Outlet Units Detect Individual Power Consumption via PLC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wattmeters only calculate the total power used by electric appliances and electronic products in homes or offices, failing to separately detect power consumption by individual devices, and do not effectively detect electric leakage, which can lead to inefficiencies and potential safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A power amount detecting device and method that utilize multiple outlet units with PLC communication to individually monitor and transmit power usage data to a server, which integrates and displays the total power usage, detects electric leakage by comparing overall and individual power consumption, and triggers an alarm if a significant discrepancy is found.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single wattmeter is used to calculate total power consumption, then the overall power usage can be monitored, but the power consumption of individual appliances cannot be separately detected
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the power detection function into multiple independent outlet units, each equipped with its own power detection component. Each outlet unit independently detects power consumption of connected appliances and communicates with a server, enabling separate monitoring of individual device consumption while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single centralized detection point to a multi-dimensional detection network distributed across multiple outlets. By adding the spatial dimension of multiple detection points and incorporating communication functionality, the system achieves both individual appliance monitoring and total power consumption tracking simultaneously
2Loss of information
If multiple outlet units with communication functions are deployed to detect individual appliance power, then separate power consumption data can be obtained, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each outlet unit is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a power detection device and a communication node. The outlet units collectively provide comprehensive power consumption information for individual appliances while the server integrates this data to also provide overall power consumption monitoring, achieving universal monitoring coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the detection functions of multiple outlet units with the central server's integration capabilities. Individual outlet units detect and transmit power consumption data, while the server combines this information to provide both individual appliance monitoring and total power consumption tracking, achieving comprehensive monitoring without requiring completely separate systems
3Reliability
If the wattmeter only calculates total power, then the device remains simple, but electric leakage cannot be effectively detected
Solution Approach 1:
The server receives power consumption data from multiple outlet units and provides feedback by comparing the sum of individual appliance power consumption with the total power consumption. When discrepancies exceed a threshold, the system identifies potential electric leakage and triggers alarms, enabling reliable leakage detection through data feedback and comparison
Solution Approach 2:
The system collects more power consumption data than traditionally needed by monitoring individual appliance consumption in addition to total consumption. This excessive data collection enables the server to perform comparative analysis for electric leakage detection, trading increased measurement complexity for improved safety and reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a power amount detection device respectively detecting power dissipated by each of various kinds of electric products and electronic gadgets of using commercial AC power, in which a plurality of outlet units confirms information of a load performing a communication with loads at the initial stage power is supplied through an outlet, integrates accumulating power amount used by a corresponding load, transmits electric amount and information of a corresponding load integrated at a unit time interval, and while inspecting entire power amount supplied to a plurality of outlet units, a server receives electric amount and information of a corresponding load transmitted by the plurality of outlet units to integratingly store electric amount for each load, and based on a signal of a key input part a server selects a load, and displays power amount of a selected load on a display part.