Smart Circuit Breaker Control for Ghost Power Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart circuit breakers fail to provide accurate and efficient management of ghost power consumption, which contributes significantly to residential, commercial, and industrial electricity usage and costs, as they lack the ability to identify and control devices in ghost power mode effectively.
Innovation Solution
A smart circuit breaker system that monitors power usage, determines ghost power mode through threshold comparisons, and performs events such as closing the circuit breaker to manage ghost power, using data from sensors and web-scraping to calculate costs and provide user interfaces for device management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional standby modes and low power modes are used, then ghost power consumption is reduced, but the reduction is not material and comprehensive management is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The smart circuit breaker continuously monitors power consumption of connected devices and provides real-time feedback about ghost power usage. The system compares actual power draw against expected operational patterns and notifies users when devices are consuming power in standby mode, enabling informed energy management decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically identifies devices operating in ghost power mode and can autonomously interrupt power supply to these devices. The smart circuit breaker performs self-diagnosis of power consumption patterns and executes corrective actions without requiring continuous user intervention, while still allowing user override when needed.
2Loss of energy
If devices are unplugged when not in use, then ghost power consumption is eliminated, but convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The smart circuit breaker acts as an intermediary between the user and devices. Instead of requiring users to physically unplug devices, the system provides automated monitoring and control through the circuit breaker, which can interrupt power to ghost-power-consuming devices while allowing users to maintain convenience through remote or automated management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages device power states without requiring user action. The smart circuit breaker independently identifies when devices are in standby mode and can automatically interrupt power supply, eliminating the need for users to remember to unplug devices while still providing the energy savings.
3Measurement precision
If smart circuit breakers monitor all device power usage, then accurate ghost power identification is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart circuit breaker performs multiple functions within a single device: it provides standard circuit protection, monitors power consumption of all connected devices, identifies ghost power usage patterns, and executes power interruption commands. This multi-functionality achieves accurate ghost power detection without requiring separate specialized devices for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for power management via smart circuit breaker devices based on ghost power modes are described. In one example, a computer-implemented method may include, monitoring power usage of a device detected by a smart circuit breaker to be electrically coupled to a circuit breaker of the smart circuit breaker, accessing a ghost power profile of the device, the ghost power profile comprising ghost power information including a ghost power threshold indicating that the device is operating in ghost power mode, determining that the device is operating in the ghost power mode based on a comparison of the power usage with the ghost power threshold, and performing a ghost power event responsive to determining that the device is operating in the ghost power mode. A ghost power event may include closing a circuit breaker or calculating ghost power costs.