Method and Apparatus for Control of an Electric Power Distribution System in Response to Circuit Abnormalities

Abstract

A methodology and related system apparatus is provided to most efficiently and flexibly respond to abnormalities to reconfigure and restore service to end customers in commodity distribution systems to enhance the circuit reconfiguration in an electrical power distribution system. Methodology is also provided to appropriately allocate system resources of the distribution system to prevent the potential overloading of electrical power sources. In one illustrative arrangement, the methodology is characterized by resources at each node and communications of source allocation data or messages to other nodes to request and establish an appropriate allocation of system resources. In a preferred arrangement and especially useful for larger distribution systems, “teams” of nodes are defined in the distribution system having associated switching controls with the various teams communicating amongst each other to “negotiate” or work out the most efficient and expeditious reconfiguration of the system in response to fault conditions and other circuit abnormalities.

1 . A system for automated reconfiguration of a distribution system, comprising:
 a plurality of switches, switches in the plurality of switches being located in the distribution system; and   a plurality of switch controllers;   switch controllers in the plurality of switch controllers controlling respective switches of the plurality of switches and including first resources which monitor the distribution system and respond to predetermined abnormalities; and   second resources communicated between and exchanging information with said switch controllers and determining whether to operate respective switches to perform reconfiguration of the distribution system.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said second resources comprise implementation rules which are acted upon by said second resources in response to the information from said switch controllers. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said second resources comprise task identifiers. 
     
     
         4 . An electrical distribution system including first resources at nodes which monitor the distribution system and respond to predetermined abnormalities, means for communicating information between said nodes, and second resources communicated between said nodes and utilized at said first resources to respond to and act on the information communicated by said information communicating means to reconfigure the electrical distribution system in response to detected conditions, said second resources comprising task identifiers and implementation rules. 
     
     
         5 . A method for responding to abnormalities in a commodity distribution system having two or more commodity sources and two or more teams of commodity control devices, the method comprising the steps of communicating information between teams via communication between individual team members, the information including functional representations of tasks to respond to detected conditions based on a negotiated plan between teams, a first team acting locally based on the information received from a second team that represents additional information on how to respond to particular detected conditions, one or more team members of a first team responding to detected conditions based on information communicated from a second team, the communicated information representing commodity source allocation data. 
     
     
         6 . A method for responding to abnormalities in a commodity distribution system having two or more teams of commodity control devices, the method comprising the steps of communicating information between teams via communication between individual team members, the information representing additional information on how to respond to particular detected conditions, one or more team members of a first team responding to detected conditions based on information communicated from a second team, the communicated information representing task identifiers and the status of detected system conditions external to the first team. 
     
     
         7 . In an electrical power distribution system having a plurality of defined nodes at points along the distribution system, a system for allocating system sources comprising:
 first resources at predetermined nodes for determining source allocation requirements; and   second resources communicated between said predetermined nodes and utilizing said source allocation requirements to establish an appropriate allocation of system sources.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising autonomous distribution control devices located at predetermined ones of the nodes for controlling the flow of electrical power through the system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said second resources further comprise means for determining and revising source allocation requirements as said second resources are communicated between said predetermined nodes.