Method and apparatus for controlling movement of an elevator group

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708156-B2
Application number	US-201414299657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2014
Priority date	Jun 10, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Call information can be used for scheduling runs of elevators in a group of elevators. The scheduling is done so that based on the call allocations a schedule of expected movements, accelerations and decelerations can be computed. Then the movements, accelerations and decelerations may be controlled in order to improve energy efficiency or for controlling the movement in such manner that the energy consumption peaks or duration of these peaks is reduced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling movement of an elevator group comprising a plurality of elevators, the method comprising:
scheduling runs according to calls and already known elevator runs, wherein the schedule comprises at least moments of expected acceleration and deceleration of an elevator;
determining expected energy demand for each elevator in said elevator group;
controlling the movement of elevators according to the determined expected energy demand,
wherein the controlling comprises delaying the movement of an elevator in accordance with the schedule and modifying the acceleration and/or speed of at least one elevator of the plurality of elevators during an elevator run to reduce peak power consumption of the elevator group.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said delaying comprises delaying the start of an acceleration of an elevator.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said delaying comprises slowing the speed of a moving elevator.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises using a destination control system in collecting data for said method.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprise exchanging data with other systems of a building comprising the elevator group to provide information about the expected energy demand.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each elevator comprises a counter weight.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the schedule comprises speed as a continuous function of time for each elevator in said group.

8. A computer program comprising code adapted to cause the method according to claim 1 when executed on a data-processing system.

9. An apparatus for controlling movement of a plurality of elevators of an elevator group, the apparatus comprises:
a memory configured to store collected data;
a processor configured to process said collected data;
at least one connection configured to communicate with external devices,
wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
schedule runs according to calls and already known elevator runs, wherein the schedule comprises at least moments of expected acceleration and deceleration of an elevator;
determine expected energy demand for each elevator in said elevator group;
control the movement of elevators according to the determined expected energy demand, and

wherein the controlling comprises delaying the movement of an elevator in accordance with the schedule and modifying the acceleration and/or speed of at least one elevator of the plurality of elevators during an elevator run to reduce peak power consumption of the elevator group.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9 , wherein said delaying comprises delaying the start of an acceleration of an elevator.

11. The apparatus as in claim 9 , wherein said delaying comprises slowing the speed of a moving elevator.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is configure to receive said collected data from a destination control system.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to exchange data with other systems of a building comprising the elevator group to provide information about the expected energy demand.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each elevator comprises a counter weight.

15. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said delaying comprises slowing the speed of a moving elevator.

16. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method comprises using a destination control system in collecting data for said method.

17. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method comprise exchanging data with other systems of a building comprising the elevator group to provide information about the expected energy demand.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of elevators comprises a generator, and the method further comprises:
during deceleration of the at least one of the plurality of elevators, the generator converts potential energy of the at least one elevator into electric current.

19. The method according to claim 18 , the method further comprises:
using the electric current generated from the deceleration of the at least one of the plurality of elevators to operate another one of the plurality of elevators.

20. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of elevators comprises a generator, and the method further comprises:
during deceleration of the at least one of the plurality of elevators, the generator converts potential energy of the at least one elevator into electric current.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Putkinen Esa

Classifications

• Y02B50/122

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B66B1/2458 Primary

  For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft · CPC title

• B66B2201/216

  Energy consumption · CPC title

• Y02B50/00

  Energy efficient technologies in elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies · CPC title