Appliance Cycle Control for Peak-Demand Energy Cost Decisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy management solutions for home appliances do not effectively minimize energy costs by interrupting appliance cycles during peak energy demand, as suspending a cycle can be less energy-efficient and more costly than completing it, especially for high-energy activities like heating water in dishwashers.
Innovation Solution
A method and appliance system that determines a recovery cost for interrupting a cycle versus a continued operation cost for completing it without interruption, using energy usage reduction requests and cost data to decide whether to interrupt the cycle, with a controller executing this decision based on communication with an external network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the appliance interrupts the cycle of operation during peak energy demand, then energy cost is reduced, but the recovery cost (energy cost of interrupting and completing the cycle later) may exceed the savings
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of the appliance by comparing recovery cost (interrupting and resuming cycle) versus continued operation cost, and dynamically adjusts the cycle state based on energy cost data and demand signals received from the utility provider
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by receiving energy cost data and demand signals from the utility provider, calculating recovery costs based on current cycle state, and using this information to make intelligent decisions about whether to interrupt or continue the appliance cycle
2Reliability
If the appliance continues operation without interruption, then cycle completion efficiency is maintained, but energy cost increases during peak demand periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the appliance operation based on real-time energy cost data and demand signals, transitioning between continuous operation and interrupted/resumed operation modes depending on the economic and technical conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling an appliance with respect to the appliance's energy usage, in which a signal relating to the energy used by the appliance is received, and a determination of whether to continue or interrupt a cycle of operation being conducted by the appliance is made based at least on part upon the receipt of the signal.