Panelboard for controlling and monitoring power or energy

• US 5,861,683 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Schlotterer, John C., Rusnak, Mark F., Engel, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini, Albert W.
• Application Number:
  US08/865,687
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 307/38, 307/147, 307/148, 361/601, 361/627, 361/659, 361/622, 364/492, 364/528.21
• US Class Current: 307/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• 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 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A panelboard for power lines and loads includes a housing; a plurality of circuit breakers housed by the housing; and a panelboard controller substantially housed by the housing. Some of the circuit breakers, which switch a circuit from one or more of the power lines to the loads, include remotely controllable actuating circuits for actuating the circuit breakers and switching a circuit from one or more of the power lines to one or more of the loads. The panelboard controller includes a monitoring circuit for monitoring power or energy consumed in the circuits of the circuit breakers and a control circuit for controlling the remotely controllable actuating circuits.

Claims

1. A panelboard apparatus for at least one power line and a plurality of loads, said panelboard apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of electrical switching means housed by said housing, with each of said electrical switching means for switching a circuit from at least one of said at least one power line to at least one of said loads, and with each of at least some of said electrical switching means including remotely controllable actuating means for actuating said each of at least some of said electrical switching means and switching a circuit from at least one of said at least one power line to at least one of said loads; and

control and monitoring means substantially housed by said housing comprising;

control means for controlling said remotely controllable actuating means of said at least some of said electrical switching means, and

monitoring means at least for monitoring power or energy consumed in the circuits of said at least some of said electrical switching means.

2. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one power line includes a plurality of voltage lines and a neutral line, with a voltage between each of the voltage lines and the neutral line;

and wherein said monitoring means includes half wave rectification monitoring means for determining, for each of the voltage lines, an average of the voltage between one of the voltage lines and the neutral line.

3. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line, a second voltage line, and a third neutral line which source a first line-neutral voltage to at least one of the loads and a second line-neutral voltage to another of the loads;

wherein a first circuit from the first voltage line to said at least one of the loads has a first load current;

wherein a second circuit from the second voltage line to said another of the loads has a second load current; and

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

first and second current sensor means for sensing the first and second load currents in the first and second circuits, respectively, with each of said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

power signal producing means interconnected with the first voltage line, the second voltage line and the third neutral line, said power signal producing means having inputs interconnected with the outputs of said first and second current sensor means to produce a first power signal at a first output and a second power signal at a second output, respectively; and

means connected to the first and second outputs of said power signal producing means for converting the first and second power signals to first and second power values and for processing said first and second power values.

4. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1

wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line, a second voltage line, and a third neutral line which source a first line-neutral voltage to one of the loads and a second line-neutral voltage to another one of the loads;

wherein a circuit from the first voltage line to said one of the loads and back to the second voltage line has a load current;

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

current sensor means for sensing the load current, with said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

pulse width modulator means interconnected with the first voltage line, the second voltage line and the third neutral line including;

an output having a pulse width modulated signal, means for producing first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals from the first line-neutral voltage between the first voltage line and the third neutral line and the second line-neutral voltage between the second voltage line and the third neutral line, respectively, and

means having a control input for selecting one of the first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals for said output of said pulse width modulator means;

multiplier means having an input interconnected with the output of said pulse width modulator means for multiplying the current signal of said current sensor means and the pulse width modulated signal of the output of said pulse width modulator means to produce a power signal at an output;

analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the output of said multiplier means for converting the power signal to a power value; and

processing means for processing the power value, with said processing means having a control output interconnected with the control input of said pulse width modulator means for selecting one of said first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals.

5. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1

wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line, a second voltage line, and a third neutral line which source a first line-neutral voltage to one of the loads and a second line-neutral voltage to another one of the loads;

wherein a circuit from one of the first and second voltage lines to said one of the loads has a load current;

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

current sensor means for sensing the load current, with said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

pulse width modulator means interconnected with the first voltage line, the second voltage line and the third neutral line including;

an output having a pulse width modulated signal,

means for producing first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals from the first line-neutral voltage between the first voltage line and the third neutral line, and from the second line-neutral voltage between the second voltage line and the third neutral line, respectively, and

means having a control input for selecting one of the first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals for said output of said pulse width modulator means;

multiplier means having an input interconnected with the output of said pulse width modulator means for multiplying the current signal of said current sensor means and the pulse width modulated signal of the output of said pulse width modulator means to produce a power signal at an output;

analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the output of said multiplier means for converting the power signal to a power value; and

processing means for processing the power value, with said processing means having a control output interconnected with the control input of said pulse width modulator means for selecting one of said first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals.

6. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1

wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line, a second voltage line, and a third neutral line which source a first line-line voltage to one of the loads and a second line-neutral voltage to another one of the loads;

wherein a circuit from the first voltage line to said one of the loads and back to the second voltage line has a load current;

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

current sensor means for sensing the load current, with said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

pulse width modulator means interconnected with the first voltage line, the second voltage line and the third neutral line including;

an output having a pulse width modulated signal,

means for producing first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals from the first line-neutral voltage between the first voltage line and the third neutral line, and from the second line-neutral voltage between the second voltage line and the third neutral line, respectively,

selection means having a control input for selecting one of the first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals and producing an intermediate signal;

selective inversion means having a control input for selectively inverting the intermediate signal to produce the pulse width modulated signal at the output of said pulse width modulator means;

multiplier means having an input interconnected with the output of said pulse width modulator means for multiplying the current signal of said current sensor means and the pulse width modulated signal of the output of said pulse width modulator means to produce a power signal at an output;

analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the output of said multiplier means for converting the power signal to a power value; and

processing means for processing the power value, with said processing means having a first control output interconnected with the control input of said selection means for selecting the intermediate signal from one of said first and second intermediate pulse width modulated signals, and also having a second control output interconnected with the control input of said selective inversion means for selectively inverting the intermediate signal to produce the pulse width modulated signal at the output of said pulse width modulator means.

7. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1

wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line, a second voltage line, a third voltage line, and a fourth neutral line which source a first line-neutral voltage to one of the loads, a second line-neutral voltage to another one of the loads, a third line-neutral voltage to still another one of the loads, and a line-line voltage to a further one of the loads;

wherein a circuit from one of the first, second and third voltage lines to said further one of the loads and back to another one of the first, second and third voltage lines has a load current;

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

current sensor means for sensing the load current, with said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

pulse width modulator means interconnected with the first voltage line, the second voltage line, the third voltage line and the fourth neutral line including;

an output having a pulse width modulated signal,

means for producing first, second and third intermediate pulse width modulated signals from the first line-neutral voltage between the first voltage line and the fourth neutral line, the second line-neutral voltage between the second voltage line and the fourth neutral line, and the third line-neutral voltage between the third voltage line and the fourth neutral line, respectively,

selection means having a control input for selecting one of the first, second and third intermediate pulse width modulated signals and producing an intermediate signal;

selective inversion means having a control input for selectively inverting the intermediate signal to produce the pulse width modulated signal at the output of said pulse width modulator means;

multiplier means having an input interconnected with the output of said pulse width modulator means for multiplying the current signal of said current sensor means and the pulse width modulated signal of the output of said pulse width modulator means to produce a power signal at an output;

analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the output of said multiplier means for converting the power signal to a power value; and

processing means for processing the power value, with said processing means having a first control output interconnected with the control input of said selection means for selecting the intermediate signal from one of said first, second and third intermediate pulse width modulated signals, and also having a second control output interconnected with the control input of said selective inversion means for selectively inverting the intermediate signal to produce the pulse width modulated signal at the output of said pulse width modulator means.

8. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein one of the loads has a load current;

and wherein said monitoring means includes;

current sensor means for sensing the load current and producing a current value across a pair of outputs;

first zener diode means having a cathode connected to one of the outputs; and

second zener diode means in series with said first zener diode means having a cathode connected to the other of the outputs.

9. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said each of at least some of said electrical switching means includes separable contact means;

wherein said remotely controllable actuating means includes operating means having a control input for switching said separable contact means; and

wherein said control means includes output means having a control output interconnected with the control input of said operating means for outputting a control signal having a plurality of states to said control input, and further includes indicator means interconnected with the control output of said output means for indicating at least one of the states of the control signal.

10. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said operating means includes a coil;

wherein the control signal of said output means has a first state for energizing the coil and a second state for de-energizing the coil; and

wherein said indicator means includes means for indicating the second state of the control signal which de-energizes the coil.

11. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line, a second voltage line, and a third neutral line which source a first line-neutral voltage to at least one of the loads and a second line-neutral voltage to another of the loads;

wherein a first circuit from the first voltage line to said at least one of the loads has a first load current;

wherein a second circuit from the second voltage line to said another of the loads has a second load current; and

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

first and second current sensor means for sensing the first and second load currents in the first and second circuits, respectively, with each of said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

pulse width modulator means interconnected with the first voltage line, the second voltage line and the third neutral line, said pulse width modulator means having first and second outputs for producing first and second pulse width modulated signals from the first line-neutral voltage and the second line-neutral voltage, respectively;

first and second multiplier means each of which has a first input interconnected with the output of one of said first and second current sensor means and a second input interconnected with one of the first and second outputs of said pulse width modulator means, each of said first and second multiplier means for multiplying one of the current signals of said first and second current sensor means and one of the first and second pulse width modulated signals to produce a first power signal at a first output and a second power signal at a second output, respectively;

analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the first and second outputs of the first and second multiplier means, respectively, for converting the first and second power signals to first and second power values, respectively; and

processing means for processing the first and second power values.

12. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said first voltage line and said third neutral line source the first line-neutral voltage to a plurality of first loads, with a plurality of first circuits from the first voltage line to the first loads and with each of the first circuits having one of a plurality of first load currents;

wherein said first current sensor means includes a plurality of current sensors each of which has an output for one of the first circuits;

wherein said multiplier means includes a plurality of multipliers each of which has an input connected to the output of one of said plurality of current sensors and an output having one of the power signals;

wherein said analog-to-digital conversion means includes a plurality of inputs each of which is connected to the output of one of the multipliers and means for converting said plurality of power signals to a plurality of power values; and

wherein said processing means includes means for processing said plurality of power values.

13. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said monitoring means includes input means having a status input for a status signal and indicator means interconnected with said status input for indicating at least one of the states of the status signal;

and wherein said each of at least some of said electrical switching means includes a line terminal, a load terminal, separable contact means between the line terminal and the load terminal, and electrical interconnection means for interconnecting the load terminal of said each of at least some of said electrical switching means with the status input of said input means and outputting the status signal having a plurality of states to said status input.

14. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the status signal of said electrical interconnection means has a first state when said separable contact means is closed and a second state when said separable contact means is open;

and wherein said indicator means includes means for indicating the first state of the status signal when said separable contact means is closed.

15. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said electrical interconnection means includes a resistor electrically interconnected between the status input of said input means and the load terminal.

16. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said each of at least some of said electrical switching means further includes circuit breaker means and contactor means;

and wherein said separable contact means includes a first pair of separable contacts in series with a second pair of separable contacts, with the circuit breaker means controlling said first pair of separable contacts and with the contactor means controlling the second pair of separable contacts.

17. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said each of at least some of said electrical switching means includes a remote controlled circuit breaker;

wherein said control and monitoring means includes a panelboard controller means substantially within said housing and master control means, with said panelboard controller means and said master control means both having power line communication means for communicating a message therebetween over said at least one power line;

wherein said remote controlled circuit breaker includes separable contact means and operating means having a control input for switching said separable contact means; and

wherein said panelboard controller means includes output means having a control output with a control signal interconnected with the control input of said operating means, with said panelboard controller means receiving the message from the power line communication means thereof and outputting the control signal in response to the message through the control output of the output means to the control input of the operating means of the remote controlled circuit breaker.

18. The panelboard apparatus as recited in Claim 17 wherein the message includes a first field for selecting said panelboard controller means, and a second field having a plurality of states for selecting one of the remote controlled circuit breakers;

and wherein said output means includes a plurality of control outputs for interconnection with the control inputs of the remote controlled circuit breakers, with said output means of said panelboard controller means employing one of the control outputs in response to the state of the second field.

19. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said master control means is an X10 master interconnected with one of said loads;

wherein the first field is an X10 house code for selecting said panelboard controller means; and

wherein the second field is an X10 device code for selecting said one of the remote controlled circuit breakers.

20. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said master control means is a CEBus master interconnected with said at least one power line;

wherein the first field is an X10 house code for selecting said panelboard controller means; and

wherein the second field is an X10 device code for selecting said one of the remote controlled circuit breakers.

21. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one power line includes a first voltage line and a second neutral line which source a line-neutral voltage to one of the loads;

wherein the circuit from the first voltage line to said one of the loads has a load current; and

wherein said monitoring means comprises;

current sensor means for sensing the load current in said circuit from the first voltage line to said one of the loads, said current sensor means having an output with a current signal;

pulse width modulator means interconnected with the first voltage line and the second neutral line, said pulse width modulator means having an output for producing a pulse width modulated signal from the line-neutral voltage;

multiplier means having a first input interconnected with the output of said current sensor means and a second input interconnected with the output of said pulse width modulator means for multiplying the current signal and the pulse width modulated signal to produce a power signal at an output;

analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the output of the multiplier means for converting the power signal to a power value; and

processing means for processing the power value.

22. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 21

wherein the pulse width modulated signal has an on state and an off state;

wherein the current signal has a magnitude and a sign;

wherein said pulse width modulator means includes;

means generating a signal having a triangular waveform,

means comparing the signal having the triangular waveform with the line-neutral voltage, and

means producing the on state of the pulse width modulated signal when the line-neutral voltage about exceeds the signal having the triangular waveform, and producing the off state of the pulse width modulated signal otherwise; and

wherein said multiplier means includes;

means producing an intermediate signal having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of the current signal, having a sign equal to the sign of the current signal for the on state of the pulse width modulated signal, and having a sign opposite from the sign of the current signal for the off state of the pulse width modulated signal, and

means averaging the intermediate signal to produce the power signal at the output of said multiplier means.

23. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein said pulse width modulator means includes means producing an intermediate pulse width modulated signal from the line-neutral voltage, and means having a control input for selectively inverting the intermediate pulse width modulated signal to produce the pulse width modulated signal at the output of said pulse width modulator means;

and wherein said processing means has a control output interconnected with the control input of said means having a control input for selectively inverting the pulse width modulated signal.

24. A panelboard apparatus for at least one power line and a plurality of loads, said panelboard apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of electrical switching means housed by said housing, with each of said electrical switching means for switching a circuit from at least one of said at least one power line to at least one of said loads, and with each of at least some of said electrical switching means including remotely controllable actuating means for actuating said each of at least some of said electrical switching means and switching a circuit from at least one of said at least one power line to at least one of said loads;

control and monitoring means housed by said housing comprising;

control means for controlling said remotely controllable actuating means of said at least some of said electrical switching means, and

monitoring means at least for monitoring power or energy consumed in the circuits of said at least some of said electrical switching means; and

management means cooperating with said control and monitoring means for switching the circuit from one of said at least one power line to said at least one of said loads.

25. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said management means and said control and monitoring means both include X10 communication means therebetween.

26. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said management means and said control and monitoring means both include CEBus communication means therebetween.

27. The panelboard apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said management means and said control and monitoring means both include X10 communication means and CEBus communication means therebetween.