Grouped Appliance Power Control via State Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power control systems fail to effectively save electric power without impairing the amenity of using electric appliances, as they do not control the appliances themselves, leading to inefficient power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A power control system that groups electric appliances and uses a power control device to manage their operations based on state information and control options, including human presence detection, to optimize power usage without compromising comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the power consumption is merely cut down by adjusting appliance settings, then electric power is saved, but the amenity felt by dwellers may be impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments electric appliances into multiple groups based on their functions and operational characteristics. Each group can be controlled independently with different control options, allowing selective power management that preserves amenity for essential appliances while reducing consumption for others. This segmentation enables nuanced power control rather than blanket adjustments that would compromise comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The control options for each appliance group are made dynamic and adjustable based on real-time state information from detectors (human presence, temperature, humidity sensors). The system continuously adapts control parameters to balance power consumption with current environmental conditions and user needs, preventing amenity impairment while achieving energy savings.
2Use of energy by moving object
If electric appliances are controlled individually, then precise power management is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges control of multiple individual appliances into grouped control units. Each group represents a logical aggregation of appliances with similar functions or characteristics, allowing the controller to manage them collectively through unified control options. This merging reduces the computational and control overhead compared to managing each appliance separately, while still enabling precise power management at the group level.
3Loss of energy
If cooling and heating appliances are controlled separately, then individual appliance performance is optimized, but overall power consumption cannot be reduced efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring state information from detectors (temperature sensors, human presence detectors) and adjusting control options for cooling and heating appliances accordingly. When both types of appliances are operated, the system uses feedback to coordinate their operation, preventing energy waste from conflicting operations while maintaining optimal heating/cooling performance through adaptive control adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A power control system is provided with a plurality of electric appliances and a power control apparatus that controls the operation of the plurality of electric devices. The plurality of electric devices are grouped into one or a plurality of groups, each group containing a plurality of electric devices, and on the basis of state information of the electric devices, the power control apparatus controls the operation of each electric device by group according to a plurality of sets of control contents prepared ahead of time.