System for reduced peak power consumption by a cooking appliance

• US 8,541,719 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steurer, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US12/913,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 219/492, 219/494, 219483-486, 219507-508, 219/497, 219412-414, 307 38- 42
• US Class Current: 219/493
• 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

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system for reducing peak power consumption in an electromechanically controlled cooking appliance is provided. The system comprises a surface heating unit comprising at least one duty cycle controlled surface heating element, a temperature controlled oven heating element, a controller configured to receive and process utility state signals indicative of the operating state of an associated utility, and a switch responsive to the controller, switchable between a first state and a second state for selectively coupling the oven heating element to a first relatively high voltage power supply and a second relatively low voltage power supply respectively. The controller is configured to switch the switch to the first and second states as a function of the utility state signal.

Claims

1. A system for reducing peak power consumption in an electromechanically controlled cooking appliance, said system comprising:

a surface heating unit comprising at least one duty cycle controlled surface heating element;

a temperature controlled oven heating element;

a controller configured to receive and process utility state signals indicative of the operating state of an associated utility; and

a switch responsive to said controller, switchable between a first state and a second state for selectively coupling said oven heating element to a first relatively high voltage power supply and a second relatively low voltage power supply respectively, wherein said controller is configured to switch said switch to said first and second states as a function of said utility state signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first power supply comprises L1 and L2 of a standard ac domestic power supply and said second power supply comprises L1 and N of said domestic power supply.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said switch is switched to its first state in response to a utility state signal indicative of a non-peak demand period and to its second state in response to a utility state signal indicative of a peak demand period.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said first state includes said first power supply and said second state includes said second power supply.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said switch comprises a double pole double throw relay.

6. The system according to claim 1, further including a time delay relay operative to close upon switching to said second state.

7. A power sharing method for reducing peak power consumption of a cooking appliance, said cooking appliance including at least one duty cycle controlled surface heating element and at least one oven heating element, wherein said at least one oven heating element is energized by a conventional 240 volt ac power supply, said method comprising:

receiving and processing utility state signals by a controller, said signals being indicative of the operating state of an associated utility;

associating said at least one oven heating element to a demand response switch switchable between a first state and a second state; and

switching said demand response switch between said first and second state to selectively couple said at least one oven heating element to a first relatively high voltage power supply and a second relatively low voltage power supply respectively.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said controller is configured to switch said switch to said first and second states as a function of said utility state signal.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the switching of said switch is further coordinated with the cycling surface cooking elements.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said switch is switched to said second state when a surface cooking element is cycled ON, and switched to said first state when said surface cooking element is cycled OFF.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein switching the demand response switch from said first state to said second state reduces the available supply voltage by about half.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein switching the demand response switch from said first state to said second state reduces the power available to said oven heating elements by about 25%.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said power sharing method only occurs if multiple heating element are in use concurrently during a peak demand period.

14. A power sharing system for reducing peak power consumption of a cooking appliance during an energy savings mode, said system comprising;

a surface heating unit comprising at least one surface heating element operative according to a duty cycle;

an oven cavity, having one or more oven heating elements;

a controller configured to receive and process a signal indicative of a current utility state of an associated utility; and

a demand response switching arrangement responsive to a signal received from said controller, and operative to selectively couple said one or more oven heating elements to a first power supply and a second power supply, in concert with the ON and OFF portions of said duty cycle.

15. The power sharing system according to claim 14, wherein said switching arrangement comprises a relay, a switch, and a coil, wherein said coil is connected in parallel with said surface heating unit.

16. The power sharing system according to claim 15, wherein said switch is switchable between a first state and a second state, wherein said first state is a normally closed state, and said second state is a normally open state.

17. The power sharing system according to claim 16, wherein said controller is operable to switch said switch in response to said signal.

18. The power sharing system according to claim 15, wherein said relay is a double pole double throw relay.

19. The power sharing system according to claim 14, wherein said first power supply is a higher voltage supply than said second power supply and said demand response switching arrangement is configured to couple said one or more oven heating elements to said first power supply during the OFF portion of said duty cycle and to said second power supply during the ON portion of said duty cycle.

20. The power sharing system according to claim 14, wherein said demand switching arrangement and said first and second power supplies are configured to operate said one or more oven heating elements at 100% power during the OFF portion of said duty cycle and at 25% power during the ON portion of said duty cycle.