DEVICE FOR CONNECTING A SUB-NETWORK TO AN ALTERNATING VOLTAGE NETWORK AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRICAL POWER

Abstract

A method for controlling an electrical power which flows into or out of an electrical subnetwork via a connection point is disclosed. The subnetwork has at least one electrical load, and the electrical load is connected to a control device via a communication connection, the electrical power flowing via the connection point is measured and a maximum power consumption of the electrical load is set by means of the control device on the basis of the electrical power flowing via the connection point. A device for connecting a multiphase subnetwork, which has an energy production installation and an energy store, to a superordinate multiphase alternating voltage network is configured to transmit electrical power between the alternating voltage network and the subnetwork and comprises an AC/AC converter having a network connection, two inverter bridge circuits with an interposed intermediate circuit and a subnetwork connection. The device also comprises a control device which is configured to set the electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the subnetwork connection on the basis of power values of the energy production installation and/or of the energy store by suitably controlling the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electrical power which flows into or out of an electrical subnetwork via a connection point, wherein the subnetwork has at least one electrical load, and the electrical load is connected to a control device via a communication connection, comprising: measuring the electrical power flowing via the connection point, and setting a maximum power consumption of the electrical load by means of the control device on the basis of the electrical power flowing via the connection point.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: setting a power output of an energy store arranged in the subnetwork and/or of an energy production unit arranged in the subnetwork by means of the control device on the basis of the electrical power flowing via the connection point.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: reducing the maximum power consumption if the electrical power flowing into the subnetwork via the connection point exceeds a predefined limit value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the maximum power consumption is set to zero if the electrical power flowing into the subnetwork via the connection point exceeds the predefined limit value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein an increase in the maximum power consumption by a fraction of the predefined limit value is performed and the following further acts are repeatedly carried out: comparison of the electrical power flowing into the subnetwork via the connection point with the predefined limit value, and further increasing the predefined maximum power consumption when the electrical power flowing into the subnetwork via the connection point falls below the predefined limit value.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement of the electrical power flowing via the connection point comprises measuring currents flowing via individual phases of the connection point.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a reduction in the maximum power consumption is performed when at least one of the currents flowing via the individual phases of the connection point exceeds a predefined limit value.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the maximum power consumption is set in such a manner that individual maximum values for a current consumption from a respective phase are set for individual phases of the subnetwork from which the electrical load consumes electrical power.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a reduction in a maximum value for a current consumption from a phase is performed when the current flowing via this phase or the difference between this current and a current flowing via another phase at the connection point exceeds a predefined limit value, wherein an absolute value of the reduction is, in particular, proportional to an absolute value of the exceedance.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the maximum values for the current consumption for all phases of the subnetwork from which the electrical load consumes electrical power are set to zero if a maximum power consumption which is below a predefined minimum value for the power consumption of the electrical load results from reducing maximum values for the current consumption.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the maximum value for the current consumption from a first phase is increased if the maximum value for the current consumption from a second phase is reduced and the maximum value for the current consumption from the first phase is below the predefined limit value.

12. A device for connecting a multiphase subnetwork to a superordinate multiphase alternating voltage network, wherein the subnetwork has an energy production installation and an energy store, wherein the device is configured to transmit electrical power between the alternating voltage network and the subnetwork and comprises an AC/AC converter having a network connection, two inverter bridge circuits with an interposed intermediate circuit and a subnetwork connection, and a control device which is configured to set the electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the subnetwork connection of the energy production installation and/or on the basis of power values of the energy store by controlling the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control device is communicatively connected to the energy production installation and/or the energy store and is configured to communicatively receive the power values of the energy production installation and/or of the energy store, respectively.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control device is communicatively connected to a network control center and is configured to set the electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the network connection of the AC/AC converter on the basis of communicatively transmitted preset values from the network control center by controlling the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter.

15. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the AC/AC converter comprises the energy store in a structural unit, wherein the AC/AC converter is configured to feed electrical power into the energy store or to drain electrical power from the energy store by means of at least one of the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter.

16. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the AC/AC converter is configured to provide an alternating voltage having a predefined frequency and amplitude and a corresponding alternating current within the subnetwork to operate loads arranged in the subnetwork.

17. A method for operating a multiphase subnetwork which comprises an energy production installation and an energy store and is connected to a superordinate multiphase alternating voltage network via an AC/AC converter, wherein the AC/AC converter is configured to transmit electrical power between the alternating voltage network and the subnetwork and has a network connection, two inverter bridge circuits with an interposed intermediate circuit and a subnetwork connection, wherein the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter are controlled such that the electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the subnetwork connection of the AC/AC converter are set on the basis of power values of the energy production installation and/or of the energy store.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter are controlled such that the electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the network connection of the AC/AC converter are set such that a maximum difference between the electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the network connection of the AC/AC converter is minimized, in particular such that said maximum difference is below a predefined unbalanced load limit value and less than a maximum difference between electrical powers flowing via the individual phases of the subnetwork connection of the AC/AC converter.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the energy store is connected to the subnetwork via a bidirectional inverter and provides an alternating voltage having a predefined frequency and amplitude for the purpose of operating loads arranged in the subnetwork, wherein the electrical power flowing via the subnetwork connection of the AC/AC converter is set on the basis of a deviation of the frequency in the subnetwork from a predefined reference frequency.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the AC/AC converter comprises the energy store in a structural unit, and electrical power is fed into the energy store or is drained from the energy store by means of at least one of the inverter bridge circuits of the AC/AC converter.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the AC/AC converter provides an alternating voltage having a predefined frequency and amplitude and a corresponding alternating current at its subnetwork connection to operate loads arranged in the subnetwork.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The disclosure is explained and described in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a subnetwork connected to an alternating voltage network via a connection point,

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a subnetwork connected to an alternating voltage network via an AC/AC converter,

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a subnetwork connected to an alternating voltage network via an AC/AC converter, and

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] FIG. 1 shows an alternating voltage network 10 and a subnetwork 12 connected to the alternating voltage network 10 via a connection point 11. An electrical load 13 which is supplied with electrical power via the connection point 11 is arranged in the subnetwork 12. The subnetwork 12 may comprise a further load 14, which can be supplied with electrical power via the connection point 11, and may have an energy store 15, for example a battery, which may exchange electrical power with the subnetwork 12 in a bidirectional manner and may therefore alternatively or additionally supply the loads 13, 14; for this purpose, the energy store 15 may comprise a bidirectional inverter, in particular.

[0051] The connection point 11 may have a single-phase or multiphase design and may have measuring devices for measuring the electrical power flowing via the connection point 11, in particular current sensors which can capture currents flowing via the individual phases of the connection point. A control device 16 may be connected to the connection point via a communication connection, with the result that the control device 16 can receive and evaluate the currents captured at the connection point 11 and the electrical power flowing via the connection point 11.

[0052] The control device 16 may be connected to the load 13 via a further communication connection, with the result that the control device 16 can transmit control commands to the load 13. Such control commands may comprise, in particular, preset values for a maximum power consumption of the load 13, in which case these preset values can predefine the maximum power consumption of the load 13 in the form of a maximum electrical power P or in the form of maximum values for the currents drawn by the load 13 from the individual phases of the subnetwork 12.

[0053] The control device 16 may be connected to the energy store 15 via a further communication connection. This communication connection may be used to transmit information relating to the state of the energy store 15 to the control device 16, in which case this information may comprise, in particular, an instantaneous state of charge of the energy store 15 and an electrical power currently exchanged between the energy store 15 and the subnetwork 12. This communication connection may also be used to transmit control commands from the control device 16 to the energy store 15, in which case the control commands may comprise, in particular, preset values for the electrical power to be fed into the subnetwork 12 by the energy store 15 or the electrical power to be drained from the subnetwork 12.

[0054] The communication connections illustrated using dashed lines in FIG. 1 may be designed in a unidirectional or bidirectional manner, in which case it fundamentally suffices for the method according to the disclosure to design the communication connections in a unidirectional manner, with the result that measured values can be transmitted from the connection point 11 to the control device 16 and preset values can be transmitted from the control device 16 to the load 13.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a subnetwork 22 which is connected to the alternating voltage network 10 via an AC/AC converter 21 as the connection point. An electrical load 13 which may be supplied with electrical power via the AC/AC converter 21 is arranged in the subnetwork 22. The subnetwork 12 may comprise a further load 14 which is supplied with electrical power via the connection point 11. The AC/AC converter 21 may be connected, on the input side, to the alternating voltage network 10 in a single-phase or multiphase manner and may be connected, on the output side, to the subnetwork 22 in a single-phase or multiphase manner and may be connected to the control device 16 via a unidirectional or bidirectional communication connection. This communication connection can be used to transmit measured values from the AC/AC converter 21 to the control device 16, in which case these measured values may comprise, in particular, measured values of the single-phase or multiphase currents flowing between the alternating voltage network 10 and the subnetwork 22, which measured values are captured by the AC/AC converter 21. This communication connection can also be used to transmit control commands from the control device 16 to the AC/AC converter 21, in which case these control commands may comprise, in particular, preset values for operating the AC/AC converter 21. These preset values can be used to predefine, for example in the case of a given electrical power which flows into the subnetwork 22, from which phases of the alternating voltage network 10 which currents are drawn, in which case the sum of the currents drawn overall from the alternating voltage network 10 corresponds to the sum of the currents flowing into the subnetwork 22. In other words, the AC/AC converter 21 may draw symmetrical currents from the alternating voltage network 10, for example, that is to say identical currents on all phases, and may feed them into the subnetwork 22 in an asymmetrical manner, that is to say may provide different currents on the phases of the subnetwork 22. Conversely, the AC/AC converter 21 may also draw asymmetrical currents from the alternating voltage network 10 and may feed symmetrical currents into the subnetwork 22. Predefining corresponding control commands by means of the control device 16 therefore makes it possible to operate the AC/AC converter 21 differently, if necessary, for example in order to comply with requirements of the alternating voltage network 10 and/or of the subnetwork 22 with respect to the ratios of the currents between the phases on the input side and/or output side of the AC/AC converter.

[0056] An energy store 15 which is connected to the subnetwork 22 in a suitable form, in particular via a bidirectional inverter, may also be arranged in the subnetwork 22 and may drain electrical power from the subnetwork 22 and feed it into the subnetwork 22 and may therefore alternatively or additionally supply the loads 13, 14. In this case, the energy store 15 may be configured, with the aid of the associated inverter, to determine the electrical parameters of the subnetwork 22, that is to say to regulate the frequency and voltage of the subnetwork and to therefore act as a network former for the subnetwork 22. In such a case, the AC/AC converter 21 follows the network-forming specifications of the inverter of the energy store 15 with regard to the electrical power flowing via its subnetwork connection.

[0057] An energy production installation 23, for example a photovoltaic installation, which produces an electrical power and feeds it into the subnetwork 22 in a suitable form, in particular via an inverter and, in particular, for the purpose of alternatively or additionally supplying the loads 13, 14, may also be arranged in the subnetwork 22. The energy production installation 23 may be connected to the control device 16 via a further, in particular bidirectional, communication connection (not illustrated), wherein operating data relating to the energy production installation 23 can be transmitted to the control device 16, on the one hand, and control commands can be transmitted from the control device 16 to the energy production installation 23, on the other hand, via this communication connection.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a subnetwork 32 which is connected to the alternating voltage network 10 via an AC/AC converter 31 as the connection point, wherein the AC/AC converter 31 has an integrated energy store 35. The energy store 35 is, in one embodiment, connected to a DC link circuit of the AC/AC converter 31, in particular via a DC/DC converter, and may drain electrical power from the DC link circuit or may feed electrical power into the latter. The further components have already been described in connection with FIGS. 1 and/or 2.

[0059] It goes without saying that both the alternating voltage network 10 and the subnetworks 12, 22, 32 may each have a single-phase, two-phase (in particular a so-called split-phase) or three-phase design, wherein the components 13, 14, 15, 23 arranged in the subnetworks 12, 22, 32 may likewise have a single-phase design in the case of a single-phase design of the subnetwork 12, 22, 32 and may each have a single-phase or multiphase design in the case of a multiphase design of the subnetwork 12, 22, 32.

[0060] FIG. 4 schematically shows a method for controlling an electrical power which flows from the alternating voltage network 10 into the subnetwork 12, 22, 32 or from the subnetwork 12, 22, 32 into the alternating voltage network 10 via the connection point 11 or the AC/AC converter 21.

[0061] At S1, an electrical power flowing via the connection point 11 or the AC/AC converter 21, 31 is measured, in which case this measurement may comprise possibly phase-resolved capture of the currents flowing via the connection point 11 or the AC/AC converter 21, 31.

[0062] At S2, the values measured at S1 are compared with predefined limit values. This comparison may be based on a measured power, a measured total current, measured currents on individual phases and/or differences (unbalanced load) between currents on individual phases.

[0063] In an optional act S2a, a power output can be set for an energy store 15, 35 possibly arranged in the subnetwork 12, 22 and/or in the AC/AC converter 31, and the energy store can be discharged at least partially, in particular if it has been determined at S2 that a limit value has been exceeded.

[0064] At S3, a maximum power consumption is set for the load 13, connected to the control device 16 according to one of FIGS. 1 to 3, on the basis of the measurement according to S1 and the comparison according to S2. This specification may comprise a set point for a maximum electrical power and/or possibly phase-resolved set points for maximum currents which can be drawn by the load 13.

[0065] At S4, the measurement carried out at S1 and the comparison carried out at S2 are repeated. Depending on the result of the comparison at S4, the set point according to act S3 is modified, if necessary, at S5; in particular, the set point according to act S3 is reduced if it has been determined at S4 that a limit value has been exceeded. In optional act S5a, the power consumption of the load 13 can be stopped, in particular, for example by setting the set point to zero, if it has been determined at S4 that a limit value has been repeatedly exceeded and/or if it is determined that the set point set at S5 would cause a maximum power consumption of the load below a minimum value for the power consumption of the load 13.

[0066] Finally, the method branches back to S1 and the method is run through again. If a set point has been reduced on account of a limit value being exceeded in a run of the method, in particular at S3 and/or at S5, the set point can be reduced further in a following run of the method if the limit value is still exceeded, or the set point can be increased and/or the possible power output from the energy store 15, 35 can be reduced if it is no longer determined that the limit value has been exceeded.