System for measuring electrical power interruptions
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the restoration of loads to an electrical power distribution system following the occurrence of a power outage, comprising the steps of:
- a. for each said load, supplying an associated load control module for controlling the connection between the power distribution system and the load; and
b. when power is restored, sending to each module an instruction to enable reconnection of the associated load to the power distribution system in a predefined sequence relative to other loads.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for measuring electrical power interruptions in an electrical power distribution system to a customer premises, controlling the restoration of loads to the electrical power grid after power is restored following an outage, and facilitating preventive maintenance on the electrical power distribution system so that the reliability of power distribution is enhanced. A load control module is associated with each load whose power restoration is to be controlled. Following the occurrence of a power outage, when power is restored, an instruction is transmitted to each load control module by a controller at the premises to enable reconnection of the associated load to the power distribution system in a predefined sequence. At each customer premise, the power feed cable is monitored for the presence of a power signal thereon. When a power interruption occurs, the elapsed time is measured; and upon resumption of power delivery on the cable, a message is transmitted to the energy provider containing an indication of the occurrence of the interruption and the time thereof.
347 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the restoration of loads to an electrical power distribution system following the occurrence of a power outage, comprising the steps of:
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a. for each said load, supplying an associated load control module for controlling the connection between the power distribution system and the load; and b. when power is restored, sending to each module an instruction to enable reconnection of the associated load to the power distribution system in a predefined sequence relative to other loads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for facilitating preventative maintenance on an electrical power distribution system of an electrical energy provider, which system includes a plurality of cables over which power is delivered to a plurality of customer premises and wherein momentary power outages may occur over said cables due to natural and non-natural causes affecting the cables, comprising the steps of at each said customer premise:
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a. monitoring a power cable to said premise for the presence of a power signal thereon; b. measuring the elapsed time of a monitored power interruption on said cable; and c. upon a resumption of power delivery on said cable after detecting multiple momemtary interruptions meeting predetermined frequency and duraton criteria, automatically communicating to the energy provider the occurrence of the multiple momentary interruptions and the times thereof. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A system for controlling the operation of an electrical load at a premises to connect said load to and disconnect said load from electrical mains at determined times, comprising:
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a. first microcomputer adapted to be sited in the vicinity of the premises, including a first processor and first memory connected to intercommunicate and a first control program to control the execution of operations by the first microcomputer; b. a second microcomputer for siting in the vicinity of the premises, including a second processor and second memory connected to intercommunicate, user means for a user to provide input data and a second control program to control the execution of operations by the second microcomputer; c. at least one load control module which controls the condition of the load responsive to instructions from the first microcomputer, including at least instructions to connect the load to electrical mains and to disconnect the load from electrical mains; d. a communications channel; e. the first and second microcomputers and the load control module all being adapted to intercommunicate via the communications channel whereby the first microcomputer sends instructions to the load control module via the communications channel; f. responsive to input data provided to the second microcomputer by the user, the first computer program causing the first microcomputer to execute instructions which build in the first memory a database of load events to occur at predetermined times; g. the first microcomputer executing instructions in the first computer program to obtain from the database said load events at said predetermined times and executing corresponding instructions to send to the load control module instructions to connect the load to or disconnect the load from electrical mains; and h. the second microcomputer also containing a database of load events to occur at predetermined times and the second computer program and the first computer program executing interactively whenever the second microcomputer is turned on, to synchronize contents of the database in the second microcomputer with contents of the database in the first microcomputer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for controlling the operation of at least one electrical load to selectively disconnect each said load from, or allow said load to be connected to, electrical mains in response to load shedding command signals received from an electrical energy provider each load control module being associated with a load, each load assigned a load shedding priority from among a finite set of possible load shedding priorities, and each load shedding command from an electrical energy provider contains therein a specification of the priority levels for which the command is operative, comprising:
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a. a first microcomputer including a first processor and first memory connected to intercommunicate and a first control program to control the execution of operations by the first microcomputer; b. means for receiving said load shedding command signals from the electrical energy provider; c. at least one load control module which controls the condition of the load responsive to instructions from the first microcomputer, including at least instructions to connect the load to electrical mains and to disconnect the load from electrical mains; d. a communications channel; e. the first microcomputer and the load control module being adapted to intercommunicate via the communications channel whereby the first microcomputer sends instructions to the load control module via the communications channel; f. the first control program effectuating operation of the first microcomputer to send to at least one load control module, responsive to the receipt of a load shedding command signal by the means for receiving, an instruction to effectuate an operation of the load control modules corresponding to said command; g. in the first microcomputer, a data structure containing, for each said load, its assigned load shedding priority; and h. the first computer program operating the first microcomputer, responsive to the assigned load shedding priorities in said data structure, to send load shedding commands to the load control modules for those loads whose priority levels correspond to the priority level or levels for which the load shedding command is operative. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification