NL1024393C2 - Method is for limiting gas usage in at least a part of a gas distribution network, to which several gas user units are connected - Google Patents

Abstract

The method is for limiting gas usage in at least a part of a gas distribution network, to which several gas user units are connected. By means of a control system, usage is limited of at least a part of the gas user units (10) and a regulating system (2) is provided for application of the method. At least some of the user units are provided with remotely controllable regulating devices of gas usage of the units. The regulating system incorporates a control system (6) which determines a maximum desirable gas usage for the individual user units.

Description

-1- · '· Λ λ METHOD FOR LIMITING GAS CONSUMPTION 5

The invention relates to a method for limiting gas consumption in at least a part of a gas distribution network, to which a plurality of gas consumption devices are connected.

Gas, in particular natural gas, is used as an energy source in many places in households and in an industrial environment. As a rule, the gas is supplied by one or more distribution companies at the site of use via a system of pumps, pipes, valves and measuring and control equipment, hereinafter referred to as a gas distribution network or network for short. Several, often even a very large number of gas appliances are connected to this network.

The amount of gas that must be supplied to the network at any time depends on the total demand of the connected devices. As a rule, this demand varies considerably over time. As a rule, demand is significantly smaller at night than during the day and higher in the winter than in the summer. In addition, shorter peak loads also occur, for example around the hour at the end of the working day, when the heating is switched on at about the same time in many homes.

The occurrence of such peaks requires that the capacity of the network must be sufficient to also supply the requested amount of gas during the periods of high demand. This entails additional costs, while use is made of the applied maximum capacity for only a very limited part of the time.

Therefore, means are being sought to avoid such peak loads or at least to reduce the height of the peaks occurring and to distribute the amount of gas consumption more evenly over time, in particular over the day.

The object of the invention is now to provide a means for reducing consumption peaks in a gas distribution network, to which several devices are connected.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the method comprises limiting the consumption of at least a part of the gas consumption devices connected to the network by means of a control system.

By, in the event of an identified or expected sudden 1024393

I - 2 - I

I I

Significant increase in gas consumption in a network of a suitable number

I devices to limit gas consumption to a certain maximum becomes the peak value I

I is limited and can be connected with a network with a smaller maximum capacity

I will suffice if the peak value cannot be limited. This advantage works I

I 5 also by further up the supply and extraction chain. I

I In order to limit the consumption of a gas appliance, I

The device has controllable means for controlling the I

I gas consumption. Such means are generally present in the known devices in order to I

I to adjust gas consumption to the demand of the user, for home heating I

For example in the form of the usual control thermostat and a thereby

I controlled gas valve. I

I The steering system is operated and managed by the gas distributor I

I and will as a rule be located in one place centrally in the network. The steering system I

I is arranged for, in relation to a maximum total I desired at any time

I 15 gas consumption, determining a desired maximum gas consumption for the individual I

I appliances or of a group of appliances together and for controlling I

I of the remotely controllable resources of the gas appliances in question. I

I The control system will generally comprise a central control unit. I

The central unit can be a central computer which itself is the individual I

I controls 20 appliances. It is also conceivable that the control system has the shape of I

I a distributed computer network, the central control unit in connection I

I stands with a number of local control units, which in turn are a group I

I control devices, for example the devices in a sub-area of the network. I

I A subarea can be both a geographic subarea and a functional I

I sub-area, for example a group of similar users. This makes the total I

I steering system more robust and flexible because the local, possibly decentralized, I

I units also autonomously based on I in the event of a failure or malfunction of the central control unit

I of, for example, standard settings can continue to work. I

The central unit determines I, among other things

30 historical data on gas consumption and expected weather conditions

I expect gas consumption and determine if and to what extent the total gas consumption in the I

I network must be limited. It can then be determined, in particular I

I also based on agreements made with customers, which devices In which I

I degree in their gas consumption must be limited. The required control signals I

I 35 can then be broadcast, depending on the set-up of the central I

I 1024393 control unit, directly to the individual devices to be limited or indirectly via the decentralized units. In the latter case, only a total permissible consumption can be transmitted for a part of the network, from which the decentralized units themselves then calculate the limits in the area covered by their coverage and pass it on to the individual consuming devices.

In order to be suitable for use in the method according to the invention, the controllable means must also be controllable remotely, since they must all be capable of being controlled from a central unit. For this purpose, a receiving unit may be present in the device which is tuned to signals transmitted by the central unit. These signals must in any case meet the requirement that they carry a sufficiently large distance to cover the entire network. Suitable examples are radio frequency signals and in particular GSM signals. Wired or wireless connections can also be made and maintained via the Internet. If the control system is designed to be distributed, the capacity of the decentralized units can be smaller if these units are suitably distributed over the geography of the network.

Suitable components of the devices for remote control and the associated parameters are, for example, the gas valve and its position, the boiler temperature, the fan and the speed. The speed of the fan can be used to determine the gas consumption because the speed is proportional to the gas consumption. Gas consumption is also influenced by influencing the speed of the fan. This makes it possible to limit the capacity of the boiler.

By controlling from the control system, the supplier of the gas immediately intervenes in the consumption behavior of the user of a device connected to the network. This is preferably done at times of an expected sharp increase in gas consumption, with which the actually occurring peak value will then be lower than without this intervention. This control will as a rule take place in consultation and with the knowledge of the user who can anticipate this by already switching on his device or having it switched on, for instance by sometime before his return home, prior to the moment when his use is to be limited. have home heating switched on so that at the moment that the boundary starts, the temperature does not have to be brought to the desired level but only needs to be kept there. The latter requires significantly less energy than heating itself. As a compensating advantage for the 1024393

if the customer agrees with the aforementioned limit, the supplier may use the gas I

deliver at a more favorable rate than to customers who want to be able to be able to do it any time I

have any desired amount of gas. I

The invention also relates to a control system, suitable, I

5 for carrying out the method according to the invention and thus relates to a

control system for limiting gas consumption in at least a part of an I

gas distribution network, which system comprises several gas consumption devices, which are I

connected to the gas distribution network and of which at least a part is provided I

of remotely controllable means for controlling the gas consumption of the I

Device, and which also comprises at least one central control unit provided with I

means for controlling the remotely controllable means of the I

gas appliances. The further and preferred embodiments of in particular the I

control system have already been indicated above I

The invention will be elucidated with reference to the following

15 drawings. FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a distributed I

control system according to the invention; and I

FIG. 2 a schematic representation of a gas appliance, suitable I

for use in the method according to the invention. I

In FIG. 1 is 2 a central control unit via fixed or wireless I

Connections 4 is connected to a number decentrally in the vicinity of a number I

local control units installed on consumer appliances 6. These local control units I

take care of each, in this case via wireless connections 8 communication system the I

communication with and control of a the consumer appliances in a by the local I

unit covered area 10. I

FIG. 2, 212 sets a consuming device, for example an I

heating boiler, front, provided with a fan 214 for supplying I

combustion air. The control of the fan is in this case disconnected from the I

measuring and control equipment of the rest of the consumer appliance and the

signals and measured values generated by equipment, collectively symbolized by I

Signal connection 216 are supplied to an intelligent processing unit I

218. This connection is bi-directional, so that the processing unit can also use it if necessary

appliance can control boiler or bring it to a safe state. I

The processing unit 218 is via wireless connection, in this case I

In this case, a GSM connection, 220 in contact with a local control unit as in FIG. 1 I

35 is designated by 8. The connection can also be established via the Internet, for example

1024393 I

-5- brought and maintained connection. The processing unit 218 is also in communication with the fan 214 via a bi-directional signal connection 222 and can thus process the instructions received via the connection 220 from a local control unit (not shown) into the associated control signals for the desired setting of the boiler and the fan and transmit it via signal connections 216 and 222.

1024393

Claims (6)

Method for limiting gas consumption in at least a part of a gas distribution network, to which a plurality of gas consumption devices are connected, comprising limiting the consumption of at least a part of the gas consumption devices by means of a control system. I 2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the consumption of at least a part I I of the consumption devices is limited by controlling the speed I I of a fan present in the device for supplying I I 10 combustion air I 3. Control system for limiting gas consumption in at least part II of a gas distribution network, comprising a plurality of gas consumption devices, II connected to the gas distribution network and at least one II part of which is provided with remotely controllable means for controlling II 15 the gas consumption of the device, and also comprising a control system II adapted to determine a desired maximum gas consumption for the II individual consumption devices or of a group of consumption devices together II and for controlling the remotely controllable means of the II concerning gas consumption devices. I 20 A control system according to claim 3, wherein the control system comprises a central control unit which controls the individual consuming devices. I Control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control system comprises a central control unit and local control units connected thereto, wherein the local control units each control a group of consuming devices. I 25 Control system as claimed in any of the claims 3-5, wherein the control of the I-I appliances takes place via a GSM connection or via an I-I Internet connection. I 1024393 I