Household appliance adapted to work with time of use electricity rates

• US 20110125337A1
• Filed: 01/15/2011
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mykola Sherstyuk, Vyacheslav Zavadsky
• Original Assignee: Mykola Sherstyuk, Vyacheslav Zavadsky
• Inventors: Zavadsky, Vyacheslav, Sherstyuk, Mykola
• Application Number:
  US13/007,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125337A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• 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 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

An electrical appliance with reduced operating costs is described. The appliance incorporates electrical storage which is charged from the grid during periods of low electricity pricing and discharged during periods of high pricing. Storage cycles are engineered to minimize energy losses and reduce appliance operating costs. Energy losses are minimized by only charging the storage to a portion of full capacity and only discharging to a specified value. In one embodiment the storage consists of a battery and a capacitor. The capacitor provides additional current during high demand intervals. In another embodiment the external supply provides this. Storage lifetime is improved by maintenance cycles. The appliance computes the cost of an operation for multiple scenarios and either selects the optimal scenario or allows user selection. The appliance can communicate with a home energy server to manage multiple appliances and communicate with ancillary grid services.

Claims

1. An appliance,

the appliance providing a household utility function different from power metering,

the appliance comprising of:

a power connection which receives power from a household power grid,

a set of at least one micro-controllers;

the appliance operable to;

a) receive a plurality of time of use electrical pricing rates, each rate associated with at least one time interval,

b) for a plurality of appliance use scenarios, compute one of the following;

i. the costs of operating the said appliance for at least two different use scenarios,

ii. the cost difference in costs of operating the said appliance between two different use scenarios,

iii. at least one value indicative of the absolute or relative costs of two different use scenarios;

wherein;

said costs comprise the cost of electricity received by said power connection to perform said use scenarios based on said time of use rates,

in the said plurality of appliance use scenarios there are at least two use scenarios that are practical, and one of the scenarios in the said two is the demand shifting of the other,

operations (a) and (b) above are performed using one of the following options;

using the said set of micro-controllers,

using another computing device that communicates with the said appliance.

2. The appliance as recited by claim 1, wherein the said utility function is one of the following:

a) a refrigerator,

b) a dishwasher,

c) a washer,

d) a dryer,

e) a cooking appliance,

f) a heater,

g) an air conditioner,

h) an entertainment unit.

3. The appliance as recited by claim 1, wherein the said utility function is an extension cord or power bar, and the said appliance further comprises a power plug and at least one power outlet.

4. The appliance as recited by claim 1, wherein the said plurality of the use scenarios comprises at least two scenarios starting at substantially the same time and achieving substantially the same utility function.

5. The appliance as recited by claim 3, further operable to switch on or off power supply in the said power outlet.

6. The appliance as recited by claim 1 further comprises of electrical energy storage and

a) further operable to perform a charge/discharge cycle of said storage,

b) said charge/discharge cycle comprising of at least one charge operation and least one discharge operation,

wherein

c) said discharge operation provides at least a portion of the energy to operate the said appliance,

d) at least a portion of the charge operation is performed during a first time interval,

e) at least a portion of the discharge operation is performed during a second time interval,

f) the time of use electricity pricing rate associated said first time interval is lower than the rate associated said second time interval.

7. The appliance as recited by claim 6, wherein the said costs further comprises the costs associated with deterioration of the said storage.

8. The appliance as recited by claim 6 wherein during the said discharge operation

a) there is a first non-zero energy consumption level by the said appliance,

b) there is a second non-zero energy consumption level by the said appliance,

c) the said second energy consumption level is greater than the said first energy consumption level,

d) the said first energy consumption level is fulfilled by a first non-zero power level from the discharge of the said storage and a second power level provided from the said power connection to household power grid,

e) the said second energy consumption level is fulfilled by a third power level from the discharge of the said storage and a fourth non-zero power level provided from the power connection to household power grid,

f) the said forth power level is greater than the said second power level.

9. The appliance as recited by claim 1 wherein at least one of the said use scenarios is a past use of the appliance.

10. The appliance as recited by claim 9, wherein the said plurality of use scenarios includes at least 2 past uses during different time intervals.

11. The appliance as recited by claim 1 wherein at least one of the said use scenarios is anticipated in the future.

12. The appliance as recited by claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the results of computation in step (c) is provided to a user using one of the following options:

a) A user interface device that is part of the appliance,

b) A user interface device that is communicates with the appliance.

13. The appliance as recited by claim 4 wherein

a) at least a portion of the results of computation in step (c) is provided to a user using one of the following options:

i. A user interface device that is part of the appliance,

ii. A user interface device that is communicates with the appliance;

b) at least one of the said use scenarios is anticipated in the future,

c) following the step a), the appliance is further operable to receive a user input indicative to a selection a use scenario to be performed in the future.

14. The appliance as recited by claim 11, wherein a computing device selects one of the said anticipated use scenarios.

15. The appliance as recited by claim 6, wherein the said plurality of use scenarios includes at least two scenarios involving charging or discharging of the said storage.

16. A method of demand shifting for a household utility appliance, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a plurality of anticipated time of use electrical rates, each rate associated with at least one time interval,

b) for plurality of practical anticipated appliance use scenarios, perform at least one of the following computations;

i. costs of operating the said appliance in at least two of the said use scenarios,

ii. difference in costs of operating the said appliance between two of the said use scenarios,

iii. at least one value indicative of absolute or relative costs of the said use

scenarios,

c) selecting one of the said use scenarios,

wherein

the computation step b) is performed using one of the following;

by a computing device that is a part of the appliance,

by a computing device that communicates with the appliance,

the said costs comprise of the costs of electrical energy received from utility grid for the said appliance according to the said rate schedule.

17. Method as recited in claim 16, wherein the said selection step is done by a computing device.

18. Method as recited in claim 16, wherein results of the said computation are provided to a user and the said selection step is in response to an input from the user.

19. An appliance with a household utility function different from:

power metering,

power supply,

connection of another utility appliance to household power grid,

the appliance comprising a set of at least one micro-controllers, the said set is operable to

a) receive a plurality of time of use electrical rates, each rate associated with at least one time interval,

b) monitor the amount of electricity the appliance uses,

c) compute the costs to operate the appliance over a period of time in the past, wherein;

the said period intersects with a plurality of the time intervals,

at least two of the time intervals from the said plurality have different associated time of use electricity rates,

the said costs comprise the cost of electricity consumed over the said period, the cost of electricity is computed using the said time of use rates,

d) communicate the said costs to a user.

20. The appliance as recited by claim 19, wherein the said appliance comprises a user interface device, the said device is used for at least one of the steps a) or d).