Energy Consumption Management via Product Routing Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods and systems fail to effectively optimize energy consumption down to individual manufacturing entities within manufacturing processes, neglecting energy as a critical factor in total cost of ownership calculations and manufacturing planning.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that uses power metering devices to collect and analyze data streams on energy consumption, simulating and determining optimized product routing across manufacturing entities to minimize overall energy usage, and adjusting the manufacturing process through a control system based on these calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If energy consumption monitoring is implemented at high granularity down to single equipment level, then energy cost factor in manufacturing planning is improved, but device complexity and measurement difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments energy monitoring into hierarchical levels: individual manufacturing entities (machines, devices) are monitored separately by power meters, then aggregated to production lines, and finally to the entire manufacturing facility. This segmentation allows high-granularity monitoring at equipment level while managing system complexity through modular organization of monitoring points and data processing stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate aggregation layers between individual equipment and central management systems. Power meters at equipment level feed data to line-level aggregators, which then feed facility-level systems. These intermediaries process and summarize data locally, reducing the complexity burden on both individual measurement points and central management systems.
2Productivity
If energy consumption data collection and analysis system is implemented, then energy optimization capability is improved, but device complexity and initial investment worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is designed to serve multiple functions: real-time energy consumption tracking, production efficiency analysis, cost calculation, and optimization recommendation. By making the system universal and multi-functional, the patent justifies the initial complexity investment through diverse operational benefits, including energy cost allocation to products, identification of optimization opportunities, and support for manufacturing planning decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where energy consumption data is collected, analyzed against production output, and used to generate optimization recommendations that are fed back to operational decisions. This feedback mechanism transforms the initial system complexity into ongoing value by continuously improving energy efficiency and providing actionable insights for manufacturing planning.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for optimizing energy efficiency in a manufacturing process includes monitoring power consumption of each of a plurality of manufacturing entities of the manufacturing process using a power metering device assigned thereto; collecting, from the power metering devices, a first data stream that includes information about the power consumption; collecting a second data stream that includes information about the manufacturing entity and process; determining an optimized product routing of products to be manufactured by the manufacturing process from one manufacturing entity to another manufacturing entity, based on the collected first and second data streams, by simulating different product routings and determining the optimal product routing with respect to the overall energy consumption of the manufacturing process; and adjusting, via a manufacturing control system, the manufacturing process based on the optimized product routing.