Devices, Systems, and Methods for Monitoring Energy Systems

• US 20080255782A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Terricciano, Paul, Bilac, Mario, Zhang, Bin
• Granted Patent: US 9,501,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, which can comprise a set of electrical energy monitoring devices. Each of the set of electrical energy monitoring devices can be adapted to be mounted in a circuit breaker panel substantially adjacent to a corresponding circuit breaker. The system can comprise an energy monitoring master controller adapted to be communicatively coupled to each of the set of electrical energy monitoring devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a set of electrical energy monitoring devices, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices adapted to determine an energy usage by a corresponding circuit branch electrically coupled to an electrical energy source via a corresponding circuit breaker, said energy usage determined via a measured voltage relative to neutral at said corresponding circuit breaker and a current flow through said corresponding circuit breaker, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices adapted to be mounted in a circuit breaker panel, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices adapted to be mounted substantially adjacent to said corresponding circuit breaker, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices operably yet non-simultaneously couplable to each of a single phase alternating current circuit branch and a three phase alternating current circuit branch;

an energy monitoring master controller adapted to be communicatively coupled to each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices, said master controller comprising a web page server connectable to the Internet, said web page server adapted to provide circuit breaker information from each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices via a web page.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

said circuit breaker panel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said circuit breaker panel is adapted to operatively mount a first strip substantially adjacent to a first subset of circuit breakers and a second strip substantially adjacent to a second set of circuit breakers, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices adapted to be placed on one of said first strip and said second strip.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a power supply.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a microprocessor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a network interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a voltage sensor adapted to measure an electrical voltage of the corresponding circuit branch, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a current sensor adapted to measure an electrical current flowing through the corresponding circuit branch.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a device adapted to measure a flow of electrical power.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a device adapted to determine a power factor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices comprises a current transformer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices is adapted to monitor a characteristic of a phase of an alternating current.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide an alarm if a voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide an alarm if an electrical current exceeds a predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide an alarm if a phase angle deviates from a predetermined threshold by a predetermined amount.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide a notification responsive to a determination that a count of kilowatt-hours exceeds a predetermined threshold.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide a notification responsive to a determination that a monetary value of energy usage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide a notification responsive to a determination that a monetary value of energy usage exceeds a predetermined threshold, said predetermined threshold entered as a monetary value corresponding to a cost of a predetermined count of kilowatt-hours via a monetary value web page.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller comprises a touch screen.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to render values measured by said system via a local user interface.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said master controller is adapted to provide information to a billing system, said billing system adapted to provide a bill associated with energy usage by a load of the corresponding circuit branch.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein:

master controller is communicatively coupled to a plurality of meters in a network utilizing a MODBUS protocol.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein:

master controller is communicatively coupled to the Internet.

23. A method comprising:

causing a transmission of a web page from a web page server of an energy monitoring master controller, said master controller adapted to be communicatively coupled to each of a set of electrical energy monitoring devices, said master controller connectable to the Internet, said web page server adapted to provide circuit breaker information from each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices via a web page, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices adapted to determine an energy usage by a corresponding circuit branch electrically coupled to an electrical energy source via a corresponding circuit breaker, said energy usage determined via a measured voltage relative to ground at said corresponding circuit breaker and a current flow through said corresponding circuit breaker, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices adapted to be mounted in a circuit breaker panel and substantially adjacent to said corresponding circuit breaker, each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices operably yet non-simultaneously couplable to each of a single phase alternating current circuit branch and a three phase alternating current circuit branch, said web page adapted to provide a notification if a predetermined energy usage threshold is exceeded and receive an acknowledgement of said notification from a user.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

rendering an alarm at an energy monitoring master controller, said alarm associated with an automatically detected condition in at least one of said corresponding circuit branches, said master controller adapted to be communicatively coupled to each of said set of electrical energy monitoring devices, said master controller connectable to the Internet, said master controller comprising said web page server adapted to provide said web page.