System and method for estimating power availability

• US 6,411,910 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Saxena, Piyush, Eulau, Wendy B., Rasmussen, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, TUNG S
• Application Number:
  US09/559,132
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 702/60, 702/57, 702/61, 702/64, 702/183, 702/188, 700/51, 700/108, 700/291, 307/126, 703/6, 703/13, 703/22, 235/151.21
• US Class Current: 702/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

An Internet-based system and method is set forth for estimating power availability and business process downtime based on specific attributes of a building and business process components contained therein. The system includes a power availability estimator computer coupled to a plurality of user computers via a computer network. The power availability estimator computer can be programmed with a power availability estimator engine, which calculates or estimates the probability that electrical power will be available and/or downtime for a particular building on an annual basis. The power availability estimator engine includes a plurality of equations that cooperate with a probability density function graph to calculate the estimated power availability and business process downtime.

Claims

1. A method of estimating power availability, the method of estimating power availability comprising the steps of:

selecting geographical data, the geographical data corresponding to a building location;

selecting site data, the site data being related to a building defined at the building location;

selecting component data, the component data defining components included in the building;

selecting business process data and costs of downtime data;

using the geographical data, the site data, and the component data to determine power availability data; and

generating a report including the power availability data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

estimating business process downtime; and

generating a report including downtime data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting site data further comprises selecting data defined external to the building.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of selecting data defined internal to the building.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting component data includes selecting one or more categories of components from a predetermined component menu.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

(i) selecting a number of components defined in the selected category of components;

(ii) selecting a percentage of components protected by an uninterruptible power supply;

(iii) selecting a percentage of uninterruptible power supplies including automatic voltage regulation;

(iv) selecting the average runtime for the uninterruptible power supply;

(v) selecting if a generator is coupled to the components and an associated start-up time of the generator; and

(vi) repeating steps (i) through (v) for each of the selected categories of components.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting business process data and costs of downtime data further comprises the steps of:

(i) selecting a numerical value, the value defining a number of employees that use the business process;

(ii) selecting an average annual cost per employee;

(iii) selecting a percent value, the percentage value defining a percentage of employees time which is unproductive if the business process is unavailable;

(iv) selecting a number defining business process annual revenue;

(v) selecting a percentage of lost revenue if business process is unavailable;

(vi) selecting a business process target percentage profit margins; and

(vii) selecting a number of days and a number of hours that the business process operates.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

generating an external probability density function (“

External-PDF”

) based on data defined external to the building; and

generating a service panel report, the service panel report including a service panel power availability estimate and a service panel downtime estimate, the service panel power availability estimate and the service panel downtime estimate being calculated based on the External-PDF.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

generating an internal probability density function (“

Internal-PDF”

) based on data defined internal to the building; and

generating an outlet report, the outlet report including an outlet power availability estimate and an outlet downtime estimate, the outlet power availability estimate and the outlet downtime estimate being calculated based on the internal-PDF.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

generating a component probability density function (“

Component-PDF”

) based on the selected component data; and

generating a component and/or equipment report, the component and/or equipment report including a plurality of component and/or equipment power availability estimates, each component and/or equipment power availability estimate being associated with one component selected from the category of components, each power availability estimate associated with each component being calculated based on the Component-PDF.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

generating an overall business process downtime and overall power availability report, the report including an overall business process downtime estimate and an overall power availability estimate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the overall business process downtime estimate is defined by a value of time associated with one component selected from the category of components which has a maximum downtime.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the overall power availability estimate is defined by a value associated with one component selected from the category of components which has a minimum power availability.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

generating a revenue and profit at risk report, the revenue and profit at risk report including a total annual revenue at risk value estimate and a total annual profit at risk value estimate.

15. A power availability estimation system comprising;

a power availability estimator computer; and

a plurality of user computers coupled to the power availability estimator computer via a computer network;

wherein the power availability estimator computer includes a power availability estimator engine; and

wherein the power availability estimator engine includes a probability density function including a duration of electrical power events and a frequency of electrical power events.

16. A system coupled to a computer network for receiving information over the network and for estimating power availability based on the information, the system comprising:

a processor, the processor being operatively coupled to the network to receive the information; and

means for estimating power availability of a predetermined site, the site having characteristics defined by the information;

wherein the means for estimating power availability includes a power availability estimation computer having a power availability estimator engine; and

wherein the means for estimating power availability further includes;

means for selecting geographical data, the geographical data corresponding to the building location;

means for selecting site data, the site data being related to a building defined at the building location;

means for selecting component data, the component data defining components included in the building;

means for selecting business process data and costs of downtime data; and

means for generating a report including power availability data.

17. The system for estimating power availability of claim 16, further comprising:

means for estimating business process downtime; and

means for generating a report including downtime data.

18. The system for estimating power availability of claim 16, wherein the means for selecting site data further comprises means for selecting data defined external to the building.

19. The system for estimating power availability of claim 18, further comprising a means for selecting data defined internal to the building.

20. The system for estimating power availability of claim 19, further comprising:

means for generating an external probability density function (“

External-PDF”

) based on data defined external to the building; and

means for generating a service panel report, the service panel report including a service panel power availability estimate and a service panel downtime estimate, the service panel power availability estimate and the service panel downtime estimate being calculated based on the External-PDF.

21. The system for estimating power availability of claim 20, further comprising:

means for generating an internal probability density function (“

Internal-PDF”

) based on data defined internal to the building; and

means for generating an outlet report, the outlet report including an outlet power availability estimate and an outlet downtime estimate, the outlet power availability estimate and the outlet downtime estimate being calculated based on the internal-PDF.

22. The system for estimating power availability of claim 16, wherein the means for selecting component data includes means for selecting one or more categories of components from a predetermined component menu.

23. The system for estimating power availability of claim 22, further comprising:

(i) means for selecting a number of components defined in the selected category of components;

(ii) means for selecting a percentage of components protected by an uninterruptible power supply;

(iii) means for selecting a percentage of uninterruptible power supplies including automatic voltage regulation;

(iv) means for selecting the average runtime for the uninterruptible power supply;

(v) means for selecting if a generator is coupled to the components and an associated start-up time of the generator; and

(vi) means for repeating steps (i) through (v) for each of the selected categories of components.

24. The system for estimating power availability of claim 23, further comprising:

means for generating a component probability density function (“

Component-PDF”

) based on the selected component data; and

means for generating a component and/or equipment report, the component and/or equipment report including a plurality of component and/or equipment power availability estimates, each component and/or equipment power availability estimate being associated with one component selected from the category of components, each power availability estimate associated with each component being calculated based on the component-PDF.

25. The system for estimating power availability of claim 24, further comprises:

means for generating an overall business process downtime and an overall power availability report, the report including an overall business process downtime estimate and an overall power availability estimate.

26. The system for estimating power availability of claim 25, wherein the overall business process downtime estimate is defined by a value of time associated with one component selected from the category of components which has a maximum downtime.

27. The system for estimating power availability of claim 25, wherein the overall power availability estimate is defined by a value associated with one component selected from the category of components which has a minimum power availability.

28. The system for estimating power availability of claim 16, wherein the means for selecting business process data and costs of downtime data further comprises:

(i) means for selecting a numerical value, the value defining a number of employees that use the business process;

(ii) means for selecting an average annual cost per employee;

(iii) means for selecting a percent value, the percentage value defining a percentage of employees time which is unproductive if the business process is unavailable;

(iv) means for selecting a number defining business process annual revenue;

(v) means for selecting a percentage of lost revenue if business process is unavailable;

(vi) means for selecting a business process target percentage profit margins; and

(vii) means for selecting a number of days and a number of hours that the business process operates.

29. The system for estimating power availability of claim 28, further comprises:

means for generating a revenue and profit at risk report, the revenue and profit at risk report including a total annual revenue at risk value estimate and a total annual profit at risk value estimate.