MULTI-NODE ELECTRICAL POWER MONITORING, ANALYSIS, AND RELATED SERVICES

摘要

The operation of electrical appliances receiving electrical power from an electrical system may be indirectly monitored using monitoring units engaged with outlets on branch circuits of the electrical system. Electrical systems providing power to appliances to be monitored in accordance with the present invention may comprise split phase alternating current systems, tri-phase systems, or any other type of electrical system. Known loads may be applied to calibrate the monitoring system. The monitoring system may measure the power consumption of appliances operating on the electrical system and/or detect possible fault conditions. The application of a known load to each phase of the electrical system for calibration permits different portions of the electrical system to be isolated and, therefor, provides improved accuracy in monitoring power consumption and detection of potential fault conditions.

主权项

1. A method for monitoring electrical appliances drawing power from a an electrical system having multiple phases, the method comprising:
engaging at least two monitoring units with different outlets of an electrical system, the different outlets being on different phases of the electrical system; at a first monitoring unit of the at least two monitoring units, applying a first calibration load having known electrical properties in a predetermined fashion during a first time frame; at a second monitoring unit of the at least two monitoring units, applying a second calibration load having known electrical properties in a predetermined fashion during a second time frame, the second time frame not being coincident with the first time frame; during the first time frame, measuring the variation in voltage in response to the application of the first calibration load at both the first monitoring unit and at the second monitoring unit to provide a first set of calibration measurements; during the second time frame, measuring the variation in the voltage in response to the application of the second calibration load at both the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit to provide a second set of calibration measurements; at a first plurality of time frames not coincident with either of the first time frame and the second time frame, measuring the voltage at both the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit to detect changes in voltage due to an application of an electrical load other than the first calibration load and the second calibration load, the resulting variations in voltage measurements comprising at least a first set of voltage change measurements corresponding to a time when an electrical appliance engaged with an outlet of the electrical system was operational; using the first set of calibration measurements, the second set of calibration measurements, and the first set of voltage change measurements, calculating the power consumed by the electrical appliance by excluding voltage changes occurring outside of the phases of the electrical system; and outputting the power consumed by the electrical appliance in a perceivable form.