Intelligent power management for actuators

• US 7,446,491 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Limited
• Original Assignee: ABB Limited
• Inventors: Collins, John, Gallagher, Cathal, O'Higgins, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin; Rita
• Application Number:
  US11/357,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 318/34, 318/50, 318/53, 318/68, 361/64, 361/68, 361/71, 361/75, 361/23, 361/29, 363/72, 713/340, 713/300, 700/295, 700/286, 700/297, 700/293, 323/275, 323/272, 323/271
• US Class Current: 318/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for intelligent power management of actuators such as those used in papermaking. Multiple power supply units are connected to a common power bus. The power bus is connected at predetermined locations to a communications bus. The communications bus is connected in series with all of the actuators. The actuators are arranged in predetermined groups. A computing device determines if electrical power can be supplied to some or all of the actuators that are requesting simultaneous movement and if there is insufficient power for all such actuators the computing device issues permission for actuators to move based on a preselected criteria.

Claims

1. A system for managing two or more groups of actuators each said group having a plurality of actuators, said system comprising:

two or more power supply units connected to a first bus;

a cable including two or more second bus segments, said cable connected in series to all of said actuators in all of said two or more groups of actuators, said first bus electrically connected to each said second bus segment, each said second bus segment supplying power to one of said two or more groups of actuators, said cable further includes one or more communication wires;

a computing device communicating over said communication wires with said two or more groups of actuators;

wherein said computing device comprises program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising;

code configured to determine, from a status signal from each of said two or more power supply units and the number of said actuators in each said group of actuators requiring movement, if sufficient power is available from said two or more power supply units to move all of said actuators requesting movement;

code configured to generate commands to move all of said actuators requiring movement when it is determined that sufficient power is available to move all of said actuators requiring movement; and

code configured to generate commands to simultaneously move less than all of said actuators requiring movement when it is determined that sufficient power is not available to move all of said actuators requiring movement, wherein said commands to move less than all of said actuators are queued in order according to a predetermined criteria.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined criteria is first in first out.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined criteria is the required movement amplitude.

2. A method of managing the actuation of a multiplicity of actuators each actuated by electrical power, said actuators arranged in two or more groups of actuators each having a predetermined number of actuators, said method comprising:

providing two or more power supply units connected to a first power bus;

monitoring the amount of power available from said two or more power supply units; and

determining from a status signal from each of said two or more power supply units and the number of said multiplicity of actuators requiring movement, if sufficient power is available from the two or more power supply units to move all of said actuators requiring movement

generating commands to move all of said actuators requiring movement when it is determined that sufficient power is available to move all of said actuators requiring movement; and

generating commands to simultaneously move less than all actuators requiring movement if it is determined that sufficient power is not available to move all of said actuators requiring movement, wherein said commands to move less than all of said actuators are queued in order according to a predetermined criteria.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined criteria is first in first out.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined criteria is the required movement amplitude.