Load management controller for a household electrical installation

• US 8,295,960 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Colin David Harris, Thomas Laurence Bean, Timothy Patrick Cooper
• Original Assignee: Colin David Harris, Thomas Laurence Bean, Timothy Patrick Cooper
• Inventors: Cooper, Timothy Patrick, Harris, Colin David, Bean, Thomas Laurence
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/596,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 700/96, 700/295, 700/286, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/96
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

This invention relates to a load management controller for a household electrical installation comprising a plurality of electrical sub-circuits. The electrical sub-circuits may each comprise a plurality of components, a single component or a part of a single component. A plurality of the electrical sub-circuits have electricity usage profiles containing rules determining the supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuit. The load management controller has access to the electricity usage profiles of the electrical sub-circuits and controls the supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuit in accordance with the electricity usage profile related to that electrical sub-circuit. The household electrical installation may comprise a rechargeable battery bank or supply that may be used to provide power to the household electrical installation.

Claims

1. A load management controller for a household electrical installation, the household electrical installation comprising:

a plurality of electrical sub-circuits supplied by an electricity power supply, each of the electrical sub-circuits having an electricity usage profile containing rules determining the supply of electricity to the electricity sub-circuit associated therewith;

the load management controller comprising

means to access the electricity usage profiles; and

means to control supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuits having an electricity usage profile in accordance with the rules of the electricity usage profile for that electrical sub-circuit, wherein the means to control supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuits further comprises a high-speed switching device, responsive to the load management controller, intermediate the electricity power supply and the electrical sub-circuit having an electricity usage profile.

2. The load management controller as claimed in claim 1 in which the load management controller has accessible memory and the usage profiles are stored in load management controller accessible memory.

3. The load management controller as claimed in claim 2 in which the accessible memory is programmable and the load management controller has a user interface to allow programming of the electricity usage profiles in accessible memory.

4. The load management controller as claimed in claim 3 in which the user interface comprises a data communication port.

5. The load management controller as claimed in claim 3 in which the user interface comprises a keypad.

6. The load management controller as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to control supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuits further comprises a controllable switch, responsive to the load management controller, intermediate the electricity power supply and the electrical sub-circuit having an electricity usage profile.

7. The load management controller as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to control supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuits further comprises a speed controller, responsive to the load management controller, intermediate the electricity power supply and the electrical sub-circuit having an electricity usage profile.

8. The load management controller as claimed in claim 1 in which the load management controller comprises a receiver to receive data from a remote electricity power supply operator.

9. The load management controller as claimed in claim 1 in which the load management controller comprises a transmitter to transmit data to a remote electricity power supply operator.

10. The load management controller as claimed in claim 8 in which the load management controller has means to export electricity from a rechargeable battery bank onto an electricity supply grid.

11. The load management controller as claimed in claim 10 in which the load management controller exports the electricity from the rechargeable battery bank to the electricity supply grid in response to a request for electricity received from a remote electricity power supply operator.

12. The load management controller as claimed in claim 10 in which the load management controller further comprises a meter to measure the amount of electricity exported onto the electricity supply grid.

13. The load management controller as claimed in claim 1 in which the rules of the electricity usage profile for the electrical sub-circuits are one or more of time-of-day rules, activity related rules, proximity related rules, cost of electricity supply rules and operator determined rules.

14. The load management controller for a household electrical installation as claimed in claim 1 in which one of the electricity sub-circuits comprises a rechargeable static battery bank operable as an alternative power supply to the remaining electrical sub-circuits in the household electrical installation.

15. The load management controller as claimed in claim 14 comprising means to select one of the rechargeable static battery bank and a grid power supply to provide power to one or more of the remaining electrical sub-circuits.

16. The load management controller for a household electrical installation as claimed in claim 1 in which one of the electricity sub-circuits comprises a rechargeable battery bank in an electric vehicle operable as an alternative power supply to the remaining electrical sub-circuits in the household electrical installation.

17. A household electrical installation comprising:

a plurality of electrical sub-circuits supplied by an electricity power supply, each of the electrical sub-circuits having an electricity usage profile containing rules determining the supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuit associated therewith;

a load management controller

having access to each of the electricity usage profiles,

having means to control the supply of electricity to the electricity sub-circuits in accordance with the rules of the electricity usage profile of the electrical sub-circuits, wherein the means to control supply of electricity to the electrical sub-circuits further comprises a high-speed switching device, responsive to the load management controller, intermediate the electricity power supply and the electrical sub-circuit having an electricity usage profile and in which one of the electricity sub-circuits comprises a rechargeable battery bank in an electric vehicle operable as an alternative power supply to the remaining electrical sub-circuits in the household electrical installation.

18. The household electrical installation as claimed in claim 17 in which the load management controller comprises means to select one of a rechargeable static battery bank, a rechargeable battery bank in an electric vehicle and a grid power supply to provide power to one or more of the remaining electrical sub-circuits.

19. The household electrical installation as claimed in claim 17 in which the household electrical installation has means to export electricity from a rechargeable battery bank onto an electricity supply grid.