Load management

• US 10,008,852 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socpra Sciences Et Gnie S.E.C.
• Original Assignee: Socpra Sciences Et Gnie S.E.C.
• Inventors: Mabilleau, Philippe, Ayoub, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US14/935,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20160118791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1006 for water heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/156 Reducing the quantity of energy consumed; Increasing efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/225 at different heights of the tank
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/277 Price
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 7/00 Storage heaters, i.e. heaters in which the energy is stored as heat in masses for subsequent release
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 : the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

A load management method for controlling a plurality of distributed community loads with a plurality of controllers. The controllers are connectable to a network and the distributed community loads are connectable to a power grid. The loads are controllable by a corresponding one of the controllers according to a local need and a power grid supply or a community need of the loads. A network node device adapted to communicate with other node devices of a same community within an overlay network topology system. The system has a plurality of node devices organized in a number of hierarchically linked rings. The plurality of node devices of a same ring is interconnected in groups of node devices. One of the node devices is a parent node for linking the node devices of a first ring to node devices of a second ring at another hierarchy by being a parent node to both first and second rings.

Claims

1. A load management method for controlling a plurality of distributed community loads with a plurality of controllers, respectively, that are connectable to a network, each of the plurality of distributed community loads being electrically connectable to a power grid and being controllable by a corresponding one of the plurality of controllers, the method comprising:

each of the plurality of controllers receiving local data indicative of at least a variable-level local need parameter of a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed community loads;

each of the plurality of controllers receiving community data indicative of at least one of a power grid supply parameter or a variable-level community need parameter indicative of at least a power consumption need of a remainder of the plurality of distributed community loads; and

each of the plurality of controllers determining and setting a power consumption of a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed community loads based on the received local data and the received community data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of controllers setting the power consumption of a corresponding load to an active status when a value of the local need parameter is beyond an acceptable local threshold and a value of the power grid supply parameter is within an acceptable supply range.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of controllers setting the power consumption of a corresponding load to an active status when a value of the local need parameter is beyond an acceptable local threshold and a value of the community need parameter is within an acceptable community threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of controllers setting the power consumption of a corresponding load to an active status when a value of the local need parameter is beyond an acceptable local threshold and a value of the community need parameter is within an acceptable community threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the acceptable community threshold is determined according to the power grid supply parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power grid supply parameter that is indicative of an available power within the power grid.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of distributed community loads are water heaters and the local data is indicative of at least a temperature.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the local data is indicative of a water column temperature profile.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the power grid supply parameter that is indicative of a power grid supply price based on a predetermined time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of distributed community loads are water heaters and the local data is indicative of at least a temperature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the local data is indicative of a water column temperature profile.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the local need parameter is indicative of a required power consumption of the corresponding one of the plurality of distributed community loads.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of distributed community loads are water heaters and the local data is indicative of at least a temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the local data is indicative of a water column temperature profile.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of controllers increases power consumption of its load when said variable-level local need parameter is less than a power grid supply parameter or greater than the variable-level community need parameter, and decreases power consumption of its load when said variable-level local need parameter is greater than the power grid supply parameter or less than the variable-level community need parameter.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of controllers balances a power consumption of its respective one of the plurality of distributed community loads by choosing when and how much power to draw based on a substantially continuous comparison of its variable-level local need parameter with a power grid supply parameter less the variable-level community need parameter.

17. A load management method for controlling a plurality of distributed community loads with a plurality of distributed controllers, respectively, that are connectable to a network, each of the plurality of distributed community loads being electrically connectable to a power grid and being controllable by a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed controllers, the method comprising:

each of the plurality of distributed controllers collecting local data indicative of at least a local need parameter;

each of the plurality of distributed controllers receiving community data indicative of at least one of a power grid supply parameter or a community need parameter of the plurality of distributed community loads; and

each of the plurality of distributed controllers determining and setting a power consumption of a corresponding load based on the local need parameter and the community need parameter,

wherein each of the plurality of distributed controllers balances a power consumption of its respective one of the plurality of distributed community loads by choosing when and how much power to draw based on a substantially continuous comparison of the local need parameter with the variable power grid supply parameter less the variable community need parameter,

wherein the community need parameter is indicative of at least a power consumption need of each of the plurality of distributed community loads, and

wherein a local need parameter for one of the plurality of distributed controllers is based on a respective local temperature, and control of the other of the plurality of distributed controllers is responsive to the local need parameter of the one distributed controller.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the power grid supply parameter is indicative of an available power within the power grid or indicative of a power grid supply price based on a predetermined time period.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the local need parameter is indicative of a required power consumption of the corresponding one of the plurality of distributed community loads.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of distributed community loads are fluid conditioners and the local data is indicative of at least a temperature of a fluid.

21. A load management method for controlling each of a plurality of distributed community loads with a corresponding one of a plurality of distributed controllers, respectively, that are connectable to a network, each of the plurality of distributed community loads being electrically connectable to a power grid and being controllable by a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed controllers, the method comprising:

each of the plurality of distributed controllers collecting local data indicative of at least a local need parameter;

each of the plurality of distributed controllers receiving community data indicative of at least one of a power grid supply parameter or a community need parameter of the plurality of distributed community loads; and

each of the plurality of distributed controllers determining and setting a power consumption of a corresponding load based on the local need parameter and the community need parameter,

wherein each of the plurality of distributed controllers balances a power consumption of its respective one of the plurality of distributed community loads by choosing when and how much power to draw based on a substantially continuous comparison of the local need parameter with the variable power grid supply parameter less the variable community need parameter, and

wherein the community need parameter is indicative of at least an anticipated power consumption need of each of the plurality of distributed community loads.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the anticipated power consumption need is based on a difference between a desired temperature and an actual temperature responsive to the power consumption of the corresponding load.