Systems and methods for measuring electrical power usage in a structure and systems and methods of calibrating the same

• US 8,805,628 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Patel, Shwetak N., Gupta, Sidhant, Reynolds, Matthew S., Yogeeswaran, Karthik
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US13/175,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 702/62
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/20 Modifications of basic electric elements for use in electric measuring instruments; Structural combinations of such elements with such instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/001 Measuring real or reactive component; Measuring apparent energy G01R21/01, G01R21/02, G01R21/08, G01R21/10 and G01R21/127 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/06 by measuring current and voltage G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/06 by electronic methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/327 Testing of circuit interrupters, switches or circuit-breakers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/07 Hall effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/09 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/007 Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden references"
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/04 of instruments for measuring time integral of power or current

Abstract

Some embodiments can concern a method of using a power consumption measurement device. The method can include: determining first magnetic field readings from main electrical supply conductors using sensors; after determining the first magnetic field readings, electrically coupling a first calibration load to the electrical power infrastructure; while the first calibration load remains electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure, determining second magnetic field readings from the main electrical supply conductors using the sensors; calibrating the power consumption measurement device using at least in part the first magnetic field readings and the second magnetic field readings, after calibrating the power consumption measurement device, determining third magnetic field readings from the main electrical supply conductors; and determining an electrical power used by the electrical power infrastructure using at least the third magnetic field readings and the one or more calibration coefficients. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of using a power consumption measurement device, the power consumption measurement device is mechanically coupled to a surface of a circuit breaker box, the circuit breaker box is overlying at least part of one or more main electrical supply conductors for an electrical power infrastructure of a structure, the method comprising:

determining one or more first magnetic field readings from the one or more main electrical supply conductors using one or more sensors in the power consumption measurement device;

after determining the one or more first magnetic field readings, electrically coupling a first calibration load to the electrical power infrastructure;

while the first calibration load remains electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure, determining one or more second magnetic field readings from the one or more main electrical supply conductors using the one or more sensors in the power consumption measurement device;

calibrating the power consumption measurement device using at least in part the one or more first magnetic field readings and the one or more second magnetic field readings, wherein calibrating the power consumption measurement device comprises;

determining one or more first calibration coefficients for the power consumption measurement device using at least in part the one or more first magnetic field readings and the one or more second magnetic field readings;

after calibrating the power consumption measurement device, determining one or more third magnetic field readings from the one or more main electrical supply conductors using the one or more sensors in the power consumption measurement device; and

determining an electrical power used by the electrical power infrastructure of the structure using at least the one or more third magnetic field readings and the one or more first calibration coefficients,

wherein;

the one or more sensors in the power consumption measurement device are not electrically coupled in series with or physically coupled directly to the one or more main electrical supply conductors at the circuit breaker box when the one or more sensors in the power consumption measurement device are mechanically coupled to the surface of the circuit breaker box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electrically coupling a second calibration load to the electrical power infrastructure; and

while the second calibration load remains electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure, determining one or more fourth magnetic field readings using the one or more sensors in the power consumption measurement device,

wherein;

calibrating the power consumption measurement device comprises;

determining the one or more first calibration coefficients for the power consumption measurement device using at least in part the one or more first magnetic field readings, the one or more second magnetic field readings, and the one or more fourth magnetic field readings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise a first sensor; and

the first sensor of the one or more sensors is at a location in relation to the one or more main electrical supply conductors such that a magnetic field of a first phase branch and a second phase branch of the electrical power infrastructure is symmetric at the first sensor of the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the electrical power comprises;

determining the electrical power used by the electrical power infrastructure of the structure using at least the one or more third magnetic field readings, the one or more first calibration coefficients, and a voltage drop across the electrical power infrastructure of the structure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more first magnetic field readings comprise a current measurement and a phase angle measurement of the measured current;

the phase angle measurement of the measured current is relative to a phase of the measured voltage; and

electrically coupling the first calibration load to the electrical power infrastructure comprises;

receiving a communication from a calibration device that the first calibration load has been electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure, wherein the calibration device comprises the first calibration load.

6. A system for monitoring electrical power usage in an electrical power infrastructure of a building, the building comprising a circuit breaker box and one or more main electrical supply conductors of the electrical power infrastructure of the building, the system comprising:

a power consumption measurement device configured to be coupled to a first surface of the circuit breaker box, the circuit breaker box overlying at least part of the one or more main electrical supply conductors for the electrical power infrastructure, the power consumption measurement device comprising one or more magnetic field sensors;

a first calibration device configured to be electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure, the first calibration device comprising one or more first calibration loads; and

a calibration module configured to run on a first processor and configured to at least partially calibrate the power consumption measurement device using data obtained from the one or more magnetic field sensors of the power consumption measurement device,

wherein;

the power consumption measurement device is configured to obtain at least part of the data while at least one of the one or more first calibration loads is electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure and while the power consumption measurement device is coupled to the first surface of the circuit breaker box; and

the one or more magnetic field sensors of the power consumption measurement device are not electrically coupled in series with or physically coupled directly to the one or more main electrical supply conductors at the circuit breaker box when the one or more magnetic field sensors in the power consumption measurement device are mechanically coupled to the first surface of the circuit breaker box.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the first calibration device further comprises;

an electrical connector configured to electrically couple to the electrical power infrastructure;

a display unit configured to display information to a user;

a switching module configured to electrically couple or uncouple the one or more first calibration loads to the electrical power infrastructure; and

a second processor configured to control the switching module.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the first calibration device further comprises;

a temperature sensor.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a second calibration device configured to be electrically coupled to the electrical power infrastructure, the second calibration module comprises one or more second calibration loads; and

the first calibration device is configured to communicate with the second calibration device.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a computational unit comprising the second calibration device, the calibration module, and the first processor.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the electrical power infrastructure further comprises a first phase branch and a second phase branch;

the first phase branch and the second phase branch are electrically coupled to and receive electrical power from the one or more main electrical supply conductors; and

the second calibration device is configured to determine whether the first calibration device and the second calibration device are both coupled to the first phase branch or the second phase branch or if the first calibration device and the second calibration device are coupled to different ones of the first phase branch and the second phase branch.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a processing module configured to run on the first processor and configured to at least partially determine a current used by the electrical power infrastructure using the data obtained from the one or more magnetic field sensors of the power consumption measurement device.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the circuit breaker box comprises a door configured to move between an open position and a closed position;

the first surface is an interior surface of the circuit breaker box when the door is in the closed position;

the first surface is an exterior surface of the circuit breaker box when the door is in the open position; and

the power consumption measurement device is configured to be coupled to the first surface of the circuit breaker box such that the door can be placed in the open position and the closed position at different times while the power consumption measurement device remains coupled to the first surface.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the electrical power infrastructure further comprises a first phase branch and a second phase branch;

the first phase branch and the second phase branch are electrically coupled to and receive electrical power from the one or more main electrical supply conductors; and

the one or more first calibration loads of the first calibration device comprise;

a second calibration load configured to be coupled to a first current carrying conductor of the first phase branch; and

a third calibration load configured to be coupled to a second current carrying conductor of the second phase branch.