JPH04244736A - Power consumption limiter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To limit power consumption by inhibiting the operation of a predetermined unit when entire power amount exceeds a predetermined value without communicating complicated data. CONSTITUTION:When no operation of an oven toaster 7 is detected by a current sensor 21 a master controller 11 supplies an operation inhibit signal to a slave controller 71b for the toaster 7 so that the toaster 7 is inhibited to operate according to the signal if entire power amount exceeds a predetermined value; while the signal is supplied to a slave controller 17b for the toaster 7 if the operation of the toaster 7 is detected, so that the toaster 7 continues to operate by ignoring the signal.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Object of the invention]

0002

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention prohibits certain electric devices, such as electric ovens, toaster ovens, and electric kettles, from operating when the total amount of electricity in an individual household exceeds a predetermined value. The present invention relates to a power consumption amount limiting device that limits power consumption amount.

0003

2. Description of the Related Art There are peak cut methods and load management methods as power consumption limiting methods for keeping the power consumption within a home within a predetermined value. The former is a method that turns off operating electrical devices one after another when power consumption reaches a predetermined peak cut setting value. used for devices that do not have Furthermore, when the power consumption reaches a predetermined load management setting value lower than the peak cut setting value, for example, an electric oven, a toaster, etc.
This is a method of prohibiting a predetermined device such as an electric kettle from operating, and is used for devices that would cause problems if turned off during operation, such as the above-mentioned cooking appliances.

[0004] In a conventional load management type control device, power consumption is constantly measured and monitored by a power consumption measuring means, and when the power consumption exceeds a predetermined set value,
The control device checks the operating/inactive state of a predetermined device to be controlled, and after confirming that the device is inactive,
Power is turned off for the device.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventionally, a control device measures a child control device connected to each electrical device to be controlled, and a parent device that measures the overall power consumption and sends a control signal to the child control device. control device, the child control device sends a status signal of the electrical device connected to the child control device to the parent control device between the parent control device and the child control device. , a complex data exchange in which the parent control device checks the status of the electrical device connected to the child control device and then sends a signal to disconnect or connect the power to the electrical device connected to the child control device. There is also a problem that internal processing is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and
The purpose of this is to create a power consumption limiting device that restricts power consumption by prohibiting certain devices from operating when the total amount of power exceeds a predetermined value, without the need for complex data exchange. It is about providing.

[Configuration of the invention]

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the power consumption limiting device of the present invention includes a measuring means for measuring the total amount of electric power, and a total amount of electric power measured by the measuring means to a predetermined value. a supply means for supplying an operation prohibition signal to a predetermined device when the predetermined device is exceeded; a detection device for detecting whether or not the predetermined device is operating; and a detection device that detects whether the predetermined device is not operating. is detected and the operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device, the predetermined device is prohibited from operating according to the operation prohibition signal, and the detection means prevents the predetermined device from operating. control means for controlling the predetermined device to ignore the operation prohibition signal and continue operating when the operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device when it is detected that the operation prohibition signal is present. This is the summary.

[0009]

[Operation] In the power consumption limiting device of the present invention, when it is detected that a predetermined device is not operating, the total amount of power exceeds a predetermined value and an operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device. , prohibiting a predetermined device from operating in accordance with the operation prohibition signal, and when the operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device when it is detected that the predetermined device is operating;
A predetermined device is designed to ignore the operation inhibit signal and continue to operate.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power consumption limiting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The power consumption limiting device shown in the figure is installed in a dwelling unit like a general household, and a power line 1 is wired from the outside into the dwelling unit, and an outlet 3 connected to the power line 1 is connected to the power line 1. is connected to an air conditioner 5, a toaster oven 7, and an electric oven 9.

[0012] Furthermore, the power consumption limiting device shown in FIG.
It has a main controller 11, and a current sensor 13 connected to the main controller 11 detects the current flowing through the power line 1 throughout the dwelling unit. The parent controller 11 receives the total current detected by the current sensor 13, and calculates the total power consumption in the dwelling unit based on the total current.

Further, each outlet 3 to which the electric oven 9, toaster oven 7 and air conditioner 5 are connected has child controllers 17a, 17b and 19, respectively.
is connected. These child controllers 17a, 1
7b and 19 are wirings 15a, 15b, 15c, respectively
are connected to the parent controller 11 via the parent controller 11, and are supplied with operation prohibition signals a, b, and c output from the parent controller 11, respectively.

Electric oven 9 and toaster oven 7
The child controllers 17a and 17b have the same configuration, and as shown in detail in the child controller 17b, the child controllers 17a and 17b are designed to detect the current supplied to electrical devices such as the electric oven 9 and the toaster oven 7 through the respective outlets 3. A current sensor 21 consisting of a coil wound around one side of the power line 1 connected to each outlet 3; a break contact 23a of a relay connected to the one power line 1 in series with the current sensor 21; A relay winding 23 for the break contact 23a, a transistor 25 that drives the relay winding 23, an amplifier 27 with a control terminal that drives the transistor 25, and an amplifier 29 that amplifies the detected current from the current sensor 21. It is composed of.

The current sensor 21 detects the current supplied to each electrical device through each outlet 3, thereby detecting the operating state of each electrical device. This detection signal is then amplified via an amplifier 29 and supplied to the control terminal of the amplifier 27 with a control terminal, thereby controlling the operation of the amplifier 27 with a control terminal. The amplifier 27 with a control terminal is connected to the parent controller 11 in a state where the detection signal is not supplied from the amplifier 29 to its control terminal.
When the corresponding operation prohibition signals a and b are supplied from the circuit, the transistor 25 is driven in response to the operation prohibition signal, thereby energizing the winding 23 of the relay and opening the break contact 23a of the relay. The supply of power from the power line 1 to each electrical device via the outlet 3 is prohibited, and each electrical device is controlled so as not to operate. That is, when the operation prohibition signal is not supplied from the main controller 11 to the amplifier with control terminal 27, the break contact 23a of the relay does not open and remains closed, so that the power is not connected from the power line 1 to the outlet 3. Electric power is supplied to each electrical device so that each electrical device can operate.

On the other hand, when electric devices such as the electric oven 9 and the toaster oven 7 are operating, the current flowing through the electric light line 1 is caused by the operation of the electric device to the current sensor 2.
1, and this detection signal is amplified by the amplifier 29 and supplied to the control terminal of the amplifier 27 with a control terminal. If the signal is supplied, i.e. each electrical device is operating,
Even if the operation prohibition signals a and b are supplied from the parent controller 11, the amplifier with control terminal 27 does not operate. That is, in this case, the amplifier with control terminal 27
does not drive transistor 25 and therefore winding 2 of the relay
3 is not energized, and the break contact 23a of the relay is also not opened. As a result, electric oven 9
When each electrical device such as the toaster 7 is operating, the supply of power from the power line 1 to the electrical device via the outlet 3 is not prohibited, and each electrical device continues to operate. ing.

[0017] Also, a child controller 19 for the air conditioner 5
controls the air conditioner on and off by sending an on/off signal directly to the microcomputer in the air conditioner via the HA terminal 19a.

The operation of the power consumption limiting device configured as described above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b). FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing changes in the total current detected by the current sensor 13, in which the vertical axis shows the current in A (ampere) and the horizontal axis shows time. FIG. 2(b) is a waveform diagram of each part of the power consumption limiting device of FIG. In FIG. 2(a), the current point indicated by 20A is the load management current setting value for executing load management, and 30A
The current point indicated by is the peak cut current setting value for performing peak cut. That is, when the total current detected by the current sensor 13 exceeds the load management setting current value of 20A, load management operation is performed on the toaster 7 and the electric oven 9, and the peak cut current value becomes 30A or more. In this case, a peak cut operation is performed on the air conditioner 5.

In FIG. 2, as shown at time t0,
When all the electrical devices are not operating, the power consumption is only for the parent controller 11 and each child controller, so the operation prohibition signal output from the parent controller 11 is shown in (a) of FIG. 2(b). is at a low level,
There is no control.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2(b) (b),
At time t1, the switch SW of the toaster oven 7
When turned on, the child controller 17b for the toaster 7
The current sensor 21 operates as shown in FIG.
A detection signal is supplied to the control terminal of the amplifier with control terminal 27 via the controller 9, thereby preventing the amplifier with control terminal 27 from operating due to the operation prohibition signal from the parent controller 11. In this case, even if the toaster 7 operates, the total current detected by the current sensor 13 is less than the load management setting current value of 20 A, as shown by ■ in FIG. 2(a), so the parent controller 11 does not operate. Do not output a prohibition signal. Note that in the above state, each child controller 17a,
The break contacts 23a of the relays 17b and 19 remain closed, and the toaster oven 7 and electric oven 9 receive power from the electric light line 1 as shown in (d) and (g) of FIG. 2(b), respectively. Similarly, power is supplied to the air conditioner 5 from the power line 1.

Next, at time t2, when the switch SW of the electric oven 9 is turned on, the current sensor 21 of the child controller 17a for the electric oven 9 is activated as shown in FIG.
The current consumption of the electric oven 9 is detected as shown in FIG.
A detection signal is supplied to the control terminal of the controller 7, thereby preventing the amplifier 27 with a control terminal from operating due to the operation prohibition signal from the parent controller 11. In this case, as the electric oven 9 operates, the total current detected by the current sensor 13 exceeds the load management setting current value of 20 A, as shown in ■ in FIG. The operation prohibition signal becomes high level as shown at time t2 in (a) of FIG. The amplifier 27 with a control terminal has an amplifier 29 at its control terminal.
This operation prohibition signal is ignored because a detection signal is supplied from the controller to prevent it from operating.

Furthermore, at time t3, as shown in (h) of FIG. 2(b), when the switch SW of the air conditioner 5 is turned on, the total power consumption, that is, the total current consumption, is as shown in FIG.
) As shown by ■, load management setting current value 2
Since it exceeds 0A, the air conditioner 5 is disconnected from the parent controller 11.
An operation prohibition signal is supplied to the child controller 19 of
It is turned off as shown in .

Furthermore, at time t5, when the electric oven 9 is turned off, the total current consumption becomes smaller than the load management setting current value of 20 A, as shown by ■ in FIG. The operation inhibit signal becomes low level as shown in (a) of FIG. 2(b). Further, the detection signal from the current sensor 21 of the child controller 17a for the electric oven 9 disappears, and thereby the detection signal to the control terminal of the amplifier with control terminal 27 also disappears. Further, at time t6, when the switch SW of the air conditioner 5 is turned on, the total current consumption is as shown in FIG. 2(a).
Load management setting current value 20 as shown by ■
A is exceeded, so the operation prohibition signal output from the parent controller 11 becomes high level, and this signal drives the transistor 25 via the amplifier 27 with a control terminal of the child controller 17a of the electric oven 9, which was in the off state. death,
This operates the winding 23 of the relay, opens the break contact 23a of the relay, and disconnects the electric light line 1 that supplies power to the electric oven 9 as shown in (g) of FIG. 2(b). 9 will not work. In this case, the toaster oven 7 is in operation, and the amplifier 27 with control terminal is controlled not to operate by the detection signal from the amplifier 29 supplied to the control terminal, so the child controller of the toaster oven 7 The break contact 23a of the relay 17b remains closed, and the power to the toaster oven 7 is not cut off.

Next, at time t7, the switch SW of the electric oven 9 is turned on, but since the power to the electric oven 9 is turned off, the electric oven 9 does not operate.

Furthermore, at time t8, when the toaster oven 7 is turned off, the total current consumption becomes smaller than the load management setting current value 20A, so
The operation prohibition signal output from the parent controller 11 becomes low level, power is supplied to the electricity off 9 again,
The electric oven 9 is now ready for operation.

In the above embodiment, the current sensor 21 detects whether or not each electrical device such as the toaster oven 7 and the electric oven 9 is operating to handle load management processing. detect whether the current flowing through each electrical device exceeds a predetermined value,
If it exceeds the limit, load management processing may be performed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a power consumption limiting device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The device shown in FIG. 1 limits the amount of electric power of an electric cooker 70 instead of the toaster oven 7 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
The only difference is that a child controller 17d for controlling the electric pot 70 is used instead of the child controller 17b in , and the other configurations are the same as the device in FIG.

[0028] Generally speaking, an electric kettle does not operate by constantly being supplied with power during operation like the above-mentioned toaster oven or electric oven, but instead operates intermittently by repeatedly turning on and off. .

Specifically, electric kettles do not operate with power constantly supplied during the heat-keeping process, but operate intermittently to maintain a predetermined heat-keeping temperature, and only during this intermittent operation are the Power is supplied as shown in 4(a). If power is not supplied during this intermittent operation, it is determined that the electric kettle is not operating as described above, and the power is cut off, making it impossible to perform the subsequent warming operation.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the intermittent operation of an electric appliance such as an electric kettle or the like that operates intermittently is monitored so that the power consumption limiting device of the present invention can be applied. However, if the appliance is intermittently operating, the power supply is not interrupted.

For this purpose, the child controller 17d that controls the electric pot 70 is the child controller 17d shown in FIG.
In b, a timer 71 is provided between the amplifier 29 and the amplifier 27 with a control terminal, and a buffer 73 is provided for taking in the power frequency of the power line as a clock to supply a reference clock to the timer 71. There is. The other configuration is the child controller 1 in Figure 1.
Same as 7b.

The timer 71 operates as shown in (b) and (c) in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the clock signal from the buffer 73 is counted to count and monitor the off time of the intermittent operation of the electric pot 70. However, when the amplifier 29 is supplied with the detection signal from the current sensor 21, That is, when the current sensor 21 detects the current supplied to the electric pot 70 and thereby detects that the electric pot 70 has operated, and receives a detection signal from the current sensor 21, it sends a reset signal to the timer 71. The counting operation of the timer 71 is reset.

More specifically, the timer 71 counts the clock signal from the buffer 73, counts a predetermined time period that is slightly longer than the off time of the intermittent operation when keeping the electric kettle 70 warm, and calculates the predetermined time period. When the time is counted, (d) in Figure 4 is obtained.
As shown in FIG. 2, a low-level time-over signal is output. However, if the electric kettle 70 is intermittently operating for keeping warm, and before the timer 71 has counted the predetermined time, the reset signal is output from the amplifier 29. is reset when supplied with
The operation of counting the clock signals again from the beginning is repeated.

When the timer 71 does not output a low-level time-over signal because its counting time cannot reach the predetermined time, that is, when the electric pot 70 is intermittently operating for keeping warm, the amplifier 29, a high level output signal is supplied to the control terminal of the amplifier 27 with a control terminal. The amplifier with control terminal 27 is connected to the parent controller 1 while being supplied with a high level output signal from the timer 71.
Even if the operation inhibit signal d is supplied from the amplifier 1 through the wiring 15d, the amplifier 27 with a control terminal does not operate. That is, in this case, the amplifier 27 with a control terminal does not drive the transistor 25, and therefore the relay winding 23
is not energized, and the break contact 23a of the relay is also not opened. As a result, when the electric kettle 70 is intermittently operated for keeping warm, the electric power supply is not stopped and the electric pot 70 continues to operate.

Further, the timer 71 counts the clock signal from the buffer 73, and when it counts a predetermined period of time that is slightly longer than the off time of the intermittent operation during keeping the electric pot 70 warm, that is, when the electric pot 70 is turned off for keeping warm. Since it does not operate intermittently, when a predetermined time is counted, the electric pot 70 outputs a low-level time-over signal indicating that it does not operate intermittently. This low level time-over signal is supplied to the control terminal of the amplifier 27 with a control terminal. The amplifier with control terminal 27 receives the operation prohibition signal d from the parent controller 11 while the low-level time-over signal is being supplied.
is supplied, the transistor 25 is driven in response to the operation inhibit signal, thereby energizing the relay winding 23, opening the relay break contact 23a, and connecting the power line 1 to the outlet 3. The supply of electric power to the electric kettle 70 is stopped.

[0036]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
When it is detected that a predetermined device is not operating and the total amount of electric power exceeds a predetermined value and an operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device, the predetermined device operates according to the operation prohibition signal. When a predetermined device is detected to be operating and a disable signal is supplied to the predetermined device, the predetermined device ignores the disable signal and continues to operate. As a result, the operation of a given device can be controlled simply by sending an operation prohibition signal without the need for complex data exchanges as in the past, making control simpler and more efficient. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a power consumption limiting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing changes in the total current of the power consumption limiting device shown in FIG. 1 and a waveform diagram of each part.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a power consumption limiting device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Electric light line 3 Outlet 5 Air conditioner 7 Toaster oven 9 Electric oven 11 Main controller 13 Current sensors 17a, 17b, 17d, 19 Child controller 70
Electric pot 71 Timer 73 Buffer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Measuring means for measuring the total amount of electric power; supply means for supplying an operation prohibition signal to a predetermined device when the total amount of electric power measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined value; detection means for detecting whether the device is operating;
When the detection means detects that the predetermined device is not operating and the operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device, the predetermined device is prohibited from operating in accordance with the operation prohibition signal. and when the operation prohibition signal is supplied to the predetermined device when the detection means detects that the predetermined device is operating;
A power consumption limiting device comprising: a control means for controlling the predetermined device to ignore the operation prohibition signal and continue operating. 2. The detection means includes a timer that counts the time while the predetermined device is not operating, and is reset when the predetermined device is activated, and a timer that is reset when the timer counts for a predetermined time or more. The method further comprises determining means for determining that the predetermined device is not operating when the timer is reset within a predetermined time, and determining that the predetermined device is operating when the timer is reset within a predetermined time. The power consumption limiting device according to claim 1.