WO2015188854A1

WO2015188854A1 - Method for the energy-saving operation of an elevator-system

Info

Publication number: WO2015188854A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/062048
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marja-Liisa Siikonen; Janne Sorsa; Antti Kallioniemi; Mirko RUOKOKOSKI; Ilpo Haipus
Original assignee: Kone Corporation
Priority date: 2014-06-10
Filing date: 2014-06-10
Publication date: 2015-12-17

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of operation of an elevator system comprising an elevator controller for controlling at least one elevator car, the power consumption of which operation is diminished by realizing a stand-by-mode for a number of devices of the elevator system, characterized in that a stand-by-mode is assessed by the elevator controller for each device independently to consecutively switch said devices into the stand-by-mode.

Description

METHOD FOR THE ENERGY-SAVI NG OPERATION OF AN ELEVATOR-SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE I NVENTION

The invention deals with a method for an energy-saving operation of an elevator system.

BACKGROU N D OF THE I NVENTION

Elevators can be a weighty power consumer in a bu i ld ing. The overal l efficiency of an elevator system is composed of the two main interests, namely the energy consumption during the use of the elevator car and a stand-by power consumption - and for both situations there is a desire to reduce the respective power consumption without losing too much of the usabi l ity of the elevator.

A stand-by mode is specific for each elevator whether "in use" or "out of use". For example, document US 201 20431 65 A1 deals with a stand-by mode with in an in- use-situation, mean ing after a person has entered the car and has selected a floor to be brought to by means of a Destination Operating Panel (DOP). The elevator- system then calcu lates the degree of capacity of uti l isation and if coming to the concl usion that said degree is undercut, the door wi l l then be kept open a longer time-period to maintain the possibi l ity that further people can enter the car. Th is leads to that the car is not runn ing two times for the two persons. Thus, th is standby-mode is referenced to an "in-use"-situation.

On the other hand, it is also known in prior art to switch the Destination Operating Panel (DOP) into a stand-by mode after a defined time delay lapsed or after last cal l registration has been noticed - mean ing in th is respect a stand-by mode in an "out-of-use"-situation when the car is in standsti l l and no user is present to use the elevator. AIM OF THE I NVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a method for operating an elevator system with which the energy consumption of an elevator system can be more reduced wh i le at the same time the usabi l ity of the elevator is maintained.

SUMMARY OF THE I NVENTION

The object is ach ieved by a method as d isclosed in claim 1 .

The invention basical ly means an operation of an elevator system comprising an elevator control ler for control l ing at least one elevator car, the power consumption of wh ich operation is dim in ished by real izing a stand-by-mode for a number of devices of the elevator system, wherein a stand-by-mode is assessed by the elevator control ler for each device independently to consecutively switch said devices into a stand-by-mode. The stand-by-mode meant therewith thus encompasses the energy consumption of several devices incl ud ing also the signal ization-devices or the cal l-giving devices of the elevator system located at any floor of the bui ld ing. Any stand-by-mode of each device is defined by the invention to encompass a runn ing mode as the in-use-operation, and also an out- of-use operation, respectively. Whi le the running mode enables a maximum power consumption of 1 00%, ( = max-val ue of power consumption) for each special device, the out-of-use power consumption can be d imin ished to be nearly 1 % and below of the max-val ue. The stand-by-mode thus can mean a power saving between 1 and 1 00% of the normal runn ing mode either steplessly variable or in a stepwise manner.

Main idea of the invention is in other words to adapt the stand-by-mode for several separate devices of the elevator-system in dependency of the traffic situation, respectively and to apply the traffic situation for the several elevator devices independently. I n other words, a control ler assesses for each device whether or not it is needed to real ize a specific operation-demand com ing from a user. Based on the traffic situation cal l-giving and other signal ization devices are switched into their respective stand-by mode.

The switch ing itself can be real ized in a stepwise manner from the fu l l-power consumption into the above defined stand-by mode. Such process of consecutively hand l ing said number of stand-by-modes is accompl ished by the elevator control .

The traffic situation can be an estimated one created as a computer-model by the elevator control ler, or it alternatively can be the real prevai l ing traffic situation, being perceivable by sensors or cameras of the elevator system. Approaching passengers can be detected and the closest device (DOP, etc) to the approaching passenger is switched on then. Also statistics can be used to confirm wh ich DOP or devices are at th is time of day usual ly on and shou ld now be switched on. Of course, both these configurations of computer-model led traffic and real-traffic can be combined, mean ing that a computer model can support and replen ish the information com ing from real-traffic-sensors, or vice versa.

Devices wh ich are used most frequently according to traffic statistics are switched on first. Statistics of the dai ly use is done device per device. Accord ing to an embodiment, each device is switched off if it is not in use at the moment and accord ing to the statistics wi l l not be used with in a defined time period at this time of day. In case there is a so-cal led dynam ic zoning, meaning to be able to switch floors of the bui ld ing into locked zones in wh ich cond ition an access to the elevator is locked then, this information is transferred into the elevator control ler. The latter makes use of th is information as part of the traffic situation and sets respective devices into the stand-by mode, respectively. The traffic statistics col lected contain cal ls/floors/DOP and/or traffic intensities/floors incl ud ing time of the day(s) statistic data, for example in 1 5 m in increments.

The invention provides the advantage that energy saving is improved by the standby control and even the devices get a longer l ife-time. The signal ization devices are not switched on or to a sleeping mode at once, but one by one accord ing to the use. During l ight traffic some of the devices are in operation al l the time, but most of them can be in stand-by mode.

Claims

1 . Method of operation of an elevator system comprising an elevator control ler for control l ing at least one elevator car, the power consumption of wh ich operation is d imin ished by real izing a stand-by-mode for a number of devices of the elevator system, characterized in that a stand-by-mode is assessed by the elevator control ler for each device independently to consecutively switch said devices into the stand-by-mode.

2. Method of operation accord ing to claim 1 ,

characterised in that there is a stand-by-mode of an in-use-operation of the elevator and an out-of-use-operation.