US 7,069,117 B2Granted

Electrical power distribution control systems and processes

AssigneeProgrammable Control Services, Inc.

InventorsThomas L. Wilson, Kenneth M. Hemmelman

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention includes a power adjustment apparatus. The apparatus includes a local controller and one or more sensors distributed within a power grid. The sensors are configured to assess conditions including power consumption and delivered voltage level and are configured to transmit data representative of the assessed conditions to the local controller. The apparatus also includes a device associated with the one or more sensors, configured to adjust an output power level in response to commands from the local controller. The device is deployed at an associated location within the power grid. The device is configured to increase an associated output electrical parameter when the local controller determines that such will reduce power consumption.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A system for adjustment of power consumption within a power grid comprising:

a group controller;
a plurality of sensors distributed within the power grid, the sensors being configured to assess conditions including power consumption and delivered voltage level and being configured to transmit data representative of the assessed conditions to the group controller;
and
a plurality of devices each configured to provide power control and each including a respective local controller associated with a respective one of the plurality of devices and configured to collect data from one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors that are associated with the respective one of the devices, each of the plurality of devices being configured to adjust an associated output electrical parameter in response to commands from either the group or local controller, individual ones of the plurality of devices being distributed to respective locations within the power grid, each of the plurality devices being configured to increase or decrease the associated output electrical parameter when either the group controller or the associated local controller determines that such will reduce system power consumption.

1 more element

A power adjustment apparatus comprising:

a local controller;
one or more sensors distributed within a power grid, the sensors being configured to assess conditions including power consumption and delivered voltage level and being configured to transmit data representative of the assessed conditions to the local controller;
a device associated with the one or more sensors and configured to adjust an output power level in response to commands from the local controller, the device being configured to be deployed at an associated location within the power grid, the device being configured to increase an associated output electrical parameter when the local controller determines that such will reduce power consumption.

A process for adjusting power consumption within a power grid including a controller and a plurality of sensors distributed within the power grid, the sensors being configured to assess conditions including power consumption and delivered voltage level and being configured to transmit data representative of the assessed conditions to the controller, the power grid further including a plurality of devices each configured to adjust output voltage in response to commands from the controller, individual ones of the plurality of devices being distributed to an associated location within the power grid, the process comprising:

determining, by the controller, when an increase or decrease in an output parameter from one device of the plurality of devices will reduce system power consumption;
and
increasing or decreasing the associated output electrical parameter in response to the controller determining that such will reduce system power consumption;
and
wherein the associated electrical parameter comprises at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of:
a delivered voltage for the one device, power controlled by the one device, current controlled by the one device and/or power factor associated with power controlled by the one device.

3 more elements

In a power adjustment apparatus including a controller, one or more sensors distributed within a power grid, the sensors being configured to assess conditions including power consumption and delivered voltage level and being configured to transmit data representative of the assessed conditions to the controller and a device configured to adjust output voltage in response to commands from the controller, the device being deployed at an associated location within the power grid, a process comprising:

determining, by the controller, that increasing an output electrical parameter associated with the device will reduce power consumption;
and
increasing an output electrical parameter associated with the device in response to the controller determining that such will reduce power consumption;
and
wherein increasing or decreasing the associated electrical output parameter comprises increasing or decreasing an output voltage for the device.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/117,723Filed 1 Apr 2002
Published: US 2003/0187550 A12 Oct 2003
Granted: 27 Jun 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H02J 3/38
Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks: arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in…
H02J 3/17
Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks: demand-responsive operation of AC power transmission or distribution networks
H02J 2105/52
For selectively controlling the operation of the loads: for limitation of the power consumption in the networks or in one section of the networks,…
Y02B 70/3225
Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon…:…