Method and system for cooperative powering of unitary air conditioners

• US 8,548,631 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Comverge Incorporated (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rossi, John, Miyaji, Wendell
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/543,857
• Time in Patent Office: 450 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/277, 700/295
• US Class Current: 700/277
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/81 by controlling the air supply to heat-exchangers or bypass channels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/065 with a plurality of evaporators or condensers

Abstract

A method and system provide for the cooperative powering of unitary air conditioners. The method and system includes coordinating powering of unitary air conditioners in a multiunit building or other low level of aggregation in a power grid. Multiple unitary air conditioners can use a power line communication (PLC) communication module for communicating with other air conditioners that are within the same multiunit building. According to one aspect of the method and system, by using power line communications, multiple unitary air conditioners within a single building can form self-contained local area networks. The LAN can also support a token ring network. According to this token ring network, a predetermined number of tokens can be assigned within the token ring network.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a load on an electric grid, comprising:

coupling one or more unitary air conditioners to a distribution transformer;

controlling downloading of energy from the one or more unitary air conditioners with electronic intelligence which is distributed across the one or more unitary air conditioners so that a load on the distribution transformer is substantially reduced, the electronic intelligence comprising a token ring network for the one or more unitary air conditioners in which each unitary air conditioner receiving a token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a token ring network among the one or more unitary air conditioners.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a token to a first unitary air conditioner according to predetermined criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises assessing a serial number assigned at manufacture for a unitary air conditioner.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a token ring list in memory of each unitary air conditioner.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing one or more tokens among the unitary air conditioners.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each unitary air conditioner comprises a compressor and an exterior fan.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting control signals from a remote location for deactivating a compressor and exterior fan of at least one unitary air conditioner while allowing an interior blower of a respective unitary air conditioner to continue circulating air.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the control signals are sent according to a power lines communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the control signals are sent according to a wireless communication protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more unitary air conditioners that are significantly impacted by external environmental factors and assigning token priority to compensate for these environmental factors.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising loading the token priority to compensate for the environmental factors into each unitary air conditioner at a time of installation of a respective unitary air conditioner within a building.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising downloading the token priority over a communications network.

14. A method for reducing a load on an electric grid, said comprising:

controlling downloading of energy from one or more unitary air conditioners with electronic intelligence which is distributed across the one or more unitary air conditioners, the electronic intelligence comprising a token ring network for the one or more unitary air conditioners in which each unitary air conditioner receiving a token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each air conditioner comprises a unitary air conditioner having an exterior fan for cooling the compressor and a blower for circulating conditioned air.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling the one or more unitary air conditioners to a distribution transformer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning a token to a first unitary air conditioner according to predetermined criteria.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises assessing a serial number assigned at manufacture for a unitary air conditioner.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing a token ring list in memory of each unitary air conditioner.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising identifying one or more unitary air conditioners that are significantly impacted by external environmental factors and assigning token priority to compensate for these environmental factors.