Low-Voltage Appliance Power Control for Program Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing energy supply to domestic appliances with multiple internal consumers from low voltage networks, such as those powered by photovoltaic or wind energy, fail to protect against incomplete program termination due to temporary overloads or fluctuations in energy supply, particularly when the voltage drops below a certain threshold.
Innovation Solution
A method where the energy requirements of each internal consumer are assessed and managed to stagger their supply and reactivation based on their energy profile, ensuring that processing programs can continue without interruption by temporarily switching off consumers as needed, and only starting programs when sufficient energy is available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all internal consumers are switched off when voltage drops below threshold, then the battery is protected against deep discharge, but processing programs may be interrupted and consumers cannot complete their operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the consumer group into multiple subgroups with different priorities. Critical consumers that must complete their processing programs are kept operational, while non-critical consumers are switched off during low voltage conditions. This segmentation allows the system to protect the battery while ensuring program completion for essential functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device determines in advance which consumers are critical for processing program completion and which can be temporarily switched off. This preliminary classification enables the system to make informed decisions about consumer management during low voltage conditions, preventing program interruptions while protecting battery charge.
2Productivity
If consumers are switched back on immediately after voltage recovery, then operational pauses are minimized, but the battery may be recharged insufficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the voltage threshold for switching consumers back on, based on the state of charge and recharging progress. Instead of using a fixed threshold, the control device modulates the reactivation voltage adaptively, allowing consumers to be restored progressively as the battery recovers, balancing operational continuity with adequate recharging.
3Device complexity
If a single voltage threshold is used for switching off and on, then control is simplified, but it cannot accommodate different consumer types with different energy requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides consumers into multiple priority groups based on their energy requirements and criticality for program completion. Each segment has its own switching characteristics, allowing the control device to manage different consumer types appropriately while maintaining overall system simplicity through automated classification.
Solution Approach 2:
Different voltage thresholds and switching strategies are applied locally to different consumer segments based on their specific energy requirements. Critical consumers receive preferential treatment with higher reactivation thresholds, while non-critical consumers are managed with lower thresholds, optimizing both battery protection and program completion for each consumer type.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for supplying internal consumers in a domestic appliance from a low voltage supply network, for example a photovoltaic power station or wind power station, includes classifying the internal consumers commensurate with a stored energy requirement of each internal consumer and supplying the internal consumers with energy commensurate with the classification. This protects against low voltage and excessive electric loads and against partial interruption of a treatment program for items when the low voltage supply is interrupted due to a temporary overload. The energy supply of the internal consumers is switched off in stages depending on their energy requirement and on their classification, when the energy available from the low voltage supply network is insufficient for supplying all internal consumers, and is switched back on again in stages, when the energy available from the low voltage supply network is once again sufficient for supplying all internal consumers.