Adaptive Power Bus
First Claim
1. An adaptive power bus comprising:
- an electrical circuit;
a first circuit monitor located at any point between a first circuit breaker and a first connection point on a first electrical circuit and which monitors the total current flowing through the first electrical circuit; and
a first master controller connected to the first circuit monitor via a first communications network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention converts the electrical circuitry in a premises for use as an adaptive power bus to which one or more power generating devices may be connected using a standard electrical outlet, without the need for a separate dedicated circuit or any additional electrical wiring and continuing to operate as a traditional power bus, while preventing electrical circuitry from being overloaded.
Embodiments of the adaptive power bus provide the advantage of being able to plug power generating devices directly into a standard electrical outlet without the need for a separate dedicated circuit or any additional electrical wiring, while protecting electrical circuitry from being overloaded by disabling power generating or power consumption devices exactly when needed, and re-enabling power generating and power consumption devices when a circuit overload condition is no longer present. Embodiments of the adaptive power bus allow a premises owners to configure which power generating or power consumption devices to prioritize and which should be turned off or turned down during a circuit overload condition. Embodiments of the adaptive power bus allow power generating devices to be conveniently plugged anywhere within premises, conveniently moved from location to location within premises, or conveniently moved from premises to premises as needed. Embodiments of the adaptive power bus dramatically reduce installation time, installation expense and inspection requirements for a power generating device, thereby lowering the fixed cost and overall pay back period of a power generating device.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An adaptive power bus comprising:
- an electrical circuit;
a first circuit monitor located at any point between a first circuit breaker and a first connection point on a first electrical circuit and which monitors the total current flowing through the first electrical circuit; and
a first master controller connected to the first circuit monitor via a first communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- an electrical circuit;
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12. A method of operating an adaptive power bus including an electrical circuit, a circuit monitor located at any point between a circuit breaker and a first connection point on the electrical circuit and which monitors the total current flowing through the electrical circuit, one or more generating controllers connected to a connection point on the electrical circuit and one or more power generating devices which monitor the total current generated by one or more power generation devices, a master controller connected to one or more circuit monitors and one or more generating controllers via a communications network, the method comprising:
- monitoring the status of the circuit monitor, one or more generation controllers, and if present, one or more consuming controllers. In the event that the total circuit current reported by the circuit monitor plus the generating current reported by generating controllers together exceed the current rating of electrical circuit, the master controller issues a command based on a set of decision rules to either one or more generating controllers or, if present, to one or more consuming controllers, or any combination thereof, to either turn off power generating or consuming devices or reduce their generating output or consumption to a level sufficient to eliminate the circuit overload condition.
- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of synchronizing each of the components of an adaptive power bus including one or more circuit monitors, one or more generating controllers, one or more power generating devices, one or more consuming controllers, one or more power consuming devices and one or more master controllers via a communications network, the method comprising:
- associating one or more power generating devices with a generating controller, associating one or more power consuming devices with a consuming controller, associating one or more generating controllers with a circuit monitor, associating one or more consuming controllers with a circuit monitor, associating one or more generating controllers with a master controller, associating one or more consuming controllers with a master controller, and one or more circuit monitors with a master controller and exchanging device properties including unique resource identifier, serial number, network address or location, circuit address, hardware build, hardware version, hardware date, firmware version, firmware date, firmware build and encryption keys for secure communication and saving these device properties in non-volatile memory.
Specification