Factory Power Leveling via Process Timing Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power consumption management methods in factories fail to adequately address peak power leveling and effective control of standby power, as they lack sufficient information on process sequencing and timing.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of the PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) method to analyze and optimize process timing, allowing for the leveling of power consumption and facilitation of standby power control by rearranging processes to minimize variance in power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional power consumption management methods are used to monitor and analyze load status individually for lines and processes, then power consumption of specific lines can be analyzed, but information on process sequencing and timing correlations is insufficient, making it impossible to effectively level peak power at the facility level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges power consumption monitoring with production management information systems to integrate electrical data with process sequencing data. This combination allows simultaneous analysis of power consumption patterns and production schedules, enabling facility-level peak power leveling while maintaining individual line analysis capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the time dimension to power consumption analysis by incorporating production schedules and process sequencing information. This transforms the analysis from static individual line monitoring to dynamic facility-wide temporal analysis, enabling identification of peak power periods and optimization opportunities.
2Reliability
If standby power is continuously supplied to ensure equipment readiness, then equipment can respond immediately to production demands, but standby power accounts for non-negligible percentage of total power consumption without clear control timing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic standby power control based on production schedules and process sequencing. Equipment power states are dynamically adjusted according to when they are actually needed in the production sequence, rather than maintaining continuous standby power. This allows optimization of equipment readiness timing to match actual production demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses production scheduling information to determine preliminary power-up timing for equipment. Instead of keeping equipment in continuous standby, the system pre-positions equipment in ready states only when production schedules indicate they will be needed soon, based on process sequencing analysis.
3Power
If processes are rearranged to level power consumption, then peak power can be reduced and standby power control facilitated, but process sequencing constraints must be maintained to ensure production requirements are met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback loops that continuously monitor actual power consumption against scheduled power profiles. When deviations are detected, the system adjusts process sequencing and equipment power states in real-time to return to the optimal power consumption pattern, while maintaining production schedule constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes power consumption by changing operational parameters such as equipment start/stop times, power states, and process sequencing within the constraints of production requirements. This allows power leveling without fundamentally altering production capabilities or timelines.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a power consumption control system and method that clarify the timing for carrying out each of a plurality of processes and thereby facilitate standby power control and the leveling of power consumption. To this end, PERT analysis is performed on the basis of process information that relates to a production line, process flexibility analysis is performed on the basis of the PERT analysis, process arrangement combinations and the total number of process arrangement combinations are determined on the basis of the process flexibility analysis, distributions of the total number of process arrangement combinations are determined for the process arrangement combinations, the process arrangement combination having the smallest distribution is selected from among the distributions, the processes are rearranged, and the progression of the processes is controlled on the basis of the rearranged processes.