Patents by Inventor Kirk H. Drees

Kirk H. Drees has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200089178
    Abstract: An energy storage system for a building includes a battery asset configured to store electricity and discharge the stored electricity for use in satisfying a building electric load. The system includes a planning tool configured to identify one or more selected functionalities of the energy storage system and generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the energy storage system over an optimization period. The cost function includes a term for each of the selected functionalities. The planning tool is configured to generate optimization constraints based on the selected functionalities, attributes of the battery asset, and the electric energy load to be satisfied. The planning tool is configured to optimize the cost function to determine optimal power setpoints for the battery asset at each of a plurality of time steps of the optimization period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20200088804
    Abstract: An electrical energy storage system includes a battery container, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The battery container includes one or more batteries configured to store and discharge electrical energy. The temperature sensors are configured to measure one or more temperatures associated with the battery container. The controller is configured to estimate a rate of heat generation by the one or more batteries based on the measured temperatures, monitor an electric current provided to the one or more batteries, and estimate a resistance of the one or more batteries based on the estimated rate of heat generation and the electric current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10591178
    Abstract: A frequency response optimization system includes a battery configured to store and discharge electric power, a power inverter configured to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery at each of a plurality of time steps during a frequency response period, and a frequency response controller. The frequency response controller is configured to receive a regulation signal from an incentive provider, determine statistics of the regulation signal, use the statistics of the regulation signal to generate an optimal frequency response midpoint that achieves a desired change in a state-of-charge (SOC) of the battery while participating in a frequency response program, and use the midpoints to determine optimal battery power setpoints for the power inverter. The power inverter is configured to use the optimal battery power setpoints to control the amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees, Mohammad N. ElBsat
  • Patent number: 10594153
    Abstract: A frequency response optimization system includes a battery configured to store and discharge electric power, a power inverter configured to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery, a high level controller, and a low level controller. The high level controller is configured to receive a regulation signal from an incentive provider, determine statistics of the regulation signal, and use the statistics of the regulation signal to generate an optimal frequency response midpoint. The optimal midpoint achieves a desired change in the state-of-charge of the battery while participating in a frequency response program. The low level controller is configured to use the midpoints to determine optimal battery power setpoints for the power inverter. The power inverter is configured to use the optimal battery power setpoints to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventors: Radu Dorneanu, Michael J. Wenzel, Mohammad N. Elbsat, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10564610
    Abstract: A photovoltaic energy system includes a photovoltaic field configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy, cloud detectors configured to detect a cloud approaching the photovoltaic field, and a controller. The controller uses the cloud detectors to predict a disturbance in the electric power output of the photovoltaic energy system. The controller determines a time at which the disturbance is expected to occur and determines an amount by which the electric power output is expected to decrease. The controller can preemptively adjust the electric power output of the photovoltaic energy system in accordance with a predetermined ramp rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10558227
    Abstract: A system for monitoring and controlling flow rate of a fluid through a valve is disclosed. The system includes a flow rate sensor to measure the flow rate of the fluid through the valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive the measured flow rate from the flow rate sensor, and determine if the measured flow rate is equal to a predetermined flow rate value. The controller is further configured to, in response to a determination that the measured flow rate is equal to the predetermined flow rate value, determine a minimum valve position threshold (xmin). Additionally, the controller is configured to determine a minimum flow rate threshold (ymin) corresponding to xmin, and configured to generate a PWM signal and calculate a corrected flow rate (?f) using the PWM signal. The controller controls a valve operation using ?f. The PWM signal switches between zero and ymin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez, Kirk H. Drees, Timothy I. Salsbury
  • Patent number: 10554170
    Abstract: A photovoltaic energy system includes a photovoltaic field configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy, one or more solar intensity sensors configured to measure solar intensity and detect a cloud approaching the photovoltaic field, and a controller. The controller receives input from the solar intensity sensors and predicts a change in solar intensity within the photovoltaic field before the change in solar intensity within the photovoltaic field occurs. The controller is configured to preemptively adjust an electric power output of the photovoltaic energy system in response to predicting the change in solar intensity within the photovoltaic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10528020
    Abstract: A building control system includes a hybrid controller which receives measurements from sensors and provides control signals to building equipment. The hybrid controller includes a state transition controller, a state history tracker, and an adaptive user interface generator. The state transition controller transitions between multiple discrete operating states by executing state transitions. The state history tracker records a state history including a sequence of state transitions executed by the state transition controller and/or a sequence of operating states resulting from the state transitions. The adaptive user interface generator generates an adaptive user interface including a representation of the multiple discrete operating states and the state transitions therebetween. The adaptive user interface includes state history controls operable to navigate the state history and select an operating state defined by the state history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20190384259
    Abstract: An optimization system for a central plant includes a processing circuit configured to receive load prediction data indicating building energy loads and utility rate data indicating a price of one or more resources consumed by equipment of the central plant to serve the building energy loads. The optimization system includes a high level optimization module configured to generate an objective function that expresses a total monetary cost of operating the central plant over an optimization period as a function of the utility rate data and an amount of the one or more resources consumed by the central plant equipment. The optimization system includes a demand charge module configured to modify the objective function to account for a demand charge indicating a cost associated with maximum power consumption during a demand charge period. The high level optimization module is configured to optimize the objective function over the demand charge period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20190353385
    Abstract: A system for controlling a flow rate of a fluid through a valve is provided. The system includes a valve and an actuator. An actuator drive device is driven by an actuator motor and is coupled to the valve for driving the valve between multiple positions. The system further includes a differential pressure sensor configured to measure a differential pressure across the valve and a controller that is communicably coupled with the differential pressure sensor and the motor. The controller is configured to receive a flow rate setpoint and the differential pressure measurement, determine an estimated flow rate based on the differential pressure measurement, determine an actuator position setpoint using the flow rate setpoint and the estimated flow rate, and operate the motor to drive the drive device to the actuator position setpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Camille M. Aucoin, Brennan H. Fentzlaff, Homero L. Noboa, Duane S. Freimuth, Kirk H. Drees, Kenneth J. Sieth, Justin M. Salerno
  • Publication number: 20190338980
    Abstract: A system configured to modify an environmental condition of a building includes a valve configured to regulate a flow of a fluid and an actuator. The actuator includes a motor and a drive coupling, the drive coupling driven by the motor and coupled to the valve for driving the valve between multiple positions. The system further includes a flow rate sensor configured to measure the flow rate of the fluid through the valve and a processing circuit coupled to the motor and the flow rate sensor. The processing circuit is configured to receive a flow rate setpoint and a flow rate measurement, determine an actuator position setpoint based on the flow rate setpoint and the flow rate measurement, and operate the motor to drive the drive coupling to the actuator position setpoint. The flow rate sensor and the processing circuit are located within a common integrated device chassis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kirk H. Drees, Herbert J. Doll, Gerald A. Duenkel, Marcello Passoni
  • Patent number: 10436851
    Abstract: An electrical energy storage system includes a battery container, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The battery container includes one or more batteries configured to store and discharge electrical energy. The temperature sensors are configured to measure one or more temperatures associated with the battery container. The controller is configured to estimate a rate of heat generation by the one or more batteries based on the measured temperatures, monitor an electric current provided to the one or more batteries, and estimate a resistance of the one or more batteries based on the estimated rate of heat generation and the electric current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20190296552
    Abstract: An electrical energy storage system includes a battery configured to store and discharge electric power to an energy grid, a power inverter configured to use battery power setpoints to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery, the battery power setpoints comprising at least one of frequency regulation power setpoints and ramp rate control power setpoints, and a controller. The controller is configured to use a battery life model to generate the battery power setpoints for the power inverter. The battery life model includes one or more variables that depend on the battery power setpoints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Brett M. Lenhardt, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10423138
    Abstract: An energy storage system for a building includes a battery asset configured to store electricity and discharge the stored electricity for use in satisfying a building electric load. The system includes a planning tool configured to identify one or more selected functionalities of the energy storage system and generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the energy storage system over an optimization period. The cost function includes a term for each of the selected functionalities. The planning tool is configured to generate optimization constraints based on the selected functionalities, attributes of the battery asset, and the electric energy load to be satisfied. The planning tool is configured to optimize the cost function to determine optimal power setpoints for the battery asset at each of a plurality of time steps of the optimization period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10418832
    Abstract: A frequency response optimization system includes a battery configured to store and discharge electric power, a power inverter configured to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery, and a frequency response controller. The frequency response controller includes receiving a regulation signal from an incentive provider, determining statistics of the regulation signal, using the statistics of the regulation signal to generate a frequency response midpoint, and using the frequency response midpoint to determine optimal battery power setpoints for the power inverter. The power inverter is configured to use the optimal battery power setpoints to control the amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees, Mohammad N. ElBsat
  • Patent number: 10418833
    Abstract: A frequency response controller includes a high level controller configured to receive a regulation signal from an incentive provider, determine statistics of the regulation signal, and use the statistics of the regulation signal to generate a frequency response midpoint. The controller further includes a low level controller configured to use the frequency response midpoint to determine optimal battery power setpoints and use the optimal battery power setpoints to control an amount of electric power stored or discharged from a battery during a frequency response period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees, Mohammad N. ElBsat
  • Publication number: 20190273671
    Abstract: An asynchronous wireless data transmission system includes a wireless sensor and a data recipient device. The wireless sensor includes a measurement device configured to collect a plurality of samples of a measured variable at a plurality of different sampling times, a transmission generator configured to generate a compressed data object containing the plurality of samples of the measured variable, and a wireless radio configured to transmit the compressed data object at a transmission time asynchronous with at least one of the sampling times. The data recipient device includes an object decompressor configured to extract the plurality of samples of the measured variable from the compressed data object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10386820
    Abstract: An optimization system for a central plant includes a processing circuit configured to receive load prediction data indicating building energy loads and utility rate data indicating a price of one or more resources consumed by equipment of the central plant to serve the building energy loads. The optimization system includes a high level optimization module configured to generate an objective function that expresses a total monetary cost of operating the central plant over an optimization period as a function of the utility rate data and an amount of the one or more resources consumed by the central plant equipment. The optimization system includes a demand charge module configured to modify the objective function to account for a demand charge indicating a cost associated with maximum power consumption during a demand charge period. The high level optimization module is configured to optimize the objective function over the demand charge period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10389136
    Abstract: A photovoltaic energy system includes a photovoltaic field configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy, a power inverter configured to control an electric power output of the photovoltaic field, and a controller. The controller can determine optimal power setpoints for the power inverter by optimizing a value function that includes a penalty cost for failing to comply with a ramp rate limit and photovoltaic revenue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLC
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20190250647
    Abstract: A system for monitoring and controlling flow rate of a fluid through a valve is disclosed. The system includes a flow rate sensor to measure the flow rate of the fluid through the valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive the measured flow rate from the flow rate sensor, and determine if the measured flow rate is equal to a predetermined flow rate value. The controller is further configured to, in response to a determination that the measured flow rate is equal to the predetermined flow rate value, determine a minimum valve position threshold (xmin). Additionally, the controller is configured to determine a minimum flow rate threshold (ymin) corresponding to xmin, and configured to generate a PWM signal and calculate a corrected flow rate (?f) using the PWM signal. The controller controls a valve operation using ?f. The PWM signal switches between zero and ymin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez, Kirk H. Drees, Timothy I. Salsbury