ADVANCED ENERGY MONITORING AND CONTROL IN A COMPLEX SYSTEM

• US 20150045976A1
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Li, Sherwin C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,577,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of smart outlets and a backend system in wireless communication with the smart outlets. The smart outlets are configured to provide electrical power from an electrical system to respective power loads, and configured to measure power consumption characteristics thereof the respective power loads. The power consumption characteristics may include real power, apparent power or a combination thereof consumed by the respective power loads. The backend system may be configured to wirelessly receive the power consumption characteristics from the smart outlets for analysis in accordance with a power distribution schedule of the electrical system, and wirelessly transmit a command signal to one or more of the smart outlets in various instances response to the analysis. This command signal may instruct the respective one or more smart outlets to shed or restore power to respective power loads from the electrical system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of smart outlets configured to provide electrical power from an electrical system to respective power loads, and configured to measure power consumption characteristics of the respective power loads, the power consumption characteristics including real power, apparent power or a combination thereof consumed by the respective power loads;

a backend system in wireless communication with the smart outlets and configured to wirelessly receive the power consumption characteristics from the smart outlets for analysis in accordance with a power distribution schedule of the electrical system,

wherein the backend system is configured to wirelessly transmit a command signal to one or more of the smart outlets in various instances response to the analysis, and

the command signal instructing the respective one or more smart outlets to shed or restore power to respective power loads from the electrical system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart outlets are configured to provide power conditioning, surge protection or a combination thereof to the respective power loads.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart outlets are configured to measure power consumption characteristics further including voltage and current consumed by the respective power loads.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each smart outlet comprises:

one or more sensors configured to measure the power consumption characteristics of a respective power load to which the smart outlet is configured to provide electrical power, the one or more sensors including a voltage sensor and a current sensor;

a control unit coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to control the electrical power provided to the respective power load, and receive the power consumption characteristics measured by the one or more sensors; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to the control unit and configured to wirelessly transmit the power consumption characteristics to the backend system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each smart outlet further comprises:

a power socket configured to provide an interface for electrical power provided from the electrical system to the respective power load; and

a switch coupled to the control unit and between the electrical system and power socket, the control unit being configured to control the switch to thereby control the electrical power provided to the respective power load.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein each smart outlet is further configured to finite impulse response filter the power consumption characteristics before wireless transmission thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the backend system is configured to provide the power consumption characteristics to an electrical load management system (ELMS) for the analysis in accordance with the power distribution schedule, and configured to receive the command signal from the ELMS for transmission to the one or more smart outlets.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the backend system is configured to receive and integrate the power consumption characteristics into a representation thereof for the analysis in accordance with the power distribution schedule.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the backend system being configured to integrate the power consumption characteristics includes being configured to assign the power consumption characteristics to various ones of N clusters for respective N power levels, and calculate a discrete probability of each of the N power levels from respective clusters.

10. A smart outlet configured to provide electrical power from an electrical system to a power load, the smart outlet comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure power consumption characteristics of the power load to which the smart outlet is configured to provide electrical power, the power consumption characteristics including real power, apparent power or a combination thereof consumed by the respective power load, and the one or more sensors including a voltage sensor and a current sensor;

a control unit coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to control the electrical power provided to the respective power load, and receive the power consumption characteristics measured by the one or more sensors; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to the control unit and configured to wirelessly transmit the power consumption characteristics to a backend system for analysis in accordance with a power distribution schedule of the electrical system.

11. The smart outlet of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to wirelessly receive a command signal in various instances response to the analysis, the command signal instructing the control unit to shed or restore power to the respective power load from the electrical system.

12. The smart outlet of claim 10 further comprising:

a power socket configured to provide an interface for electrical power provided from the electrical system to the respective power load; and

circuitry coupled between the electrical system and power socket, and configured to provide power conditioning, surge protection or a combination thereof to the respective power load.

13. The smart outlet of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure power consumption characteristics further including voltage and current consumed by the respective power load.

14. The smart outlet of claim 10 further comprising:

a power socket configured to provide an interface for electrical power provided from the electrical system to the respective power load; and

a switch coupled to the control unit and between the electrical system and power socket, the control unit being configured to control the switch to thereby control the electrical power provided to the respective power load.

15. The smart outlet of claim 10 further comprising:

a finite impulse response filter configured to filter the power consumption characteristic before wireless transmission thereof.

16. The smart outlet of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to wirelessly transmit the power consumption characteristics to the backend system to provide to an electrical load management system (ELMS) for the analysis in accordance with the power distribution schedule.

17. A method comprising:

providing electrical power from an electrical system to a power load;

measuring power consumption characteristics of the power load to which electrical power is provided, the power consumption characteristics including real power, apparent power or a combination thereof consumed by the respective power load, and the power consumption characteristics being measured by one or more sensors including a voltage sensor and a current sensor;

receiving the power consumption characteristics measured by the one or more sensors; and

wirelessly transmitting the power consumption characteristics to a backend system for analysis in accordance with a power distribution schedule of the electrical system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a control unit controls the electrical power provided to the respective power load, and wherein the method further comprises:

wirelessly receiving a command signal in various instances response to the analysis, the command signal instructing the control unit to shed or restore power to the respective power load from the electrical system.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing power conditioning, surge protection or a combination thereof to the respective power load.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein measuring power consumption characteristics comprises measuring power consumption characteristics further including voltage and current consumed by the respective power load.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing an interface for electrical power provided from the electrical system to the respective power load; and

controlling a switch between the electrical system and interface to thereby control the electrical power provided to the respective power load.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

finite impulse response filtering the power consumption characteristic before wireless transmission thereof.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the power consumption characteristics are wirelessly transmitted to the backend system to provide to an electrical load management system (ELMS) for the analysis in accordance with the power distribution schedule.