# US 2013/0154367 A1 · Powering of devices

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- Number: US 2013/0154367 A1
- Document ID: US20130154367A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/579,700
- Filed: 2011-02-21
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-19
- Assignees: University of Strathclyde; Building Research Establishment Ltd
- Inventors: John Mark Counsell; Matthew John Stewart
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154367A1

## CPC

- H02J 3/46: Controlling the sharing of generated power between the generators, sources or networks
- H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators}
- H02J 4/00: Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36)
- H02J 13/13: characterised by the transmission of data to equipment in the power network
- H02J 2101/20: Dispersed power generation using renewable energy sources
- H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics
- H02J 2101/28: Wind energy
- H02J 2101/40: Hybrid power plants, i.e. a plurality of different generation technologies being operated at one power plant
- Y02B 10/30: Wind power
- 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
- Y02B 70/3225: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- 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)
- Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
- Y02E 10/76: Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
- Y02E 40/70: Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
- Y04S 10/123: the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
- Y04S 20/12: Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
- Y04S 20/222: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- Y04S 20/248: UPS systems or standby or emergency generators
- Y04S 40/12: characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

An apparatus and method for a powering a network of devices, the apparatus comprising a power supply, means for inputting a parameter related to desired performance or power usage of the network, means for determining network load, means for generating an error signal using the parameter related to desired performance or power usage of the network, the network load, and measured power of the power supply, and means for using the error signal to determining how the power is utilised.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for a powering a network of devices, comprising:
a power supply;
means inputting a parameter related to desired performance or power usage of the network;
means for determining network load;
means for generating an error signal using the parameter related to desired performance or power usage of the network, the network load, and measured power of the 10 power supply; and
means for using the error signal to determining how the power is utilised.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises one or more energy sources.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the energy sources of the power supply produces ‘green’ or sustainable energy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for determining network load is a sensing means.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter related to the desired performance or power usage of the network relates to sustainable or ‘green’ energy.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter is an energy performance set-point corresponding to the proportion of the total power used by the network that should be derived from sustainable or ‘green’ sources.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one energy source for which the power is not measured.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for generating the error signal is a comparison means.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for using the error signal to determine how the power is utilised is a controller.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to use the error signal to produce a control signal, the control signal being transmittable to at least one device of the network, and the control signal determining how the power is utilised at the device or devices.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to use an algorithm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control signal is adapted to instruct the devices of the network to adjust the power by a certain amount and each device has a means that allows it to decide how the change in power will be achieved.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the devices of the network are arranged to act independently to affect total load or performance over the network.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the devices of the network are arranged to act in a combined way to affect total load or performance over the network.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the error signal and/or the control signal are adapted to be transmittable over the actual power transmission path.

### Claim 16

A method of using power, comprising:
measuring the power provided by at least one power source;
measuring the network load;
calculating an achieved performance using the power of the at least one power source and the network load;
using the achieved performance and a parameter relating to desired performance or power usage of the network to generate an error signal;
using the error signal to determine how the power is utilised.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of the power sources measured is a sustainable or ‘green’ energy source.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the power supplied is measured at a specific point in time, or over a particular period of time.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the total network load is measured at a specific point in time, or over a particular period of time.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the parameter relating to the desired performance or power usage of the network relates to sustainable or ‘green’ energy.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the parameter is an energy performance set-point value that corresponds to the proportion of the total power used by the network that should be derived from sustainable or ‘green’ sources.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein power is additionally provided by at least one energy source that is not measured.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the error signal is generated by comparing the achieved performance of the system to the energy performance set-point that has been input into, or generated by, the system.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a controller adapted to use the error signal to determine how the power is utilised.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the controller is adapted to use the error signal to produce a control signal, where the control signal is transmitted to at least one device of the network of devices, and the devices are adapted to use the control signal to determine how the power is utilised.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the controller comprises an algorithm, wherein the algorithm is applied to the error signal to compute a control signal.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein one or more of the devices of the network may include a rechargeable battery and the control signal is adapted to at least partially determine a charging regime of the battery, and/or determine a balance between charging and directly powering the device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least some of the devices of the network are adapted to be in communication with each other and/or with a further network device, wherein the devices are adapted to communicate to affect total load performance over the network.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the error signal and/or control signal may transmitted over the same power transmission line as the power, or separately.

### Claim 30

(canceled)

### Claim 31

(canceled)

### Claim 32 (depends on 1)

An apparatus or method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter related to the desired performance or power usage of the network relates to the network load.

### Claim 33 (depends on 1)

An apparatus or method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network load is matched to the power supplied.