SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MINIMIZING CONSUMER IMPACT DURING DEMAND RESPONSES

• US 20110114627A1
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• 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: Burt, Ashley Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/396
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

An electromechanically controlled cooking appliance is provided. The cooking appliance includes one or more power consuming elements including at least one of a surface heating unit for surface cooking and an oven heating unit for heating a cooking cavity, at least one of an infinite switch and a thermostat, a control configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility including a peak demand state and an off-peak demand state and operate the cooking appliance in one of a plurality of operating modes, at least one of the power consuming elements operating at a lower power level when in the energy saving mode than in the normal operating mode, and a first element status sensor adapted to provide feedback to the control indicative of whether at least one of the one or more power consuming elements is in use, wherein at the conclusion of an energy savings mode, the controller is configured to use said feedback to determine when to restore the at least one or more power consuming elements to its normal mode power level.

Claims

1. An electromechanically controlled cooking appliance comprising:

one or more power consuming element including at least one of a surface heating unit for surface cooking and an oven heating unit for heating a cooking cavity;

at least one of an infinite switch and a thermostat for controlling the energization of a surface heating unit and an oven heating element respectively;

a control configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility including a peak demand state and an off-peak demand state and operate the cooking appliance in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode, in response to the received signal;

at least one of said power consuming elements operating at a lower power level when in the energy saving mode than in the normal operating mode; and

a first element status sensor adapted to provide feedback to said control indicative of whether at least one of said one or more power consuming elements is in use, wherein at the conclusion of an energy savings mode, said controller is configured to use said feedback to determine when to restore said at least one or more power consuming elements to its normal mode power level.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein upon receiving feedback indicating that one or more power consuming elements is in use at the conclusion of a peak demand state period, said controller is configured to maintain the energy saving mode power level for said one or more power consuming elements until no longer in use.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 2, wherein upon receiving feedback indicating that said one or more power consuming elements is not in use, said control is configured to return the cooking appliance to normal operating mode.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said first element status sensor is configured to determine whether or not one of said one or more power consuming elements is in use by monitoring the state of an ON/OFF switch of at least one of the infinite switch and thermostat.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1, further including a second element status sensor configured to provide feedback to said control prior to entering energy savings mode if a surface heating unit is already in use at a lower power setting.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein said control determines whether to enter energy saving mode based on the feedback from said second element status sensor.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein said feedback from at least one of said first and second element status sensor may be at least one of a hot light indicator, a switch, a bi-metal heat detector, and a voltage or current detector.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein said second element status sensor is configured to determine a power setting of a surface heating unit by detecting the angular rotational position of at least one of a selector shaft and control knob of said infinite switch.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein said second element status sensor is configured to determine if a power setting of a surface heating unit is less than a predetermined threshold setting.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein the threshold setting is the setting above that which is desirable to implement the energy savings mode, and below that which energy savings mode is not to be implemented.

11. The cooking appliance according to claim 9, further including a cam attached to the infinite switch and cam actuated switch placed in proximity to the cam, wherein the cam is configured to close the cam actuated switch if the threshold is exceeded.

12. The cooking appliance according to claim 11, wherein said control is adapted to only initiate energy savings mode if said cam actuated switch is closed.

16. The method according to claim 9, further including providing a second element status sensor configured to provide feedback to said control prior to entering energy savings mode indicating whether said at least one surface heating element is already in use at a lowered power level.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the lowered power level includes one of simmer, melt, and low heat.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the feedback from the second element status sensor to said control is achieved by detecting an angular rotational position of a selector shaft and a control knob mounted on said at least one infinite switch.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the feedback from the second status sensor to said control is achieved by determining if power level is less than a predetermined threshold setting.

20. The method according to claim 19, further including placing a cam on said infinite switch and placing a cam actuated switch in proximity to the cam, wherein the cam closes the cam actuated switch if the threshold is exceeded.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein if said cam actuated switch is in the open state, the corresponding surface heating element is recognized as in a mode that should not enter energy savings mode.

13. A method for reducing the peak power usage of an electromechanically controlled cooking appliance including one or more heating elements, including at least one of a surface heating unit for surface cooking and an oven heating unit for heating a cooking cavity, at least one of an infinite switch and a thermostat for controlling the energization of a surface heating unit and an oven heating element respectively, a control configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, the utility state being indicative of one of a peak demand period and an off-peak demand period, and a first element status sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving and processing by said control a signal indicative of a peak demand period;

b) receiving and processing by said control feedback from said first element status sensor indicating whether said one or more heating elements are currently in use;

c) selectively entering energy savings mode for said one or more heating elements;

c) receiving and processing a signal by said control indicating the conclusion of a peak demand period;

d) receiving feedback from said first element status sensor indicating whether said one or more heating elements remain in use; and

e) maintaining energy savings mode if said feedback indicates one or more heating elements are in use.

14. The method according to claim 13, further including returning said appliance to normal mode upon receiving feedback from said first element status sensor indicating that none of said one or more heating elements are in use.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein feedback from said first element sensor is achieved by monitoring the state of an ON/OFF switch of said at least one of said infinite switch and thermostat.

22. A system for reducing the peak power consumption of an electromechanically controlled cooking appliance comprising at least one power consuming element, said system comprising:

at least one of an infinite switch and a thermostat configured to control the delivery of power to at least one power consuming element;

a control configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, said state being indicative of one of a peak demand period and an off-peak demand period, the control adapted to operate the cooking appliance in one of a normal operating mode and an energy saving mode, in response to the received signal;

a first element status sensor configured to provide feedback to said control indicative of whether at least one of said one or more power consuming elements is in use;

a second element status sensor configured to provide feedback to said control indicative of whether a predetermined threshold setting has been achieved, wherein upon receiving a signal indicative of a peak demand period, said control is configured to determine whether to operate in energy savings mode based on said feedback from said second element status sensor, and whether to return to normal operating mode based on feedback from said first element status sensor.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the feedback from said second element status sensor is indicative of whether a power consuming element is already in use in a reduced power consumption mode.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the feedback from said first element status sensor is indicative of the ON/OFF state of said one or more power consuming elements.