SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• US 20080172312A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andreas Joanni Synesiou, John Andrew Synesiou
• Original Assignee: Andreas Joanni Synesiou, John Andrew Synesiou
• Inventors: Synesiou, John Andrew, Synesiou, Andreas Joanni
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/18 Arrangements for adjusting, eliminating or compensating reactive power in networks for adjustment of voltage H02J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/22 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] or power factor or reactive power compensating or correcting units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

A system uses an intelligent load controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load. The controller has a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period and a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load. The controller also has a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.

Claims

1. A intelligent controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load, comprising:

a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;

a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;

a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and

a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.

2. The intelligent controller of claim 1, wherein the other associated controllers comprise a group controller at a user site or a control center.

3. The intelligent controller of claim 1, wherein the resource is electrical power and the load consumes electrical power and wherein the controller stores resource use measurements and data mining is used to discover wasted power.

4. The intelligent controller of claim 1, wherein the resource is electrical power and the load consumes electrical power at rates varying as the operating level of the load is varied, and the load control program adjusts the operating level downward, in response to the load resource measuring component measuring a usage rate over an integration period that approaches a usage rate upper limit contained in a load control goal set for the load.

5. The intelligent controller of claim 1, wherein the communication component uses signals applied to existing power lines or RF communications to communicate with one or more of:

associated controllers, a user of the controlled load and a control center.

6. The intelligent controller of claim 1, wherein the load resource measuring component measures power factor at the load and the load controller further controls power factor correction equipment that is selectively applied by control signals from the intelligent controller to improve a power factor at the load that is below an predetermined threshold.

7. A system for managing use of a consumable resource by a plurality of loads receiving the resource from a common supplier, comprising:

a plurality of intelligent controllers, each associated with a load and each controller comprising;

a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for monitoring load status data for the associated load;

a communication component for exchanging control and load status messages with other controllers; and

a load control computer program executing a stored load operating plan, said computer program being responsive to measurements from the load resource measuring component and data from the load status component to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and

a group level controller networked to exchange control and load status messages with the plurality of intelligent controllers, the group level controller comprising;

a group resource measuring component for computing the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the plurality of load controllers, based on messages from the plurality of load controllers, and storing resulting computed measurements;

a memory for storing a group operating plan; and

a group control computer program executing the stored group operating plan, said computer program being responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages and messages from the common supplier to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers to cause an operating level adjustment of one or more of the plurality of loads.

8. The system for managing use of a consumable resource of claim 7, wherein the operating level adjustment is in response to a change in the user objectives specified in the group control computer program or in response to a message from the common supplier invoking a contractually based resource tariff change.

9. The system for managing use of a consumable resource of claim 7, wherein the adjustment is in response to a group control goal set that selectively reduces the load operating level of at least one of the plurality of loads to permit another of the plurality of loads at least to maintain its operating level as specified in its load operating plan.

10. The system for managing use of a consumable resource of claim 7, wherein the operating level adjustment is in response to an optimization calculation for the group operating plan and based on measurements stored by the group resource measuring component.

11. A system for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads, comprising:

one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising;

a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;

a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;

a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and

a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and

a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising;

a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;

a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages;

a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set; and

a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers.

12. The intelligent controller of claim 11, wherein the other associated controllers comprise a group controller at a user site or a control center.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising for at least one of the one or more intelligent load controllers a supply weakness sensor for sensing weakness in a supplier system for the resource and a component of the load control computer program for the at least one of the one or more load controllers responsive to a sensed weakness for immediately reducing the load operating level of the resource by at least one of the one or more loads.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the supply weakness sensor senses a decline and a rate of decline in the frequency of electrical power.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the load status data for at least one of the one or more loads comprises a measure of the power factor at such load and further comprising a component of the load control computer program for at least one of the one or more loads responsive to the power factor measured to provide control commands to a power factor corrector associated with such load.

16. The system of claim 11 where there are two or more loads and wherein the load status data for the two or more loads comprise a measure of the combined power factor of the two or more loads and further comprising a component of the group control computer program responsive to the combined power factor measured to provide control commands to a power factor corrector associated with the two or more loads.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the group level controller stores a copy of an existing load control program for at least one of the one or more loads and applies an adaptive optimizer component to the stored existing load control program, said adaptive optimizer component performing verification of an updated, optimized load control program, and transmitting it as a replacement for the existing load control program.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the one or more intelligent load controllers includes a load control program using sequencing for start-up of a first and then a second load, in accordance with an operating plan.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the one or more intelligent load controllers includes a load control program using interlocking of the one or more loads so that one load operates at a reduced or zero load operating level until another load has been controlled to operate at a reduced load operating level, in accordance with an operating plan.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the resource is a resource selected from the group comprising electrical energy, gas and water.

21. The system of claim 11 wherein the group level controller is a first group level controller and further comprising:

a second group level controller associated with one or more additional intelligent load controllers, wherein each of the one or more additional load controllers controls at least one associated additional load and comprises;

a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated additional load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated additional load;

a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;

a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and

a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated additional load, and

wherein the second group level controller comprises;

a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more additional loads, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs of the one or more additional intelligent load controllers, load status messages;

a memory for storing a second group operating plan and group control goal set; and

a second group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the second group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more additional load controllers; and

a control center in communication with each of the first and second group controllers, comprising;

a control center communications component for receiving from each of the first and second group control programs, load control status data; and

a control center control computer program responsive to the load control status data and a first and second group combined control goal to determine an operating level for each of the first and second group and provide control commands to the first and second group controllers.

22. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more intelligent load controllers communicate with the group controller by communication signals overlaid on the power lines that are shared by the one or more intelligent load controllers and the group controller or by RF signals.

23. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a memory for storing usage level history for the one or more loads;

a baseline calculator that derives a cost baseline for the one or more loads and a specified period, based on the usage level history;

a measurement and comparison component that compares current resource use to the cost baseline for the specified period;

a billing system that initiates payments for a supplier of the resource in response to the supplier submitting a resource bill and bills the user an amount equal to the supplier'"'"'s resource bill plus a savings factor, computed based on a portion of the difference between the cost baseline and the supplier'"'"'s resource bill.

24. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a first memory associated with each of the one or more load controllers for storing an asset profile for the associated load, including an asset identifier and asset condition data; and

an asset management module in communication with each of the one or more load controllers for accessing data in the asset profile for each of the one or more loads and for accessing load status data for each of the one or more loads.

25. The system of claim 11, further comprising a user interface for presenting to a user report controls to report from data stored in the system information from the group consisting of:

resource consumption measured for loads, resource consumption measured for groups of loads, rates of resource consumption for loads, rates of resource consumption for groups of loads, actual billing from a resource supplier, projected billing from a resource supplier, load status, alarms, and messages transmitted between and among controllers.

26. The system of claim 11, further comprising a user interface for presenting to a user controls to initiate load control actions from the group consisting of:

switching one or more loads “

off”

, adjusting the operating rate for one or more loads, adjusting the operating plan for one or more loads to move load operation to a different time and adjusting the operating plan for one or more loads to move load start-up to a different time.

27. The system of claim 11, further comprising a user interface for presenting to a utility report controls to report, based on data stored in the system, information from the group consisting of:

resource consumption by user, resource billing by user, maximum rates of resource consumption by user, rates of resource consumption associated with overloading distribution equipment providing power to loads controlled by the system, rates of resource consumption associated with overloading transformers providing power to loads controlled by the system, power quality measurements, and messages transmitted by the utility to a user.

28. The system of claim 11, further comprising a user interface for presenting to a utility controls to initiate actions from the group consisting of:

switching “

off”

one or more pre-agreed loads, adjusting the operating rate for one or more pre-agreed loads, adjusting the applicable tariff, sending load or tariff messages to one or more users of the system and initiating flow of resources from a user'"'"'s generating facility.

29. The system of claim 11, further comprising a customer-utility reporting component, for receiving data indicative of at least one of a resource delivery outage event experienced by a customer or a distribution equipment exception event.

30. A method for managing use of a consumable resource using an intelligent load controller at an associated load, the controller comprising:

a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;

a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; and

a processor and memory

the method comprising;

storing a load control goal set in the memory; and

controlling a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the resource is electrical power and wherein the step of controlling an intelligent load control computer program comprises determining the operating level for, and providing control commands to a load that consumes electrical power.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the resource is electrical power and the load consumes electrical power at rates varying as an operating level of the load is varied, and wherein the step of controlling a load control computer program comprises adjusting the operating level downward, in response to the resource measuring component measuring a usage rate over an integration period that approaches a usage rate upper limit contained in the load control goal set for the load.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the resource measuring component measures power factor at the load and the load controller further comprises power factor correction equipment, and further comprising selectively applying to the power factor correction equipment control signals from the load controller to improve a power factor that is below an established threshold.

34. A method for managing use of a consumable resource using one or more intelligent load controllers, each with one or more associated loads, wherein each intelligent load controller comprises:

a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load; and

a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other controllers; and

a load controller processor and memory

and further using one or more group level controllers associated with the one or more intelligent load controllers, wherein each group level controller comprises;

a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;

a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages; and

a group controller processor and memory

and wherein the method comprises;

accessing a load control goal set in memory;

controlling a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and

accessing a group control goal set in memory;

controlling a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers.

35. A method for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads and providing an improvement over a prior resource cost baseline, comprising:

providing one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising;

a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;

a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;

a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;

a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and

a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and

providing a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising;

a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;

a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages;

a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set; and

a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers;

providing a baseline calculator that derives a cost baseline for the at least one load and a specified period, based on a usage level history for the one at least one load and setting for at least one user a control goal set configure to reduce resource costs below the cost baseline;

controlling a measurement and comparison component that compares current resource use to the cost baseline for the specified period; and

controlling a billing system that initiates payments for a supplier of the resource in response to the supplier submitting a resource bill and bills the at least one user an amount equal to the supplier'"'"'s resource bill for the specified period plus a savings factor, computed based on a portion of the difference between the cost baseline and the supplier'"'"'s resource bill for the specified period.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the savings factor is computed as a percentage of the difference between the cost baseline and the supplier'"'"'s resource bill for the specified period.

37. A system for protecting revenue resulting from sale of a consumable resource by a resource provider, comprising:

measuring at one or more loads or load groups of the customer group the resource consumption in such group, such measuring providing resource consumption audit data sufficient to determine the total resource consumption by least one billed customer;

determining from billing records for the defined billing period whether the amount billed for resource consumption corresponds to a calculated full payment for the total resources using applicable billing rules for the at least one billed customer and whether the customer was under-billed relative to the resource consumption audit data for that at least one customer and storing the determination as an audit result.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising responsive to an audit result showing a determination of under-billing, issuing a corrected customer bill based on the resource consumption audit data.

39. The system of claim 37, further comprising responsive to an audit result showing a determination of under-billing, issuing a correction order based on the resource consumption audit data.

40. The system of claim 37, further comprising receiving a measured value representing total resources provided to a customer group from a distribution facility of the resource provider over a defined billing period;

computing a total revenue value realizable from the total resources provided to a customer group from a distribution facility and by comparison with billing records, determining if there is a shortfall between billed revenue and the total revenue value realizable.