Priority-based energy management

• US 9,906,029 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grohman, Wojciech
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baxter, Brian K
• Application Number:
  US13/326,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: 307 38, 307 39, 307 52, 307 53, 307 29, 700274, 700276, 700290, 700300, 700101, 700286, 700287, 700291, 700292, 700295, 700296
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A system for controlling operation of a plurality of appliances includes first and second appliances. The first appliance is configured to report a power consumption via a network. A second appliance is configured to operate dependent on the power consumption reported by the first appliance.

Claims

1. A system for controlling operation of a plurality of appliances, comprising:

a first appliance configured to report a power consumption via a network;

a second appliance configured to operate dependent on said power consumption reported by said first appliance; and

a load controller configured to;

determine for said first and second appliances, respective first and second operating priorities, said determining being based on an integral of historical or future priority functions associated with each of said first and second appliances, wherein said determination allows the load controller to estimate future operating priorities for said first and second appliances;

utilize a cost function to determine cost of power received during different time periods and lower the operating priorities during peak pricing periods to reduce cost of operating the system;

control the operation of said first and second appliances based on said operating priorities;

communicate with the first and second appliances, the communication allowing dynamic optimization of interrelated operation of the first and second appliances for greater efficiency; and

wherein the first and second appliances are incorporated within a residential structure.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second appliances is a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system component.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second appliances is a resistive load.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said load controller determines said first or second priority based on a predicted outside air temperature.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said load controller is further configured to:

determine an efficiency map that characterizes a total power consumption of said first and second appliances; and

control the operation of said first and second appliances based on said efficiency map.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first or second operating priority is determined to prevent said first and second appliances from exceeding a maximum aggregate power consumption.

7. A method of manufacturing a network of appliances, comprising:

configuring a first appliance to report a power consumption via a communication path;

configuring a second appliance to operate dependent on said power consumption reported by said first appliance; and

configuring a load controller to;

determine for said first and second appliances, respective first and second operating priorities, said determining being based on an integral of historical or future priority functions associated with each of said first and second appliances, wherein said determination allows the load controller to estimate future operating priorities for said first and second appliances;

utilize a cost function to determine cost of power received during different time periods and lowering the operating priorities during peak pricing periods to reduce cost of operation;

control the operation of said first and second appliances based on said operating priorities;

communicate with the first and second appliances, the communication allowing dynamic optimization of interrelated operation of the first and second appliances for greater efficiency; and

wherein the first and second appliances are incorporated within a residential structure.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second appliances is a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system component.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second appliances is a resistive load.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising configuring said load controller to:

determine an efficiency map that characterizes a total power consumption of said first and second appliances; and

control the operation of said first and second appliances based on said efficiency map.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said first or second operating priority is determined to prevent said first and second appliances from exceeding a maximum aggregate power consumption.

12. A load controller for controlling a networked plurality of appliances, comprising:

a processor configured to execute program instructions stored by a program memory;

a priority calculation module defined by said program instructions that is configured to;

calculate operating priorities of first and second networked appliances, said calculation of operating priorities being based on an integral of historical or future priority functions, wherein the priority functions are associated with each of said first and second appliances, wherein said calculation allows the load controller to estimate future operating priorities for said first and second appliances; and

utilize a cost function to determine cost of power received during different time periods and lower the operating priorities during peak pricing periods to reduce cost of operation;

said processor being further configured to control the operation of said first and second networked appliances based on said operating priorities;

wherein the processor of the load controller is configured to communicate with the first and second networked appliances, the communication allowing dynamic optimization of interrelated operation of the first and second networked appliances for greater efficiency; and

wherein the first and second appliances are incorporated within a residential structure.

13. The load controller as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of said first and second appliances is a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system component.

14. The load controller as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of said first and second appliances is a resistive load.

15. The load controller as recited in claim 12, wherein said priority calculation module determines said first or second priority is further based on a predicted outside air temperature.

16. The load controller as recited in claim 12, wherein said priority calculation module is further configured to determine an efficiency map that characterizes a total power consumption of said first and second appliances, and said load controller is configured to control the operation of said first and second appliances based on said efficiency map.

17. The load controller as recited in claim 12, wherein said operating priorities are determined to prevent said first and second appliances from exceeding a maximum aggregate power consumption.

18. The load controller as recited in claim 12, wherein said control includes limiting an operating power of a variable speed motor to a nonzero power less than full operating power.