Load management system and method utilizing breaker metering data and occupancy data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655872-B2
Application number	US-201715480626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 6, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A load management system including a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area, a controller including a processor structured to estimate occupancy of the managed area based on outputs of the number of sensors and to implement a load management scheme, a number of circuit breakers, at least one of the number of circuit breakers being electrically connected to a corresponding load circuit and including a metering circuit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit and a device control unit structured to control one or more load devices electrically connected to the load circuit based on the load management scheme. The processor is structured to implement the load management scheme based on outputs of the sensors and metering information of one or more of the circuit breakers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load management system comprising:
a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area;
a controller including a processor structured to estimate occupancy of the managed area based on outputs of the number of sensors and to implement a load management scheme;
a number of circuit breakers, at least one of the number of circuit breakers being electrically connected to a corresponding load circuit and including a metering circuit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit and a device control unit structured to control one or more load devices electrically connected to the load circuit based on the load management scheme; and
wherein the processor is structured to implement the load management scheme based on outputs of the sensors and metering information of one or more of the circuit breakers, and
wherein the processor is structured to learn behavior characteristics of the one or more load devices based on the metering information and to adapt the load management scheme based on the learned behavior characteristics to optimize operation of the one or more load devices to improve energy efficiency,
wherein at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes:
separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts; and
a trip unit structured to monitor for trip conditions in the load circuit protected by the circuit breaker and to control the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to detecting the trip condition;
secondary separable contacts,

wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers is structured to open and close the secondary separable contacts in response to communications from the controller to implement the load management scheme.

2. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more loads includes at least one of a water heater, a pool pump, and an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

3. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is structured to develop the load management scheme using additional information; and wherein the additional information includes at least one of utility pricing information and weather forecast information.

4. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is structured to communicate with a mobile device and to receive user setting information from the mobile device; and wherein the controller is structured to implement the load management scheme based on the user setting information.

5. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the number of sensors include at least one of a motion sensor, a light sensor, and a temperature sensor.

6. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the device control unit includes a first communication interface structured to communicate with the controller and a second communication interface structured to communicate with at least one or the one or more load devices.

7. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a first communication interface structured to communicate with the number of circuit breakers, a second communication interface structured to communicate with the number of sensors, and a third communication interface structured to communicate with a mobile device.

8. The load management system of claim 7 , wherein the first communication interface is structured to provide wired communication and the second communication interface is structured to provide wireless communication.

9. A method of implementing a load management scheme, the method comprising:
receiving sensor information, with a controller including a processor, from a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area;
estimating occupancy, with the controller including the processor, of the managed area based on the sensor information;
receiving metering information, with the controller including the processor, from a number of circuit breakers electrically connected to corresponding load circuits;
implementing the load management scheme, with the controller including the processor, based on the sensor information and the metering information;
learning behavior characteristics, with the controller including the processor, of one or more load devices connected to the load circuit based on the metering information; and
adapting the load management scheme, with the controller including the processor, based on the learned behavior characteristics to optimize operation of the one or more load devices to improve energy efficiency,
wherein at least one of the number of circuit breakers is electrically connected to the corresponding load circuit and includes a metering circuit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit and a device control unit structured to control one or more load devices electrically connected to the load circuit based on the load management scheme,
wherein at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes:
separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts; and
a trip unit structured to monitor for trip conditions in the load circuit protected by the circuit breaker and to control the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to detecting the trip condition;
secondary separable contacts,

wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers is structured to open and close the secondary separable contacts in response to communications from the controller to implement the load management scheme.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving additional information including at least one of utility pricing information and weather forecast information,
wherein implementing the load management scheme includes implementing the load management scheme based on the additional information.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Yigang
• Patil Chinmaya
• Thompson Ronald L
• Eldridge Austin

Classifications

• H01H83/20

  operated by excess current as well as by some other abnormal electrical condition · CPC title

• F24F11/62

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title

• F24F11/63

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• F24F2130/10

  Weather information or forecasts · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title