GB2489432A

GB2489432A - Energy-saving voltage reduction adapter

Info

Publication number: GB2489432A
Application number: GB1105090.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sargon Moshi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-28
Filing date: 2011-03-28
Publication date: 2012-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-28
Also published as: GB2489432B; GB201105090D0

Abstract

An electric energy saving device sits between the electricity supply point, such as the wall electric socket, or the connection box, and a domestic electric appliance. It contains an electronic circuit to slightly reduce the voltage supplied to the appliance, which will then reduce the amount of electric power consumed by the electric appliance, and thus save energy. The device may be a mobile adapter or may be fixed internally or externally to the appliance. The electronic circuit may be a TRIAC phase control.

Description

Title: The Green Adapter Background: This invention relates to an electric energy saving device.

We are all expected to play an active role in saving electrical energy, not only to reduce our bills but more importantly to reduce the impact of the harmful gasses on the environment.

There are many products available in the market promising electric energy saving, such as the energy saving lamps, and the standby killing devices which switches the electronic equipments like TVs, audio equipments. .etc, from stand-by status to off status, and some other different devices.

Generally, it is encouraged to use any energy saving device, but many of the ones available in the market, are low rated in the term of their overall operating efficiency, and the amount of energy they save.

For example, the amount of energy saved by the stand-by devices is in the scale of nearly 1 Watt per apparatus plugged into it. If these devices are effective for 16 hours a day, it will take nearly two months, just to save 1 KWh (kilowatt-hour) which is I energy unit, per apparatus.

Considering the energy unit price being on average around 15 Pence for each KWh (kilowatt hour), means, they will need to be active for 1000 hours to achieve saving of only one KWh unit which will save 15 Pence, which will save less than £1 a year.

This makes them become economically profitable after about 20 years, for an average of their price of £20, which in turn puts their overall efficiency in question, if we consider the resources used to manufacture and recycle them.

The energy saving lamps are more efficient than the above example, however this is true as long as they are used in the right way, but it is technically proven that they should be turned on and off with an interval of not less than 15-20 minutes to achieve energy saving, otherwise the power these lamps use every time they are turned on is so high, that it makes them less energy efficient, and also reduces their lifespan, bearing in mind it is costly to manufacture and recycle them.

The facts above promote the need to find more energy saving devices and methods with higher saving rates. Hence The Green Adaptor.

Household appliances, in particular those which create heat by using electric heating elements, such as electric kettles, electric deep fryers, electric heaters, electric boilers, ovens.. etc, are the highest power consuming apparatus in the household. Their power is in the range of 1200 to 2500 watt, (where other domestic appliances such as fridges, freezers, and kitchen food processors, electronic equipment, such as TVs, PCs, and stereos are mostly less than 25OWatt).

The Green Adaptor targets mainly those domestic high power consuming appliances to reduce the power and energy they consume.

Statement of invention:

This invention is an electric device, sits between the electricity supply point, such as the wall electric socket, or connection box, and some domestic electric appliances. It contains electronic circuit fitted inside it, to save electric energy by reducing the amount of electric power consumed by these electric appliances.

Advantages: Beside the advantage of saving electric energy, this device also extends the lifespan of these appliances by shifting them from working near the maximum of their extent, with regards to the supplied voltage and the electric current flowing through, to a safer operating level, with less supplied voltage and less electric current.

Drawings: The invention is described by referring to the following figures: Figurel shows the electronic circuit used in the device to achieve the required function.

Figure 2 shows an Image of a sample of how a mobile type (in claim 1 below) of this invention may look like.

Figure 3 shows a drawing of a sample of how an internal module (in claim 2 below) of this invention may look like. The physical size could be in the range of several centimetres in length and width.

Detailed description:

In an electrical appliance, the consumed electrical power (F), is the product of the supplied voltage (V), and the electric current (I) flowing through the appliance.

The mathematical formula is as following: P=VI 1 The above formula shows the amount of the electrical power consumed is directly proportional to both the supplied voltage and the electric current.

Also considering "Ohm's law", the formula of the relation between the voltage supplied to a circuit, the electric current flowing through the circuit (or appliance) and the resistance of the electric circuit, we have: V=IR 2 This shows clearly that the electric current (I) is directly proportional to the voltage (V), for a certain value of R (i.e for a certain apparatus).

From above, we conclude that reducing the voltage will decrease the current as shown in equation 2, and they both, the voltage and the current, reduce the power as shown in equation 1, The Green Adapter works on this principle, it uses electronic circuit (as the one shown in fig 2), fitted inside the adapter, to reduce the supplied voltage, which will decrease the electric current, and thus, reduce the consumed power, and save energy.

The Green Adapter sits between the electricity supply point, like the wall socket (as the sample in fig 1), and the appliance. It takes in the supply voltage from the supply point, chop a small part off, and deliver the rest to the appliance plugged into (or connected to) it.

A typical Thyristor circuit is used inside The Green Adapter, as the one in figure 2. It uses Triac to reduce the voltage supplied to the appliances.

The circuit is not a new invention, and is similar to those found in some motor speed controllers, or light dimmers, with some differences. However the design is slightly modified and the components in the circuit used for this invention are chose to achieve the required function for this novel application. The Thyristor used in the circuit should be attached to a suitable heat sink to protect the Thyristor from overheating. The final exact shape and physical dimensions and the IF rating (Ingress protection rating) of this device may be set by the manufacturer at the design and production stage, considering the norms and standards.

To maintain sound performance of an appliance, this reduction in the supplied voltage must not go below a certain point. The components chose in the circuit used in the Green Adapter consider this requirement.

Approximately, this device makes the apparatus which consumes for examplel 800 watt, to consume only around 1500 watt, which mean, we reduce nearly 15-20% of the power consumed by the apparatus. The percentage difference in the amount of the saved power comes from the fact that the value of the supplied voltage (the mains), varies slightly from an area to another. It is in average between 230 and 240 volts in the UK.

Considering the fact that we mean by the term "energy" ; the electric power consumed within a certain amount of time, and the standard unit used to measure the electric energy to be KWh (Kilowatt hour), means, to save energy, we will need to consider both factors, the power and the time.

The Green Adapter saves, as mentioned above, nearly 15-20% of the consumed power, however reducing the power might result in some applications an increase in the time required to achieve the task. For example, to heat a certain amount of water to the boiling point (in an electrical kettle), or to heat the electric oven to a certain temperature, which means, the apparatus will need to run for relatively longer time to produce the same amount of heat, compare with the time when working without using The Green Adapter.

This might lead to think that in these cases, the amount of the power we gain might be spent in the additional time required to achieve these certain tasks, However, the practical fact is that despite slightly longer operating time, the overall energy used will still be less by the amount of 8-10%.

As The Green Adapter contains electronic circuits, it is not suitable to use the mobile version on electronic equipments or those containing electronic control circuits, such as TVs, PCs, electronic controlled washing machines, as this might interfere with the functions of their internal circuit.

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Claims

Claims: 1. An electric energy saving device, in a form of mobile adapter, containing electronic circuit, to be plugged into the wall electric Socket, to slightly reduce the voltage supplied from the wall socket, and deliver the reduced voltage to the appliances plugged into it, to reduce the power consumed by these appliances, and thus save energy.
2. An electric energy saving device, in a form of a externally fixed module, containing a similar electronic circuit as in the device in claim 1, to be connected between fixed apparatus such as the storage heaters, the electric boilers, under sink water heater, electric showers, or any similar appliances, and the wall junction box feeding the electricity to these appliances, to reduce the power consumed by these appliances, and thus save energy.
3. An electric energy saving device, in a form of an internally fixed module, with a similar electronic circuit as the one in the device used in claimi, to be fitted internally, during manufacturing, or may also be added later on, and to be connected to the heater element inside some electric appliances, such as washing machines, dish washers, driers, and similar appliances, to reduce the power consumed by these appliances, and thus save energy.