Energy controller and method for dynamic allocation of priorities of controlled load curtailment to ensure adequate load sharing
First Claim
1. A method for controlling delivery of elecrical energy from a power line to an establishment having a plurality of electrical loads in order to maintain the total power delivered to the electrical loads close to a power limit, the electrical loads including a plurality of controlled loads which can be electrically connected to and disconnected from the power line, partially in accordance with user-selected priorities attributed to respect ones of the controlled loads, by means of a control system, the control system including a plurality of load switching means for controllably connecting the controlled loads to and disconnecting the controlled loads from the power line, the control system also including power measuring means for measuring power delivered from the power line to the electrical loads, said method comprising operating a processor to effect the steps of:
- (a) for each of said controlled loads, including a first one of said controlled loads,1. measuring the value of a variable associated with a cumulative effect of operation or non-operation of that controlled load.2. computing a cumulative priority value for that controlled load, said cumulative priority value being a function of both(i) said user-selected priority associated with that controlled load, and(ii) said value of said variable; and
(b) making a decision whether to shed or restore said first controlled load on the basis of whether said first controlled load is less than or exceeds the the value of said cumulative priority value of certain other cumulative priority values of other ones of said controlled loads.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An energy controller maintains the total power delivered to an establishment close to a power limit so as to ensure shared operation of all curtailed loads by computing a cumulative priority value (CPV) for each load. The CPV of a particular load is the positive product of a "user-set priority" for that load and the amount of time that load has been shed, or is the negative product of the user-set priority and the amount of time that load has been restored. A processor makes decisions whether to shed or restore a certain load on the basis of the relation of the CPV of that load to the CPV'"'"'s of the other loads. Loads with the highest CPV'"'"'s are restored first and loads with the lowest CPV'"'"'s are shed first. The power limit is adjusted between upper and lower bounds to reflect recent power usage patterns. A minor average and a major average, each of which is most "weighted" by recent power readings, are computed. Generally, low priority loads are shed when both the minor average and the major average exceed the power limit, and are restored when both the minor and major averages are less than the power limit. If the minor and major average, respectively, exceed and are less than the power limit, the processor performs a "look-ahead" operation to predict the likely effect of a shedding operation before determining whether to perform that shedding operation.
100 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for controlling delivery of elecrical energy from a power line to an establishment having a plurality of electrical loads in order to maintain the total power delivered to the electrical loads close to a power limit, the electrical loads including a plurality of controlled loads which can be electrically connected to and disconnected from the power line, partially in accordance with user-selected priorities attributed to respect ones of the controlled loads, by means of a control system, the control system including a plurality of load switching means for controllably connecting the controlled loads to and disconnecting the controlled loads from the power line, the control system also including power measuring means for measuring power delivered from the power line to the electrical loads, said method comprising operating a processor to effect the steps of:
-
(a) for each of said controlled loads, including a first one of said controlled loads, 1. measuring the value of a variable associated with a cumulative effect of operation or non-operation of that controlled load. 2. computing a cumulative priority value for that controlled load, said cumulative priority value being a function of both (i) said user-selected priority associated with that controlled load, and (ii) said value of said variable; and (b) making a decision whether to shed or restore said first controlled load on the basis of whether said first controlled load is less than or exceeds the the value of said cumulative priority value of certain other cumulative priority values of other ones of said controlled loads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for controlling delivery of electrical energy from a power line to an establishment having a plurality of electrical loads in order to maintain the total power delivered to the electrical loads close to a power limit, the electrical loads including a plurality of controlled loads which can be electrically connected to and disconnected from the power line, partially in accordance with user-selected priorities attributed to respective ones of the controlled loads, by means of a control system, the control system including a plurality of load switching means for controllably connecting the controlled loads to and disconnecting the controlled loads from the power line, the control system also including power measuring means for measuring power delievered from the power line to the electrical loads, said method comprising operating a processor to effect the steps of:
-
(a) computing and storing a power consumption number for any one of the controlled loads when that controlled load is electrically disconnected from the power line or is electrically connected to the power line; (b) obtaining a minor average that represents the average power consumption of the establishment during a first period of time prior to the present time; (c) obtaining a major average that represents the average power consumption of the establishment during a second period of time prior to the present time, said second period of time being substantially greater than said first period of time; (d) comparing said major average to said power limit, and comparing said minor average to said power limit; (e) measuring the values of a variable associated with a cumulative effect of operation or non-operation of respective ones of said controlled loads; (f) computing a cumulative priority value for each of said controlled loads, respectively, each cumulative priority value being a function of both said user selected priority associated with the controlled load for which that cumulative priority value is computed and said measured value of the variable associated with the controlled load for which that cumulative priority value is computed; (g) electrically disconnecting the one of said controlled loads presently connected to the power line and having the lowest cumulative priority value from the power line if both said major average and said minor average are greater than said selected power limit; (h) repeating steps (b), (c), (d), and (e) until either said major average or said minor average is less than said selected power limit; (i) computing a first power availability number representative of the difference between the selected power limit and said major average; and (j) comparing a stored power consumption number of the one of said controlled loads not presently electrically connected to the power line and having the highest cumulative priority value with said first power availability number and electrically connecting that controlled load to the power line if the power consumption of that controlled load is less than said first power availability number and both said major average and said minor average are less than said power limit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for controlling delivery of electrical energy from a power line to an establishment having a plurality of electrical loads in order to maintain the total power delivered to the electrical loads close to a power limit, the electrical loads including a plurality of controlled loads which can be electrically connected to and disconnected from the power line, partially in accordance with user-selected priorities attributed to respective ones of the controlled loads, by means of a control system, the control system comprising in combination:
-
(a) a plurality of load switching means for controllably connecting the controlled loads to and disconnecting the controlled loads from the power line; (b) power measuring means for measuring power delivered from the powerl ine to the electrical loads; (c) means for measuring the value of a variable associated with a cumulative effect of operation or non-operation of each of said controlled loads, respectively; (d) means for computing a cumulative priority value for each of said controlled loads, respectively, said cumulative priority value being a function of both (i) said user-selected priority associated with that controlled load and (ii) said value of said variable for that controlled load; and (e) means for making a decision whether to shed or restore a first one of said controlled loads on the basis of whether the value of the cumulativepriority value of said first controlled load exceeds or is less than the cumulative priority values of certain other ones of said controlled loads. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A system for controlling delivery of electrical energy from a power line to an establishment having a plurality of electrical loads in order to maintain the total power delivered to the electrical loads close to a power limit, the electrical loads including a plurality of controlled loads which can be electrically connected to and disconnected from the power line, partially in accordance with user-selected priorities attributed to respective ones of the controlled loads, by means of a control system, the control system comprising in combination:
-
(a) a plurality of load switching means for controllably connecting the controlled loads to and disconnecting the controlled loads from the power line; (b) power measuring means for measuring power delievered from the power line to the electrical loads; (c) means for computing and storing a power consumption number for any one of the controlled loads when that controlled load is electrically disconnected from the power line or is electrically connected to the power line; (d) means for obtaining a minor average that represents the average power consumption of the establishment during the first period of time prior to the present time; (e) means for obtaining a major average that represents the average power consumption of the establishment during a second period of time prior to the present time, said second period of time being substantially greater than said first period of time; (f) means for comparing said major average to said power limit, and comparing said minor average to said power limit; (g) means for measuring the values of a variable associated with a cumulative effect of operation or non-operation of respective ones of said controlled loads; (h) means for computing a cumulative priority value for each of said controlled loads, respectively, each cumulative priority value being a function of both said user selected priority associated with the controlled load for which that cumulative priority value is computed and the measured value of the variable associated with the controlled load for which that cumulative priority value is computed; (i) means for electrically disconnecting the one of said controlled loads presently connected to the power line and having the lowest cumulative priority value from the power line if both said major average and said minor average are greater than said selected power limit; (j) means for computing a first power availability number representative of the difference between the selected power limit and said major average; and (k) means for comparing a stored power consumption number of the one of said controlled loads not presently electrically connected to the power line and having the highest cumulative priority value with said first power availability number and electrically connecting that controlled load to the power line if the power consumption of that controlled load is less than said first power availability number and both said major average and said minor average are less than said power limit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification