Method for controlling the energy consumption of an automation field device

A method for controlling energy consumption of a field device of automation technology, comprising:

• determining a minimum available total power for the field device;
• dividing the minimum available total power among individual modules of the field device in accordance with maximum allowable power requirements for the modules, wherein a sum of the individual maximum allowable power requirements of the modules does not exceed the minimum available total power;
• determining an actual current power requirement for at least one module of the modules of the field device, wherein the actual current power requirement includes a power uptakes of all power receivers with the exception of at least one control component of the at least one module;
• ascertaining a power difference between the maximum allowable power requirement determined for the at least one module and the actually current power requirement of the at least one module;
• and
• controlling at least one control component of the at least one module as a function of the ascertained power difference so that the power difference is minimized and the at least one module utilizes the maximum allowable power requirement for the at least one module.

A field device of automation technology, comprising:

• a main electronic module with two input terminals to which a two-conductor line may be connected;
• an electrical current control unit for setting an electrical current value;
• a voltage measuring unit for registering a terminal voltage at the two input terminals;
• a computing unit for control and/or evaluation;
• and
• a sensor module for registering a physical variable,
• wherein the computing unit is configured to:
• determine a minimum available total power for the field device,
• divide the minimum available total power among individual modules of the field device in accordance with maximum allowable power requirements for the modules, wherein a sum of the individual maximum allowable power requirements of the modules does not exceed the minimum available total power,
• determine an actual current power requirement for at least one module of the modules of the field device, wherein the actual current power requirement includes a power uptakes of all power receivers with the exception of at least one control component of the at least one module,
• ascertain a power difference between the maximum allowable power requirement determined for the at least one module and the actually current power requirement of the at least one module, and
• control at least one control component of the at least one module as a function of the ascertained power difference so that the power difference is minimized and the at least one module utilizes the maximum allowable power requirement for the at least one module.