WO2014041138A1

WO2014041138A1 - Electrical arrangement for connection to an infrastructure power supply and method

Info

Publication number: WO2014041138A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/069049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Faul
Original assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
Priority date: 2012-09-14
Filing date: 2013-09-13
Publication date: 2014-03-20
Also published as: DE102012216369A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an electrical arrangement, comprising a current load and a control unit, for connection to an infrastructure power supply. The control unit is designed to adjust current consumption of the current load according to a parameter of the infrastructure power supply.

Description

Electrical device for connection to an infrastructure power network and method Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electrical device for connection to an infrastructure power network.

Technical background

Reducing the emission of harmful gases is an outstanding task for the coming decades. Extensive installations of renewable energy systems (RE systems) are already forecast for the period up to 2020. in the fields of wind energy and photovoltaic. However, both types of plants are highly fluctuating power sources, because wind does not blow constantly and the sun's radiation reaches the earth's surface during the day with strongly fluctuating intensity. The strong increase in the proportion of fluctuating sources of electricity in the total supply is not available on the consumer side with an appropriate or reasonably simple measure to support balancing.

In addition, the feed-in locations of EE electricity are not identical to the consumption types. The power transmission networks may be a significant bottleneck in securing the availability of power. In the worst case scenario, a blackout domino effect occurs, where a regional overload leads to a regional fault with shutdown. The remaining electricity in the network seeks a parallel path to the failed regional network. causing further overloads further Austalle. This blackout (blackout) must be avoided in the interest of the common good. In addition to the crisis-ridden black-out, there are other scenarios in which electricity demand rises or falls without considering the technical conditions of demand coverage. Although trading electricity on exchanges is a mechanism for the financial adjustment of supply and demand, stock exchanges fit On the contrary, stock market speculation can even lead to physical power bottlenecks, which would not occur without speculative effects.There are capacity plans and switch-on and switch-off processes of power plants depending on the current electricity supply. Examples include the capacity planning of large consumers in the metal production industry or the remote control of "night stream" consumers. For the night electricity consumers sets a remote control by data transmission to a control unit on the consumption meter, the period at which the consumer is a current drain from the mains is allowed. In the case of large consumers, such as power-intensive industrial plants, an anticipated load planning also makes an adjustment to the power plant capacity. Furthermore, technical systems are being discussed under the slogans "active grid" or "smart mes- tering". In both cases, the power supply network is provided with an information transmission network in parallel, so that an interaction of the information network with the power generation sources could take place in the sense of a remote control. Smart metering basically does not help in terms of the common good, because essentially only the consumption profiles are measured or only a display or visualization of the current electricity consumption on site is carried out. The investment required to replace existing electricity meters with smart metering electricity meters with data acquisition and data transmission capability is enormous. In addition, there are legal concerns, because the data collection, transmission, - evaluation and storage lead u. This may lead to fundamental conflicts with our system of legal systems, in which the privacy of people is given high priority and the spying on consumer behavior is to be viewed critically. A common good orientation is not recognizable in the business models of "grids" (networks), rather it is about financial revenue opportunities that could be introduced in the intermediate layer between power generation and electricity consumption or electricity storage Role, the real, physical coverage of the moment demand over the momentary power generation is not solved. Fig. 9a shows a conventional electric power consumption device in which an electrical consumption is controlled by a switch and the power consumption in the on state is determined only by the consumer's own impedance. Fig. 9b shows an extended electric power consumption device. where the switching function is a combination of switch and network remote control. This scheme is, for example, in a night power consumption device, in which a control unit takes on the electricity meter control information from the mains, which are modulated on the mains voltage. However, the power consumption of the consumer device in the switched-on state depends on its own load impedance without consideration of the network load.

Fig. 9c shows a more complex conventional power consumption device, in which in addition to the power supply line, an information transmission network is present, via which in particular information about the power consumption of the electrical load can be transmitted.

In summary, there is a "selfish" demand for electricity per unit time, which does not take into account the technical controllability of the supply of electricity per unit of time.

It is therefore an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a concept which takes more efficient account of available capacities in a power grid.

This object is achieved by an electrical device according to independent claim 1 and a method according to independent claim 17.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electrical device for connection to an infrastructure power network having a power load and a control unit. The control unit of the electrical device is designed to set a power consumption (or a current consumption) of the power load as a function of at least one parameter of the infrastructure power network. For example, the parameter can provide information about the load status of the infrastructure power grid. Embodiments of the present invention may therefore also be referred to as public interest-oriented power consumption devices, which are characterized by observing the load state of the infrastructure power network and independently adapting to the load condition of the infrastructure power network while reducing or increasing its own energy-related power requirements.

In the following, an infrastructure power network can also be referred to as a power network.

Embodiments of the present invention thus enable power consumption devices that correlate with the electricity supply and take into account the load situation in the power grid to make a self-adapted power consumption control for the benefit of the common good by adjusting the power consumption of the power load.

It is a central idea of embodiments of the present invention that a more efficient power grid or power system can be achieved when electrical equipment connected to that power grid has a public welfare oriented self-regulation. This is achieved according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention in that a control unit of an electrical device is designed for connection to such a power network. to set a power consumption of its current load as a function of a parameter (which, for example, gives information about the load of the power grid). Thus, for example, allows for a high current load of the power grid, the control unit reduces power consumption or a power consumption of their power load (for example, to a complete shutdown of the power load), thus reducing the load on the power grid. For example, it is possible to avoid the so-called "blackouts" of a power grid, as consumers can switch themselves off or reduce their power consumption even before the power grid completely collapses, such as completely switching off or reducing the power consumption of a household Consumers may appear to make special sense if they are not sure health systems, such as lighting of sights or wells or even billboards.

A further concept of exemplary embodiments of the present invention consists in the fact that said self-regulation can take place without additional data having to be transmitted to the consumer (for example to the electrical device) via the power network, since the control unit measures the power consumption of the current load as a function of from the parameter of the infrastructure power grid (and, for example, not depending on data modulated on the power grid). Such a parameter may be, for example, a grid frequency or a grid voltage of an AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power grid.

The welfare-orientated self-regulation of the electrical device or power device according to embodiments of the present invention is therefore completely independent of the above-mentioned "grids" and, in contrast to these in the simplest case, does not require an information transmission network and any investments in the power network, for example to transfer data in this power network to the network to transmit electrical equipment, since the control unit can adjust the power consumption of the power load as a function of the parameter of the power grid, without having to resort to additional on the mains AC voltage modulated or otherwise provided via an information transmission network data.

As already described above, the infrastructure power supply can provide an alternating voltage and the control unit can be configured to adjust the power consumption of the power load as a function of a parameter of the alternating voltage provided by this infrastructure power network or of an extract that can be generated locally in the control unit from a plurality of parameters. Such a parameter may be, for example, a (mains) frequency or a (mains) voltage of the AC voltage or a combination of these two. In addition, an extract of a plurality of parameters can still be generated from local data processing capability of the control unit, whereby quasi-local intelligence in the control unit is based on the local collection of network parameter data records as a function of date and time. Thus, for example, the control unit may be designed to reduce the current consumption of the power load compared to a normal consumption state (for example when the frequency or voltage is above or below the respective cutoff frequency or limit voltage) when exceeding or falling below a cutoff frequency or a limiting voltage of the alternating voltage to increase.

By observing intrinsically present frequency and / or voltage of the AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power network directly at the point of consumption by the control unit of the electrical device and the adjustment of the power consumption of the power load based on this frequency and this voltage can be a self-regulation of the electrical device, without that additional information about the infrastructure power network must be provided to the electrical device. It is therefore possible that an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected directly to an existing power grid, without having to change this power grid and this electrical device can regulate itself, for example, when using a plurality of such electrical equipment in a power grid to prevent a threatening blackout or total power failure. The infrastructure power network can be, for example, a public power grid operated by an energy supplier. For example, the infrastructure power network may be a so-called low voltage power network with a rated voltage in the range of> 100V and <450V. It should be noted that the local distribution of inter-node between the network levels and the local distribution of grid feed nodes does not directly correlate with the load situation must match at the location of the load current drain. The more decentralized feed-in nodes are integrated into the infrastructure power grid as a result of decentralized renewable energy generation, the more complex a centralized control of electricity generation becomes.

While in the low-voltage power grid, small loads of the order of magnitude of <10 kW are more likely to be considered, whose self-regulating current load multiplies by Of course, millions of such small loads lead to an essential adaptation effect, embodiments of the present invention are of course not limited to small loads or to the so-called popular 220V low-voltage network, for example. An essential advantage of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is that locally localized public welfare is regulated locally at the location of the power consumption and thus on the basis of the parameters intrinsically present locally in the power grid and possibly the data collection and data evaluation locally present in the control unit of the power consumer can be considered feasible by adapting more or less large power generation plants with power feed-in points far from the power

To describe embodiments of the present invention, the term "public interest" is used, which differs from the intrinsic behavior without regard to the network load.

Self-behavior occurs when an electrical load turns on or off or is turned on or off by people and then the current flowing is determined by the impedance of the consumer. The term of on or off switching is used herein to mean that a switch, by operation of a human or a technical component (e.g., temperature sensor), controls the flow of current. In this definition context, the power consumer thus draws as much power without observing the network load as is just required according to the internal demand of the consumption unit. In the power grid are available at all consumption without the need for any additive data transmission signals at least two netzeigene information sizes available, namely the grid frequency and the mains voltage. Both quantities of information vary at the point of consumption in correlation with the grid load. The variation of the mains frequency is relatively low, but can be easily determined with common measuring devices in each consumer device. The same applies to the mains voltage.

A welfare oriented self-regulation of the electrical load of the power grid by an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention For example, the invention may first consider the grid frequency as an information source and further may also include the grid voltage at the point of consumption as information to adjust or regulate the power consumption of its current load as a function of one or both parameters.

Information processing with self-regulation can take place in a different manner in an electricity consumption device according to the invention. Power consumers can switch off completely from the power consumption or gradually reduce the power consumption when a high network load condition is detected. In this way, the consumer device is subordinate to the common good of a functioning power supply. The characteristic of the control behavior can be based on a classification of the electrical device or its current load.

Brief description of the figures

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 is a block diagram of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration with an exemplary power network and connected consumers, each of which contains an electrical device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 3 is a general block diagram of an exemplary implementation of the electrical device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another exemplary implementation of the in

Fig. 1 shown electrical device, which sets or varies based on a mains frequency or a mains voltage power consumption of a current load; another exemplary implementation of the electrical device shown in Figure 1, which sets or varies the power consumption of the current load based on a mains frequency and a mains voltage. 1 is a block diagram of another exemplary implementation of the electrical device shown in FIG. 1, which also adjusts power consumption adjustment of the power load based on a current date and / or time; a diagram showing three basic control areas for the public interest oriented regulation of the load current of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. and

Fig.9a-

Fig. 9c schematic representations of conventional Stromverbrauchseinrich lines

Detailed description of embodiments of the present invention

Before the following exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the enclosed figures, it should be pointed out that the same elements or elements themselves functions are given the same reference symbols in the figures and that a repeated description of the elements is provided with the same reference symbols are waived.

1 shows a block diagram of an electrical device 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention for connection to an infrastructure power grid 101. The electrical device 100 has a power load 103 and a control unit 105. The control unit 105 is designed to reduce the power consumption of the power load 103 as a function of at least one parameter (or several parameters) of the infrastructure power grid 101.

As already mentioned, by setting the power consumption of the power load 103 as a function of the parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101 by the electrical device 100, a self-regulation oriented self-regulation of the electrical device 100 is made possible. This public interest-oriented self-regulation makes it possible, especially when using a plurality of such electrical devices 100, which are connected to an infrastructure power grid 101, to avoid imminent power failures or blackouts since, in the event of an imminent power failure, the electrical devices 100 automatically reduce their power consumption (For example, until complete shutdown), so as to relieve the infrastructure power grid 101 can. As already mentioned, the infrastructure power grid 101 may provide the AC device 100 with an AC voltage. The control unit 105 can be embodied to adjust the power consumption of the power load 103 as a function of a parameter of the AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power grid 101. Such a parameter may, for example, be a frequency of the AC voltage provided or a voltage of the AC voltage provided. According to further embodiments, it is also possible that the control unit 105 makes an adjustment of the power consumption of the power load 103 both based on the frequency and based on the voltage of the provided AC voltage.

Thus, the control unit 105 may be formed, for example, to reduce the power consumption of the power load compared to the normal consumption state falls below a cutoff frequency or a threshold voltage of the AC voltage. For example, a normal consumption state may be defined such that the power consumption of the power load 103 is not limited. so that it can draw exactly the amount of power from the infrastructure power grid 101 that it needs, for example, to operate at full capacity. The control unit 105 may set the normal consumption state in the power load 103, for example, when the frequency and / or the voltage is above the respective cutoff frequency and / or threshold voltage of the AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power grid 101. The current load 103 is typically in its normal state of consumption, when the In frastruk turstrom net 101 is normal or under load so that there is no threat of total outage of Infrastructure Networks 101.

The control unit 105 may, for example, be designed to determine a frequency of the AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power grid 101 and to adjust the power consumption of the power load 103 as a function of this specific frequency of the AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power grid 101. This particular frequency of the AC voltage of the infrastructure power network 101 is therefore not a frequency of a data signal, but rather the line frequency of the AC voltage (and the AC current) provided by the infrastructure power grid 101 for supplying the power load 103. In other words, the control unit 105 does not detect a (for example, modulated) frequency of a data signal, but the true network frequency of the AC voltage used to supply the current load 103. This network frequency f may, for example, be in a range of 10 Hz <f <100 Hz, 25 Hz <f <75 Hz or 45 Hz <f <55 Hz or may nominally be 50 Hz for a normal load state of the infrastructure network 101. If the cutoff frequency falls below this line frequency, the control unit 105 can reduce power consumption of the power load 103 (for example stepwise or steplessly), up to the complete shutdown of the power load 103.

In other words, the control unit 105 is designed to adjust or vary the power consumption of the power load 103 as a function of one or more parameters of the infrastructure power grid 101 or whose change intrinsically results or results from a change in the load of the infrastructure power grid 101. This is a clear difference from the conventional examples shown in FIGS. 9b and 9c, in each of which current regulation takes place as a function of data signals (which are modulated, for example, onto the power network or are additionally transmitted externally). In contrast to the system shown in FIG. 9 c, the electrical device 100 therefore has an interaction of the current load 103 or the load impedance 103 with the load state of the infrastructure power grid 101.

According to further embodiments, the electrical device 100 or its control unit 105 can also be designed to receive information sent by a data transmitter. in addition to the parameter or parameters) of the infrastructure power grid 101 and to consider this information when adjusting the power consumption of the power load 103. For example, the control unit 105 for extraction of the control operation of the power consumption of the power load 103 in ormationen from one or more communication network (s), such as wireless networks, Internet or the aforementioned smart-metering networks relate, and these with the or the parameters) of the infrastructure power grid 101 to adjust the power consumption of the power load 103. In the following, some possible implementations of the electrical device 100 generally illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described, wherein the electrical device 100 may each be extended by one or more features of the exemplary implementations described below. FIG. 2 shows a possible application example of electrical devices according to embodiments of the present invention (such as the electrical device 100 in FIG. 1).

2 shows schematically an illustration of an infrastructure power network 101. The infrastructure power grid 101 in this case has a high-voltage network 201, a medium-voltage network 203 and a low-voltage network 205. For example, the high voltage grid 201 may be directly connected to a power generator (such as a power plant) and used to transmit the energy generated in the power plant over long distances. This high voltage is typically transformed by means of a first transformer 207 to a mean voltage of the medium-voltage network 203. The average voltage of the medium-voltage network is transformed by a second transformer 209 to a low voltage (such as is typically present in households, for example) of the low-voltage network 205. An example of such a low voltage is the common in Europe three-phase current system with a voltage of about 400 V. A phase then typically has a voltage in a range of 230 V to 240 V. Shown schematically in Fig. 2 are a washing machine 21 1 and an electric cooking device 213. The washing machine 21 1 and the electric cooking device 213 form possible examples of the electrical device 100 as shown in Fig. 1. For example, a first power load of the washing machine 21 1 could represent the integrated heater in the washing machine 21 1, a second power load could be, for example, the drive for the washing drum, and a third power load could be, for example, a water pump integrated in the washing machine 21 1. In other words, electrical devices according to embodiments of the present invention may include a plurality of power loads 103, wherein the control unit 105 of such electrical device 100 is configured to independently adjust the power consumption of these different power loads 103 depending on the parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101. Thus, for example, it could be possible that the washing machine does not initially start the washing process when the power supply is high and shifts the start time of the washing process backwards until the infrastructure power grid 101 is no longer so heavily loaded. However, if the washing process is already in progress while the indications for a critical power grid load occur (for example, if the cutoff frequency of the AC power supply 101 is not reached and / or the threshold voltage of the AC voltage is exceeded), the power consumption of the washing machine 211 by the Steer- Rule 105 are reduced selbstregelnd by, for example, the heating power for water heating is reduced or by, for example, a spin speed is reduced.

Further, the electric cooking device 213, for example, four heating zones, an oven and a Grillheizschlange have, each of which may be own power loads 103 of the electric cooking device 213, which can be controlled by means of a control unit 105 of this electric cooking device 213. As already described, it is the case with conventional electrical devices. that every single consumer of such a device draws the power from the power network "on the basis of current demand, which is essentially determined by temperature switches under human specification." The greatest burden on the power grid arises when all consumers (for example all power loads, such as heating zones, oven and grill) simultaneously draw power from the infrastructure power grid 101. In the public interest self-regulation as implemented by embodiments of the present invention, however, a staggering of the current drain in the electric cooking device 213 may be effected so as to avoid the punctiform peak load and to adapt it to a lower, evenly distributed, distributed load. The classification of the individual consumers or devices thus includes what temporal shift and which amount of current drain can be regulated depending on the existing network load. As another example, an electric fan heater is named, for example, when a person turns on an electric fan heater, he expresses the need for the heat from the surrounding air.

This requirement may not be completely refuted by the electric device (fan heater) if the device detects a high network load, but it may be appropriate for the common good if the amount of current drain (heat output) is reduced. In the reduced case, the heating power would be stretched over a longer heating time and possibly depending on the design of the self-regulation, the amount of heating power reduced occur.

The characteristic referred to as classification of the consumer devices takes particular account of safety aspects. For example, a traffic light system can not switch off its power consumption at any network load time, since this can result in considerable safety deficiencies with respect to the task of the traffic light system.The classification of the electrical load device in a scale from expendable loads to indispensable loads can be assigned to each power consumption device become.

FIG. 2 further shows an example of a so-called expendable load using a neon sign 215 as an exemplary implementation for an electrical device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A control device 105 of this neon sign 215 may be formed, for example, if it detects a high load of the infrastructure power network 101, a lighting of the neon sign 215 (by regulating the power consumption of the lighting so the power load 103 of the neon sign 215) to dim or even turn off completely. Further, for example, the individual power loads of the washing machine 21 1 can be classified, for example so that although the heating power of the integrated in the washing machine 21 1 heating coil is lowered to heat the water more slowly, but the water pump of the washing machine 21 1 as indispensable load classifi - Are adorned, so that a power consumption of this water pump is not set in dependence on the parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101. This symbolic differentiation of classifications within an electrical device (heating versus water pump) can be mapped to innumerable other electrical device functions.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, electrical devices according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be designed to be connected to the infrastructure power grid 101 by line (for example by means of a plug and socket). For example, an electrical device according to one embodiment of the present invention (such as the washing machine 21 1) may include a plug 217 for connecting the electrical device to the infrastructure power grid 101. Furthermore, the electric cooking device 213 may have a plug 219 for connection to the infrastructure power grid 101. Furthermore, the illuminated sign 215 may also have a plug 221 for connection to the infrastructure power grid 101. These plugs 217-221 may be different, but may be the same. For example, the plug 217 of the washing machine 21 1 may be a single-phase plug 217 which receives a single-phase signal of a three-phase rotary current. In contrast, for example, the plug 219 of the electric heater 213 may be a three-phase three-phase plug which receives so-called high current.

In general, a plug of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a power plug of one of the following connector types:

A, B. C, D, E, F, E + F, G, H, I, J, L, M, IEC 60906-1. In other words, a plug according to an embodiment of the present invention may conform to a certain national or international standard for connection to an infrastructure power grid 101. An advantageous development of exemplary embodiments consists in the integration of a user interface into the electrical device 100, which contains, for example, unidirectionally from the controller to the user at least one display element which informs the user of the load state of the infrastructure power network and / or the functional state of the electrical device. This refinement is advantageous, in particular, for the user being able to recognize, for example, a self-sufficient control process of the load current to zero (switching off the electrical device 100), whether this state corresponds to a defect or to an operating state of the device. An indirect benefit of an ad could also be that the consumer behavior of public interest oriented users may be supported beyond the operational function of the electrical device 100. This means that in practical terms, especially on the critical, coldest load days in winter, in which no wind and no sun is available, but the max. Electricity demand for heating power is in demand and the infrastructure power network is working closely on the black-out scenario, by which the user can be supported in a well-being-oriented consumer behavior. Instead of commissioning additional electrical heaters, for example, the clothing of the welfare oriented people could be adjusted and the sauna heater does not necessarily have to be switched to maximum load just when the power grid is already in overload. In other words, the electrical device 100 may include a user interface (eg, a display) that is formed. to inform the user about a current load state of the infrastructure power network 101. The functional scope of such a user interface can also be extended beyond a simple display element.

If the control unit 105 of the device 100 according to the invention also incorporates, for example, messages from information services into the generation of its load control, a dynamization of the load control algorithms could be implemented which corresponds, for example, to a black-out emergency function. Do network operators recognize that the supply of electricity can no longer be adequately adapted to demand and that the risk of blackout increases, In the public interest, an emergency call information (possibly regionalized) could be sent out, which stimulates the load-control algorithms in the controls of the electrical devices 100 to "sharpened public interest orientation". The local parameter set and thus the specific consideration of the network load at the location of the operation of the power load 103 would remain effective, and a simultaneous switch-off process of power loads, which would start in bulk with the transmission of the black-out alarm, would have to be avoided. In other words, the control unit 105 may be further configured to receive data such as messages from a data transmitter (eg, via the infrastructure power grid 101 or a communication network) and to take this data into account in controlling the power consumption of the power load 103.

With even greater complexity, a black-out reboot function would be realized in which after a blackout power outage has occurred, electrical devices are re-staggered according to classifications and e.g. telemetric control signals are put back into the power load mode.

As a further example of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention, a building control center is called, which has the control capability for some power consumers in the building. For example, the control unit 105 of such a building control center switches off or on or off the heating or air conditioning system (which in each case form individual power loads which can be controlled independently of one another). A welfare-oriented self-regulation according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention is present when the current drain, for example, as a function of grid frequency and / or mains voltage at the place of consumption (by the building management center 100) is adapted to the network load condition. That is, when detected high network load is automatically switched on by the control unit 105 of the building management less light or made the control of the air conditioner for less power consumption. Corresponding further examples emerge for floodlights (eg for night-ski slopes, whose power requirements are diametrically opposed to the critical network load situations in winter), snow-making systems, concert events with public address systems up to the l OOkW range and beyond, sauna heaters, so-called el. heater mushrooms, Warm air entrance lock systems of department stores and buildings, etc .. The classification of facilities (reasonableness of the load control) can be promoted by electrical devices according to embodiments, especially in crisis hours of operation of the infrastructure power grid 101, a reduction of the risk.

According to further exemplary embodiments, the electrical device 100 may have an energy store (for example as part of the power load 103). The control unit 105 may be configured to charge the energy storage in response to a detected underload of the infrastructure power network 101 based on a power provided by the infrastructure network. The current consumption of the current load 103 regulated by the control unit 105 then corresponds, for example, to the charging current for the energy store which is regulated by the control unit 105.

In other words, the electrical device 100 can also have an energy storage function which only receives power from the infrastructure power grid 101 if the parameter (s) of the infrastructure power grid 101 (optionally plus parameter extraction from the data in the control unit 105) underloads the infrastructure power grid 101 signaled / s. In the current infratucture power system, i.a. z.T. because of the technical controllability of generators (unfortunately from the ecological point of view) feeds of e.g. Wind turbines are rejected because the demand for electricity compared to the electricity supply is too low. In the diagram of FIG. 7 which is described below, this state corresponds to region 1, in which an energy storage device can then be switched on or increased in its current load 103. Examples of energy storage can be battery-powered stations. Electricity-to-gas stations, electricity-to-heat stations or similar be. For example, an electrical device 100 could also be a vehicle charging station for electric vehicles.

In summary, electrical devices according to embodiments of the present invention may include a plurality of power loads. A control unit of this electrical device can be configured to set its power consumption (independently of the power consumption of the other power loads of the plurality of power loads) for each of the plurality of power loads depending on the parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101. Examples of such different power loads For example, the different heating zones of the electric cooking device 213 or the heating coil, the water pump and the drive for the spin of the washing machine 21 may be 1. Furthermore, an electrical device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can also have at least one non-settable current load whose power consumption can not be set by means of the control unit of this electrical device. An example of this could be, for example, the water pump of the washing machine 211 or an emergency lighting.

Furthermore, power loads can be assigned to different classification types or of different classification types. For example, a first power load of a plurality of power loads may be of a first classification type and at least a second power load of a second classification type. A control unit that controls power consumption of these power loads may be configured to reduce the power consumption of the first power load and the power consumption of the second power load depending on their respective types of classification in response to the same change in the parameter of the infrastructure power network. For example, power consumption of the first power load of the first classification type is allowed to be reduced (in percentage) more than power consumption of the second power load of the second classification type.

The time and date can be used as additional reference variable for the self-regulation. A map depicting daytime and seasonal network load characteristics may refine the self-regulatory capability of the electrical device. It also seems feasible. to implement a technical learning capability in the consumer facilities, with the aid of which the network load profiles occurring at the place of power consumption are used for the optimization of the self-regulation according to time and date. If an on-site utility adopts power handling facilities in its day-to-day running for its own purposes and incorporates it into its self-control, there is no conflict with data transmission, evaluation. - storage by a "grid company" in the context of legal systems. remain non-transparent. As the sole reference variable, the operator's consent remains that his electricity consumption facility carries out a self-regulation oriented towards the common good. This consent is made simply by commissioning the electrical device with public interest oriented control, because the buyer of the electrical device will only acquire the public interest oriented control if he wants to use it.

In other words, in further exemplary embodiments, a control unit may be configured to adjust the power consumption of one or more power loads as a function of a current date and / or a current time. The current date and / or the current time can be combined with the parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101. Thus, for example, the washing machine 211 can postpone a start of a washing process if a sharp increase in the power consumption and thus the load in the infrastructure power grid 101 is to be expected in the next hour. Furthermore, a control unit 105 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can also have a memory for storing statistics about previous fluctuation of the parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101. The control unit 105 may accordingly be designed to further adjust the power consumption in dependence on this stored statistics. Thus, for example, it is made possible that power consumers or power loads 103 are not switched on at all when a high load of the infrastructure power grid 101 is to be expected.

Furthermore, such a control unit 105 may be designed to update the statistics as a function of fluctuations in the parameter of the infrastructure current network 101.

This makes sense, for example, if the infrastructure power grid 101 is further expanded or if capacities in the infrastructure power grid 101 fail for a long time, so that bottlenecks in the infrastructure power grid 101 arise or disappear.

Embodiments of the present invention thus also make it possible to adapt to long-term fluctuations of the infrastructure power grid 101. The Regelkreetechnische loop between power grid 101 and consumer appliances 100 with welfare oriented self-regulation will be dimensioned so that a high stability of the control loop is guaranteed. A reciprocal building up of control behavior of the power supply into the power grid 101 and the self-regulation of the consumer instructions 100 is avoided. On the one hand, this statistic serves the statistics within the plurality of devices 101 or, on the other hand, the dynamics of the control behavior of the power generation compared with the dynamics of the control behavior of the consumers and possibly the hysteresis of the respective control behavior. In the following FIGS. 3 to 6, exemplary implementations of the electrical device 100, as shown in FIG. 1, are described in each case.

FIG. 3 generally depicts an exemplary implementation of the electrical device 100. In the common good electrical utility device 100 shown in FIG. 3, an external switching function is present on the one hand, and internal self-control of the load impedance (eg, the power load 103) of the consuming device 100 an interaction with the load state of the supply power network (the infrastructure power grid 101) received. Therefore, FIG. 3 shows the general case that a public welfare oriented self-control of a power load is performed depending on a parameter of the infrastructure power grid 101.

4 shows a further exemplary implementation of the electrical device 100, in which is shown schematically. in that the reference variable for the self-control of the load impedance (the current load 103) of the consumption device (the electrical device 100) is effected by, for example, either the line frequency or mains voltage parameter (or also based on both), the extent of self-control of the current consumption or current consumption from the classification of the power load 103 or the entire electrical device 100 depends.

The classification is based on considerations regarding the possible or reasonable or safety-compatible change of the load current. Not safety-related It would be useful, for example, if warning signals in traffic, eg at intersections or level crossings, would switch off by self-control depending on the power grid load. It seems unreasonable, if an electric instantaneous water heater for hot water of a shower would completely stop its hot water production in view of a high network load. Reasonable but could be that this water heater regulates its heating capacity in combination with the water flow rate and water temperature so that the showering person is still satisfactorily operated with hot water and at the same time the current drain from the high-voltage power grid 101 is reduced.

Possible and reasonable appears when the nighttime floodlights for illuminating a e.g. in a city self-regulating be turned off by a public interest oriented institution as soon as a high current load of the power grid (the infrastructure power grid 101) is detected. Similarly, it appears possible and reasonable if the shop-window lighting of a department store is minimized in power consumption or switched off by a public interest-oriented control unit as a function of the power grid load.

The classification can also include consumer behavior; i.e. Consumers with a positive awareness of public interest interests can opt for far-reaching reasonableness of control parameters, so that the self-control of the electrical device also minimizes the power consumption at high network load. Analogously applies to consumers with less advocating awareness. that, in addition to the classification, there is a less severe reduction control of the load current at high network load.

5 shows an exemplary implementation of the electrical device 100 with a public interest-oriented self-control by means of two network-dependent reference variables (network frequency and mains voltage). In other words, Fig. 5 schematically indicates that the reference variable for the self-control of the load impedance (the current load 103) of the consumption device (the electrical device 100) by the parameter mains frequency in combination with the parameter mains voltage takes place, the scope of Self-control of the current consumption in turn depends on the classification of the power load 103 (or the electrical device 100 itself).

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary implementation of the electrical device 100 with a public interest-oriented self-control by means of multiple reference variables. 6 therefore shows schematically that the reference variable (the parameter = for the self-control of the load impedance (the current load 103) of the consumption device (the electrical device 100) by either the parameter mains frequency in combination with the parameter mains voltage and other parameters such as date or Time or in a combination of date and time, wherein the extent of self-control of the load impedance (the power load 103) on the classification of the power load 103 (or the electrical device 100 itself) depends.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing, by way of example, operating zones for public interest self-regulation as may be performed in embodiments of the present invention.

On the diagram shown in FIG. 7, the line voltage in volts is plotted on the abscissa (x-axis) and the line frequency in hertz is plotted on the ordinate (y-axis). The diagram in FIG. 7 schematically shows three basic control ranges (1, 2, 3) for the well-being oriented control of the load current of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention or a current load of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The area 1 is to be understood as underloaded operating state of the power supply network 101 or I n irastrukturstromnetzes 101. Thus, the underload can delineate by a state of mains frequency of 50 Hz + deltal Hz tolerance and / or by a mains voltage of 235 V + delta V. The range 2 is characterized by a mains frequency of 50 Hz +/- delta2 Hz tolerance and by a mains voltage of 235 V +/- delta2 V, so that a (locally at the place of consumption) largely balanced optimal technical condition of supply and demand in the infrastructure power network 101 is present. Area 3 is to be understood as a critical current load range, because there a mains frequency of 50 Hz - delta3 Hz tolerance and / or a mains voltage of 235 V - dclta3 V. signal that an overload of the power grid 101 threatens and the risk of a blackout accident with increasing delta3 deviation from optimal state increases. Especially in the operating area 3, the public interest oriented self-regulation of the load current of a corresponding electrical device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In other words, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be designed to reduce the power consumption of their current load 103 when a critical cutoff frequency and / or a critical cutoff voltage are undershot. In general, a reduction in power consumption in stages or continuously, for example, up to complete shutdown of the power load. As soon as the critical cutoff frequency and / or critical cutoff frequency is or is exceeded, the control device 105 of an electrical device 100 can increase the power consumption of the current load 103 of the electrical device 100 again, for example, up to a normal consumption state.

For a sufficient number of consumers with welfare-oriented self-regulation, load-current reductions add up and form a blackout avoidance community without the need for massive structural investment and without the need for data collection, data storage, or data analysis on customers' electricity consumption behavior.

The relations of the deltax tolerances result from the diagram in FIG. 7, so that the delta2 absolute value is smaller than deltal, whereby deltal is open for increasing mains frequencies and increasing mains voltage. The relation of delta3 to delta2 absolute value is to be understood as meaning that delta3 is greater than delta2.

The specified mains voltage of 235 V and mains frequency of 50 Hz are merely exemplary values for the standard system used in Europe with an effective voltage of 235 V for one phase of a three-phase alternating current with a nominal frequency of 50 Hz. Nevertheless, these values are, of course, dependent on the infra-structural network used in each case and can therefore depend on the infra- A structural power network to which the electrical device is connected in accordance with embodiments of the present invention will vary.

In the following, some aspects of embodiments of the present invention will be summarized.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a public welfare oriented self-regulation electrical device that receives power from the power grid, characterized in that the electrical device includes a device-level controller that can control the device's own power load, wherein at least one control parameter of the controller is intrinsic current mains or mains voltage existing in the power supply network and the achievement or falling below of classifiable values of the guide parameter leads to a reduction of the current consumption of the electrical device compared to the unregulated operating state.

Further embodiments of the present invention provide a public-welfare oriented self-regulating electrical device that receives power from the power grid, characterized in that the electrical device includes an on-board control unit that can control the on-board power load, with at least two control parameters of the controller From the intrinsically present in the power grid sizes mains frequency and mains voltage and the achievement or falling below of classifiable values of the management parameters in combinatorial processing leads to a reduction of Stromaufnah- rae of the electrical device compared to the unregulated operating condition leads.

Furthermore, the electrical device may be characterized in that the electrical device comprises a device-oriented control unit with which the device's own current load can be controlled, whereby at least one further control parameter of the controller consists of date or time and the combinatorial processing of values of the guide parameters to one Reduction of the current consumption of the electrical device compared to the unregulated operating state leads. Furthermore, the electrical device may be configured such that the electrical device comprises a device-oriented control unit with which the device-specific current load can be controlled, wherein at least two further control parameters of the controller consist of date and time and the combinatorial processing of values of the guide parameters for a reduction the current consumption of the electrical device compared to the unregulated operating state leads.

Furthermore, the electrical device can be configured such that the electrical device comprises a device-oriented control unit with which the device-specific current load can be controlled, wherein at least one further control parameter of the controller consists of date or time and in the device-near control unit one at the location of the device's operation resulting statistics on fluctuations of the guidance parameters is determined and the combinational processing of values of the guidance parameters and the statistics leads to a reduction of the current consumption of the electrical device compared to the uncontrolled operating state, the statistics being based on a master parameter value collection held in at least one local data memory locally close to the device can be generated in the control unit.

Furthermore, the electrical device can be designed such that the classifiable values of the guidance parameters follow the general interest needs of maintaining a functioning power supply in graduated measures of the power consumption control, so that a control-technical balance between the reasonable for the user of the device reduction of power consumption and the load situation in the Power supply is made or the safety-related permissibility of reducing the power consumption is taken into account, with the graduated measures of the power consumption control can gradually extend to complete shutdown.

Furthermore, the electrical device can be designed so that the classifiable values of the guidance parameters follow the principle of maintaining a functioning power supply in graduated measures of the power consumption control, so that a control-technical balance between that reasonable for the user of the device Reduction of power consumption and the load situation in the power grid is made and the safety - technical admissibility of reducing the Current consumption is taken into account, the graduated measures of power consumption control can gradually extend to the complete shutdown of the electrical device. FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a method 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method 800 comprises a step 801 of setting a power consumption of a power load as a function of at least one parameter of an infrastructure power network.

Further, the method may include a step 803 of receiving an AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power network. The parameter as a function of which the current load is set can, for example, be a parameter whose change results intrinsically (or inherently) from a change in the grid load of the infrastructure power grid. For example, this parameter may be a mains frequency or a mains voltage of the provided AC voltage or else a combination of the mains voltage and the mains frequency of the AC voltage. Although some aspects have been described in the context of a device, it will be understood that these aspects also constitute a description of the corresponding method, so that a block or a component of a device is also to be understood as a corresponding method step or as a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in connection with or as a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or detail or feature of a corresponding device.

Depending on particular implementation requirements, embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware or in software. The implementation may be performed using a digital storage medium, such as a floppy disk, a DVD, a Blu-ray Disc, a CD. a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an E-EPROM or a FLASH memory, a hard disk or other magnetic or optical memory are stored on the electronically readable control signals that can interact with a programmable computer system such or work together to carry out the respective procedure. Of- In some cases, the digital storage medium can be computer-compatible. Thus, some embodiments according to the invention include a data carrier having electronically readable control signals capable of interacting with a programmable computer system such that one of the methods described herein is performed.

In general, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product having a program code, wherein the program code is operable to perform one of the methods when the computer program product runs on a computer. The program code can also be stored, for example, on a machine-readable carrier.

Other embodiments include the computer program for performing any of the methods described herein, wherein the computer program is stored on a machine-readable medium.

In other words, an embodiment of the method according to the invention is thus a computer program which has a program code for performing one of the methods described herein when the computer program runs on a computer. A further embodiment of the inventive method is thus a data carrier (or a digital storage medium or a computer-readable medium) on which the computer program is recorded for carrying out one of the methods described herein.

A further exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention is thus a data stream or a sequence of signals which represents or represents the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data stream or the sequence of signals may be configured, for example, to be transferred via a data communication connection, for example via the Internet.

Another embodiment includes a processing device, such as a computer or a generic logic device, that is configured or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein. Another embodiment includes a computer on which the computer program is installed to perform one of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (eg, a field programmable gate array, an FPGA) may be used to perform some or all of the functionality of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. Generally, in some embodiments, the methods are performed by any hardware device. This may be a universal hardware such as a computer processor (CPU) or hardware specific to the process, such as an ASIC.

The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It will be understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to others of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and not by the specific details presented in the description and explanation of the embodiments herein.

Claims

claims

An electrical device (100, 21 1, 213. 215) for connection to an infrastructure power network (101), comprising: a power load (103); and a control unit (105); wherein the control unit (105) is adapted to adjust a power consumption of the power load (103) in dependence on at least one parameter of the infrastructure power network (101).

An electrical device (100, 21, 213, 215) according to claim 1, wherein the infrastructure power network (101) provides an AC voltage, and the control unit (105) is adapted to use the current load (103) as a function of at least one parameter to adjust the AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power network (101).

3. Electrical device (100, 21 1, 213, 215) according to claim 2, wherein the parameter of the AC voltage is a frequency or a voltage of the AC voltage.

4. Electrical device (100 21 1, 213, 215) according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the Steuerangseinheit (105) is adapted to the power consumption of the current load when falling below a cutoff frequency or a threshold voltage of the supplied AC voltage (103). to be reduced compared to a normal consumption state.

5. Electrical device (100 211 213 215) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit (105) is adapted to adjust the power consumption of the power load (103) independently of a data signal modulated onto a supply voltage provided by the infrastructure power network (101).

Electrical device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a change in the parameter in dependence on the control unit (105) adjusts the power consumption of the power load (103) results intrinsically from a change in a load of the infrastructure power network (101).

Electrical device (100, 21 1, 213, 215) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electrical device (100, 21 1, 213, 215) is designed to be connected in a wired manner to the infrastructure power network (101).

An electrical device (100, 211, 213, 215) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a plug (217, 219, 221) for connecting the electrical device (100, 21, 213, 215) to the I n frastructural current (101).

An electrical device (100, 21 1, 213, 215) according to claim 8, wherein the plug (217, 219, 221) is a power plug of one of the following connector types:

A, B, C.D. E, F.E. + F, G.H.I. J.L.M., IEC 60906-1.

10. Electrical device (100 21 21 213, 215) according to one of claims 1 to 9. wherein the control unit (105) is formed. in order to further adjust the power consumption of the power load (103) depending on a current date or time.

11. The electrical device (100, 21 1, 213) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the electrical device (100, 21 1, 213, 215) has a plurality of current loads (103); and wherein the control unit (105) is designed to determine, for each of the plurality of power loads (103), their power consumption independently of the power consumption of the other power loads (103) of the plurality of power loads (103), but depending on the parameter of the infrastructure power grid (101). adjust.

12. The electrical device (100, 211) of claim 1 1, wherein at least a first power load of the plurality of power loads is of a first classification type and at least a second power load of the plurality of power loads is of a second classification type; and wherein the control unit (105) is adapted to adjust the power consumption of the first power load and the power consumption of the second power load depending on their respective classification type in response to the same change in the parameter of the infrastructure power network (101).

13. Electrical device (100, 21 1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the electrical device (100, 21 1) further comprises at least one nichtcinstellba- re current load whose power consumption is not adjustable by means of the control unit (105).

14. Electrical device according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the control unit (105) has a memory for storing statistics about previous variations in the parameter of the infrastructure power network (101); and wherein the control unit (105) is formed. to further adjust the power consumption of the load (103) depending on the stored statistics.

The electrical device (100) of claim 14, wherein the control unit (105) is adapted to update the statistics in response to current variations in the parameter of the infrastructure power network (101).

16. Electrical device (100, 211, 213, 215) according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the control unit (105) is adapted to the power consumption of the power load (103) in dependence on the parameter of the infrastructure power network (101) stepwise or continuously reduce, up to a complete shutdown of the load (103).

17. Electrical device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the current load (103) has an energy store; and wherein the control unit (105) is designed to set a charging current of the energy store in dependence on the parameter of the infrastructure power grid (101).

18. Method (800) with:

Adjusting (801) a power consumption of a power load (103) in dependence on at least one parameter of an infrastructure power network (101). The method (800) of claim 18, further comprising:

Receiving (803) an AC voltage provided by the infrastructure power network (101); and wherein a change in the parameter in dependence on which the power consumption of the power load (103) is adjusted results intrinsically from a change of a load of the infrastructure power grid (101). A computer program having program code for execution when the program is run on a computer, a method according to any one of claims 18 or 19.