INDUSTRIAL CONTROL ENERGY OBJECT

• US 20140257586A1
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pai, Ramdas M., Brandt, David D., Vasko, David A., Siegler, David W., Morgan, Richard A., Sustaeta, Angel
• Granted Patent: US 9,395,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks
• 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: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof

Abstract

An energy object extension to an industrial protocol having a comprehensive suite of attributes, messages and services utilized for the monitoring and control of energy consuming or producing resources by a manufacturing automation application is provided. The energy object includes an identifier associated with an energy resource that is associated with a manufacturing automation application and an energy type associated with the energy resource. This includes a measurement characteristic associated with the energy resource to facilitate energy management by the manufacturing automation application.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of energy resources configured to be employed by an automation process; and

a controller associated with the plurality of energy resources, wherein the controller is configured to;

instantiate, for each of the plurality of energy resources, an energy object comprising;

an identifier associated with a respective energy resource;

an energy type associated with the respective energy resource; and

a measurement characteristic associated with the respective energy resource;

determine an energy supply or demand for the plurality of energy resources based on the energy objects; and

automatically increase or decrease an amount of energy consumed or produced by at least one of the plurality of energy resources based at least in part on the energy supply or demand.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a safety control system configured to limit increasing or decreasing the amount of energy consumed or produced by the at least one of the plurality of energy resources.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a manufacturing execution system (MES) or an energy management control system (EMCS) configured to facilitate determining the energy supply or demand, automatically increasing or decreasing the amount of energy consumed or produced by the at least one of the plurality of energy resources, or both.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy object comprises an aggregation parameter, a role parameter, an operational state parameter, a units/scaling parameter, a roll over parameter, a production capacity parameter, a type parameter, a time parameter, a data log parameter, a shed and produce service, an alarm and event message, or any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy object comprises a parameter object configured to facilitate configuration of the energy object.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy object comprises an input/output assembly object to facilitate control of the plurality of energy resources.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy object comprises an energy structured tag to facilitate control of the plurality of energy resources.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to reduce a base load, sequence a start up, shed non-critical loads, generate power, store energy for later use, stagger power peaks, operate at a reduced rate or capacity, or any combination thereof.

9. A system, comprising:

a plurality of energy resources configured to be employed by an automation process, wherein the plurality of energy resources are configured to be connected to one another by a first network;

a plurality of intelligent field devices, wherein each of the plurality of intelligent field devices is associated with at least one of the plurality of energy resources, and wherein each of the plurality of intelligent field devices is configured to;

instantiate an energy object comprising;

an identifier associated with a respective energy resource;

an energy type associated with the respective energy resource; and

a measurement characteristic associated with the respective energy resource; and

a control system comprising a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of intelligent field devices and configured to;

receive the energy object from each of the plurality of intelligent field devices;

determine an energy supply or demand for the plurality of energy resources based on the received energy object; and

activate, deactivate, or modulate at least one of the plurality of energy resources based at least in part on the energy supply or demand.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control system is configured to limit the activation, deactivation, or modulation of the at least one of the plurality of energy resources.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the control system is configured to use one or more sustainability rules to determine the energy supply or demand, to activate, deactivate, or modulate the at least one of the plurality of energy resources, or both.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sustainability rules are associated with cap and trade policies, waste management activities, maintenance activities, or any combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the energy object comprises an aggregation parameter, a role parameter, an operational state parameter, a units/scaling parameter, a roll over parameter, a production capacity parameter, a type parameter, a time parameter, a data log parameter, a shed and produce service, an alarm and event message, or any combination thereof.

14. A manufacturing automation system, comprising:

a plurality of energy resources configured to be employed by an automation process, wherein the plurality of energy resources is configured to supply energy to and receive energy from a grid; and

a controller configured to;

instantiate, for each of the plurality of energy resources, an energy object extension having a comprehensive protocol having a comprehensive suite of attributes, messages, and services utilized for monitoring or control of an energy resource by the manufacturing automation system, wherein the energy object extension comprises;

an identifier associated with a respective energy resource;

an energy type associated with the respective energy resource; and

a measurement characteristic associated with the respective energy resource; and

determine an energy supply or demand for the automation process based on the energy object extensions; and

submit to a control system associated with the grid;

a request to adjust a first amount of energy consumed or produced by the plurality of energy resources;

a bid exchange for adjusting a second amount of energy consumed or produced by the plurality of energy resources;

or any combination thereof.

15. The manufacturing automation system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to work in conjunction with the control system to schedule events based at least in part on the energy supply or demand.

16. The manufacturing automation system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to work in conjunction with the control system for utility measurement enforcement and settlement based at least in part on the energy supply or demand.

17. The manufacturing automation system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to receive and store a credit for a third amount of energy produced by the plurality of energy resources and provided to the grid.

18. The manufacturing automation system of claim 14, wherein the energy object extension comprises a priority parameter configured to indicate the respective energy resource as an opt-out energy resource, a critical energy resource, or a non-critical energy resource.

19. The manufacturing automation system of claim 14, wherein the control system is configured to create a report comprising a third amount of energy supplied to or received from the grid by the plurality of energy resources.

20. A controller configured to:

receive a plurality of energy objects, wherein each of the plurality of energy objects is associated with one of a plurality of energy resources employed by an automation process, and wherein each of the plurality of energy objects comprises;

an identifier associated with a respective energy resource;

an energy type associated with the respective energy resource; and

a measurement characteristic associated with the respective energy resource; and

limit energy management of the plurality of energy resource by a manufacturing automation system based on the plurality of energy objects.

21. The controller of claim 20, wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic controller configured to limit a switch of at least one of the plurality of energy resources from a first energy state to a second energy state by the manufacturing automation system based at least in part on the plurality of energy objects.

22. The controller of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to limit an activation, deactivation, or modulation of at least one of the plurality of energy resources by the manufacturing automation system based at least in part on the plurality of energy objects.

23. The controller of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to limit an adjustment of an amount of energy consumed or produced by at least one of the plurality of energy resources by the manufacturing automation system based at least in part on the plurality of energy objects.

24. The controller of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to work in conjunction with the manufacturing automation system to schedule future event triggered load shedding based on a limit applied to the energy management of the plurality of energy resources.