Power Management Arbiter for Print Fleet Sequencing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High production printers require significant power during warming up, leading to peak electric current demands that can exceed maximum rated currents when multiple printers are turned on simultaneously, resulting in high operating costs and the risk of blown fuses, with existing solutions relying on sub-optimal non-overlapping start-up schedules based on worst-case scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A power management arbiter system that determines the optimal power-on sequence for printers using historical and actual physical data, including sensor measurements and web service data, to predict and manage power consumption, allowing for fine-grained control over the power-up of functional modules and distributing electric current efficiently across multiple printers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple printers are powered on simultaneously to ensure all printers are operational at the start of production, then productivity is improved, but the peak electric current demand increases and may exceed maximum rated current
Solution Approach 1:
The power management arbiter system performs preliminary analysis of power consumption requirements for each printer before authorizing power-on. It calculates the cumulative power demand and sequences the power-on events in advance to ensure all printers are operational by the required time while distributing peak current demands across different time slots.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the power-on sequence based on real-time power consumption data and actual physical parameters measured during warming up. It optimizes the timing of each printer's power-on event to minimize peak current while ensuring all printers are ready by the deadline, adapting to variations in warming-up behavior.
2Power
If printers are powered on in a non-overlapping sequence to reduce peak current demand, then power consumption is reduced, but the total power-up time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows partial overlap of power-on sequences for different printers based on their individual power consumption profiles. By analyzing actual warming-up behavior and power consumption patterns, it authorizes concurrent power-on for printers whose power demands do not cumulatively exceed the maximum rated current, thus reducing total power-up time while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing parameters of power-on events dynamically based on measured physical parameters during warming up. It adjusts the start time and duration of each printer's power-on sequence to optimize the balance between peak current reduction and total power-up time, deviating from fixed non-overlapping schedules.
3Reliability
If a fixed worst-case warming-up time is used for all printers, then reliability is improved by preventing fuse overload, but the loss of time increases due to sub-optimal power-on behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring actual physical parameters (temperature, power consumption) during the warming-up phase of each printer. This real-time data is fed back to the power management arbiter, which uses it to adjust and optimize the power-on sequencing for subsequent printers, replacing fixed worst-case assumptions with data-driven dynamic scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
Each printer reports its own warming-up status and power consumption characteristics to the arbiter system. The system uses this self-reported data from individual printers to make intelligent decisions about sequencing, allowing each printer to contribute information about its own behavior to optimize the overall fleet power-on strategy.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A power management arbiter system and a method for managing a power up of a print fleet system. The print fleet system comprises a plurality of printers. Each printer of the plurality of printers comprises at least one engine, a power button, a power controller and a bi-directional communication interface with the power management arbiter system. The power management arbiter system is configured to determine which engines are allowed to power up, and, if allowed, at which point in time. The determination of which engines are allowed to power up, and, if allowed, at which point in time, takes into account current physical data of the print fleet system and the environment of the print fleet system and historical data stored in the printers of the print fleet system or in storage of the power management arbiter system or provided by a web service system. The historical data comprise timings of previous power ups of the printers in the print fleet system.