Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems

• US 7,010,363 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Donnelly, Matthew K., Pratt, Robert G., Chassin, David P., Kintner-Meyer, Michael, Winiarski, David W., Dagle, Jeffery E., Boberly-Bartis, Anne Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US10/462,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 700/12, 700 13- 14, 700/19, 700/20, 700/22, 700/286, 700/291, 700/292, 700/293, 700/294, 700/295, 700/29.6, 700/297, 700/298, 702 60- 63, 323299-303, 137/387, 262/60, 621/763
• US Class Current: 700/19
• 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
• 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: Y10T 137/729 Washing machine cycle control

Abstract

Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems are described. In one aspect, an electrical appliance energy consumption control method includes providing an electrical appliance coupled with a power distribution system, receiving electrical energy within the appliance from the power distribution system, consuming the received electrical energy using a plurality of loads of the appliance, monitoring electrical energy of the power distribution system, and adjusting an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads of the appliance from an initial level of consumption to an other level of consumption different than the initial level of consumption responsive to the monitoring.

Claims

1. An electrical appliance energy consumption control method comprising:

providing an electrical appliance coupled with a power distribution system;

receiving electrical energy within the appliance from the power distribution system;

consuming the received electrical energy using a plurality of loads of the appliance;

monitoring electrical energy of the power distribution system; and

adjusting an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads of the appliance from an initial level of consumption to an other level of consumption different than the initial level of consumption responsive to the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

operating the one of the loads at the other level of consumption for a period of time; and

maintaining an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via an other of the loads of the appliance during at least a portion of the period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy of the power distribution system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting responsive to the electrical characteristic triggering a threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising varying the threshold at a plurality of different moments in time.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising varying the threshold at a plurality of different moments in time corresponding to respective power-up operations of the appliance at different moments in time.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the frequency of the electrical energy.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring frequency of the electrical energy distributed to the appliance by the power distribution system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring using control circuitry proximately located with respect to the appliance.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry resides within the appliance.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the receiving comprises receiving the electrical energy via a node of the power distribution system, and the controller monitors the electrical energy at the node.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises initial adjusting, and further comprising other adjusting the amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via the one of the loads to the initial level of consumption after the initial adjusting.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining a variable length of time after the adjusting, and the other adjusting is responsive to the determining.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the determining comprises determining a random length of time.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the determining comprises determining the variable length of time according to a statistical distribution.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the amount of the consumption to the other level of the consumption at a plurality of different moments in time, and further comprising operating the one of the loads at the other level of consumption for a plurality of different lengths of time at the respective different moments in time.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of the consumption during the other level of consumption is less than the amount of the consumption during the initial level of consumption.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the one of the loads consumes substantially none of the received electrical energy during the other level of consumption.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises sending a control signal from a controller to the one of the loads.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing an override indication after the adjusting; and

further adjusting the amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via the one of the loads to the initial level of consumption responsive to the override indication.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via a compressor of a compressor system in a hot gas bypass operation.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving comprises receiving within the appliance located at a customer location, and at least one of the monitoring and controlling comprises using control circuitry located at the customer location.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the control circuitry comprises a system controller.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the control circuitry comprises control circuitry of a power management device coupled with the appliance.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the control circuitry comprises control circuitry of the appliance.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the appliance comprises providing an HVAC system.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a temperature set point of a thermostat of the HVAC system.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises controlling cooling equipment of the HVAC system.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises controlling heating equipment of the HVAC system.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises controlling a damper of the HVAC system.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises controlling a fan of the HVAC system.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the adjusting comprises canceling a defrost operation of a heat pump of the HVAC system.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing a clothes dryer.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads of the clothes dryer comprising a heating element.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the adjusting comprises reducing an amount of current of the electrical energy applied to the heating element.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing a clothes washer.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via the one of the loads of the clothes washer comprising a heating element.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via the one of the loads of the clothes washer comprising an agitator motor.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing a water management system of one of a spa and a pool.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a temperature set point of the water management system.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting water circulation operations of the water management system using the one of the loads comprising a water circulation motor.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting water heating operations of the water management system using the one of the loads comprising a water heating element.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing a dish washer.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting water heating operations of the dishwasher using the one of the loads comprising a water heating element.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting drying operations of the dishwasher using the one of the loads comprising a forced air heating element.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting operations of one of the loads comprising a water pump.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing the electrical appliance having a plurality of modes of operation including an energy saving mode of operation, and the adjusting comprises adjusting the appliance to operate in the energy saving mode.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the electrical appliance comprises a personal computer system.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a clock speed of control circuitry of the personal computer system.

50. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing a hot water heater.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a temperature set point of a thermostat of the hot water heater.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the temperature set point to one of a plurality of set points corresponding to a plurality of respective values of the electrical characteristic.

53. The method of claim 50 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting water heating operations using the one of the loads comprising a water heating element.

54. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the electrical appliance comprises providing a refrigerator.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a temperature set point of a thermostat of the refrigerator.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting defrost operations of the refrigerator using the one of the loads comprising a heater configured to heat coils of the refrigerator.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a time of the defrost operations.

58. The method of claim 54 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting anti-sweat operations of the refrigerator using the one of the loads comprising a heater configured to heat an exterior portion of a cabinet of the refrigerator.

59. The method of claim 54 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting interior air circulation operations of the refrigerator using the one of the loads comprising a fan.

60. The method of claim 54 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting cooling operations of the refrigerator using the one of the loads comprising a compressor.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the adjusting comprises varying a speed of the compressor.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein the adjusting comprises performing a hot gas bypass operation.

63. The method of claim 54 wherein the providing comprises providing the refrigerator comprising a multi-stage refrigerator having a plurality of cooling stages, and the adjusting comprises adjusting to operate at less than the available number of cooling stages.

64. An electrical appliance energy consumption control method comprising:

providing an electrical appliance coupled with a power distribution system, the appliance comprising a plurality of loads;

receiving electrical energy within the appliance from the power distribution system;

operating the appliance at a normal mode of operation wherein one of the loads consumes a first amount of electrical energy;

monitoring an electrical characteristic of electrical energy of the power distribution system; and

responsive to the monitoring, operating the appliance at an other mode of operation wherein the one of the loads consumes a second amount of electrical energy different than the first amount of electrical energy.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the electrical characteristic comprising frequency of the electrical energy.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the frequency of the electrical energy distributed to the appliance by the power distribution system.

67. An electrical energy consumption system comprising:

a power interface configured to receive electrical energy of the power distribution system;

a plurality of loads coupled with the power interface and configured to consume the received electrical energy; and

control circuitry configured to monitor an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy of the power distribution system and to vary an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads responsive to the monitoring.

68. The system of claim 67 wherein the control circuitry is located proximate to the loads.

69. The system of claim 67 wherein the power interface is configured to receive the electrical energy from a node of the power distribution system and the control circuitry is coupled with the node.

70. The system of claim 69 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical characteristic of the electrical energy received via the node.

71. The system of claim 67 wherein the loads comprise loads of a single appliance.

72. The system of claim 71 wherein an other of the loads receives a constant supply of electrical energy before and after the varying.

73. The system of claim 67 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical characteristic comprising frequency of the electrical energy.

74. The system of claim 73 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the frequency of the electrical energy received by the power interface from the power distribution system.

75. The system of claim 67 wherein the control circuitry resides within a housing of an appliance which comprises the plurality of loads.

76. A compressor system comprising:

a compressor configured to compress a fluid;

a condenser configured to condense the fluid;

an evaporator configured to evaporate the fluid; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy supplied to the compressor and to control short circuiting of the condenser and the evaporator responsive to the monitoring to reduce an amount of electrical energy consumed by the compressor compared with an other operational mode.

77. The system of claim 76 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy received at a physical location of the compressor.

78. An HVAC system comprising:

equipment configured to consume a first amount of electrical energy during operations to adjust a temperature of an area associated with the HVAC system; and

control circuitry configured to monitor the electrical energy supplied to the HVAC system at a physical location of the HVAC system, and to control the equipment to operate in a mode wherein a second amount of electrical energy is consumed by the HVAC system less than the first amount.

79. The system of claim 78 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the equipment responsive to the monitoring.

80. The system of claim 79 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy to monitor the electrical energy.

81. The system of claim 80 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical characteristic comprising frequency of the electrical energy.

82. A clothes dryer comprising:

a heating element configured to control a temperature of a compartment of the clothes dryer configured to dry clothes;

a tumbler motor configured to rotate the clothes in the compartment; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to at least one of the heating element and the tumbler motor and to control at least one of the heating element and the tumbler motor to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the clothes dryer compared with an other operational mode and responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

83. The dryer of claim 82 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy provided at a physical location of the clothes dryer.

84. A clothes washer comprising:

a heating element configured to control a temperature of water used to wash clothes using the clothes washer;

an agitator motor configured to agitate the clothes being washed; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to at least one of the heating element and the agitator motor and to control at least one of the heating element and the agitator motor to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the clothes washer compared with an other operational mode and responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

85. The washer of claim 84 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy provided at a physical location of the clothes washer.

86. A water management system comprising:

a heating element configured to control a temperature of water within an associated reservoir;

a circulation motor configured to circulate water within the reservoir; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to at least one of the heating element and the circulation motor and to control at least one of the heating element and the circulation motor to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the water management system compared with an other operational mode and responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

87. The system of claim 86 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy provided at a physical location of the water management system.

88. A dish washer comprising:

a water heating element configured to adjust a temperature of water used to wash dishes using the dish washer;

a forced air heating element configured to adjust a temperature of air used to dry the dishes using the dish washer; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to at least one of the water heating element and the forced air heating element and to control at least one of the water heating element and the forced air heating element to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the dish washer compared with an other operational mode and responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

89. The dish washer of claim 88 further comprising a water pump, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the water pump to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the water pump compared with an other operational mode of the water pump.

90. The dish washer of claim 88 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy provided at a physical location of the dish washer.

91. A personal computer system comprising:

a component of the personal computer system configured to operate in an energy saving mode; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to the component of the personal computer system and to control the component to operate in the energy saving mode wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the personal computer system compared with an other operational mode, and wherein the controlling is responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

92. The system of claim 91 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy provided at a physical location of the personal computer system.

93. The system of claim 91 wherein the component comprises a peripheral component.

94. The system of claim 91 wherein the component comprises a display.

95. The system of claim 91 wherein the component comprises a microprocessor of the control circuitry.

96. A water heater comprising:

a water heating element configured to control a temperature of water within a reservoir of the water heater; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to the water heating element at a physical location of the water heater, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the water heating element to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the water heater compared with an other operational mode and responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

97. The water heater of claim 96 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy to monitor the electrical energy.

98. The water heater of claim 97 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical characteristic comprising frequency of the electrical energy.

99. A refrigerator comprising:

a plurality of components configured to perform operations with respect to refrigeration of goods within the refrigerator; and

control circuitry configured to monitor electrical energy provided to at least one of the components and to control at least one of the components to operate in a mode of operation wherein a reduced amount of electrical energy is consumed by the refrigerator compared with an other operational mode and responsive to the monitoring of the electrical energy.

100. The refrigerator of claim 99 wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the electrical energy provided at a physical location of the refrigerator.

101. The refrigerator of claim 99 wherein the at least one component comprises a thermostat.

102. The refrigerator of claim 99 wherein the at least one component comprises a heating element.

103. The refrigerator of claim 99 wherein the at least one component comprises a circulation fan.

104. The refrigerator of claim 99 wherein the at least one component comprises a compressor.