LOAD SHEDDING FOR SURFACE HEATING UNITS ON ELECTROMECHANICALLY CONTROLLED COOKING APPLIANCES

• US 20110062142A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steurer, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/483
• 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 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0266 Cooktops
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

According to one aspect, a system for reducing peak power usage of an electromechanically controlled cooking appliance is provided. The system includes at least one infinite switch, one or more heating units, at least one of which comprising at least two separately controllable resistive heating elements, a control operatively coupled to the one or more heating units, the control being configured to receive and process a utility state signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, wherein the one or more heating units include at least one relay switch configured to selectively enable and disable energization of one of the elements in response to the utility state signal.

Claims

1. A system for reducing peak power usage of an electromechanically controlled cooking appliance comprising:

at least one infinite switch;

one or more heating units, at least one of which comprises at least two separately controllable heating elements;

a control operatively coupled to said one or more heating units, said control being configured to receive and process a utility state signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, wherein said one or more heating units include at least one relay switch configured to selectively enable and disable energization of one of said elements in response to the utility state signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more heating units is a surface heating unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said surface heating unit comprises two separately controllable heating elements.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the heating elements of each surface heating unit have an interleaved configuration.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control is configured to operate said appliance in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy saving mode, in response to the received signal.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said heating unit further includes a relay coil operationally coupled to said control, wherein said relay coil is configured to control the state of said relay switch.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said control is configured to energize said relay coil, causing said relay switch to open and disabling energization of one of said heating elements.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control energizes said relay coil to initiate an energy saving mode in response to a peak demand signal.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein opening said relay switch reduces power consumed by said surface unit by about 40%.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said relay switch comprises a sin throw multiple pole relay device to disable energization of multiple heating elements.

11. An electromechanically controlled cooking appliance comprising:

a top cooking surface comprising multiple heating units, said heating units each comprising at least two separately controllable heating elements;

an infinite switch capable of controlling energization of each heating unit;

an electronic control configured to receive a signal indicative of a current utility state of an associated utility; and

an electromechanical relay switch operationally coupled to said control, wherein upon receiving a signal indicating a peak demand period, said control operates the appliance in energy saving mode, and upon receiving a signal indicating a off-peak demand period, said control operates the appliance in normal mode.

12. The cooking appliance according to claim 11, wherein said relay switch is configured to selectively disable one of said separately controllable heating elements during operation in the energy saving mode.

13. The cooking appliance according to claim 11, wherein disabling one of said separately controllable heating elements reduces energy consumption by about 40% relative to normal mode.

14. The cooking appliance according to claim 11, wherein said relay switch comprises a single pole single throw relay switch.

15. The cooking appliance according to claim 11, wherein the heating elements are configured in interleaved fashion about said heating units.

16. A method for reducing peak power usage of a cooking appliance of the type including a heating device comprising at least two heating elements, an infinite switch providing duty cycle control of the heating device, a control configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, the utility state being at least one of a peak demand period and an off-peak demand period, and a switching device responsive to the control and operative to selectively enable and disable energization of one of said at least two heating elements, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving and processing a signal by said control;

b) operating said device in a normal mode by controlling the switching device to enable energization of all of the heating elements during the off-peak demand period;

c) operating said device in an energy savings mode by controlling the switching device to disable energization of the one heating element during the peak demand period; and

d) returning said device to normal mode at the conclusion of the peak demand period.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein operating said device in energy saving mode includes causing the switching device to open, wherein opening said switching device prevents the delivery of power to the at least one heating element.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said switching device is opened by the energization of an associated relay coil by said control.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein preventing the delivery of power to at least one of the elements reduces peak power consumption of the heating device by about 40%.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said switching device is closed by de-energizing said relay coil.