Power demand control device, power demand control method, power demand control system, and recording medium

• US 10,175,710 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Kawai, Wakahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US15/122,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-306
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39407 Power metrics, energy efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

An electric power demand control system selects a presswork device as a target of electric power demand control in a case where the ratio of the total time length of a non-working state of the presswork device within a time period to the total time length of a working state of the presswork device within the time period is larger than a threshold. This makes it possible to alleviate, for example, (i) a decrease in production efficiency caused by electric power demand control at a facility at which production lines are installed and (ii) environmental deterioration due to electric power demand control.

Claims

1. An electric power demand control device, comprising a processor configured with a program to implement:

a necessity determining section configured to determine whether electric power demand control is necessary for a facility in which a plurality of loads are installed;

an inquiry section configured to, for each of the plurality of loads, when the necessity determining section has determined that the electric power demand control is necessary, inquire whether one of the plurality of loads is selectable as a target of the electric power demand control;

a generating section configured to generate, for each of the plurality of loads, (i) a total time length of a working state of one of the plurality of loads within a time period and (ii) a total time length of a non-working state of the one of the plurality of loads-within the time period;

a determining section configured to determine, for each of the plurality of loads, based on a ratio of the total time length of the non-working state to the total time length of the working state and a threshold for the ratio, whether to select the one of the plurality of loads as a target of electric power demand control;

an instructing section configured to, for each of the plurality of loads, when the instructing section has received from the notifying section a notification that the one of the plurality of loads is selected as the target of the electric power demand control, instruct the one of the plurality of loads to shift to the non-working state; and

a notifying section configured to, when the notifying section has been inquired of by the inquiry section, notify the instructing section of a result of the determination by the determining section.

2. The electric power demand control device according to claim 1, wherein

the generating section generates the total time length of the working state and the total time length of the non-working state based on (i) electric power consumed by the one of the plurality of loads in the working state and (ii) electric power consumed by the one of the plurality of loads in the non-working state.

3. The electric power demand control device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining section determines to select the one of the plurality of loads as the target of the electric power demand control when the ratio is larger than the threshold.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program is stored, wherein the program is configured to cause a computer to function as the electric power demand control device according to claim 1.

5. An electric power demand control system, comprising:

a determining device; and

an instructing device,

the instructing device comprising a processor configured with a program to implement;

a necessity determining section configured to determine whether electric power demand control is necessary for a facility in which a plurality of loads are installed;

an inquiry section configured to, for each of the plurality of loads, when the necessity determining section has determined that the electric power demand control is necessary, inquire of the determining device whether one of the plurality of loads is selectable as a target of the electric power demand control; and

an instructing section configured to, when the instructing section has received from the determining device a notification that the one of the plurality of loads is selected as the target of the electric power demand control, instruct the one of the plurality of loads to shift to a non-working state,

the determining device comprising a processor configured with a program to implement;

a generating section configured to generate, for each of the plurality of loads, (i) a total time length of a working state of the one of the plurality of loads within a time period and (ii) a total time length of the non-working state of the one of the plurality of loads within the time period;

a determining section configured to determine, based on a ratio of the total time length of the non-working state to the total time length of the working state and a threshold for the ratio, whether to select the one of the plurality of loads as the target of the electric power demand control; and

a notifying section configured to, when the notifying section has been inquired of by the instructing device, notify the instructing device of a result of the determination by the determining section.

6. The electric power demand control system according to claim 5, wherein

the determining section determines to select the one of the plurality of loads as the target of the electric power demand control when the ratio is larger than the threshold.

7. The electric power demand control system according to claim 6, wherein

the instructing device further comprises a providing section configured to provide the determining device with the threshold for use by the determining device.

8. The electric power demand control system according to claim 7, wherein

the necessity determining section, when total electric power consumed at the facility within a time period is larger than a target electric power consumption, determines that the electric power demand control is necessary.

9. The electric power demand control system according to claim 7, wherein:

the processor is configured with the program to implement the necessity determining section such that;

the necessity determining section, after the instructing section has instructed the one of the plurality of loads to shift to the non-working state, determines again whether the electric power demand control is necessary; and

the providing section, when the necessity determining section has determined again that the electric power demand control is necessary, provides each of the plurality of loads with an updated threshold smaller than the threshold.

10. The electric power demand control system according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured with the program to implement:

an electric power consumption determining section configured to determine electric power consumed by the one of the plurality of loads after the one of the plurality of loads has shifted to the non-working state.

11. The electric power demand control system according to claim 5, wherein:

the one of the plurality of loads is connected to an other device that operates in conjunction with the one of the plurality of loads;

the one of the plurality of loads, after the one of the plurality of loads has been instructed to shift to the non-working state, shifts to the non-working state and notifies the other device that electric power consumed by the one of the plurality of loads has decreased; and

the other device shifts to the non-working state after the other device has been notified that the electric power consumed by the one of the plurality of loads has decreased.

12. The electric power demand control system according to claim 11, wherein

the other device is (i) an open-close valve for compressed air, (ii) a power supply device for an exhaust duct, (iii) a power supply device for air conditioning, or (iv) a control device for the air conditioning.

13. The electric power demand control system according to claim 5, wherein

the determining device is disposed in the one of the plurality of loads.

14. An electric power demand control method, comprising the steps of, for each load in a plurality of loads:

(a) determining whether electric power demand control is necessary for a facility in which the plurality of loads are installed;

(b) inquiring, for each of the plurality of loads, when it is determined by the step (a) that the electric power demand control is necessary, whether one of the plurality of loads is selectable as a target of the electric power demand control;

(c) generating (i) a total time length of a working state of one load of the plurality of loads within a time period and (ii) a total time length of a non-working state of the one load of the plurality of loads within the time period;

(d) determining, based on a ratio of the total time length of the non-working state to the total time length of the working state and a threshold for the ratio, whether to select the one load of the plurality of loads as a target of electric power demand control;

(c) when (e) upon receiving a notification that the step (d) has determined to select the one load of the plurality of loads as the target of the electric power demand control, instructing the one load of the plurality of loads to shift to the non-working state; and

(f) upon being inquired of by the step (b), notifying the step (e) of a result of the determination by the step (d).