Method and system of phase identification
View Patent ↗Described herein are embodiments of methods and systems of phase identification. One embodiment of the method comprises adjusting one or more operational characteristics of an electrical device; receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device; correlating the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device; and identifying the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.
1. A method comprising:
adjusting one or more operational characteristics of an electrical device;
receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device;
correlating the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device; and
identifying the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the identified one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device to an electric meter associated with the electrical device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device are adjusted using one or more of a demand response management system (DRMS), an advanced metering infrastructures (AMI) system, or an Internet connection.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises causing the electrical device to draw higher current or operate at a higher voltage than its normal operating state or comprises causing the electrical device to draw lower current or operate at a lower voltage than its normal operating state.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises cycling the electrical device on and off.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises adjusting the operational characteristics of one or more of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, a water heater, lighting, a dish washer, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, an electric stove or oven, or a microwave oven.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises adjusting the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device in a cyclic or repetitive pattern such that at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device is affected by the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device and the at least one affected electrical parameter can be detected.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device is performed during off-peak hours for the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the off-peak hours for the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device are between 12:00 midnight and 4:00 a.m., local to a location of the electrical device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving information about changes in at least one of voltage, current, resistance, frequency, capacitance, inductance, power factor, real power or reactive power of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving information from a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter detected using a fast-Fourier transform (FFT) to detect the affected electrical parameters.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving information from a distribution management system (DMS).
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving a respective phase identifier for each of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system where a change in at least one electrical parameter is detected.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein correlating the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises detecting changes in at least one of voltage, current, resistance, frequency, capacitance, inductance, power factor, real power or reactive power of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device, wherein the detected changes can be correlated with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises identifying the one or more phases of a three-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the three-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.
17. A system comprised of:
a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
cause a signal to be transmitted to adjust one or more operational characteristics of an electrical device;
receive information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device;
correlate the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device; and
identify the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.
18. The system of claim 17 , further comprised of a database stored on a memory, wherein the processor is configured to associate the identified one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device to an electric meter identifier that identifies an electric meter used to meter electric energy consumption of the electrical device and store the identified one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system and the electric meter identifier in the database.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the signal to adjust the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device is transmitted via one or more of a demand response management system (DRMS), an advanced metering infrastructures (AMI) system, or an Internet connection.
20. The system of claim 17 further comprising an electrical device control, wherein the transmitted signal to adjust the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises causing the electrical device control to cause the electrical device to draw higher current or operate at a higher voltage than its normal operating state or comprises causing the electrical device to draw lower current or operate at a lower voltage than its normal operating state.
21. The system of claim 17 further comprising an electrical device control, wherein the transmitted signal to adjust the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises causing the electrical device control to cycle the electrical device on and off.
22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the electrical device comprises one or more of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, a water heater, lighting, a dish washer, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, an electric stove or oven, or a microwave oven.
23. The system of claim 17 , further comprising an electrical device control, wherein the transmitted signal to adjust the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises causing the electrical device control to adjust the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device in a cyclic or repetitive pattern such that at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device is affected by the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device and the at least one affected electrical parameter can be detected.
24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the signal to adjust the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device during off-peak hours for the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the off-peak hours for the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device are between 12:00 midnight and 4:00 a.m., local to a location of the electrical device.
26. The system of claim 17 , wherein changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises changes in at least one of voltage, current, resistance, frequency, capacitance, inductance, power factor, real power or reactive power of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device.
27. The system of claim 17 further comprising a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, wherein information about changes in the at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device is received from the SCADA system.
28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the SCADA system further comprises a SCADA processor and receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter detected using a fast-Fourier transform (FFT) executing on the SCADA processor to detect the affected electrical parameters.
29. The system of claim 17 further comprising a distribution management system (DMS), wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving information from the DMS.
30. The system of claim 17 , wherein receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device comprises receiving a respective phase identifier for each of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system where a change in at least one electrical parameter is detected.
31. The system of claim 17 , wherein correlating the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises detecting changes in at least one of voltage, current, resistance, frequency, capacitance, inductance, power factor, real power or reactive power of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device, wherein the detected changes can be correlated with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.
32. The system of claim 17 , wherein identifying the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device comprises identifying the one or more phases of a three-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the three-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device.