APPARATUSES INCLUDING UTILITY METER, POWER ELECTRONICS, AND COMMUNICATIONS CIRCUITRY, AND RELATED METHODS OF OPERATION

• US 20160131686A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Duke Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Vukojevic, Aleksandar, Handley, Jason, Laval, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/00 Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and fed back to a device within the system to restore the detected quantity to its predetermined value or values, i.e. retroactive systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

Apparatuses including utility meter, power electronics, and communications circuitry are provided. The utility meter circuitry is configured to measure usage of electricity supplied by an electric utility to a premise of a customer of the electric utility. The power electronics circuitry is configured to regulate a voltage level supplied to the premise of the customer. Moreover, the communications circuitry is configured to provide communications with a first electronic device of the customer at the premise of the customer and to provide communications with a second electronic device that is upstream from the apparatus. Related methods of operating an apparatus including utility meter, power electronics, and communications circuitry are also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

electric utility meter circuitry configured to measure usage of electricity supplied by an electric utility to a premise of a customer of the electric utility;

power electronics circuitry configured to regulate a voltage level supplied to the premise of the customer; and

communications circuitry configured to provide communications with a first electronic device of the customer at the premise of the customer and to provide communications with a second electronic device that is upstream from the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage level that the power electronics circuitry is configured to regulate comprises 600 Volts or lower.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the voltage level that the power electronics circuitry is configured to regulate comprises 120 Volts and/or 240 Volts.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the electric utility meter circuitry is configured to operate with a load from the premise of the customer between 0 Volt-Amperes and 15,000 Volt-Amperes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power electronics circuitry comprises a Direct Current (DC) bus configured to interface with a DC load and/or a DC power source at the premise of the customer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power electronics circuitry comprises power inverter circuitry that is configured to convert DC power received from the DC power source via the DC bus into Alternating Current (AC) power.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the DC bus comprises a 400-Volt DC input port or higher.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the DC bus comprises a DC output port of a 400-Volt or higher DC power source that is configured to provide DC power to the DC load.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power electronics circuitry comprises power inverter circuitry that is configured to convert Alternating Current (AC) power into DC power for the DC output port.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications circuitry comprises:

a first communications interface configured to provide first communications with the first electronic device of the customer; and

a second communications interface configured to provide second communications with the second electronic device that is upstream from the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is at the premise of the customer and spaced apart from a substation of the electric utility.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power electronics circuitry is configured to regulate Volt-Amperes Reactive (VARs) provided to the premise of the customer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the power electronics circuitry is configured to adjust the voltage level by up to +/−

10% and to adjust the VARs by up to +/−

5%.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the power electronics circuitry is configured to adjust the voltage level and the VARs for the premise of the customer independently of adjustments for any other premise of any other customer of the electric utility.

15. The apparatus of claim 13,

wherein the apparatus is spaced apart from a distribution transformer that serves the premise of the customer, and

wherein the power electronics circuitry is configured to automatically hold the voltage level constant as long as the voltage level is within up to +/−

10% of an incoming voltage from the distribution transformer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the voltage level is derived from a user input that is provided to the apparatus remotely via the communications circuitry.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is spaced apart from a circuit breaker box.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising bypass circuitry configured to bypass the power electronics circuitry and the communications circuitry.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to connect between a utility secondary service of the electric utility and a wiring connection of the customer at the premise.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power electronics circuitry is configured to hold the voltage level within a predetermined voltage range.

21. A method of operating an apparatus connected between a utility secondary service of an electric utility and a wiring connection of a customer at a premise of the customer, the method comprising:

measuring, using electric utility meter circuitry of the apparatus, usage of electricity supplied by the electric utility to the premise of the customer of the electric utility;

regulating, using power electronics circuitry of the apparatus, a voltage level supplied to the premise of the customer; and

providing communications, using communications circuitry of the apparatus, with a first electronic device of the customer that is at the premise of the customer and with a second electronic device that is upstream from the apparatus.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the communications comprises:

providing first communications, via a first communications interface, with the first electronic device of the customer; and

providing second communications, via a second communications interface, with the second electronic device that is upstream from the apparatus.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein regulating the voltage level comprises adjusting the voltage level supplied to the premise of the customer independently of adjustments for any other premise of any other customer of the electric utility.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, via the communications circuitry, a user input providing a command to hold the voltage level constant,

wherein the apparatus is spaced apart from a distribution transformer that serves the premise of the customer, and

wherein regulating the voltage level comprises holding the voltage level constant as long as the voltage level is within up to +/−

10% of an incoming voltage from the distribution transformer, in response to receiving the user input.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, via the communications circuitry, a user input providing a command to hold the voltage level within a predetermined voltage range,

wherein the apparatus is spaced apart from a distribution transformer that serves the premise of the customer, and

wherein regulating the voltage level comprises holding the voltage level within the predetermined voltage range, in response to receiving the user input.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, via the communications circuitry, a user input providing a command to adjust the voltage level,

wherein regulating the voltage level comprises adjusting the voltage level in response to the user input.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein measuring the usage of electricity comprises measuring the usage of electricity while bypassing use of the power electronics circuitry and/or the communications circuitry, in response to detecting an error, receiving a bypass command via the communications circuitry, and/or activation of a manual bypass switch of the apparatus.