Proactive Power Distribution Control via Cable Capacity Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home energy management systems are informed after power switching decisions have been made by nodes, lacking proactive control over power distribution based on available cable power capacity and load requirements.
Innovation Solution
A device that receives requesting signals from gates controlling power loads via cables, analyzes these signals in relation to available cable power capacity, and generates instructing signals to manage power distribution proactively, using an analyzer and generator to decide when and how power is switched, incorporating load information and predictive capabilities for auxiliary and main sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If nodes make power switching decisions autonomously based on rules, then local control speed is improved, but system-wide power capacity coordination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device implements feedback by receiving requesting signals from gates, analyzing them against available cable power capacity, and sending instructing signals back to gates. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that local autonomous decisions are coordinated with system-wide power capacity, resolving the contradiction between fast local control and reliable system-wide coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary action by proactively analyzing power requests and determining power allocation before actual power switching occurs. The analyzer evaluates requests against available cable power capacity in advance, and the generator prepares instructing signals beforehand, ensuring that power switching decisions are made with full knowledge of system capacity constraints, thus maintaining both speed and coordination reliability.
2Reliability
If the device proactively controls power switching before decisions are made, then system-wide power capacity coordination is improved, but response time complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary analysis of power requests against available cable power capacity before actual power switching occurs. By evaluating requests in advance and preparing instructing signals beforehand, the system ensures coordinated power allocation while minimizing the time penalty through efficient pre-processing rather than complex real-time calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The device serves itself by autonomously analyzing power requests, determining appropriate power allocation, and generating control instructions without requiring complex external coordination. This self-service capability streamlines the control process, reducing response time complexity while maintaining reliable system-wide power capacity coordination.
3Productivity
If power allocation is optimized based on available cable power capacity, then power distribution efficiency is improved, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a receiver for obtaining power requests from gates, an analyzer for evaluating requests against available cable power capacity, and a generator for creating control instructions. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function efficiently, optimizing power distribution while keeping the overall system complexity manageable through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices (1) for controlling gates (21-24) arranged to control amounts of power to be supplied to loads (51-54) via cables (2) may comprise receivers (11) for receiving requesting signals from the gates (21-24), analyzers (12) for analyzing requests defined by the requesting signals in view of available cable power capacities, generators (13) for in response to analysis results generating instructions for the gates (21-24) and transmitters for transmitting instructing signals defining the instructions to the gates (21-24). The analyzers (12) may analyze the requests in view of load-information comprising steady-state-information/transient-state-information. The devices (1) may comprise communicators (15) for communication with auxiliary converters (31-33) coupled to auxiliary sources (41-43) such as batteries (41) and solar panels (42, 43) and may comprise predictors (16) for predicting the available cable power capacities. The improved devices (1) are no longer informed afterwards by the gates (21-24) but are informed beforehand by the gates (21-24) and control these gates (21-24) in response to the analysis results.