1527results about "Load balancing in dc network" patented technology

This disclosure describes techniques for operating a corded electronic device in which a battery and a power control unit manage power draw from an external power source electrically coupled to the corded electronic device using a physical cord, such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable. The power control unit automatically supplements an electrical current continuously drawn by the corded electronic device from the external power source with an electrical current from the battery, when needed. Moreover, the power control unit operates to limit the current drawn from the external power source and the physical cord so as to ensure the current does not exceed any limitations or requirements associated with the external power source or the physical cord.

The invention relates generally to systems, devices and methods for the efficient use of utilities, more particularly to the distribution and provision of electricity supply at appropriate voltages, monitoring and usage by end devices, and to facilitating consumers in changing their energy usage behaviour, and to adopt and easily install appropriate sustainable, energy efficient or renewable technologies. Said end devices typically including traditional electric, electronic and lighting appliances requiring AC or DC power provision or low voltage DC power via AC / DC converters.

A high power wireless resonant energy transfer system transfers energy across an airgap.

A high power wireless resonant energy transfer system transfers energy across an airgap.

A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting wireless power to at least one wireless power receiver. The apparatus includes a communication unit that receives power management information from the at least one wireless power receiver, wherein the power management information includes a power capacity of each of the at least one wireless power receiver; and a controller that analyzes the power management information and determines whether an output capacity of the wireless power transmitter is greater than a total sum of the power capacities of the at least one wireless power receiver.

A charging system for simultaneously charging the batteries of a plurality of battery powered vehicles. The charging includes one or more DC-DC power converters having one or more charging ports configured to plug into the batteries. The DC-DC power converters are each configured to selectively connect to more than one charging port to selectively provide for higher port power levels. The DC-DC power converters connect to an AC rectifier through a DC bus. The AC rectifier connects to an AC power source having a limited power rating. The AC charging system also has a controller that controls the operation of the DC-DC power converters such that the total power draw on the AC rectifier does not exceed the power rating. The system is further configured such that the DC-DC power converters can drain selected batteries to obtain power for charging other batteries, thus allowing for batteries to be cycled.

An intelligent power distribution system including one or more intelligent power strips. The power strips can each include an elongated housing that may be adapted for mounting in an equipment rack. The housing can include a first end, a second end and plurality of power outlets mounted thereon. The first end can have a number of apertures that enable power and signal conductors to enter an interior region of the housing. The second end can include a first and a second communication port. The first communication port may be adapted to enable a computer to communicate with the power the strip. The second communication port may be adapted to enable the power the strip to be daisy chained with a second intelligent power strip. The power strip further includes power management circuitry that can power-on and power-off the power outlets in accordance with an operator defined sequence and delays. The power management circuitry can further sense electrical current drawn by the power strip and control operation of the power strip based on the sensed electrical current to minimize branch circuit breaker tripping.

Systems and methods to balance currents among a plurality of photovoltaic units connected in series. In aspect, a management unit is coupled between a photovoltaic energy production unit and a string of energy production units. The management unit has an energy storage element (e.g., a capacitor) connected to the photovoltaic energy production unit. The management unit further has a switch to selectively couple to the energy storage element and the photovoltaic energy production unit to the string. The management unit allows the current in the string to be larger than the current in the photovoltaic energy production unit.

A power control assembly for use in an integrated power control system has a base with a housing that defines a cavity adapted for receiving a power switch. The control assembly includes a control module configured for generating control signals for controlling the power switch for selectively providing power to a load. A control housing houses the control module and is adapted to be releasably coupled to the base housing and is configured for electrically coupling to control couplers on the base housing for providing the generated control signals to the power switch within the housing cavity upon coupling the control housing to the base housing.

A control system is provided for controlling a load powered by an auxiliary power source during an interruption in the utility power source and / or during a power failure. The control system of the present invention provides power to essential loads in a dwelling as predetermined by a user and / or per the user's real-time instructions as the needs of the user may change. Additionally, the control system of the present invention automatically controls non-essential loads in order to maintain the auxiliary power load below the maximum threshold. Furthermore, the control system of the present invention allows the user to manually override all the controlled loads in an emergency or when the needs of the user change. Additionally, the control system of the present invention allows outside triggers to change the priority of the loads in real-time and can automatically change the priority due to predetermined tasks already running.

A method and system for power management including local bounding of device group power consumption provides the responsiveness of local power control while meeting global system power consumption and power dissipation limits. At the system level, a global power bound is determined and divided among groups of devices in the system so that local bounds are determined that meet the global system bound. The local bounds are communicated to device controllers associated with each group of devices and the device controllers control the power management states of the associated devices in the group to meet the local bound. Thus, by action of all of the device controllers, the global bound is met. The controllers may be memory controllers and the devices memory modules, or the devices may be other devices within a processing system having associated local controllers. Alternatively or in concert, the devices may be entire processing systems and the associated controller a power management controller for associated processing systems, whereby multiple processing locales may be power-managed consistent with a global power consumption budget.

A system for optimizing utility usage is described. The system comprises a monitoring device adapted to be connected to a utility point, a utility consuming device and a central processing unit (CPU). The monitoring device is configured to regulate utility usage information of the utility consuming device and is further configured to assign a unique identifier to the monitoring device. The monitoring device comprises a measurement circuit for measuring utility usage information, wherein the measurement circuit is coupled to the utility point. The monitoring device is configured to communicate with the CPU, wherein the monitoring device is configured to transmit utility usage information of the utility consuming device to the CPU on the unique identifier and wherein the monitoring device is configured to receive utility usage information of the utility consuming device and wherein the CPU is configured to process the utility usage information based on the unique identifier.

A system for rack level power management, the system comprising: at least one power source; a management module; and a plurality of power managed modules in communication with the management module and connected to draw power from the at least one power source, each of the plurality of power managed modules comprising a power manager and an operating circuit, the operating circuit being operable at a plurality of power drawing levels responsive to the power manager, the management module being operative to allocate a power budget to each of the plurality of power managed modules and communicate the allocated power budgets to the power managers, each of the power managers being operative to control the operating circuit of the power managed module to be operable at a power drawing level within the allocated budget.

A wind turbine generator control system is provided for controlling output of a plurality of tightly-coupled windfarms connected at a point of common coupling with a power system grid. A master reactive control device employs algorithms whose technical effect is to coordinate the real power, reactive power and voltage output of the multiple windfarms. The controller incorporates a reactive power regulator that can be used to regulate reactive power, power factor or voltage at the point of common coupling and an active power regulator that can be used to regulate real power at the point of common coupling; such that each windfarm is not asked to contribute or violate its own operating capability.

A sequential burst mode regulation system to deliver power to a plurality of loads. In the exemplary embodiments, the system of the present invention generates a plurality of phased pulse width modulated signals from a single pulse width modulated signal, where each of the phased signals regulates power to a respective load. Exemplary circuitry includes a PWM signal generator, and a phase delay array that receives a PWM signal and generates a plurality of phased PWM signals which are used to regulate power to respective loads. A frequency selector circuit can be provided that sets the frequency of the PWM signal using a fixed or variable frequency reference signal.

A free-standing flow-through capacitor (FTC) is constructed by concentrically winding two electrodes and two dividers into a hollow-center roll. A liquid-feeding pipe is inserted to the central opening for delivering fluids to the FTC. Nanoparticles of hydrated iron compound with Fe3O4 as the main component or its composite powders are used as the active materials for the electrodes. With channels crated by the dividers assembled in the roll, fluids injected from the feed pipe are confined inside the FTC, and flow outwardly and transversely through the entire length of the electrodes. Under an application of a low DC voltage to the electrodes, charged species are adsorbed and removed from the treated liquids as soon as they are in contact with the electrodes. Capacitive deionization using FTC of the present invention is applicable to waste-streams reduction, water purification and desalination at low costs and easy operation.

A method for schedule-based load estimation in a system including a utility energy provider and a utility energy consumer, comprises the steps of generating a near-term proposed schedule set containing at least one near-term proposed schedule for operation of power-consuming resources; monitoring energy consumption of the consumer for providing a set of historical consumption data; providing from priorly stored data a set of historical schedule data for the consumer; providing a set of historical unscheduled factors that affect the consumer's power consumption; providing a set of unscheduled factor predictions; and performing a correlation operation on the near-term proposed schedule set, the set of historical consumption data, the set of historical schedule data, the set of historical unscheduled factors, and the set of unscheduled factor predictions, for providing a respective near-term load estimate for each near-term proposed schedule in the near-term proposed schedule set.

A fully automatic deionizer comprising five sub-systems for removing ionic contaminants from various liquids at low energy consumption is devised. Based on the charging-discharging principle of capacitors, the deionizer conducts deionization through applying a low DC voltage to its electrodes for adsorbing ions, while more than 30% of the process energy is recovered and stored by discharging the electrodes. At the mean time of discharge, surface of the electrodes is regenerated on site and reset for performing many more cycles of deionization-regeneration till the desirable purification is attained. In one moment, both deionization and regeneration proceed simultaneously on different groups of electrode modules, and in the next moment the electrode modules quickly switch the two processes. Such swift reciprocating actions are engaged in synchronized coordination of sub-systems of electrode modules, energy management, fluid flow, and automatic control.

Disclosed herein are a variety of different electrical system topologies intended to mitigate the impact of large intermittent loads on a 12 volt vehicle power distribution system. In some embodiments the intermittent load is disconnected from the remainder of the system and the voltage supplied to this load is allowed to fluctuate. In other embodiments, the voltage to critical loads is regulated independently of the voltage supplied to the remainder of the system. The different topologies described can be grouped into three categories, each corresponding to a different solution technique. One approach is to regulate the voltage to the critical loads. A second approach is to isolate the intermittent load that causes the drop in system voltage. The third approach is to use a different type of alternator that has a faster response than the conventional Lundell wound field machine.

A power controller controls the turbine of a turbine powered generating system regardless of the load on the system to maximize the efficiency of the turbine and maintains the turbine at a substantially constant temperature during a system load change by using an energy storage device to provide power to the load while the turbine is changing speed to meet the new load demand.

The invention relates generally to systems, devices and methods for the efficient use of utilities, more particularly to the distribution and provision of electricity supply at appropriate voltages, monitoring and usage by end devices, and to facilitating consumers in changing their energy usage behavior, and to adopt and easily install appropriate sustainable, energy efficient or renewable technologies. Said end devices typically including traditional electric, electronic and lighting appliances requiring AC or DC power provision or low voltage DC power via AC / DC converters.

A circuit device for providing energy to at least one electrical component, such as a light emitting diode (LED). The circuit device comprises a positive contact, an inductor, a diode and a negative contact in series. A first component contact for electrical connection to a cathode end of an electrical component, a second component contact for electrical connection to an anode end of an electrical component, a switch and a control device are also included. The first component contact is electrically connected to a junction between the positive contact and one end of the inductor; and the second component contact is electrically connected to a cathode end of the diode. There are also provided a circuit device further including an LED, an assembly including a circuit device and a bulb base, a flashlight including an assembly, and a method of directly replacing a flashlight bulb.

There is provided a power control method for secondary batteries constituting, in a grid connection system supplying electric power to a power system by combining a power generator where output power fluctuates with a power storage compensator, the power storage compensator and compensating fluctuation of output power of the power generator. The method includes the steps of: dividing the secondary batteries into a “constant power control” group and a “demand responsive” group, and distributing predetermined constant input-output power out of power to be input and output provided to all the secondary batteries in order to compensate fluctuation of output power of the power generator to the “constant power control group” and the remaining input-output power to the “demand responsive” group to control input-output power of the secondary batteries respectively depending on the belonging groups.

A variable frequency power system with a power source having a rotating output and a speed control to regulate rotational speed of the rotating output. A generator coupled to and driven by the rotating output of the power source, whereby the speed control of the power source directly controls output power frequency of the generator due to control of rotational frequency of the rotating output. A voltage regulator connected between the generator and the motor regulates output voltage from the generator to the electrical motor load. A system controller controls output power frequency of the generator. The system controller interfaces with the speed control of the power source and configured to monitor generator output and operational conditions of the electrical motor load. The system controller adjusts the speed control based on generator output and operational conditions of the electrical motor load.

Fully automated demand response may be implemented at end users, in accordance with terms agreed to by end users to reduce energy demand during demand response events. Demand reduction actions to implement the objectives of a demand response event at the end users may be determined, desirably using artificial intelligence and neural networks, based on energy demand curtailment objectives of the demand response event, hierarchy(ies) of demand reduction actions for respective demand response events ordered to minimize undesired impact at the end users, and monitoring data received from, or relating to implementing energy demand curtailment at, the end users. In addition, demand reduction actions may be automatically implemented at end users in the absence of a demand response event, to implement energy demand curtailment according to criteria of end users, where the demand reduction actions are determined based on monitoring data and a hierarchy(ies) of demand reduction actions and using artificial intelligence and neural networks.

Systems and methods for storing and releasing energy comprising directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly having an air inlet at or near its top into which inlet air is directed and an exit at or near its bottom. The air is cooled within the cold flue assembly and a portion of moisture is removed from the air within the cold flue assembly. The air is directed out the exit of the cold flue assembly and compressed. The remaining moisture is substantially removed and the carbon dioxide is removed from the air by adsorption. The air is cooled in a main heat exchanger such that it is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air, the refrigerant loop air generated by a refrigerant loop process. The substantially liquefied air is directed to a storage apparatus. The refrigerant loop air is cooled by a mechanical chiller and by a plurality of refrigerant loop air expanders. In energy release mode, working loop air warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop air such that the working loop air is substantially liquefied. A portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air for the at least one generator. The substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream. Combustion gas may be directed from the combustion chamber to at least one expander and expanded in the expander, the expanded combustion gas split into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being relatively larger than the second portion. The first portion may be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the second portion may be directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.

A power controller controls the turbine of a turbine powered generating system regardless of the load on said system to maximize the efficiency of the turbine and maintains the turbine at a substantially constant temperature during a system load change by using an energy storage device to provide power to the load while the turbine is changing speed to meet the new load demand.

A method and system for power management including local bounding of device group power consumption provides the responsiveness of local power control while meeting global system power consumption and power dissipation limits. At the system level, a global power bound is determined and divided among groups of devices in the system so that local bounds are determined that meet the global system bound. The local bounds are communicated to device controllers associated with each group of devices and the device controllers control the power management states of the associated devices in the group to meet the local bound. Thus, by action of all of the device controllers, the global bound is met. The controllers may be memory controllers and the devices memory modules, or the devices may be other devices within a processing system having associated local controllers. Alternatively or in concert, the devices may be entire processing systems and the associated controller a power management controller for associated processing systems, whereby multiple processing locales may be power-managed consistent with a global power consumption budget.

A method of balancing the voltage of DC links in a cascaded multi-level converter (CMC) semiconductor circuit, including the steps of providing a plurality of H-bridge converters per phase in the CMC circuit and utilizing a three phase duty cycle value from the main controller to determine a normalized duty cycle value, a ceiling duty cycle value and a floor duty cycle value. The normalized duty cycle value and an output current of the CMC is used to determine the direction and polarity of a capacitor current, and utilizing the capacitor current to determine a plurality of output capacitor voltages. A voltage summation result and direction is obtained from a ceiling index pointer and a floor index pointer and the voltage summation result, direction from the ceiling index pointer and a floor index pointer are used to create a combined switching table for the H-bridge converters. A pulse width modulator is utilized to balance the voltage of the DC links and thereby eliminate DC-capacitor voltage imbalance.

In a wireless power supply system, a power transmitting apparatus wirelessly supplies power to an assigned power receiving apparatus. The wireless power supply system includes an assigning unit that assigns the power receiving apparatus to the power transmitting apparatus, and a determining unit that, when the assigning unit assigns a particular power receiving apparatus to a plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, determines a power supply schedule such that the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously.