Load Prioritization Control for Battery-Backed Building Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy management systems fail to automatically prioritize and manage electrical loads during blackouts or energy disruptions, leading to inefficiencies and strain on battery backup systems, and do not integrate effectively with alternative power sources like solar panels or wind turbines.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system that uses a controller to prioritize and manage electrical loads based on user-defined or AI-learned preferences, disconnecting or reconnecting loads to meet energy goals, and integrates with alternative power sources to balance energy distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery backup systems are designed to provide power for an entire building, then the system capacity must be increased, but the cost and complexity of the system increase proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the building into multiple zones or circuits, each with its own battery backup capability. Instead of one large battery system, multiple smaller battery units serve different areas, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining full building coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical control structure with multiple levels of power management. Local controllers manage individual circuits or appliances, while a central controller coordinates overall power distribution, adding a dimensional layer to the power management architecture that simplifies individual components.
2Power
If the battery discharge rate is increased to meet sudden load requirements, then the power output capability improves, but the battery lifespan and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging of the battery during periods of low demand or excess renewable generation. By charging the battery in advance during off-peak hours or when solar/wind production is high, the system prepares energy reserves without requiring high discharge rates during actual power needs, thus protecting battery lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces power electronics interfaces and control circuits as intermediaries between the battery and electrical loads. These intermediaries manage the charging and discharging processes, optimizing battery operation and preventing conditions that would reduce battery lifespan while still meeting power demands.
3Ease of operation
If manual disconnection of appliances is required during blackouts, then the user has control over power usage, but the convenience and ease of operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables appliances and loads to automatically manage their own power consumption based on predefined priorities and real-time power availability. Each controlled load has assigned priority levels, and the system automatically disconnects or connects loads based on power conditions without requiring user intervention, making the system self-managing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of battery charge levels, power consumption, and system status with automatic feedback control. The controller receives real-time data from sensors and meters, processes this information, and automatically adjusts load connections accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that responds dynamically to changing conditions.
4Measurement precision
If smart meters provide detailed power consumption information, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the most relevant power consumption data for battery management decisions, rather than processing all available smart meter data. The controller focuses on aggregate power consumption, peak demand periods, and load priority information, filtering out unnecessary detailed data to reduce processing complexity while maintaining adequate measurement precision for power management.
Data Source
AI summary
The energy management system and method provide for the control of electrical loads within a group. In one embodiment, a plurality of electrical loads are connected to an electrical grid and, upon detection of a predetermined condition, a user-defined sub-set of the electrical loads are disconnected from the electrical grid. The predetermined condition may be, for example, a blackout, thus when an interruption in power from the grid is detected by one or more sensors, the user-defined sub-set of the electrical loads is electrically disconnected from its electrical connection to the grid power. Following this disconnection, at least one of the electrical loads from the user-defined sub-set of the electrical loads is connected to an alternative source of power, such as a backup battery, a solar power system, a generator or the like.