Apparatus for monitoring and controlling consumer power consumption

• US 4,253,151 A
• Filed: 11/03/1978
• Issued: 02/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas T. Bouve
• Original Assignee: Thomas T. Bouve
• Inventors: Bouve, Thomas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkinson, Charles E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US05/957,367
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 364/483, 364/492, 364/493, 364/464, 235/92 MT, 235/92 EL, 324/103 R, 324/142, 324/116, 307/31
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1338 Measuring maximum demand

Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring and controlling the electrical power consumption of an electrical power consuming system, which apparatus measures and displays the rate and accumulated amount of total electrical consumption by the system, computes the average daily consumption, and signals when the average daily consumption exceeds a predetermined target as established by the consumer. Also, the apparatus generates an output indicative of peak integrated power consumption over a predetermined time period, and an indication of the precise time of occurrence thereof, to aid the consumer in his effort to isolate primary sources of power consumption. In addition, the apparatus of the invention computes the difference between the average daily consumption and the target daily consumption, which differences are displayed in order to provide a meaningful measure of the consumer'"'"'s progress in controlling the amount of useage of the particular electrical power consuming system being monitored.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring and controlling the electrical power consumption of an electrical power consuming system connected to a source of electrical power, comprising:

means inserted in series between said power source and said system for measuring instantaneous power consumption of said system;

clocking means for providing clock pulses at a plurality of predetermined time intervals;

first computing means coupled to said measuring means and said clocking means for computing total power consumption over a first time period;

second computing means coupled to said clocking means and said first computing means for computing actual rate of power consumption over a second predetermined time period smaller than said first time period;

first programming means for externally programming said apparatus with a target rate of power consumption;

means coupled to said second computing means and said programming means for comparing said actual rate to said target rate and producing a first signal indicative of the difference therebetween and a second signal indicative of when said actual rate exceeds said target rate;

first display means for displaying said first and second signals, said actual and target rates, and said total power consumption; and

means for calculating said target rate of power consumption, comprising

second programming means for externally programming said apparatus with a third time period and a target power consumption figure for said third time period,

switching means for switching said second computing means from said clocking means and said first computing means to said second programming means such that said second computing means calculates said target rate of power consumption by dividing said target power consumption figure by said third time period, and for switching said second computing means back to said clocking means and said first computing means after calculation of said target rate, said first display means displaying said calculated target rate when said second computing means is coupled to said second programming means;

whereby said calculated target rate is displayed by said first display means to enable programming of the calculated target rate into said apparatus by said first programming means after calculation of said target rate.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

said clocking means comprising an elapsed time counter coupled to said first time period; and

second display means for displaying said elapsed time of said first time period.

3. An apparatus for monitoring and controlling the electrical power consumption of an electrical power consuming system connected to a source of electrical power, comprising:

means inserted in series between said power source and said system for measuring instantaneous power consumption of said system;

clocking means for providing clock pulses at a plurality of predetermined time intervals;

first computing means coupled to said measuring means and said clocking means for computing total power consumption over a first time period;

second computing means coupled to said clocking means and said first computing means for computing actual rate of power consumption over a second predetermined time period smaller than said first time period;

first programming means for externally programming said apparatus with a target rate of power consumption;

means coupled to said second computing means and said programming means for comparing said actual rate to said target rate and producing a first signal indicative of the difference therebetween and a second signal indicative of when said actual rate exceeds said target rate;

first display means for displaying said first and second signals, said actual and target rates, and said total power consumption;

means for generating a signal indicative of peak integrated power consumption of said monitored system over a third time period smaller than said first time period;

a memory connected to said generating means for storing said peak integrated power consumption signal and a signal indicative of the time of occurrence thereof; and

means for displaying a stored peak integrated power consumption signal and the time of occurrence associated therewith;

wherein said means for generating a signal indicative of peak integrated power consumption comprises,

third computing means coupled to said clocking means and said first computing means for successively generating an output signal corresponding to the total power consumption in each of a plurality of successive predetermined fourth time periods, where each fourth time period is an integral fraction of said third time period,

summing means coupled to said third computing means for successively forming a sum signal indicative of the sum of a plurality of consecutive of said successive total power consumption output signals of said third computing means, said sum signal equal to the integrated power consumption over said third time period, and

comparator means coupled to said memory and to said summing means for comparing the peak integrated power consumption signal stored in said memory with each sum signal formed by said summing means and for replacing the stored peak integration power consumption signal and the time of occurrence thereof stored in said memory with a sum signal, and the time of occurrence thereof, respectively, whenever said sum signal exceeds the stored integrated power consumption signal.