GB2591979A

GB2591979A - A consumer unit

Info

Publication number: GB2591979A
Application number: GB1917089.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neilsen Jordan
Original assignee: Energy & Electrical Solutions Ltd
Current assignee: Energy & Electrical Solutions Ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-22
Filing date: 2019-11-22
Publication date: 2021-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-22
Also published as: GB201917089D0; GB2591979B

Abstract

A consumer unit comprises a casing that houses a voltage optimiser 4. The consumer unit may include a rail 7, such as a DIN rail, for mechanically supporting one or more protection devices and a main isolation switch, and a screen 8 that shields other electrical components within the consumer unit from magnetic radiation emanating from the voltage optimiser.

Description

A Consumer Unit In the United Kingdom (UK) mains electricity is supplied at a nominal voltage of 230V +10% whereas in many other EU countries mains electricity is supplied at a nominal voltage of 230V 6%. In practice the nominal supply voltage is 242V in the 5 UK and 220V in many other EU countries As standards testing of electrical equipment is carried out at 230V± 6% there is a small possibility that some electrical equipment may be unsafe at supply voltages commonly found in the UK Because the Continental European market is far larger than the UK market, electrical appliances are predominantly designed to operate most efficiently at 220V. Consequently electrical appliances that are 'A' rated for efficiency, may only achieve that rating when laboratory tested at 220V and be significantly less efficient when operated at 242V. Further, operating an electrical appliance at a voltage higher than it is optimised for (overvoltage) often reduces its lifespan.

A solution to these problems is to install a voltage optimisation system, commonly known as a voltage optimiser, into the mains electrical supply. The voltage optimiser is adapted to provide a controlled voltage reduction to nearer 220V for electrical equipment powered through the supply. Some voltage optimisers provide a fixed voltage adjustment whereas others provide dynamically regulation to account for changes in the input voltage. -2 -

The use of voltage optimisation provides a solution to the above and additionally provides an energy saving.

Voltage optimisers have been installed in domestic dwelling for this purpose in the United Kingdom since at least 2004 though the use of voltage optimiser in commercial premises predate this significantly.

Voltage optimisers products for use with domestic dwellings are housed in an exterior case having one or more outer dimensions that are comparable with modern consumer units (fuse boxes) The voltage optim ser 11 generally be installed where the main power feed enters the building and so are usually installed nearby the consumer unit.

Retrofitting a voltage optimiser to an existing domestic power supply is frequently problematic as there is often little or no room available to install the voltage optimiser unit.

Additionally, the existing consumer unit is often installed over the location through which the main feed passes into the building so that the feed can pass into the consumer unit through its back panel. Where so, it is necessary either to reposition the consumer unit or extend the feeds out of the consumer unit to the voltage optimiser.

The present invention was designed with the aim of ameliorating the above problem.

According to the invention there is provided a consumer unit housing a voltage optimiser. -3 -

By housing the voltage optimiser within the consumer unit it is not necessary to provide the voltage optimiser with its own external housing, significantly reducing the combined size of the consumer unit and voltage optimiser compared with existing arrangements.

S

The consumer unit may house one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers with the voltage optimiser positioned behind the one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers.

The consumer unit may house a rail for supporting one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers; and in which the voltage optimiser is housed behind the rail.

By positioning the voltage optimiser behind the rail and/or the one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers, in other words between the rail and/or the one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers and a rear panel of the consumer unit, the width and height of the consumer unit, and thus the wall space it occupies, can be kept to a minimum Although this arrangement results in a case of greater depth, i.e. the dimension extending perpendicularly away from the wall to which it is supported this is not usually a problem.

This arrangement also means that the voltage optimiser does not obstruct user access to the rail and/or one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers from the front of the consumer unit, i.e. the side that the fuses/circuit breakers are accessed by a user.

The consumer unit typically comprises a case having a front, rear and side panels that define there between the interior of the consumer unit within which the voltage -4 -optimiser, and where present, rail and one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers are housed. When the consumer unit is installed, the interior space is accessible from the front of the casing, e.g. by virtue of the front side being detachable from the remainder of the casing or open able in some other way such as being hinged to the remainder of the casing.

One or more sides of the consumer unit may be provided with air vents to dissipate any heat emanating from the voltage optimiser, In order to draw heat away as effectively as possible, the vents are positioned immediately adjacent the voltage optimiser.

The consumer unit may house an internal screen that subdivides the interior of the consumer unit into a first interior region in which the voltage optimiser is located, and a second region in which the rail and/or one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers are located. The rail may be supported on the screen, e.g. a front face of the screen.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following figures in which: Figures 1A-1D are respectively: a perspective, side, front and top down view of a consumer unit, Figures 2A-2D are respectively: a perspective, side, front and top down view of the consumer unit of Figs 1 with the front side removed to reveal its interior, -5 -Figures 3A and 3B are front and top down views of a simplified schematic of the consumer unit.

The figures illustrate two embodiments of a consumer unit (fuse box) 1 with Figure 3A and 3B showing a simplified schematic form thereof The consumer unit 1 comprises a case 2 that houses an electrical supply system for dividing an electrical power feed, often originating from outside of the building in which the unit 1 is installed, to subsidiary circuits, e.g. ring, lighting and cooker circuits.

The case 2, which may be comprised of metal and/or synthetic plastics material, has a front panel 2A, a rear panel 2B and side panels 2C which between them define an enclosed interior space 2D.

The front panel 2A is detachable from the rest of the case 2 to provide access to the interior space 2D. The case 2 includes a sub-panel 3 hinged to the front panel 2A to provide quick access to a user to switches and circuit breakers etc within the interior space 2D without need to remove the front panel 2A. The rear panel 2B is provided with means for the consumer unit 1 to be mounted to a wall or other support. In this example it comprises apertures 2E through which fasteners (not shown) can pass to secure the rear face 2B of the consumer unit 1 against a wall.

The electrical supply system includes bus bars 5 for the live, neutral and earth conductors together with protection devices 6 including one or more of fuses and/or circuit breakers (MCBs) for each subsidiary circuit, and optionally other protection devices such as, for example, residual current devices and surge protectors. The electrical supply system also typically comprises an isolation switch for solating all of the subsidiary circuits from the electrical power feed Within the casing 2 is supported a rail 7, oflen referred to as a DIN rail, for mechanically supporting the protection devices 6 and main isolation switch The case 2 of the consumer unit 1 also houses a voltage optimiser 4 When the consumer unit 1 is in use, the voltage optimiser 4 is electrically connected between the electrical power feed and the electrical supply system in order to provide the electrical supply system with a lower voltage than that supplied by the electrical power feed 5.

The voltage optimiser 4 is positioned at the back of the case 2, directly behind one or more of the protection devices 6 and/or isolation switch and the rail 5. Behind is taken as viewed from the front of the case. Alternatively its relative position can be described as directly between the rear panel and the one or more of the protection devices 6 and/or isolation switch and/or rail 5. With this arrangement the width and height of the case 2, and thus the area of the wall to which the consumer unit I mounted can be kept to a minimum.

The voltage optimiser 4 may, for example, be of a type comprising a ferroresonat transformer with primary and secondary winding and regulator circuitry to regulate the voltage at the optimisers output to compensate for voltage changes through the primary winding. Alternatively voltage regulation may be performed electronic -7 -circuitry by mixing am a/c signal that is out of phase with the feed to alter the feed's amplitude.

The interior space 2D is subdivided by a screen 8 into a first region in which the voltage optimiser 4 is situated and a second region in which the electrical supply system including bus bars 5, protection devices 6 etc are situated.

In embodiments in which the voltage optimiser 4 comprises windings, the screen 8 functions to shield electrical components of the electrical supply system held in the second region from magnetic fields produced by the voltage optimiser 4. In order that the screen may serve its purpose, the screen 8 is favourably manufactured from metal sheet material though any other construction that provides suitable attenuation

of magnetic fields could be used instead

The screen 8 extends only part way across the width of the case 2 in order that a portion of the back panel 2C is unobstructed by the screen 8 to make it easily accessible from the front of the consumer unit 1. This provides space for wiring of subsidiary circuits to be brought into the casing I. The rail 5, which extends across the casing is mounted at about one end to the screen A number of the side panels of the casing 2 define vents that open directly into the first region to facilitate dissipation of any heat emanating from the voltage optimiser -8 -The figures indicate example dimensions for the case 2 though any other suitable dimension may be used It is not essential for the consumer unit to comprise the screen 8.

It is not essential for the electrical supply system to comprise RCDs or surge protectors Although much preferred, the consumer unit 1 need not include the rail 5.

Claims

Claims I. A consumer unit housing a voltage optimiser.
2 A consumer unit according to claim 1 in which consumer unit houses one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers and in which the voltage optimiser is positioned behind the one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers
3. A consumer unit according to claim 1 in which the consumer unit houses a rail for supporting one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers; and in which the voltage optimiser is arranged behind the rail.
4 A consumer unit according to any claim 2 or 3 comprising an internal screen that subdivides the interior of the consumer unit into a first region in which the voltage optimiser is located, and a second region in which the rail and/or one or more fuses and/or circuit breakers are located
5. A consumer unit according to claim 4 in which the rail is supported on the screen.
6 A consumer unit according to any previous claim in which one or more sides of the consumer unit that lie immediately adjacent the voltage optimiser are provided with air vents -10 -
7. A consumer unit according to claim 4 and 6 in which the air vents open directly into the first region.