POWER DEMAND CONTROL DEVICE, POWER DEMAND CONTROL METHOD, POWER DEMAND CONTROL SYSTEM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20160370817A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: KAWAI, Wakahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,175,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39407 Power metrics, energy efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 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: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

An electric power demand control system selects a presswork device as a target of electric power demand control in a case where the ratio of the total time length of a non-working state of the presswork device within a time period to the total time length of a working state of the presswork device within the time period is larger than a threshold. This makes it possible to alleviate, for example, (i) a decrease in production efficiency caused by electric power demand control at a facility at which production lines are installed and (ii) environmental deterioration due to electric power demand control.

Claims

1. An electric power demand control device, comprising:

a calculating section configured to calculate (i) a total time length of a working state of a device within a time period and (ii) a total time length of a non-working state of the device within the time period;

a determining section configured to determine, on a basis of a ratio of the total time length of the non-working state to the total time length of the working state, whether to select the device as a target of electric power demand control; and

an instructing section configured to, in a case where the determining section has determined to select the device as the target of the electric power demand control, instruct the device to shift to the non-working state.

2. The electric power demand control device according to claim 1,

wherein

the calculating section calculates the total time length of the working state and the total time length of the non-working state on a basis of (i) electric power consumed by the device in the working state and (ii) electric power consumed by the device in the non-working state.

3. The electric power demand control device according to claim 1,

wherein

the determining section determines to select the device as the target of the electric power demand control in a case where the ratio is larger than a threshold.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program is stored, wherein the program is configured to cause a computer to function as the electric power demand control device according to claim 1.

4. An electric power demand control system, comprising:

a determining device; and

an instructing device,

the instructing device including;

a necessity determining section configured to determine whether electric power demand control is necessary for a facility in which at least one device is installed;

an inquiry section configured to, in a case where the necessity determining section has determined that the electric power demand control is necessary, inquire of the determining device about whether the at least one device is selectable as a target of the electric power demand control; and

an instructing section configured to, in a case where the instructing section has received from the determining device a notification that the at least one device is selectable as the target of the electric power demand control, instruct the at least one device to shift to a non-working state,

the determining device including;

a calculating section configured to calculate (i) a total time length of a working state of the at least one device within a time period and (ii) a total time length of the non-working state of the at least one device within the time period;

a determining section configured to determine, on a basis of a ratio of the total time length of the non-working state to the total time length of the working state, whether to select the at least one device as the target of the electric power demand control; and

a notifying section configured to, in a case where the notifying section has been inquired of by the instructing device, notify the instructing device of a result of the determination by the determining section.

5. The electric power demand control device according to claim 4,

wherein

the determining section determines to select the at least one device as the target of the electric power demand control in a case where the ratio is larger than a threshold.

6. The electric power demand control system according to claim 5,

wherein

the instructing device further includes a providing section configured to provide the determining device with the threshold for use by the determining device.

7. The electric power demand control system according to claim 6,

wherein

the necessity determining section, in a case where total electric power consumed at the facility within a time period is larger than a target electric power consumption, determines that the electric power demand control is necessary.

8. The electric power demand control system according to claim 4, further comprising

an electric power consumption calculating section configured to calculate electric power consumed by the at least one device after the at least one device has shifted to the non-working state.

9. The electric power demand control system according to claim 6,

wherein:

the at least one device includes a plurality of devices;

the necessity determining section, after the instructing section has instructed at least one of the plurality of devices to shift to the non-working state, determines again whether the electric power demand control is necessary; and

the providing section, in a case where the necessity determining section has determined again that the electric power demand control is necessary, provides each of the plurality of devices with a threshold smaller than the threshold.

10. The electric power demand control system according to claim 4,

wherein:

the at least one device is connected to another device configured to operate in conjunction with the at least one device;

the at least one device, after the at least one device has been instructed to shift to the non-working state, shifts to the non-working state and notifies the other device that electric power consumed by the at least one device has decreased; and

the other device shifts to the non-working state after the other device has been notified that the electric power consumed by the at least one device has decreased.

11. The electric power demand control system according to claim 10,

wherein

the other device is (i) an open-close valve for compressed air, (ii) a power supply device for an exhaust duct, (iii) a power supply device for air conditioning, or (iv) a control device for the air conditioning.

12. The electric power demand control system according to claim 4,

wherein

the determining device is disposed in the at least one device.

13. An electric power demand control method, comprising the steps of:

(a) calculating (i) a total time length of a working state of a device within a time period and (ii) a total time length of a non-working state of the device within the time period;

(b) determining, on a basis of a ratio of the total time length of the non-working state to the total time length of the working state, whether to select the device as a target of electric power demand control; and

(c) in a case where the step (b) has determined to select the device as the target of the electric power demand control, instructing the device to shift to the non-working state.

14. (canceled)