Intelligent power management for actuators

• US 20060202648A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Limited
• Original Assignee: ABB Limited
• Inventors: Collins, John, Gallagher, Cathal, O'Higgins, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,446,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/68
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for intelligent power management of actuators such as those used in papermaking. Multiple power supply units are connected to a common power bus. The power bus is connected at predetermined locations to a communications bus. The communications bus is connected in series with all of the actuators. The actuators are arranged in predetermined groups. A computing device determines if electrical power can be supplied to some or all of the actuators that are requesting simultaneous movement and if there is insufficient power for all such actuators the computing device issues permission for actuators to move based on a preselected criteria.

Claims

1. A system for managing the actuation of a multiplicity of actuators each actuated by electrical power, said actuators arranged in two or more groups of actuators each having a predetermined number of actuators, said system comprising:

two or more power supply units connected to a common power bus; and

a communications bus connected in series to all of said actuators in all of said two or more groups of actuators, said common power bus connected to said communications bus at one or more predetermined locations to supply power to a predetermined number of said two or more groups of actuators.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a computing device for communicating over said communications bus with said multiplicity of actuators.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said computing device issues commands for managing the actuation of said multiplicity of actuators.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said computing device manages the actuation of said multiplicity of actuators based on power available from said two or more power supply units and on the actuation requirements of each of said multiplicity of actuators.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said computing device comprises program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising:

code configured to monitor the power available from said two or more power supply units; and

code configured to determine from said available power from said two or more power supply units how many of said multiplicity of actuators can be simultaneously actuated.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises:

code configured to determine from a status signal from each of said two or more power supply units and the number of said multiplicity of actuators requesting movement if sufficient power is available from two or more power supply units to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises:

code configured to generate commands to move all of said actuators requesting movement when it is determined that sufficient power is available to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises:

code configured to generate commands to move some of said actuators requesting movement when it is determined that sufficient power is not available to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises:

code configured to generate said commands to move some of said actuators requesting movement using a predetermined criteria for determining which of said actuators requesting to be moved are moved when there is insufficient power to simultaneously move all of said actuators requesting movement.

10. A computer program product for managing the actuation of a multiplicity of actuators each actuated by electrical power, said actuators arranged in two or more groups of actuators each having a predetermined number of actuators, said computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code configured to monitor the power available from said two or more power supply units; and

computer usable program code configured to determine from said available power from said two or more power supply units how many of said multiplicity of actuators can be simultaneously actuated.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising computer usable program code configured to determine from a status signal from each of said two or more power supply units and the number of said multiplicity of actuators requesting movement if sufficient power is available from two or more power supply units to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer usable program code configured to generate commands to move all of said actuators requesting movement when it is determined that sufficient power is available to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer usable program code configured to move some of said actuators requesting movement when it is determined that sufficient power is not available to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer usable program code configured to generate said commands to move some of said actuators requesting movement using a predetermined criteria for determining which of said actuators requesting to be moved are moved when there is insufficient power to simultaneously move all of said actuators requesting movement.

15. A method of managing the actuation of a multiplicity of actuators each actuated by electrical power, said actuators arranged in two or more groups of actuators each having a predetermined number of actuators, said method comprising:

monitoring the power available from said two or more power supply units; and

determining from said available power from said two or more power supply units how many of said multiplicity of actuators can be simultaneously actuated.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining from a status signal from each of said two or more power supply units and the number of said multiplicity of actuators requesting movement if sufficient power is available from two or more power supply units to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising generating commands to move all of said actuators requesting movement when it is determined that sufficient power is available to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising moving some of said actuators requesting movement when it is determined that sufficient power is not available to move all of said actuators requesting movement.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising generating said commands to move some of said actuators requesting movement using a predetermined criteria for determining which of said actuators requesting to be moved are moved when there is insufficient power to simultaneously move all of said actuators requesting movement.