Mobile Construction Cabinet Smart Metering and Authentication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile construction site control cabinets lack the ability to accurately bill electricity usage by trade, leading to inefficiencies and costs due to shared metering and lack of user authentication, resulting in unclear assignment of electrical overloads.
Innovation Solution
A mobile construction site control cabinet with remote-operable switches and smart meters that allow for user authentication and authorization, enabling individual energy measurement and billing through a back-end server and mobile application, ensuring transparent billing and electrical safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single electricity meter is installed in the construction site electrical panel to record all construction electricity, then billing to the client or general contractor is enabled, but transparent billing by trade based on energy consumption of each trade is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single electricity metering system into multiple smart meters, each assigned to specific connection boxes or circuits. This segmentation enables separate measurement of energy consumption for different trades and equipment, transforming the undifferentiated total consumption into traceable, trade-specific data without creating a completely new system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary between the smart meters and the billing system. This control unit collects data from multiple smart meters, processes the information, and enables centralized management and billing calculations. The control unit acts as a mediator that coordinates the segmented metering data back into a unified billing framework.
2Reliability
If the control cabinet is secured with a padlock to prevent unauthorized access, then security is improved, but many tradespeople connect their equipment to a distribution box outside the construction site cabinet leading to power consumption becoming too high and fuses tripping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements authentication and authorization systems that enable tradespeople to independently access and connect equipment without requiring physical cabinet opening or manual intervention. The system automatically monitors power consumption and can disconnect unauthorized or excessive loads, allowing users to serve themselves while maintaining system integrity and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical padlock security system with an electronic authentication and authorization system. Instead of physically preventing access, the system uses digital credentials to control and monitor equipment connections and power distribution, enabling both security and convenient access control.
3Reliability
If manual intervention is necessary when fuses trip due to overload, then electrical safety is maintained, but costs cannot be attributed to the responsible party
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of power consumption by each user or trade through smart meters and control units. The system provides real-time feedback on energy usage and can automatically detect when overloads occur. This feedback mechanism identifies which specific user or trade caused the overload, enabling automatic disconnection and accurate cost attribution without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that monitors power consumption data from smart meters and automatically responds to overload conditions. Instead of requiring manual fuse replacement, the control unit can automatically disconnect the responsible party's power supply, maintaining safety while capturing information about who caused the overload for billing purposes.
4Loss of information
If remote reading capability is added to smart meters via communication modules, then transparent billing is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into the smart meters, combining energy measurement, data storage, and communication capabilities in a single device. The meters serve both as measurement instruments and as networked data sources, eliminating the need for separate reading devices or manual data collection processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the smart meter, communication module, and data processing capabilities into an integrated system. The control unit consolidates data from multiple meters and manages communication with the billing system, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying the overall architecture despite adding remote reading functionality.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Mobile construction site switchgear cabinet comprising a housing, at least two electrical connection boxes arranged in the housing, a switch arranged in the housing and assigned to at least one of the connection boxes, and at least one meter assigned to at least one of the switches, wherein an electrical connection point within the housing is electrically connectable to the connection boxes at least via the meter and the switch. A transparent accounting of the electricity used is possible by virtue of the fact that a control device arranged in the housing is configured to close at least one of the switches depending on an authentication and in the process to detect an initial meter reading of the meter assigned to the closed switch.