US 8,014,905 B2Granted

System and method for demand limiting resistive load management

AssigneeRanco Incorporated of Delaware

InventorGregory A. Ehlers

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An electricity demand limiting system for limiting the electricity consumption of at least one resistive load device. The demand limiting system includes a consumption controller associated with the resistive load device that is operable to infinitely vary the amount of electricity being consumed by the load device. The consumption control device is in operative communication with a load controller such that the load controller can generate a control signal to affect the operation of the consumption control circuit. Preferably, the consumption control circuit is a triac-based circuit that receives the control signal from the load controller and limits the amount of electricity consumed by the resistive load device. The load controller can receive input signals from sensors monitoring the electricity delivery system or from the premise electricity meter. Further, the load controller can receive external inputs from a third party that determine the operation of the load controller in limiting the electricity demands of the resistive load device.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An electricity demand limiting system for limiting the electricity consumption of at least one resistive load device from an electricity delivery system, the demand limiting system comprising:

a consumption control circuit positioned between the electricity delivery system and the resistive load device;
and
a load controller in operative communication with the consumption control circuit to provide a control signal to the consumption control circuit such that the consumption control circuit responsively limits the electricity consumption of the resistive load device, while achieving an established demand associated with the resistive load device, based upon the control signal, wherein the load controller is operable to determine at least one of (1) the thermodynamic gain characteristics of the resistive load device and (2) the historical run and recovery time data of the resistive load device, wherein the load controller generates the control signal to operate the consumption control circuit to achieve a desired thermal recovery or temperature as a function of the at least one of (1) the thermodynamic gain characteristics of the resistive load device and (2) the historical run and recovery time data of the resistive load device, where the load controller infinitely regulates the electricity consumption of the resistive load device as a function of a parameter of the control signal, the demand associated with the at least one resistive load including a set point and a predetermined time and the control signal is generated to limit the consumption of electricity by the resistive load and to meet the demand.

A method of limiting the demand for electricity of at least one resistive load device from an electricity delivery system, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a consumption control circuit between the electricity delivery system and the resistive load device;
positioning a load controller in communication with the consumption control circuit;
establishing a demand associated with the resistive load device;
determining a need to limit the demand for electricity in the load controller;
determining at least one of (1) the thermodynamic gain characteristics of the resistive load device and/or (2) the historical run and recovery time data of the resistive load device and responsively generating a control signal from the load controller to the consumption control circuit as a function thereof;
and
operating the consumption control circuit in response to the control signal to limit the demand for electricity by the resistive load device and to meet the demand associated with the resistive load device while achieving a desired thermal recovery or temperature, where the consumption control circuit infinitely regulates the electricity consumption of the resistive load device as a function of a parameter of the control signal, the demand associated with the at least one resistive load including a set point and a predetermined time and the control signal is generated to limit the consumption of electricity by the resistive load and to meet the demand.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/683,139Filed 7 Mar 2007 · us provisional application
Priority: 9 Mar 2006
Published: US 2007/0213880 A113 Sep 2007
Granted: 6 Sep 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H02J 3/17
Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks: demand-responsive operation of AC power transmission or distribution networks
H02J 13/12
Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network: monitoring network…
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…:…