Inferred energy usage and multiple levels of energy usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016147205-A1
Application number	US-201414553461-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure describes system and methods for inferring energy usage at multiple levels of granularity. One embodiment describes an industrial automation system including a first industrial automation component, a first sensor coupled to the first industrial automation component, in which the first sensor measures a first amount of power supplied to the first industrial automation component, a second industrial automation component that couples to the first industrial automation component, and an industrial control system that infers energy usage by the first industrial automation component and the second industrial automation component based at least in part on the first amount of power supplied to the first industrial automation component.

First claim

1 . An industrial automation system, comprising:
a first industrial automation component; a first sensor configured to couple to the first industrial automation component, wherein the first sensor is configured to measure a first amount of power supplied to the first industrial automation component; a second industrial automation component configured to couple to the first industrial automation component; and an industrial control system configured to infer energy usage by the first industrial automation component and the second industrial automation component based at least in part on the first amount of power supplied to the first industrial automation component.

2 . The industrial automation system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial control system is configured to infer the energy usage by the first industrial automation component based at least in part on a model of the first industrial automation component.

3 . The industrial automation system of claim 2 , wherein the model is based at least in part on one or more manufacturer specifications associated with the first industrial automation component, one or more previous operations of the first industrial automation component, or any combination thereof.

4 . The industrial automation system of claim 2 , wherein the industrial control system is configured to verify the model of the first industrial automation component by:
determining actual energy usage associated with the first industrial automation component; and adjusting the model such that the energy usage determined with model more closely approximates the actual energy usage.

5 . The industrial automation system of claim 4 , wherein the actual energy usage associated with the first industrial component is determined based on a measurement of energy usage acquired by a second sensor coupled between the first industrial component and the second industrial component.

6 . The industrial automation system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial control system is configured to infer the energy usage by the second industrial automation component by:
determining a second amount of power used by the first industrial automation component; and subtracting the second amount of power used by the first industrial automation component from the first amount of power measured by the first sensor.

7 . The industrial automation system of claim 1 , wherein the first industrial automation component is configured to provide a second amount of power to the second industrial automation component.

8 . The industrial automation system of claim 1 , wherein the first industrial automation component comprises a drive and the second industrial automation component comprises a motor.

9 . The industrial automation system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial automation system is a material handling system, a packaging system, a manufacturing system, processing system, a batch processing system, or any combination thereof.

10 . The industrial automation system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is configured to perform at least one operation in the industrial automation system, and wherein the first industrial automation component and the second industrial automation component are part of a first cell of the plurality of cells.

11 . A method comprising:
receiving, via at least one processor, a first amount of power provided to a first industrial automation component with a first sensor; inferring, via the at least one processor, energy usage associated with the first industrial automation component based at least in part on a model of the first industrial automation component and the first amount of power; and inferring, via the at least one processor, energy usage by a second industrial automation component based at least in part on the first amount of power provided to the first industrial automation component and the energy usage associated with the first industrial automation component, wherein the first industrial automation component is configured to provide a second amount of power to the second industrial automation component.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second amount of power provided to the second industrial automation component is not directly measured by a second sensor associated with the second industrial automation component.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second amount of power comprises a voltage and a current provided to the second industrial automation component.

14 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:
measuring actual energy usage associated with the first industrial automation component via a second sensor; and adjusting the model based on the actual energy usage.

15 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:
determining a third amount of power used by the first industrial automation component; and determining a difference between the third amount of power and the first amount of power.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first industrial automation component is a motor drive and the second industrial automation component comprises a controller, an input/output (I/O) module, a motor control center, a motor, a human machine interface (HMI), an operator interface, a contactor, a starter, a drive, a relay, a protection device, switchgear, a compressor, a scanner, a gauge, a valve, a flow meter, or any combination thereof.

17 . An industrial automation system comprising:
a first group of industrial automation components; a sensor coupled to the first group of industrial automation components, wherein the sensor is configured to measure an operational parameter of the first group of industrial automation components; a second group of industrial automation components related to the first group of industrial automation components; and an industrial control system configured to determine energy usage by the first group of industrial automation components and the second group of industrial automation components based at least in part on the measured operational parameter of the first group of industrial automation components.

18 . The industrial automation system of claim 17 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure energy supplied to the first group of industrial automation components and the second group of industrial automation components, and the industrial control system is configured to determine the energy usage by the second group of industrial control components based on the energy usage by the first group of industrial automation components and the energy measured via the sensor.

19 . The industrial automation system of claim 17 , comprising a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is configured to perform at least one operation in the industrial automation system, and wherein the first group of industrial automation components is part of a first cell of the plurality of cells and the second group of industrial automation components is a second cell of the plurality of cells.

20 . The industrial automation system of claim 17 , wherein the first group of industrial automation components is associated with a first stage in a production process and the second group of industrial automation components is associated with a second stage in the production process.

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kaufman Philip John

Classifications

• G05B13/048 Primary

  using a predictor · CPC title

• G05B2219/31414

  Calculate amount of production energy, waste and toxic release · CPC title

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• Y02P80/10

  Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier · CPC title