OPERATIONAL STATE DETERMINATION APPARATUS

• US 20130211756A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Filippi, Alessio, Rietman, Ronald, Wang, Ying, Pandharipande, Ashish Vijay, Shrubsole, Paul Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 11,378,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/65
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/12 for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/16 by adjustment of reactive power
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The invention relates to an operational state determination apparatus (1) for determining whether a variation in a determined electrical parameter of an electrical network (2) is caused by a variation in an operational state of an electrical consumer of the electrical network. The electrical network comprises multiple electrical consumers (3, 4, 5) and a voltage source (6), wherein a variation classification unit (10) determines whether a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer of the network depending on a decision variable which depends on a variation in a measured voltage and a variation in a measured current of the electrical network. This determination can be performed, without directly using the variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network and is therefore less influenced by random voltage fluctuations in the electrical network.

Claims

1. An operational state determination apparatus for determining whether a variation in a determined electrical parameter of an electrical network is caused by a variation in an operational state of an electrical consumer of the electrical network, wherein the electrical network comprises multiple electrical consumers and a voltage source, wherein the operational state determination apparatus comprises:

a voltage meter for measuring a voltage in the electrical network,

a current meter for measuring a current in the electrical network,

a decision variable determination unit for determining a decision variable depending on a variation in the measured voltage and a variation in the measured current, wherein the decision variable is indicative of whether a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer,

a variation classification unit for determining whether a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer of the network depending on the determined decision variable.

2. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the decision variable determination unit is adapted to determine the decision variable depending on a ratio of a variation in the voltage and a variation in the current.

3. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the variation classification unit is adapted to determine that a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer by comparing the ratio with a predefined threshold.

4. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the threshold is predefined such that a ratio, which is smaller than the threshold, indicates that the change in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer, wherein the variation classification unit is adapted to determine that a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer, if the ratio is smaller than the threshold.

5. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the variation classification unit is adapted to determine that a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer of the network depending on the determined decision variable and depending on the magnitude of the variation in the determined electrical parameter.

6. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the operational state determination apparatus further comprises an electrical parameter determination unit for determining the electrical parameter depending on at least one of the measured voltage and the measured current.

7. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the electrical parameter determination unit is adapted to determine a power consumed by the electrical network as the electrical parameter.

8. The operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the operational state determination apparatus further comprises a variation determination unit for determining whether a variation in the determined electrical parameter is present.

9. A disaggregation apparatus for identifying an electrical consumer, of which an operational state has been changed, in an electrical network, wherein the electrical network comprises multiple electrical consumers and a voltage source, the disaggregation apparatus comprising:

an operational state determination apparatus for determining whether a variation in a determined electrical parameter of an electrical network is caused by a variation in an operational state of an electrical consumer of the electrical network as defined in claim 1,

an electrical parameter determination unit for determining the electrical parameter depending on at least one of the measured voltage and the measured current,

an electrical consumer determination unit for determining an electrical consumer, of which the operational state has been varied, depending on the variation in the determined electrical parameter, if the variation classification unit has determined that the variation in the determined electrical parameter is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer of the network.

10. The disaggregation apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the disaggregation apparatus further comprises an energy consumption determination unit for determining the energy consumption of the determined electrical consumer.

13. An operational state determination computer program for determining whether a variation in a determined electrical parameter of an electrical network is caused by a variation in an operational state of an electrical consumer of the electrical network, the operational state determination computer program comprising program code means for causing an operational state determination apparatus as defined in claim 1, when the operational state determination computer program is run on a computer controlling the operational state determination apparatus.

14. A disaggregation computer program for identifying an electrical consumer, of which an operational state has been changed, in an electrical network, wherein the electrical network comprises multiple electrical consumers and a voltage source, the disaggregation computer program comprising program code means for causing a disaggregation apparatus as defined in claim 9, when the disaggregation computer program is run on a computer controlling the disaggregation apparatus.

11. An operational state determination method for determining whether a variation in a determined electrical parameter of an electrical network is caused by a variation in an operational state of an electrical consumer of the electrical network, wherein the electrical network comprises multiple electrical consumers and a voltage source, wherein the operational state determination method comprises:

measuring a voltage in the electrical network,

measuring a current in the electrical network,

determining a decision variable depending on a variation in the measured voltage and a variation in the measured current, wherein the decision variable is indicative of whether a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer,

determining whether a variation in the determined electrical parameter of the electrical network is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer of the network depending on the determined decision variable.

12. A disaggregation method for identifying an electrical consumer, of which an operational state has been changed, in an electrical network, wherein the electrical network comprises multiple electrical consumers and a voltage source, the disaggregation method comprising:

a method for determining whether a variation in a determined electrical parameter of an electrical network is caused by a variation in an operational state of an electrical consumer of the electrical network as defined in claim 11,

determining the electrical parameter depending on at least one of the measured voltage and the measured current,

determining an electrical consumer, of which the operational state has been varied, depending on the variation in the determined electrical parameter, if the variation in the determined electrical parameter is caused by a variation in the operational state of an electrical consumer of the network.