Compact modular electrical load management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11646571-B2
Application number	US-202017076551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

A modular load management system comprises one or more compact modules designed to fit in the wiring troughs of a standard AC distribution panel of a building. The modules include one or more input terminals to receive electrical power from one or more circuit breakers in the panel and deliver power to load circuits of the building via one or more output terminals. The modules contain at least one disconnect switch for disconnecting circuits from breakers in response to a remote or locally-generated control signal. The modules may also include current sensors on some or all terminals, such that power and energy flow may be monitored on a per-circuit basis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load management system for a circuit breaker panel, the system comprising:
a load management unit adapted to be supported within the circuit breaker panel, the load management unit including a first circuit path comprising:
an input for coupling to a circuit breaker within the circuit breaker panel;
an output for coupling to loads, wherein the output comprises an angled connector having two connectors arranged at an angle from each other; and
a disconnect switch coupled between the input and the output, the disconnect switch also coupled to receive a control signal to control the switch to disconnect the input from the output.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the load management unit further comprises a current sensor coupled between the input and the output, the current sensor having a current sensor output providing signals representative of current flow between the input and the output.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional circuit paths for coupling to one or more additional circuit breakers within the circuit breaker panel.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising multiple additional load management units supported within the circuit breaker panel.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a head unit adapted to be supported within the circuit breaker panel for controlling the load management unit disconnect switches.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the head unit controls the load management unit disconnect switches based on at least one of sensed voltage and frequency levels to avoid an impending overload condition.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the head unit controls the load management unit disconnect switches in response to a battery becoming a primary source of power for the loads.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the head unit disconnect switches based on predefined priority for loads in response to the battery becoming the primary source of power for the loads.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the load management units are coupled to the head unit in a serial daisy chain manner.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the two connectors are arranged at approximately 90-degree angles from each other to reduce the curvature of coupled wiring within the circuit breaker panel to one or more loads.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a base mount for coupling to an inside back of the circuit breaker panel, the mount having tabs extending away from the inside back of the circuit breaker panel to couple to the load management unit.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the tabs support the load management unit an adjustable distance from the inside back of the circuit breaker panel.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the load management unit further comprises:
a current sensor coupled between the input and the output, the current sensor having a current sensor output providing signals representative of current flow between the input and the output; and
control circuitry coupled to receive the current sensor output signals and coupled to control the disconnect switch responsive to the current sensor output signals.

14. A modular load management system comprising:
a head unit having an antenna, processor, communication module coupled to the antenna, and a first node connector of the head unit, wherein the unit is configured to connect to and within a circuit breaker panel;
a first load management unit adapted to be supported within the circuit breaker panel, the first load management unit including a first circuit path comprising:
a first input for coupling to a first circuit breaker within the circuit breaker panel;
a first output for coupling to a first load, wherein the first output comprises an angled connector having two connectors arranged at an angle from each other; and
a first disconnect switch coupled between the first input and the first output, the first disconnect switch coupled to receive a control signal via the first circuit path coupled to one of the node connectors of the head unit to control the switch to disconnect the input from the output.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
a second load management unit adapted to be supported within the circuit breaker panel, the second load management unit including the first circuit path comprising:
a second input for coupling to a second circuit breaker within the circuit breaker panel;
a second output for coupling to a second load; and
a second disconnect switch coupled between the second input and the second output, the second disconnect switch coupled to receive a second control signal via the first circuit path coupled to the first node connector of the head unit to control the second switch to disconnect the second input from the second output.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first and second load management units are daisy chained together via the first circuit path.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the head unit comprises a second node connector located on a opposite side of the head unit from the first node connector, wherein the head unit is configured for mounting at an end of two columns of circuit breakers in the circuit breaker panel and wherein the second node is configured to daisy chain connect further load management units coupled to circuit breaker of a column different from the column containing the first circuit breaker.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the first load management unit further comprises:
a current sensor coupled between the input and the output, the current sensor having a current sensor output providing signals representative of current flow between the input and the output; and
control circuitry coupled to receive the current sensor output signals and coupled to control the disconnect switch responsive to the current sensor output signals.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the current sensor is configured to provide data representative of current draw to the head unit, wherein the head unit is configured to communicate the data to a remote device for display of current related information to a user, and wherein the remote device is configured to facilitate a user activating the first switch to connect or disconnect the load management unit from providing current from the first circuit breaker.

Assignees

• Generac Power Systems Inc

Inventors

• Hallam Jonathan
• Li Jonathan
• Meng Ching Kun

Classifications

• H02H3/46

  responsive to frequency deviations · CPC title

• H02H3/08 Primary

  responsive to excess current (responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04) · CPC title

• G01R19/16571

  comparing AC or DC current with one threshold, e.g. load current, over-current, surge current or fault current (G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533, G01R19/1659 take precedence; measuring currents by using elements sensitive to the magnetic field generated G01R15/14; measuring earth resistance G01R27/18; testing for leakage or short circuits in electrical apparatus G01R31/52) · CPC title

• H02H3/04

  with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned {(watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18)} · CPC title

• G01R19/16576

  comparing DC or AC voltage with one threshold (G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533 and G01R19/1659 take precedence) · CPC title