POWER CONTROL DEVICE, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20160091914A1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: OGAWA, MASATSUGU
• Granted Patent: US 10,095,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• 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 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

On receiving a request to reduce power consumption such as a request for power conservation, a power control device controls power used in a power consumption system including a plurality of devices so that a user can use enough consumable power while saving power in the most comfortable manner possible. The plurality of devices is classified into controllable devices and control-difficult devices. An information acquisition unit acquires amounts of power used by the controllable devices and an amount of most recently measured power of the entire power consumption system. When an amount of an upper limit power is set for the entire power consumption system, a demand control unit controls the amounts of power used by the controllable devices based on evaluation functions set for the respective controllable devices and differential equations set for the respective controllable devices.

Claims

1. A power control device for controlling a power used in a power consumption system comprising a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being classified into controllable devices and uncontrollable devices,

wherein the power control device comprises:

an information acquisition unit configured to acquire amounts of power used by the controllable devices and an amount of the most recently measured power of the entire power consumption system; and

a demand control unit configured to control the amounts of power used by the controllable devices based on evaluation functions set for the respective controllable devices and differential equations set for the respective controllable devices when an upper limit amount of power is set for the entire power consumption system.

2. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the demand control unit controls the amounts of power used by the controllable devices so as to eliminate a difference between the upper limit amount of power and the amount of the most recently measured power of the entire power consumption system.

3. The power control device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the demand control unit compares differential values derived from the evaluation functions among the controllable devices and controls the amounts of power used by the controllable devices so that the differential values derived from the evaluation functions are equal to each other among the controllable devices.

4. The power control device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the differential equations are represented by an expression (1) as follows:

5. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation functions comprise functions with respect to the amounts of power used by the controllable devices and have peak values which have correlation to priorities of the controllable devices.

6. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation functions comprise functions with respect to the number of the controllable devices and have peak values which have correlation to priorities of the controllable devices.

7. A power control method of controlling a power used in a power consumption system comprising a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being classified into controllable devices and uncontrollable devices,

wherein the power control method comprises:

acquiring amounts of power used by the controllable devices and an amount of the most recently measured power of the entire power consumption system;

controlling the amounts of power used by the controllable devices based on evaluation functions set for the respective controllable devices and differential equations set for the respective controllable devices when an upper limit amount of power is set for the entire power consumption system.

8. The power control method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controlling controls the amounts of power used by the controllable devices so as to eliminate a difference between the upper limit amount of power and the amount of the most recently measured power of the entire power consumption system.

9. The power control method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controlling compares differential values derived from the evaluation functions among the controllable devices and controls the amounts of power used by the controllable devices so that the differential values derived from the evaluation functions are equal among the controllable devices.

10. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium for storing a power control program causing a computer to control a power in a power consumption system comprising a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being classified into controllable devices and uncontrollable devices,

wherein the power control program causes the computer to execute:

an information acquisition procedure for acquiring amounts of power used by the controllable devices and an amount of the most recently measure power of the entire power consumption system; and

a control procedure for controlling the amounts of power used by the controllable devices based on evaluation functions set for the respective controllable devices and differential equations set for the respective controllable devices when an upper limit amount of power is set for the entire power consumption system.