Smart Utility Box Grid Disconnection for Load Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack a widespread solution for accurately identifying and warning about downed power lines, which can be hazardous, and for providing subscribers with information to adjust their electric load based on market prices, leading to unnecessary utility and responder interventions and prolonged system restoration.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising digital assistants communicating with powerline sensors and smart utility boxes that monitor weather and natural disasters, and a cloud-based AI system to alert users of emergency events and allow for automatic load reduction based on predefined electric market rate thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If utilities respond to all downed lines as live electrical carriers, then safety is ensured, but response time and system restoration speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and physical testing of downed power lines with automated optical sensing systems. Sensors mounted on utility vehicles or drones detect the presence of power lines using optical recognition, automatically determining whether a downed line is electrical or non-electrical without requiring utility workers to physically approach or test the line, thus maintaining safety while dramatically reducing response time
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables downed power lines to effectively identify themselves through automated detection. The optical sensors automatically recognize and classify downed lines based on visual characteristics, eliminating the need for utility workers to perform manual assessment. This self-identifying capability allows rapid triage of incidents, directing resources only to genuine electrical hazards and accelerating overall system restoration
2Ease of operation
If subscribers manually monitor and adjust electric load based on market prices, then billing control is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback loops where smart meters continuously monitor both electric market prices and subscriber consumption patterns. The system automatically adjusts load management strategies based on real-time price signals and historical usage data, eliminating the need for subscribers to manually monitor prices or make complex decisions. The feedback mechanism learns from patterns and autonomously optimizes billing control
Solution Approach 2:
The smart utility box serves multiple functions: it acts as a smart meter, load management controller, backup power coordinator, and communication hub. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional device, the system reduces overall complexity while providing comprehensive billing control and load management capabilities without requiring separate systems for each function
3Productivity
If smart utility boxes automatically disconnect during high prices, then billing optimization is improved, but reliability of power supply deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements backup power systems that are pre-configured and ready to activate when the smart utility box disconnects from the grid during high-price periods. These backup systems (such as battery storage or generator systems) provide a cushion that ensures continuous power supply to critical loads, eliminating the reliability concern associated with automatic disconnection during expensive billing periods
Data Source
AI summary
A system for localized subscriber control of electric provider billing comprising: a digital assistant in communication with powerline sensors, the powerline sensors configured to detect weather, natural disaster, or other event that compromises the electric grid in a given predetermined region, a smart utility box in operational communication with a subscriber's utility connection and in communication with the digital assistant, wherein the smart utility box is configured to disconnect from a utility and stop incurring charges from the utility if the smart utility box determines that utility prices may exceed a threshold value. A system of reCAPTCHA comprising: a series of images showing ice on a powerline, or ice on a powerline, fire on or near a powerline, or other condition that can lead to failure of a powerline; and a screen to allow users to select the image showing ice on a powerline, or ice on a powerline, fire on or near a powerline, or other condition that can lead to failure of a powerline which will assist a power system AI deep learning. A power transmission line monitor comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, where the medium includes a set of instructions stored thereon that when accessed by a processor enable the processor to perform a method of geolocation awareness for a digital assistant, the method comprising: configuring the power transmission line monitor to be in communication with a network; configuring the power transmission line monitor to be in communication with a remote server via the network; configuring the power transmission line monitor to be in communication with a cloud computing system via the remote server; configuring the power transmission line monitor to be in communication with the internet such that the present cost of electricity for a given user defined geographical service area is obtained, and the current cost of electric service in the predefined geographical location reported, preferably using bluetooth, email, or a digital assistant located in a residence or a business via the cloud computing system; monitoring temperature, icing of the powerline, electric current in a power transmission line, and three-axis shock above a threshold level, transmitting the temperature, icing condition, electric current, and three-axis shock information to the remote server.