DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANAGING THE ELECTRICAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF A SET OF PASSENGER TRANSPORT VEHICLES

Abstract

A device for managing the electrical energy consumption of a set of passenger transport vehicles comprises: —means for receiving a set of consumption information representative of the electrical energy consumed at a given time by the vehicles, —means for determining an overall consumption, from the consumption information received, and —means for generating a set of commands intended respectively for a subset of vehicles selected from among the vehicles of the set according to the service status thereof, the commands being generated to modify the operation of at least one air conditioning system of the vehicles so as to reduce the value of the determined overall consumption to a predefined value. The invention is applicable in passenger transport vehicles powered by an electrical network, such as rail transport vehicles, for example trains, subways, trams, trolleybuses, etc.

Claims

1. A management device for managing electrical energy consumption of a first set of vehicles, the management device comprising: one or more processors configured to receive a second set of consumption information representing electrical energy consumed at a given instant by the vehicles of the set, the one or more processors also configured to determine an overall consumption at a given instant, from the second set of the consumption information that is received, the one or more processors also configured to generate a third set of commands respectively provided for a subset of the vehicles selected from the first set of the vehicles according to a state of use, the commands being generated to modify operation of at least one air conditioning system of the vehicles of the subset so as to reduce a value of the overall consumption that is determined to a predefined value.

2. The management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors also are configured to send a request for reduction of the electrical energy that is consumed to the vehicles of the first set, the one or more processors configured to receive the consumption information in response to sending of the reduction request.

3. The management device of claim 1, wherein the subset of the vehicles comprises one or more of the vehicles that are in passive use or in active use.

4. The management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to select the vehicles of the subset of the vehicles according to information on a temperature of at least one cabin of the vehicles.

5. The management device of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify a first group of the vehicles and a second group of the vehicles from among the subset of the vehicles, the first group comprising one or more of the vehicles that are in a passive state of use, the second group of the vehicles comprising one or more of the vehicles in an active state of use and in which the information on the temperature of the at least one cabin indicates that a setpoint temperature has been reached.

6. The management device of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a second group of commands for reduction of an activation profile of the at least one air conditioning system provided for the first group of the vehicles such that a gap between the temperature of the at least one cabin of the vehicles and the setpoint temperature has a first predefined value, the one or more processors configured to generate a third group of commands for reduction of the activation profile of the at least one air conditioning system provided for the second group of vehicles, such that the gap between the temperature of the at least one cabin of the vehicles and the setpoint temperature has a second predefined value that is less than the first predefined value.

7. The management device of claim 4, wherein the temperature of the at least one cabin comprises a measured temperature that is measured in the at least one cabin or a parameter indicating that a setpoint temperature has been reached in the at least one cabin.

8. The management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are disposed on ground.

9. A management system comprising: the management device of claim 1; and local control devices respectively associated with air conditioning systems on board the vehicles, each of the local control devices configured to measure and send consumption information to the management device that represents the electrical energy consumed at a given instant by the respective air conditioning system of the air conditioning systems.

10. A method comprising: receiving a first set of consumption information representing electrical energy consumed at a given instant by vehicles in a second set; determining an overall consumption at a given instant from the first set of consumption information that is received; and generating a third set of commands provided respectively for a subset of the vehicles selected from the vehicles of the second set according to a state of use of the vehicles, the commands generated to modify operation of air conditioning systems of the vehicles of the subset so as to reduce the overall consumption value to a predefined value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: transmitting a request for reducing the electrical energy consumption to the vehicles of the second set, wherein the first set of the consumption information is received in response to transmission of the request.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicles of the subset are selected if the vehicles are in passive use or in active use.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicles of a subset of vehicles are selected according to information on a temperature of at least one cabin of the vehicles of the second set.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: identifying a first group of the vehicles and a second group of the vehicles from among the subset of the vehicles, the first group comprising the vehicles that are in a passive state of use and the second group of the vehicles comprising the vehicles in an active state of use and in which the temperature of the at least one cabin indicates that a setpoint temperature has been reached.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the third set of commands comprises generating a first group of commands and a second group of commands for reduction of an activation profile of an air conditioning system provided for the first group of the vehicles, the first group of commands generated such that a gap between the temperature of the vehicles in the first group and a setpoint temperature has a first predefined value, the second group of commands for reduction of the activation profile of the air conditioning system provided for the second group of the vehicles such that the gap between the temperature of the vehicles in the second group and the setpoint temperature has a second predefined value that is less than the first predefined value.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the temperature of the at least one cabin comprises a measured temperature that is measured in the at least one cabin of the vehicles of the second set or a parameter indicating that a setpoint temperature has been reached in the at least one cabin of the vehicles of the second set.

17. A set of vehicles, wherein each of the vehicles comprises at least one air conditioning system and an associated local control device, and wherein an electricity consumption of a set of the vehicles is managed by the management device in accordance with claim 1 implementing the method in accordance with claim 10.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] In the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example:

[0063] FIG. 1 is a diagram diagrammatically illustrating the context of use of the electrical energy consumption management device in accordance with an embodiment,

[0064] FIG. 2 illustrates steps for a management method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and

[0065] FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a management device according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The invention finds an application in the field of passenger transport vehicles supplied by an electricity network, in particular in rail transport vehicles, whether they be dedicated to traveling long distances or short distances, such as vehicles for urban rail transport, for example such as subways and tramways.

[0067] The invention applies in particular to a fleet or set of passenger transport vehicles, each vehicle comprising at least one air conditioning system.

[0068] In general, a rail type passenger transport vehicle is equipped with several air conditioning systems. The air conditions of each cabin of the passenger transport vehicle are regulated by an air conditioning system. For example, in a rail vehicle, each wagon has an air conditioning system regulating its own air conditions. In other examples, a same air conditioning system can regulate the air conditions of several vehicles.

[0069] In the interest of simplicity, it is considered in this document that each passenger transport vehicle of a fleet of vehicles comprises a single air conditioning system. Nevertheless, as indicated above, a vehicle may comprise several air conditioning systems. For example, a vehicle could comprise as many air conditioning systems as cabins.

[0070] Therefore, in what follows, an air conditioning system of a vehicle refers to an air conditioning system associated with at least one vehicle cabin. Furthermore, the temperature of a vehicle refers to the temperature of at least one cabin of the vehicle.

[0071] FIG. 1 represents the context of use of an electrical energy consumption management device 10 of a fleet or set of passenger transport vehicles 20.

[0072] In the embodiment shown the electrical energy consumption management device 10 is placed on the ground. In other embodiments, the management device may be on board a passenger transport vehicle of the fleet of vehicles.

[0073] The consumption management device 10 comprises one or more servers comprising the means necessary for the implementation of the electrical energy management methods which will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0074] The electrical energy consumption management device 10 comprises communication means for communicating with servers of the company 30 managing the electricity network 40, as well as with the passenger transport vehicles of the fleet 20.

[0075] In certain situations, for example when the electrical energy consumption of the set of electricity consumers 50 is greater than the forecasts of a given moment, the company 30 managing the electricity network 40 issues an instruction for load-shedding or load management to the electricity consumers 50.

[0076] In particular, the management company 30 instructs each electricity consumer 50 to make the energy consumption have a predefined value.

[0077] The electrical energy consumption management device 10 receiving this instruction from the management company 30, implements an electrical energy consumption management method to implement, if possible, the instructed load management.

[0078] In the case of a fleet of passenger transport vehicles, the management company 30 of the electricity network 40 instructs the company exploiting the fleet of vehicles 20 to reduce the consumption of the fleet to a predefined consumption value.

[0079] In one embodiment, local control devices are placed on board the passenger transport vehicles. These local control devices are respectively associated with air conditioning systems (not shown). Each local control device is configured to measure the electricity consumption of the associated air conditioning system, and to send it to the management device 10.

[0080] These local control devices comprise conventional means for measuring the electrical energy consumption and do not need to be described here.

[0081] For example, the electrical energy consumption is measured by monitoring the activation cycles of the actuators (or contactors) of the air conditioning system. More particularly, as the power consumed by the actuators, such as the heating resistors, the fans or the compressors is known, the electrical energy consumption is known by monitoring the activation cycles of the actuators. By way of example, a heating resistor of nominal power 10 kW with an activation cycle of 30% consumes 3 kW as a smoothed average.

[0082] In this embodiment, the electrical energy consumption management device 10 and the local control devices form an electrical energy consumption management system for a set of passenger transport vehicles 20.

[0083] FIG. 2 illustrates the electrical energy consumption management method according to one embodiment.

[0084] The management method is implemented in the management device 10. An embodiment of the management device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0085] When the management device 10 receives an instruction or request for load management from the company 30 managing the electricity network 40, at a receiving step S0, it sends to the vehicles of the set 20, at a transmitting step S1, a request to reduce the electrical energy consumption.

[0086] In reply, the management device 10 receives from the vehicles 20, at a receiving step S2, a set of consumption information representing the electrical energy consumed, at a given instant, by the vehicles of the set 20. The management device 10 thus knows the electrical consumption of each vehicle of the set 20.

[0087] The management device 10 can thus determine, at a determining step S3, an overall consumption, at a given instant, from the set of consumption information received.

[0088] As the management device 10 knows the instructed load management, or in other words the predefined consumption value instructed by the company 30 managing the electricity network 40, as well as the overall consumption of the fleet of vehicles 20, it determines the load management to request from the fleet of vehicles. As will be understood from the description below, the load management instructed to the vehicles of the fleet 20 depends on the state of use of the vehicles 20. Thus, the management device 10 generates a set of commands in the generating steps S61, S62, that are respectively provided for a subset of vehicles selected from among the vehicles of the set according to their vehicle state of use.

[0089] The generated commands are configured to modify the operation of the air conditioning system of the vehicles of the subset, so as to reduce the value of the determined overall consumption to a predefined consumption value.

[0090] It will be noted that the management device 10 only asks to modify the operation of the air conditioning system of the vehicles belonging to the subset. The selection of the vehicles forming part of the subset will be explained below.

[0091] By modifying the operation of the air conditioning system is meant modifying the activation profile or the activation time of the actuators of the air conditioning system.

[0092] When an activation profile is reduced, or the activation time is reduced, the consumption is reduced.

[0093] It will be noted that when the activation profile is reduced, it may be that the temperature of a cabin of the vehicle does not reach the setpoint temperature or that the time to reach it is longer.

[0094] Furthermore, the more the activation profile is reduced, the greater the gap between the temperature of the cabin and the setpoint temperature.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the management device 10 checks which vehicles of the fleet 20 are active. In other words, for each vehicle of the fleet 20, it checks, at a first checking step S41, whether the vehicle is in use. In particular, at this first verifying step S41, it is verified whether the vehicle is electrically energized.

[0096] If the vehicle is not electrically energized, that is to say not in use, it does not belong to the subset of vehicles for which a command for modifying the operation of the air conditioning system is generated.

[0097] If the vehicle is electrically energized, or in other words, in use, it belongs to the subset of vehicles for which a command for modifying the operation of the air conditioning system is generated. For the vehicles belonging to this subset of vehicles, a second verifying step S42 is implemented, to verify whether the vehicle is in a passive or active state of use.

[0098] As indicated above, a passenger transport vehicle is in passive use if it is parked and/or it is not transporting passengers. A passenger transport vehicle is in active use when it transports passengers.

[0099] In one embodiment, if the vehicle is in active use, it is verified, at a step of verifying temperature S5, whether the temperature of at least one cabin of the vehicle has reached the setpoint temperature.

[0100] It will be noted that the setpoint temperature is the temperature at which said at least one cabin must be kept by the air conditioning system.

[0101] When the temperature of the cabin has not reached the setpoint temperature, that is to say when the difference between the temperature of the cabin and the setpoint temperature is typically greater than or less than 2 degrees Celsius, the vehicle is excluded from the subset of vehicles. In other words, the vehicles in active use in which the temperature of at least one cabin has not reached the setpoint temperature, do not belong to the subset of vehicles. This step makes it possible to improve the comfort of the passengers.

[0102] In short, the subset of vehicles comprises the vehicles in passive use as well as the vehicles in active use in which the temperature of at least one cabin has reached the setpoint temperature or regulation temperature.

[0103] Thus, among the subset of vehicles, a first group of vehicles and a second group of vehicles are identified by the management device 10. The first group of vehicles comprises vehicles in a passive state of use and the second group of vehicles comprises vehicles in an active state of use in which the temperature of at least one cabin has reached the setpoint temperature or regulation temperature.

[0104] The commands generated, in the generating steps S61, S62, for the vehicles in the first group of vehicles are different from those generated for the second group of vehicles.

[0105] For the identification of the groups of vehicles, or in other words, to determine which group of vehicles each vehicle of the fleet 20 belongs to, the management device 10 receives information from vehicles on the temperature of at least one cabin. This information on the temperature of at least one cabin may, according to some embodiments, comprise a temperature measured in at least one cabin of the vehicle, or a parameter indicating that a setpoint temperature has been reached in at least one cabin of the vehicle.

[0106] In one embodiment, the information on the temperature comes from the local control devices associated respectively with air conditioning systems on board the passenger transport vehicles 20. These local control devices measure, in real-time, the consumption of the air conditioning systems and in reply send the information on the temperature on reception of a load management request.

[0107] Once the control device 10 has determined whether the vehicle belongs to the first or to the second group of vehicles, it generates, at a generating step S61, S62, a command for modifying the operation of the air conditioning system so as to reduce the overall consumption of the fleet 20 to the predefined consumption value (this value depending on the load management instructed by the company 30 managing the electricity network 40). In other words, it generates a command for reduction of the activation profile of the air conditioning system.

[0108] If the command is generated for a vehicle in the first group of vehicles, that is to say that the vehicle is in passive use, the command for reduction of the activation profile is generated, at a second generating step S62, such that the gap between the temperature of the vehicle and a regulation temperature has a first predefined value. This first predefined gap value has a relatively high value, for example of the order of 5 degrees Celsius.

[0109] In certain cases, the activation profile is so reduced that the air conditioning system is deactivated.

[0110] If the command is generated for a vehicle in the second group of vehicles, that is to say that the vehicle is in active use and the setpoint temperature has been reached in said at least one cabin of the vehicle, the command for reduction of the activation profile is generated, at a first generating step S61, such that the gap between the temperature of the vehicle and a regulation temperature has a second predefined value. The second predefined value is less than the first predefined value.

[0111] This second predefined gap value has a relatively low value, for example of the order of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.

[0112] Thus, when the vehicle belongs to the first group of vehicles, the command is generated such that the reduction in the activation profile is great. On the contrary, when the vehicle belongs to the second group of vehicles, the command is generated such that the reduction in the activation profile is moderate.

[0113] It will be noted that in certain cases, despite the commands generated for modifying the operation of the air conditioning systems, the load management instructed by the company 30 managing the electricity network 40 is not achieved. Nevertheless, a reduction in the consumption of the fleet of vehicles is, in most cases, obtained.

[0114] In one embodiment, the management device 10 is configured to issue notifications to the company 30 managing the electricity network 40 to inform it of the success in the load management procedure, and/or of the level of load management obtained. Of course, if no load management is possible, the management device 10 informs the company 30 managing the electricity network 40 of this.

[0115] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a management device 10 for managing the electrical energy consumption according to one embodiment.

[0116] The management device 10 for managing the electrical energy consumption is for example one or more servers incorporating the means necessary for implementing the method of managing the consumption of a fleet of vehicles 20 in accordance with the invention.

[0117] The management device 10 comprises a communication bus 100 to which are connected: [0118] a processing unit 11, denoted CPU (for Central Processing Unit) in the drawing and able to comprise one or more processors; [0119] a non-volatile memory 12, for example a ROM (for “Read Only Memory”), an EEPROM (for “Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory”) or a Flash memory. [0120] a volatile memory 13 or RAM (for “Random Access Memory”; [0121] an “Input/Output interface 14, denoted I/O in the drawing, for example a screen, a keyboard, a mouse or another pointing device such as a touch screen or a remote control enabling a user to interact with the system via a graphical interface; and [0122] a communication interface or communication means 15, denoted COM in the drawing, configured to communicate, via a network, with servers of the company 30 managing the electricity network 40 and with the passenger transport vehicles of the fleet 20

[0123] According to one embodiment, the communication means 15 of the management device 10 comprise means for receiving data from the company 30 managing the electricity network 40 and from the passenger transport vehicles. This data may for example be consumption information representing the electrical energy consumed by the vehicles of the set, requests for load management from the company 30 managing the electricity network 40, or information on the temperature of at least one cabin of the vehicle.

[0124] Furthermore, the communication means 15 of the management device 10 comprise transmission means for sending a request for reducing the electrical energy consumption provided for the vehicles of the set.

[0125] The volatile memory 13 comprises registers configured for the recording of the variables and parameters created and modified during the execution of a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation of a method according to the invention. The codes for instructions of the program stored in non-volatile memory 12 are loaded into RAM memory 13 for them to be executed by the processing unit CPU 110.

[0126] The non-volatile memory 12 is for example a re-writable memory of EEPROM type or Flash memory able to constitute a medium according to the meaning of the invention, that is to say able to comprise a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation of the management method.

[0127] The electrical energy consumption management device 10 further comprises determination means configured for determining an overall consumption at a given instant, from the set of consumption information received, and generation means configured for generating a set of commands respectively provided for a subset of vehicles selected from among the vehicles of the set 20.

[0128] The management device 10 further comprises means for selecting vehicles from among the vehicles of the fleet 20, according to their state of use and/or according to information on the temperature of at least one cabin.

[0129] Furthermore, the management device 10 comprises identification means configured for identifying, from among the subset of selected vehicles, a first group of vehicles comprising vehicles in a passive state of use and a second group of vehicles comprising vehicles in an active state of use and in which the temperature of at least one cabin has reached the setpoint temperature.

[0130] According to one embodiment, the generation means are configured to generate a first and a second group of commands for reducing the activation profile. The commands of each group are generated according to the group of vehicles for which the commands are provided.

[0131] Thus, the generation means are configured to generate a first group of commands for reduction of the activation profile of the air conditioning system provided for the first group of vehicles such that the gap between the temperature of the vehicle and a regulation temperature has a first predefined value, and a second group of commands for reduction of the activation profile of the air conditioning system provided for the second group of vehicles, such that the gap between the temperature of the vehicle and a regulation temperature has a second predefined value, the second predefined value being less than the first predefined value.

[0132] Thus, by virtue of the means described above, the management device 10 can implement the method of managing electrical energy consumption. By implementing this method, the air conditioning system of all the vehicles of a fleet are controlled taking into account the state or situation of use of the vehicles, so as to reduce the overall electrical consumption of the fleet in real-time in response to a load management request coming from the company managing the electricity network.