude and direction of the input/output current to each port. have. When this electric ADM is employed, the operation control unit 122 uses a control signal to change the square wave voltage applied to each port so that the current flows from the equipment or node in state U to the equipment or node in state D. Control the phase.

(Physical network configuration example)
Here, with reference to FIG. 6, the configuration of a physical network (physical configuration of a composite network) realized when the power and information communication control device 102 is applied to a node will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a physical network.

As already explained, in the composite network system 100, nodes are connected using a composite line that combines a communication line and a power line. Also, by applying the power and information communication control device 102, each node can be connected to three adjacent nodes by a composite line. Therefore, by applying the power and information communication control device 102, it is possible to construct star, ring, and mesh physical topologies as shown in FIGS.

(Update Logical Topology)
By combining the star, ring, and mesh physical topologies shown in FIG. 6, the scale of the complex network can be increased. A plurality of logical topologies may be set for the complex network system 100, and a mechanism may be introduced into the complex network system 100 to control the flow of electric power and the flow of information signals in units of logical topologies.

The logical topology can be independently updated to the optimum topology for the electric power network and the information communication network in a timely manner. Therefore, when a failure occurs in a node or link, by updating the logical topology to avoid the location of the failure, it is possible to minimize the impact of failure occurrence and to provide power services and information communication services continuously. .

In addition, in the complex network system 100 described above, nodes cooperate with each other using at least one of wired and wireless communication means, and each node holds state information of other nodes, so that the logical topology can be autonomously determined. A mechanism for updating can be realized. In other words, even if some nodes or facilities fail, such as when a disaster occurs, the remaining nodes and facilities can autonomously restore the functions of the complex network (realization of resilience).

Hereinafter, a specific logical topology update method will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the logical topology update operation when a failure occurs. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method of updating the logical topology.

FIG. 7A shows logical topologies G1, . Any method can be used to set the logical topology, but for example, setting an upper limit on the number of nodes or facilities included in one logical topology, or connecting nodes included in the same logical topology with links, etc. Each logical topology is set as a condition.

In the example of FIG. 7A, nodes #f, #g, #h and facilities connected thereto are included in the logical topology G1, and nodes #c, #d, #e and facilities connected thereto are included in the logical topology G1. Included in logical topology G2, nodes #j, #k, #l, and #m are included in logical topology G3, and nodes #a, #b, and #i and equipment connected to them are included in logical topology G4. ing. When node #m fails, the logical topology is updated as shown in FIG. 7(B).

Each node exchanges state information with other adjacent nodes. If another adjacent node fails, status information will no longer be received from the other node. Also, when a link connecting nodes fails, status information cannot be exchanged between the nodes connected by the link. Therefore, each node can identify the location of the failure based on the success or failure of receiving the status information.

In the example of FIG. 7B, nodes #j, #k, and #l identify occurrence of a failure in node #m. Nodes #j, #k, and #l broadcast information (failure notification) indicating the location of the failure (node #m). As a method of determining whether the failure is a link failure or a node failure, for example, when a wireless signal is transmitted to a node suspected of failure and an acknowledgment to be sent from the node is received. , the method of judging that it is a link failure can be applied. Also, a method of judging that a node has a failure can be applied when failure notifications indicating that node have been reported from all nodes adjacent to a node suspected of having a failure.

In the example of FIG. 7B, the logical topology G3 including the failed node #m is deleted, the node #l is added to the logical topology G1, and the node #k is added to the logical topology G2. Also, the logical topology G4 to which the node #j is added is set as the new logical topology G3. Updating the logical topology may be done in a way that all nodes are subdivided into multiple logical topologies according to a predetermined setting logic, or the logical topology including the failed nodes is broken up and the nodes other than the failed nodes are replaced with other logical topologies. It may be performed by a method of distributing to the logical topology of

In the logical topology configuration of FIG. 7(A), examples of updating the logical topology are shown in FIG. summarized in the table. The table in FIG. 8 is composed of a column of failure occurrence status, a column of failure location, and a column of logical topology.

A row with "no failure" in the failure occurrence status column corresponds to the normal state in FIG. 7(A). Also, "none" in the failure location column, and "G1 {f, g, h}, G2 {c, d, e}, G3 {j, k, l, m}, G4 {" in the logical topology column. a, b, i}”. For example, G1{f,g,h} indicates that the logical topology G1 includes nodes #f, #g, #h and facilities connected to them.

A row with "node failure" in the failure occurrence status column corresponds to a case where only a node failure occurs. In the example of FIG. 8, "Node: {m}, Link: None" is described in the failure location column. This indicates that node #m has failed, and corresponds to the state of FIG. 7(B). In addition, "G1 {f, g, h, l}, G2 {c, d, e, k}, G3 {a, b, i, j}" are described in the logical topology column.

A row with "link failure, node failure" in the failure occurrence status column corresponds to a case where both a link failure and a node failure occur. In the example of FIG. 8, "Node: {l}, Link: {lm}" is described in the failure location column. This indicates that node #l and link #lm have failed. In this case, in the example of FIG. 8, the logical topologies G1, G2, and G4 are unchanged, and the node #l is deleted from the logical topology G3.

A row with "link failure" in the failure occurrence status column corresponds to a case where only a link failure occurs. In the example of FIG. 8, "Node: None, Link: {fg, fk}" is described in the failure location column. This indicates that links #fg and #fk have failed. In this case, in the example of FIG. 8, the logical topologies G2-G4 are not changed, and the logical topology G1 is replaced by the logical topology G1-1 including the node #f and the equipment connected to it, the nodes #g, #h and their is divided into a logical topology G1-2 containing the equipment connected to .

The update method described above is an example, and the logical topology may be updated based on conditions such as the minimum number of changed logical topologies and the upper limit number of nodes to be added to the logical topology. Moreover, the logical topology is similarly updated not only when a failure occurs, but also when a new node or facility is added or an existing node or facility is deleted.

Also, each node may hold information about the logical topology before updating, and the original logical topology configuration may be restored after the node is restored. By returning to the original logical topology configuration, it becomes possible to easily resume the network operation before the failure when the node is restored. In addition, as a method for restoring a node, for example, a mechanism can be applied in which a vehicle equipped with a node function is dispatched to the location where the failed node is installed to replace the failed node. By applying this mechanism, it is possible to quickly restore network functions.

Although the physical topologies of the power network and the information communication network overlap in the composite network system 100, the logical topologies may be set independently of each other. For example, even if a communication line between nodes is cut off due to a link failure, wireless communication between nodes may be possible. In particular, since the node group of the complex network system 100 can build an autonomous decentralized wireless network, it is possible to maintain the logical topology of the information communication network using wireless communication even in the event of a disaster. With such a configuration, flexible network operation can be realized by independently setting the logical topologies of both networks.

(Example of node operation)
Here, the flow of processing executed by the power and information communication control device 102 (node) in relation to the logical topology will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing an operation example of a node.

(S101) The operation control unit 122 controls the operation of the power control unit 123 based on state information about each node in the logical topology to which it belongs (S101). Note that the process of S101 and the processes after S102 may be executed in parallel.

(S102) The operation control unit 122 determines whether a node is added or deleted from the logical topology. The addition of a node is detected, for example, when state information sent from that node is received. Deletion of a node is detected, for example, when state information to be sent from that node is not received. If there is a node addition or deletion, the process proceeds to S107. On the other hand, if there is no node addition or deletion, the process proceeds to S103.

(S103) The operation control unit 122 determines whether or not it has received a failure notification from another node. The fault notification is directly or indirectly transmitted from each node adjacent to the faulty node to other nodes by wired or wireless communication. If the failure notification is received, the process proceeds to S107. On the other hand, if no failure notification has been received, the process proceeds to S104.

(S104, S105) The operation control unit 122 performs fault detection based on the success or failure of communication with the adjacent node. If a failure is detected in the adjacent node, the process proceeds to S106. On the other hand, if no failure is detected in the adjacent node, the process proceeds to S101.

(S106) The operation control unit 122 notifies other nodes of the occurrence of the failure and the location of the failure. For example, the operation control unit 122 transmits a fault notification indicating the fault location where the fault has occurred to the other node by wireless or wired communication.

(S107) The operation control unit 122 collects information about other nodes and physical networks (for example, failed nodes, failed links, normal nodes, normal links, added nodes, added links, deleted information on nodes and deleted links) and reconstruct the logical topology based on the current physical network configuration (see FIGS. 7 and 8). When the process of S107 is completed, the process proceeds to S101.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the example described here. It is obvious that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and these also belong to the technical scope of the present technology. Understood.

For example, in the above description, a three-port node to which three composite cables can be connected was shown, but it is also possible to modify the node configuration to an N-port (N≧4) node configuration.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the function of controlling the flow of electric power and the function of controlling the flow of information communication by a wired system and a wireless system cooperate with each other to autonomously transmit and distribute suitable electric power. It is implemented systematically and adaptively. In addition, since the hardware resources that control the flow of power and the hardware resources that control the flow of information communication are shared, even when looking at individual nodes, the power consumption of these hardware resources is lower than before. reduced by

In addition, when viewed as a whole system, the function of an information node and the function of a power node are integrated within each node, so the power load fluctuation sensor data collected at each node can be immediately transmitted to other nodes. In addition, it is possible to immediately receive and analyze sensor data of power load fluctuations from other nodes, and to reflect it in power control on the spot. As a result, even if a large power load fluctuation occurs instantaneously, the system as a whole can immediately cope with it, and the power supply can be stabilized.

Of course, the combination of both functions can reduce the system introduction cost and operation management cost compared to the case where the information communication and power infrastructure are developed separately. Power saving is also realized. In addition, there is also the advantage that the length of the transmission path for transmitting sensor data and power control information can be shortened by integrating both functions. Due to this advantage, the cost for information communication can be reduced and power consumption can be reduced. Thus, by applying the above node configuration, the above advantages can be enjoyed at the same time.

In addition, since measures to strengthen resilience can be implemented in common for both the power network and the information and communication network, it will be possible to reduce the construction and operation costs of the complex network, including the cost of these measures. . In addition, the integration of both networks can be expected to have the effect of shortening the recovery time from disasters. In addition, by adopting a wireless ad-hoc network, both surviving networks can be operated efficiently to provide power and information communication services in the event of a disaster, so an improvement in resilience can be expected.

100 complex network system 101a, ..., 101i facility 102a, ..., 102m node (power and information communication control device)
121 communication control unit (optical ADM)
122 operation control unit (computing circuit)
123 power control unit (power ADM)
124 power storage unit (storage battery)
127 wireless I/F (wireless communication unit)
L1, L2, L3 composite line

Claims (4)

A power and information communication control device applied to each node in a composite network including a plurality of nodes that integrates a power network and a communication network,
a power controller for controlling power flow between adjacent nodes;
a communication control unit for controlling the flow of information signals;
monitoring the power status of its own node and the power status of other nodes acquired via the communication control unit, and instantaneously responding to fluctuations in the power status to control the power control unit and the communication control unit; an operation control unit that controls the operation in real time;
a power storage unit that stores power flowing through the power control unit and supplies operating power to the power control unit, the communication control unit, and the operation control unit , and power is interchanged within the composite network. power and information communication control, wherein the operation control unit autonomously controls the flow of power in the own node by the voltage of the own node based on the power supply path specified from the monitored power status; Device. the nodes forming the composite network are connected by a composite line that physically includes a power line and a communication line;
The communication control unit has a wireless communication unit for wireless communication at least with an adjacent node, and when a failure occurs in the composite line connecting the power and information communication control device and the adjacent node, The power and information communication control device according to claim 1, wherein information relating to the current configuration of said composite network is exchanged via an autonomous decentralized wireless network constructed using said wireless communication unit. The operation control unit exchanges information on the state of power storage of another node with an adjacent node via the communication control unit, controls the power control unit based on the information on the state of power storage, 3. The power and information communication control device according to claim 2, which controls the direction and amount of power flowing through the information communication control device. a plurality of nodes;
a plurality of links serving as power transmission paths and signal transmission paths between nodes;
a plurality of loads electrically connected to at least some of the plurality of nodes;
a first power storage means mounted on each of the plurality of nodes;
a second power storage means connected to at least some of the plurality of loads and the plurality of nodes;
Each of the plurality of nodes is constituted by the power and information communication control device according to claim 1, and the state of power consumption in the plurality of loads, the power storage unit functioning as the first power storage means, and the power storage unit functioning as the first power storage means monitoring the state of power storage in the power storage means of 2, exchanging information on the monitored state with other nodes, and controlling the power transmitted via the connected link;
Complex network system.

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