Device and method for controlling the power supply of equipment
The control device addresses the issue of unintended power outages by switching to low-power sources for backup, ensuring continuous equipment operation and network connectivity while safeguarding personnel and equipment during high-power failures.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2024004501
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing electrical systems disconnect low-power power sources from high-power sources during high-power network failures, leading to unintended power outages and disrupting essential equipment operation, particularly in communication networks, without ensuring safe and continuous power supply.
A control device that integrates with the electrical network to automatically switch to a low-power source for equipment power supply, ensuring continuity and safety by maintaining power below specific thresholds, and includes communication interfaces for backup power distribution.
Ensures continuous operation of critical equipment by providing low-power backup, maintaining network connectivity, and protecting personnel and equipment from damage during high-power outages.
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Device and method for controlling the power supply of equipment technical field
[0001] This disclosure falls within the domain of power supply for a local area network. More specifically, it aims to ensure continuity of low-power power supply when a high-power supply, also called "mains," provided for example by an electricity network operator, fails. Previous technique
[0002] Increasingly, a dwelling, or more broadly a site such as a business, is supplied with electrical energy from several sources. Historically, such a site has been supplied by a so-called high-power source. This electrical supply is, for example, provided by a public electricity supplier through a contract established between the site manager and the public supplier. Thus, depending on the size of the site and its electrical energy needs, a power supply contract will be established with the electricity provider. For example, a contract might stipulate a power supply of 6 kVA (kilovolt-amperes) for a small site, up to several tens of kVA for the largest sites.
[0003] In addition to this high-power power supply, a lower-power power supply is increasingly being implemented by sites to supplement the high-power supply and, in particular, to reduce the costs associated with the high-power power supply contract. For example, the site deploys solar panels to provide supplementary power to the high-power supply. This supplementary, or low-power, power supply is, for example, provided to the site by solar panels via an inverter, which is responsible for delivering alternating current to the site and regulating the power supply provided by the solar panels.Depending on the capacity of the low-power electricity source, the share of self-consumption in overall consumption, indicating the degree of autonomy of the site in terms of electricity supply, is more or less significant.
[0004] The low-power electrical source is used in conjunction with the high-power electrical source. This coupling between the two electrical sources is carried out in accordance with the VDE standard (Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker in German) and also with the NF C15-100 standard in France, which certifies conformity. of a product meeting European Union safety and quality standards in the electrical and electronics sectors. This standard mandates the addition of a VDE box that handles the automatic disconnection between a photovoltaic installation (i.e., the low-power supply) and the public grid (the high-power supply). Thus, if a problem occurs on the high-power grid, this standard stipulates that the inverter disconnects the low-power network from the high-power network, notably to protect personnel who may need to intervene to resolve the problem on the high-power network or to prevent any risk of overheating of the site's power supply. A problem on the high-power network could be due to an overload on the site's electrical grid, intervention by a technician on the site's network, a storm, or a failure of an electrical device.Thus, regardless of the availability of the low-power network to provide electricity, it is disconnected from the high-power network, and consequently, the site experiences a power outage.
[0005] However, a malfunction on the high power network may be due to a problem on the high power electrical network, therefore not endangering the site's electrical network, nor the people within the site.
[0006] The present invention aims to resolve all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks. Summary of the invention
[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to remedy all or part of the limitations of prior art solutions, in particular those described above, by proposing a solution that allows for the automatic deployment of a virtualized function requiring an associated software function, for example for accelerating a flow or data, adapted to the virtualized function.
[0008] To this end, a control device is proposed, configured to trigger a power supply to equipment on a local electrical network, said control device being connected to a first high-power power supply and to a low-power electronic device to which a second low-power power supply is also connected, the control device comprising a processor coupled to a memory in which program instructions are stored for execution by the processor to: - Obtain information indicating a disruption in the local electrical grid power supply from the first high-power power source. - Trigger the power supply to the local electrical network equipment using only the low power power supply source following the acquisition of the information.
[0009] The control device integrated into the electrical installation of a site (residence, business, shop, etc.) is useful for ensuring a power supply to one or more pieces of equipment, including one or more computer devices on a local electrical network (home, business), in the event of an unavailability of a high-power power supply, such as a public power grid. The device thus makes the equipment available, such as, for example, access equipment for the site's communication network, when a high-power power outage occurs. The resilience of the local communication network must also be taken into account during such a power outage.The device thus offers an extension to the currently implemented VDE standard, which aims to interrupt the low-power electrical supply via the secondary power source by intervening on the low-power electrical device in the event of a failure of the primary high-power power supply. The control device therefore ensures the continued operation of one or more pieces of equipment on the site from the secondary low-power power source by maintaining a power supply. This guarantees the continuity of one or more services supported by the equipment, and in particular, connectivity to a service provider's network for the site's IT network, if the backup equipment is a local area network access device, such as a router or mobile terminal.
[0010] According to one aspect of the invention, the control device is characterized by triggering the power supply of the equipment being controlled so that the power supply of the equipment is below a first power threshold.
[0011] Loss of connectivity to the primary high-power power supply can be caused by various events, including an incident on the local electrical grid. It is therefore useful to be able to control the power supplied to the equipment, keeping it, for example, below the sensitivity threshold of a residual current device (RCD) on the site's electrical network, while still allowing power to be supplied to the backup equipment. For example, the control device can provide a 220-volt supply with a current of 0.25 amps, corresponding to a power of approximately fifty watts, which is below the sensitivity threshold of a standard RCD. This protects personnel while ensuring continuity of power to the equipment. The equipment's power consumption can be controlled according to a power or current value corresponding to a rated voltage. This threshold value must also be adjusted to allow the equipment to be powered.
[0012] According to another aspect, the control device further includes a communication interface with a radio signal relay device, said communication interface being used to supply electrical energy to the relay device following the obtaining of the information.
[0013] The power supply to computer equipment can be accompanied by the power supply to a radio signal relay device, such as a Wi-Fi repeater. This feature is relevant for site occupants but also potentially for people and equipment outside the site. Indeed, the interruption of the primary high-power electrical source can be caused by a weather event (storm, wind, flood, etc.) which may also have caused degradation of communication networks around the site, such as one or more antennas of a mobile communication network. The backup power provided by the relay device can thus allow people responding to the incident or, more generally, to the unavailability of the high-power electrical network to have access to means of communication via the relay device.Thus, by providing electrical backup to the relay device and possibly equipment such as a box or access gateway, the electrical backup from the second low-power electrical source not only ensures electrical continuity but also network connectivity continuity for equipment and occupants on the site or located near the site where the local electrical network is deployed.
[0014] According to an alternative to the previous aspect, the electrical power supply to the relay device is controlled to be below a second power threshold.
[0015] It is necessary to manage the residual power as effectively as possible following the interruption of the site's electrical grid supply by the primary high-power electrical energy source. The backup system and the equipment being protected must be powered in such a way as to ensure a sustained power supply while protecting people and equipment on the site. Depending on the backup system, transmitting a current to limit the power to between 15 and 30 watts could achieve this objective. These figures are given as examples, as they may vary depending on factors such as the secondary low-power electrical source, for example, the number and capacity of photovoltaic panels, and the backup system and equipment, particularly computer equipment, to be powered.
[0016] According to another aspect, the processor of the control device is further adapted to check the ability of the control device or the low power electrical device to supply the electrical supply to the equipment prior to triggering.
[0017] The control device can, for example, activate or deactivate the option to provide backup power in the event of a failure of the primary high-power supply. Thus, depending on a subscription, a time period, or even a configuration of the control device, it may or may not be able to supply power to the equipment in the event of a power outage from the primary high-power supply. The capacity verification may also include verifying that the residual power of the control device, particularly if it is co-located with the low-power supply, and / or the high-power supply, is indeed sufficient to power the equipment, and also whether it can also power the backup device.
[0018] According to another aspect, the control device is characterized by a metering of the electrical consumption which is implemented when the electrical supply to the equipment is triggered from the second low power electrical source.
[0019] The power supply to the equipment following the tripping corresponds to a decarbonized power supply, and it is relevant to carry out a metering of the power consumption, corresponding to a duration, a power volume, and a schedule, during the period when the second, low-power power supply is supplying the equipment. This metering can be carried out in conjunction with the equipment, particularly if the equipment is a computer device, and can be used to adjust the billing related to the power supply from the first, high-power power supply or to calculate the carbon footprint of an electrical network.
[0020] According to another aspect, the control device is characterized by the triggering of the power supply including the transmission to the low power electrical device of an instruction to disconnect said low power electrical device from said high power power supply network.
[0021] The interruption of the local power supply by the first high-power power source is possibly caused by a problem in the transmission and / or interpretation of information received by the control device. The safety of personnel and electrical equipment on the site can be improved by forcing the disconnection of the low-power electrical device from the high-power power source. This action also allows for to control the effective disconnection and ensure that a disturbance of the high power electricity source does not cause damage to the control device or equipment or even to the control device.
[0022] According to another aspect, the control device is characterized by the triggering of the power supply of the equipment being run in accordance with a message previously received by the control device indicating a power supply preference in the event of a power outage of the local electrical network by the first high-power power supply source.
[0023] The device can advantageously trigger the power supply from the second low-power power source only, in accordance with a message instructing it to do so. This message could, for example, be transmitted by an administration platform of the operator in charge of the high-power electrical grid, or even by the operator of the solar panel, or even by the operator in charge of the equipment, particularly if it is computer equipment such as an Internet access device, which could, for example, be a telecommunications operator or the site administrator. The message can be transmitted when an incident causing a high-power power outage occurs, or independently of when the incident occurs, for example, during a configuration of the control device.
[0024] According to another aspect, the processor of the control device is further adapted to receive prior to triggering a triggering instruction including a power value for the electrical supply of the equipment.
[0025] The control device is not always suitable for determining a sufficient power value to supply the equipment and / or a maximum power value to protect people and equipment on the site. It is therefore appropriate to trigger the power supply via the control device and to inform the control device of a power value to be supplied to the equipment. This value may depend on the equipment and / or the type of electrical network on the site and / or the incident that caused the high-power power outage, or even on the capacity of the control device.
[0026] According to another aspect, the processor of the control device is further adapted to restore the power supply to the equipment from the first high-power power supply source upon receiving a message informing the device of a restoration of the availability of said first high-power power supply source.
[0027] It is advantageous to be able to restore the nominal configuration once the incident that caused the high-power power supply interruption is resolved or completed. The reception of a message, for example issued by a management platform of the high-power electricity network operator, is used to restore the power supply by the first high-power electricity source, this restoration being able to be carried out by transmitting a reconnection message from the low-power electrical device to the first high-power electricity supply source.
[0028] According to another aspect, the control device is characterized by the triggering carried out via a manual activator of the equipment's power supply using only the second low-power power supply source.
[0029] It is advantageous for the control device to be able to be activated by a person, particularly if that person notices a loss of high-power electrical supply due to a phenomenon detectable by them, whether this phenomenon is already present or likely to occur. In this case, the person can react or preventively activate the manual activator to isolate the site's electrical network from the first high-power electrical source. The manual activator, such as a push button, can be coupled with a residual current device (RCD) to further ensure protection of the devices and people during manual activation.
[0030] The different characteristics of the control device that have just been described can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other.
[0031] The invention also relates to a control method, implemented in a device configured to trigger a power supply to equipment on a local electrical network, said device being connected to a first high-power power supply and to a low-power electronic device to which a second low-power power supply is also connected, the method comprising: - Obtain information indicating a disruption in the local electrical network power supply from the first high-power power supply source (Alim), - Trigger the power supply to the equipment using only the low power power source following the acquisition of the information.
[0032] The control method which has just been described can be implemented in different embodiments conforming to the different characteristics of the control device described above.
[0033] The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising a set of program code instructions which, when executed by at at least one processor, configure said at least one processor to implement the control process according to any of the implementation methods of this disclosure.
[0034] The invention also relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a set of program code instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, configure said at least one processor to implement a control method according to any one of the embodiments of this disclosure. Brief description of the drawings
[0035] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the figures which represent: - [Fig. 1] [Fig. 1]: a schematic representation of an electrical network comprising a control device according to an embodiment of the invention, - [Fig.2] [Fig.2]: a diagram illustrating the main steps of a control process according to a first embodiment, - [Fig.3] [Fig.3]: a representation of a control device according to an example.
[0036] In these figures, identical reference numerals from one figure to another designate identical or analogous elements. For clarity, the elements shown are not to scale unless otherwise stated. Description of the implementation methods
[0037] More generally, it should be noted that the implementation and realization methods considered above have been described as non-limiting examples, and that other variants are therefore conceivable.
[0038] In the following description, an example of a simplified electrical network is presented, showing the components and devices necessary for implementing the control method. The electrical network can be supplemented with other devices and components without altering the method.
[0039] Reference is made first to [Fig.1] which describes a schematic representation of an electrical network comprising a control device according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0040] A local electrical network Res is supplied by a first high-power energy source Alim W. For example, this high-power energy source is an electrical network belonging to an electricity supplier, this electrical network being composed of a transmission part and a distribution part. Typically, the network Res is supplied by a high-power electrical supply source Alim offering The power supply ranges from 3 kVA to 21 kVA, depending on the needs of the electrical grid (Res) and, in particular, the number of devices on the Res grid powered by the supply (Alim). The Res grid is supplied by the Alim source via an electricity meter (Cpt) which measures the amount of electrical energy consumed by the various devices on the Res grid. The operator in charge of the Alim energy source can then bill the Res grid operator for the amount of energy consumed over a given period using the data recorded in the Cpt meter. The Alim energy source transmits power (W) to the Res grid via the Cpt meter.
[0041] The electrical network Res further includes an electrical circuit breaker Brk, which can be separate or co-located with the meter Cpt. The circuit breaker Brk has several roles as explained below: - The Brk circuit breaker allows for automatic power cut-off in the event of a short circuit or overvoltage in the Res network - It allows manual disconnection of the power supply to the Res network via the Alim source - it also allows the power consumption to be limited to a power value, such as that subscribed by the network manager Res with the energy source operator Alim.
[0042] The electrical network Res is also supplied by a low-power alternating current (AC) source, also known as a second low-power power supply. In this example, this low-power energy is supplied by one or more solar panels Pann providing a power p. Alternatively, this power p could be produced by a wind turbine or a combination of solar panels and a wind turbine. The power p is fed into the network via an inverter Ondul, which regulates the electrical current transmitted to the electrical network Res and converts the direct current from the panel Pann into alternating current for the AP and Box equipment. Depending on the house's electrical network configuration, the various electrical devices of a network Res can be supplied with the power W and / or p respectively delivered by the power supply Alim and the panel Pann.Thus, in the Res network of [Fig. 1], the Box and the AP can be powered by the Pann panel. The TV and Heating equipment are connected to sub-circuits Div 1 and Div 2 respectively, representing a specific circuit associated with certain equipment. For simplicity, the TV is on sub-circuit Div 1 and the Heating is on sub-circuit Div 2, these sub-circuits Div 1 and Div 2 being established from the Brk circuit breaker. [Fig. 1] shows an example of a configuration, and the various electrical equipment in the Res network can be powered by the p power supply or not, as long as they are indeed compatible with it. to operate with such a power p. According to another example, all electrical equipment is possibly powered by the powers W and p.
[0043] According to the example in [Fig. 1], the inverter Ondul of the Pann panel and the Alim power supply feed the electrical network Res, and in particular the Wi-Fi access point AP and the Box, via the control device Disp, while the television Tv and the heating device Chauff are powered exclusively by the Alim power supply. The control device DISP can, for example, correspond to a VDE box which also implements a control method as described below, or it can be a device separate from a VDE box.
[0044] According to the prior art, the AP and Box equipment of the Res network can only be supplied with electrical power by the Pann panel via the Ondul inverter if the Res network is also supplied with electrical power by Alim. Indeed, again according to the prior art, if the Brk circuit breaker isolates the Res network from the Alim source or if the Alim source no longer supplies power W, then the inverter stops the supply of low-power electrical power p by the Pann panel, primarily to protect people who may be working on the Res network during the interruption of the electrical power supply by the Alim power supply, as well as to protect the AP and Box equipment.This interruption of the low power supply p in the event of an interruption of the supply of a high power supply W by Alim is specifically specified in the VDE standard, describing the technical constraints to be respected in such electrical network configurations.
[0045] An improvement over the prior art consists in the electrical network Res also including a control device Disp connected to the low-power electronic device, also called an inverter Ondul, and consequently to the high-power electrical network Alim and the low-power electrical network of the panel Pann. In one example, the control device is integrated into the inverter Ondul. The assembly consisting of the low-power electronic device Ondul and the control device Disp, or even the Div SOS button, is designated VDE+ in [Fig. 1] and the remainder of the description of the embodiments. The SOS button, whether connected to or integrated into the control device Disp, acts as a manual activator, allowing the low-power supply p to be triggered, for example, after the person activating the SOS button has ensured that no physical or material damage will occur during activation.The SOS button, for example, can be integrated into the control device or deployed on a mobile phone communicating with the control device.
[0046] Thus, when the Res network is no longer supplied by the high-power electrical source Alim, either due to a malfunction of the electrical network Alim or because the circuit breaker Brk has isolated the electrical network from the electrical source Alim, the Disp device receives information indicating the loss of electrical power from the electrical power source Alim. This information may be obtained by the Brk device, or the meter Cpt, or even a network management entity of the Alim source, transmitting a power outage information to the Disp device. As another example, the Ondul inverter may detect the power outage from the high-power source Alim and inform the Disp device, or the Disp device may be equipped with means for detecting a power outage from the Res network to the Alim network.
[0047] Following the acquisition of this information, the Disp device activates the power supply to the Box equipment from the single low-power energy source, here represented by the Pann panel. Given that the low-power energy source p cannot supply all the Box and AP equipment, or even other backup equipment if applicable, due to insufficient power capacity, the device activates the power supply to only the Box, thus enabling users to access communication services, including potentially backup communication services if necessary. The Box could be an Internet access gateway or a mobile phone, for example.
[0048] The choice of equipment to be powered in the Res network can be made based on the power p delivered by the Ondul inverter, as a low power output may not be sufficient to power equipment requiring high power, such as the Chauff equipment if it were connected to a branch network backed up by the Pann panel. In another example, the equipment to be powered is pre-configured in the Disp control device, or in a service platform linked to the Disp device, or in a VDE+ entity database, and includes information on the equipment to be powered in case the Alim source is unavailable. The power supply can then be supplemented by a communication protocol identifying the equipment to be powered with the low-power supply, particularly if the equipment is a communicating IT device such as a router or a mobile terminal.
[0049] One objective of the described embodiment being to provide electrical power to equipment while preserving the health of persons and the integrity of the equipment on the Res network, the power supply to the backup equipment can be triggered to fall below a power threshold value enabling the operation, at least minimally, of equipment such as computer equipment without risk of injury to persons and without risk of damage to the equipment of the Res network. Thus, according to an example, on command of the control device, the inverter can provide a supply of 220 volts and 0.25 amp corresponding to a power of about fifty watts to the equipment.
[0050] Thus, contrary to prior art disclosures, in the event of a power outage of the Res network due to the high-power supply Alim, reduced power can be supplied so that equipment, and in particular computer equipment, can continue to be powered. In the case where the equipment is a residential access gateway, also referred to as the Box in [Fig. 1], it will nevertheless be able to provide Internet connectivity to users, thus offering continuity of service and access to communication services in the event of a high-power outage.
[0051] According to an alternative, when the equipment is powered by the low-power supply Pann via the inverter Ondul, the equipment's power consumption is measured during the period when the equipment is powered solely by the low-power supply Pann. The measurement is advantageously supplemented by information indicating that the power W delivered by the supply Alim was unavailable and did not supply the network Res for said measurement. In one embodiment, the measurement is performed by the equipment, or alternatively by the inverter Ondul or the control device Disp. In the latter case, a restoration of the high-power supply Alim indicates, for example, a termination of the power supply by the low-power source Pann alone. In yet another example, the measurement is collected by an SI platform interfaced with the equipment as shown in [Fig.[l], particularly if the equipment is a communicating IT device. This platform can thus obtain the consumption data of the equipment such as the Box. This consumption information can be used to indicate the rate of use of an alternative energy source Pann compared to a combined high-power and low-power supply p, or even compared to a supply solely powered by the Alim.
[0052] Reference is then made to [Fig. 2], which presents a diagram illustrating the main steps of a control process according to a first embodiment. [Fig. 2] shows the devices and equipment presented in [Fig. 1].
[0053] During step E10, the control device Disp receives information indicating a power supply interruption to the network equipment Res from the high-power power supply source. Several types of information and situations, some of which are described in [Fig. 2], can characterize the acquisition of this information. Thus, according to a first alternative, identified as ElOa in [Fig. 2], the device Disp is informed during step ElOa by the system The system informs the high-power electrical network operator that the power supply is interrupted or will be interrupted, possibly specifying the duration of the interruption. This can occur, for example, when a technician is working on the high-power electrical network. It can also occur in the event of an unexpected incident on the high-power electrical network, in which case the information obtained by the Disp device is unforeseen and unexpected. According to another alternative, during an ElOb step, the circuit breaker Brk transmits a tripping signal from the Res network to the high-power electrical network Alim, for example, following a storm or, more generally, an electrical overload affecting the circuit breaker Brk. The failure of electrical equipment within the Res electrical network of a home or business can also lead to the circuit breaker cutting off the high-power supply and transmitting a signal to the Disp device. Obtaining this signal can also correspond to the detection of a power outage from the Res network to the high-power electrical network; this signal can be obtained by a low-power electronic device, such as an inverter Ondul. This signal is transmitted to the Disp device during an ElOc step. The ElOa, ElOb, and ElOc steps therefore represent alternatives to the signal acquisition step identified by step E10.
[0054] During an optional step E20, the Disp device evaluates its own capacity, or the capacity of the inverter Ondul, or more generally of the VDE+ entity, to supply power to one or more pieces of equipment on the electrical network Res. This evaluation may include various complementary or alternative criteria. The control Disp device can evaluate the information obtained during step E10 and, depending on the type of information that caused the high-power power outage, the device can decide whether or not to supply power to certain equipment. Thus, if the outage is due to work on the high-power electrical network Alim, powering the internal electrical network Res will be safe for a person working outside. As another example, time slots or power supply periods can be programmed for supplying power to the network Res from the source Pann via the VDE+ entity.Thus, daytime slots can be activated, particularly due to the potential charging by the solar panel Pann. The Disp device can also verify that the load on the VDE+ entity's inverter Ondul is sufficient and that the power source Pann is available to provide low-power supply as an alternative to the failing high-power power source Alim.
[0055] In the favorable case where the inverter Ondul has the capacity to provide a low power supply and the panel Pann is available, or in the absence of step E20, the device Disp triggers during step E30 The power supply for IT equipment enables the power supply to one or more devices on the Res electrical network, thanks to the energy transmitted by the Pann panel via the Ondul inverter. The choice of equipment to be powered can be determined structurally or dynamically, for example, by forcing high-power equipment into standby mode. Thus, the Res electrical network design includes specific segments or sub-segments that are powered or not by the Pann source via the VDE+ entity, and in particular via the Disp device, during a high-power power outage. If, for example, the router and other IT equipment such as the Wi-Fi access point (AP) need to be powered by the Pann panel, they will be connected to a specific segment or sub-segment, referred to as the "backup" segment of the Res electrical network.The various network equipment and devices can thus be connected to the Res network via a segment according to their priority level for being powered by the Pann panel via the Ondul inverter in the event of a power outage. Alternatively, since the inverter generates low power, it cannot power equipment such as the heating system, and only certain electrical equipment on the Res network, such as the internet box, for which the supplied power is sufficient, can be powered. In another example, the power command includes information identifying the equipment to be powered when the backup power from the Pann panel is activated. The power command can also advantageously include a power threshold value that must not be exceeded to power the equipment.Thus, for example, to power the Box, a threshold value of 50 watts will be indicated as the threshold, this power allowing not to consume too many electrical resources, to power the Box while ensuring the safety of equipment and people on the electrical network Res. .
[0056] In accordance with step E30, the computer equipment "Box," which can also be a mobile phone or smartphone offering, for example, tethering, is powered by the low-power power source Pann, represented by the photovoltaic panel Pann, via the inverter Ondul. The panel Pann, through the VDE+ entity, composed of the Ondul equipment and the Disp device, therefore powers the Box equipment during step E30, possibly in accordance with the maximum power threshold level limited by the Disp device. This power supply thus allows people present in the location supplied by the Res network to benefit from communication services, and in particular Internet communications, during an interruption of the high-power supply Alim. As an example, the Box or the mobile phone can be powered by a USB-C port.For example, the USB-C port may be present on the Disp device and power the Box and / or the mobile phone with a . power p. Reference can be made to AFNOR standards for power supply via USB port. The USB-C connection can thus be used to power equipment from the low-power supply provided by the device.
[0057] Step E30 can be triggered manually, for example via the SOS button described in [Fig. 1]. The person activating the power supply to the Box equipment from the low-power source Pann alone is notified, for example, by a message, such as an SMS, indicating the interruption of the high-power supply Alim and possibly that the low-power supply Pann can be activated without safety issues. The network equipment Res to be powered from the Pann panel can then also be manually selected.
[0058] Step E30 can, for example, be conditional upon the receipt of an information message during step E25. This message could originate, for instance, from the information system of the operator providing the internet connection to the Box equipment, or from a management platform of the operator responsible for the high-power supply (Alim). This message received during step E25 might indicate, for example, a preference regarding which network equipment (Res) should be supplied with power in the event of a high-power power outage. This step E25 can also occur before step E10, which corresponds to receiving information about a power outage from the high-power supply (Alim).This could be a configuration set during the initialization of the Disp device or during an update of this configuration, or information configured by the electrical network manager Res of the home or business in a database not shown in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2]. The message received during step E25 may also include a power value that must not be exceeded to power the equipment to be electrically supplied; this power value is, for example, designed to prevent physical or material damage while ensuring sufficient electrical power for a sufficiently long period, depending in particular on the capabilities of the Pann panel.
[0059] The E30 step of triggering the power supply of the Box equipment may be accompanied during an E35 step by sending an instruction to disconnect the low power electrical device, or inverter, from the high power supply Alim, in particular to avoid an untimely reconnection of this high power supply which could cause damage and thus control the restoration of this high power supply.
[0060] During an optional step E40, the Disp device or the Box initializes a counter counting down the time the Box is powered by the low-power electrical supply network Pann, this counting information being advantageously transmitted to a SIGest management platform during this E40 step.
[0061] In an optional step E50, the Disp device also communicates with a radio access point AP, another piece of equipment in the Res network, to supply it with power from the Pann panel, via the VDE+ entity. The benefit of providing backup power to the radio access point AP is to ensure connectivity to terminals located within range of the AP's radio waves. This power supply to the AP from the low-power Pann supply is particularly useful when a failure of the high-power Alim supply impacts an area or a set of infrastructures. Thus, powering the AP makes it possible to provide connectivity to people who no longer have internet access, or even to emergency services.This power supply to the access point (AP), particularly when the AP is Wi-Fi enabled and connected to the router (which is also powered by the Pann panel), provides a connection to any compatible device. The power supply can also be combined with enabling or configuring roaming capabilities for the AP, allowing any device with roaming enabled to access communication services.In the event of a storm or other climatic events that jeopardize the Alim power supply and the communication infrastructure within a geographical area where the Res network is located, this power supply to the access point (AP) can prove useful for repairing the high-power Alim power supply and for providing assistance to people impacted by the event that led to the interruption of the power supply from the Alim source.
[0062] According to one example, the power delivered to the access point (AP) is limited to remain below a threshold that allows the AP to be activated while limiting energy consumption and protecting people and equipment on the Res network. The power delivered to the AP, and possibly to other IT equipment such as the Box, thus preserves the electrical power supply capacity of the Res network from the Pann panel. The maximum power value for the AP may differ from the maximum power value for the Box.
[0063] During step E60, the Disp device receives information from the high-power electrical network operator Alim informing it that the high-power supply has been restored. Upon receiving this information, the device restores the power supply to the various network equipment Res from this high-power electrical source Alim during step E70. in addition to the low power electrical source Pann in accordance with the nominal operation prior to the power cut by the Alim source.
[0064] Reference is then made to [Fig. 3], which shows the architecture of a Disp device adapted to implement the control method in an electrical network, according to a particular embodiment. The Disp device is, for example, integrated into the Ondul inverter shown in [Fig. 1].
[0065] The Disp device includes a data processing module comprising a storage space 301, for example a memory (MEM), a processing unit 302, equipped for example with a microprocessor (PROC), and controlled by a computer program (PGR) 303 whose instructions are configured to implement the control method as described above in relation to [Fig.2].
[0066] At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program 303 are, for example, loaded into memory 301 before being executed by the processor of the processing unit 302. The microprocessor of the processing unit 302 implements, according to the instructions of the computer program 303, the steps of the control process described above with reference to [Fig.2].
[0067] To this end, in addition to the memory 301 and the processor 302, the device includes communication means 304, enabling it to exchange messages with other devices. These communication means are, for example, an Ethernet, WiFi, 3G, 4G, 5G network interface, etc. The communication means 304 allow the device Disp, in particular, to exchange data with the inverter Ondul and the electrical equipment of the network Res. These communication means also allow communication with a radio signal relay device such as the access point AP described in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2].
[0068] The Disp device includes an OBT 305 acquisition module configured to obtain information indicating a power outage in the local electrical network from the first high-power power supply source. This information can be obtained from the Ondul inverter, the Brk circuit breaker, or the first high-power power supply source, Alim.
[0069] The Disp device further includes a DECL 306 triggering module configured to trigger the power supply of equipment on the power grid using only the low power supply source Pann following the obtaining of information by the OBT 305 obtaining module.
Claims
Demands
1. Control device (Disp), configured to trigger a power supply to a piece of equipment (Box) on a local electrical network (Res), said control device being connected to a first high-power power supply source (Alim) and to a low-power electronic device (Ondul) to which is connected a second low-power power supply source (Pann), the control device (Disp) comprising a processor (PROC 302) coupled to a memory (MEM 301) in which are stored program instructions (PGR 303) intended to be executed by the processor to: - Obtain (E10) information indicating a break in the power supply to the local electrical network (Res) by the first high-power power supply source (Alim),- Trigger (E30) the power supply to the equipment (Box) from the local electrical network (Res) using only the low power supply source (Pann) following receipt of the information.
2. Control device according to claim 1, wherein the triggering of the power supply to the equipment is controlled so that the power supply to the equipment is below a first power threshold.
3. Control device, according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a communication interface with a radio signal relay device (AP), said communication interface being used to supply electrical power to the relay device (AP) following the obtaining of the information.
4. Control device according to claim 3, wherein the electrical power supply to the relay device (AP) is controlled to be below a second power threshold.
5. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is further adapted to verify (E20) the ability of the control device (Disp) or the low power electronic device (Ondul) to supply power to the equipment prior to tripping.
6. A control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a meter for electricity consumption is put into operation (E40) when the equipment's power supply is triggered from the second low-power power source.
7. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the power supply triggering includes the transmission (E35) to the low power electrical device (Ondul) of an instruction to disconnect said low power electrical device (Ondul) from said high power power supply network (Alim).
8. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the triggering of the power supply to the equipment is carried out in accordance with a message previously received (E25) by the control device indicating a power supply preference in the event of a failure of the power supply from the local electrical network by the first high-power power supply source.
9. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is further adapted to receive prior to triggering a trigger command including a power value for the power supply of the equipment.
10. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is further adapted to restore (E70) the power supply to the equipment by the first high-power power supply source upon receipt (E60) of a message informing the device of a restoration of the availability of said first high-power power supply source.
11. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the triggering of the power supply of the equipment using only the second low power power supply source is carried out via a manual activator (Div SOS).
12. A control method, implemented in a device configured to trigger a power supply to equipment on a local area network, said device being connected to a first high-power power supply and to a low-power electronic device to which is also connected a
13.
14. second low-power electrical power source, the process comprising: - Obtain (E10) information indicating a break in the local power supply (Res) from the first high power power supply source (Alim), - Trigger (E30) the power supply to the equipment (Box) using only the low power power supply source (Pann) following the obtaining of the information. Product program comprising program code instructions for implementing a control method according to claim 12 when executed by a processor. Recording medium readable by a control device on which the program according to claim 13 is recorded.
Citation Information
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