Method and apparatus for load reduction in an electric power system

• US 20060036349A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Kates
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1351 of the cooled fluid upstream or downstream of the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/15 Power, e.g. by voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence

Abstract

A system for load control in an electrical power system is described, wherein one or more data interface devices are provided to a cooling system. The data interface devices are configured to receive commands for controlling the cooling system. A remote monitoring system, such as a monitoring system operated by a power company or a power transmission company sends one or more commands to the data interfaced devices to adjust loading on the electrical power system. In one embedment, the monitoring system sends shutdown commands. In one embedment, the monitoring system sends commands to tell a compressor in the cooling system to operate in a relatively low-speed mode. In one embedment, the monitoring system sends tell the compressor and/or the cooling system to operate in a relatively low-power mode. In one embodiment, the commands are time-limited, thereby allowing the cooling system to resume normal operation after a specified period of time. In one embodiment, the commands include query commands to cause the cooling system to report operating characteristics (e.g., efficiency, time of operation, etc.) back to the monitoring center.

Claims

1. A system for load control in an electrical power system, comprising:

a thermostat configured to control a cooling system;

a data interface device provided to said thermostat, said data interface device configured to receive commands, said data interface device addressable using an identification code, said data interface device comprising one or more sensors to measure one or more physical characteristics of operation of a refrigerant cycle in said cooling system and a processor configured to compute an operating efficiency of said cooling system at least in part using data from said one or more sensors; and

a remote monitoring system, said remote monitoring system configured to send a first command to said data interfaced device to adjust loading on said electrical power system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first command comprises a shutdown command.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first command comprises a thermostat temperature set point command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first command comprises a command to specify a thermostat temperature set point.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first command comprises a command to shut said cooling system down for a specified period of time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first command comprises a command to reduce a temperature set point for a specified period of time.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first command comprises a command to reduce a temperature set point for a specified period of time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said data interface device comprises a modem.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said data interface device comprises a broadband over power line modem.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said data interface device comprises a wireless modem.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said data interface device comprises a telephone modem.

12. A system for load control in an electrical power system, comprising:

a cooling system comprising an evaporator unit;

a data interface device provided to said evaporator unit, said data interface device configured to receive commands over said electrical power system; and

a remote monitoring system, said remote monitoring system configured to send a first command to said data interfaced device to adjust loading on said electrical power system based on a measurement of an efficiency of a refrigerant cycle in said cooling system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first command comprises a shutdown command.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said cooling system to operate in a relatively low-power mode.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said first command comprises a command to specify a thermostat temperature set point.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said first command comprises a command to shut said cooling system down for a specified period of time.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said first command comprises a command to reduce a temperature set point for a specified period of time.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said first command comprises a command to put reduce a temperature set point for a specified period of time.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said data interface device comprises a modem.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein said data interface device comprises a broadband over power line modem.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein said data interface device comprises a wireless modem.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein said data interface device comprises a telephone modem.

23. A system for load control in an electrical power system, comprising:

a cooling system condenser unit;

a compressor provided to said condenser unit;

a data interface device provided to said condenser unit, said data interface device configured to receive commands over said electrical power system; and

a remote monitoring system configured to measurement an efficiency of a refrigerant cycle in said cooling system, said remote monitoring system configured to send a first command to said data interfaced device to adjust loading on said electrical power system based on said efficiency such that relatively more efficient systems are given preference over relatively less efficient systems.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said first command comprises a shutdown command.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said compressor to operate in a relatively low-speed mode.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said condenser unit to operate in a relatively low-power mode.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said first command comprises a shutdown command to cause said cooling system to shut down for a specified period of time.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said compressor to operate in a relatively low-speed mode for a specified period of time.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said condenser unit to operate in a relatively low-power mode for a specified period of time.

30. The system of claim 23, where said remote monitoring system is further configured to send a second command to query an operating value of said cooling system.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein said operating value comprises an efficiency value.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein said data interface device comprises a modem.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein said data interface device comprises a broadband over power line modem.

34. A system for load control in an electrical power system, comprising:

a cooling system comprising;

an evaporator unit;

a condenser unit;

a thermostat; and

one or more data interface devices provided to said cooling system, said data interface devices configured to receive commands and to monitor an efficiency of said cooling system using data from one or more sensors; and

a remote monitoring system, said remote monitoring system configured to send a first command to said data interfaced devices to adjust loading on said electrical power system wherein said cooling system is given a power allocation preference when said cooling system is operating relatively more efficiently than other cooling systems serviced by said electrical power system.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said first command comprises a shutdown command.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause a compressor in said cooling system to operate in a relatively low-speed mode.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said cooling system to operate in a relatively low-power mode.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein said first command comprises a shutdown command to cause said cooling system to shut down for a specified period of time.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause a compressor in said cooling system to operate in a relatively low-speed mode for a specified period of time.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein said first command comprises a command to cause said condenser unit to operate in a relatively low-power mode for a specified period of time.

41. The system of claim 34, where said remote monitoring system is further configured to send a second command to query an operating value of said cooling system.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said operating value comprises an efficiency value.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein said data interface device comprises a modem.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein said data interface device comprises a broadband over power line modem.