Abstract
A system for transporting passengers includes a passenger transportation installation designed as an elevator, escalator or moving walkway, a main energy supply supplying the passenger transportation installation with electrical energy, a main switch separating the passenger transportation installation from the main energy supply, which main switch has an input side connected to the main energy supply and an output side connected to the passenger transportation installation. The system further includes a measuring device having a sensor measuring an electrical parameter, and a communication device transferring the measured electrical parameter to an analysis device, wherein the sensor is connected electrically and/or electromagnetically to the main energy supply on the input side of the main switch.
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. A system for transporting passengers, the system including a passenger transportation installation in a building, a main energy supply in the building supplying the passenger transportation installation with electrical energy, and a main switch for separating the passenger transportation installation from the main energy supply, the main switch being arranged in the building and having an input side connected to the main energy supply and an output side connected to the passenger transportation installation, the system comprising: a measuring device having a sensor measuring an electrical parameter of the electrical energy from the main energy supply; a communication device transferring the measured electrical parameter to an analysis device; and wherein the sensor is connected at least one of electrically and electromagnetically to the main energy supply on the input side of the main switch.
17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the passenger transportation installation is one of an elevator, an escalator and a moving walkway.
18. The system according to claim 16 wherein the system includes at least two of the passenger transportation installation, the main energy supply supplies the at least two passenger transportation installations with electrical energy, and the at least two passenger transportation installations are electrically separable from the main energy supply by the main switch.
19. The system according to claim 16 wherein the analysis device evaluates a state of the passenger transportation system based upon the measured electrical parameter.
20. The system according to claim 16 wherein the analysis device is a central analysis device evaluating a state of the passenger transportation system based upon the measured electrical parameter, wherein the central analysis device is located remote from at least one of the passenger transportation installation and the main energy supply and is connected to the measuring device by the communication device.
21. The system according to claim 16 wherein the passenger transportation installation is a hydraulic elevator.
22. The system according to claim 16 wherein the measuring device is a separate structural unit including a housing having input and output terminals, the measuring device being adapted to be joined at least one of electrically and electromagnetically to the input side of the main switch after the passenger transportation installation is put into operation.
23. The system according to claim 16 wherein the main energy supply has three phase conductors and the sensor is connected to at least two of the conductors.
24. The system according to claim 23 wherein the main energy supply has a neutral conductor and the sensor is connected to at least two of the conductors.
25. A method for assessing a state of a passenger transportation installation in a building having a main energy supply and a main switch, the passenger transportation installation being supplied with electrical energy from the main energy supply, the main switch having an input side connected to the main energy supply and an output side connected to the passenger transportation installation for separating the passenger transportation installation from the main energy supply, the method comprising the steps of: at least one of electrically and electromagnetically connecting a measuring device at the input side of the main switch, the measuring device measuring an electrical parameter of the electrical energy; measuring a time curve of the measured electrical parameter of the electrical energy; transmitting the time curve of the electrical parameter to an analysis device using a communication device; and evaluating the time curve of the electrical parameter to determine a state of the passenger transportation installation.
26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the passenger transportation system is one of an elevator, an escalator and a moving walkway.
27. The method according to claim 25 wherein the evaluating step includes: subdividing the time curve into different partial curves; and comparing at least one of the partial curves with a corresponding target partial curve.
28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the partial curves represent different movements of the passenger transportation installation.
29. The method according to claim 27 including using the at least one partial curve to iteratively refine the corresponding target partial curve.
30. The method according to claim 27 wherein the corresponding target partial curve is an average curve of at least one first measured time curve of the passenger transportation installation and a second measured time curve of another passenger transportation installation.
31. The method according to claim 25 including measuring, transmitting and evaluating the electrical parameter continuously.
32. The method according to claim 25 wherein the step of evaluating comprises determining one or more properties of the passenger transportation system selected from a group including the following properties: a type of the passenger transportation installation including for an elevator installation whether a hydraulic elevator installation or a traction elevator installation; a design of the passenger transportation installation including an approximate nominal load of the installation; a number of service movements of the passenger transportation installation per time period; a standby current used by the passenger transportation installation; a usage category of the passenger transportation installation; an energy class of the passenger transportation installation; for elevator installations, a number of floors of the installation; for a hydraulic elevator installation, whether a movement is upward or downward; a function of an auxiliary operation; and for escalators, a transport weight per time period.
33. The method according to claim 25 wherein the measuring device includes a sensor and including the steps of: connecting the sensor to a first conductor of the main energy supply and measuring the electrical parameter for a specific time; then connecting the sensor to at least another conductor of the main energy supply and measuring the electrical parameter for the specific time; evaluating the electrical parameter measurements with the measuring device for an information content; and connecting the sensor to a one of the conductors for which the electrical parameter measurement information content is highest.
34. A method for determining a state of a passenger transportation installation of a building using a time profile of an electrical parameter, the method comprising the steps of: detecting the electrical parameter on a main energy supply side of a main switch arranged in the building, the main switch being connected to a main energy supply of the building on the supply side and being connected to the passenger transportation installation on an output side; and determining a state of the passenger transportation system based upon the detected electrical parameter.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0130] In the following, the invention is further explained in figures using exemplary embodiments, in which:
[0131] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a system for transporting passengers;
[0132] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a structural unit of the system from FIG. 1;
[0133] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the structural unit of the system from FIG. 1;
[0134] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the structural unit of the system from FIG. 1;
[0135] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the system for transporting passengers;
[0136] FIG. 6 shows a detailed illustration of the second embodiment of the structural unit from FIG. 3;
[0137] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the system for transporting passengers;
[0138] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary and schematic curve of a current curve of the system measured by the structural unit; and
[0139] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary and schematic curve of an energy curve of the system measured by the structural unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0140] FIG. 1 shows a system 1 for transporting passengers according to the first and second aspects of the invention. The system 1 has a main energy supply 6. The main energy supply 6 is connected on the input side 10 of a main switch 8 by means of three phase conductors 24.sub.P1, P2, P3 and a neutral conductor 24.sub.N. The system 1 has a structural unit 13 electrically connected to the phase conductors and the neutral conductor. The structural unit 13 is electrically connected to the phase conductors and the neutral conductor on the input side 10 of the main switch 8. It is therefore arranged electrically in series between the main energy supply 6 and the main switch 8. The main switch 8 has an output side 12, from which the four conductors 24 are further connected to a passenger transportation installation 4. From now on and in the further figures, the phase conductors and the neutral conductor are designated together with the common reference number 24.
[0141] FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the structural unit 13. The structural unit 13 has a measuring device 14, a converter 26, an energy storage means 32 and a communication and control device 18, 34. The converter 26 has an AC side 30 and a DC side 28, the AC side 30 being electrically connected to the conductors 24 and the DC side 28 being electrically connected to the energy storage means 32. The measuring device 14 has a current sensor 16. The conductors 24 are guided into the measuring device 14 for connection to the current sensor 16 in the structural unit 13, where the conductors 24 are electrically connected to the current sensor 16. The conductors 24 then lead from the measuring device 14 back into the structural unit. From the output of the measuring device 14, the conductors 24 are electrically connected to the output of the structural unit 13. The AC side 30 of the converter 26 is electrically connected to the conductors 24 guided out of the measuring device 16. The DC side 28 is electrically connected to the energy storage means 32. The unit 13 is designed according to a first aspect of the invention and according to the second aspect of the invention and thus allows for an influence on the energy consumption from the main energy supply 6 (not shown, see FIG. 1) and an analysis of the current in relation to the state of the passenger transportation installation 4 (not shown, see FIG. 1), both of these aspects being related to the electrical parameter which is measured by the measuring device 16 on the input side of the main switch 8 (not shown, see FIG. 1). According to a first aspect of the invention, the structural unit 13 thus allows for an energy flow which flows through the structural unit 13 to the passenger transportation installation 4 and is only measured by the structural unit 13 but is not influenced by the main energy supply 6 (not shown, see FIG. 1). The structural unit 13 allows for an energy flow from the main energy supply 6 to the converter 26, where the alternating current of the main energy supply 6 is converted into a direct current for charging the energy storage means 32. In this first embodiment, the converter 26 makes a bidirectional flow of energy possible such that the energy from the energy storage means 32 can be fed back into the conductor 24 via the same converter 26. This creates the possibility of an indirect energy flow according to the first aspect of the invention, which leads from the main energy supply 6 via the energy storage means to the passenger transportation installation 4. In a first step, energy flows from the main energy supply 6 via the converter 26 into the energy storage means 32. In a second step, energy flows from the energy storage means 32 via the converter 26 into the conductor 24 and thus from the structural unit 13 to the passenger transportation installation 4. The energy storage means 32 thus allows for the energy flow to be divided into a charging energy flow and a discharging energy flow. This makes it possible to draw energy from the main energy supply (charging energy flow) if the main energy supply has, for example, an excess of energy (low energy prices). Furthermore, it allows the standby operation of the passenger transportation installation 4 to be supplied from the energy storage means, for example in times of an energy shortage in the main energy supply (high energy prices). According to the first aspect of the invention, the control device 34 controls the flow of energy in the structural unit 13, in particular in the converter 26. The control device 34 receives the current values measured in the conductors 24 by the sensor 16 from the measuring device 14. The control device 34 also contains information from the energy storage means 32 regarding the load state of the energy storage means 32. In this embodiment, the control device 34 also receives information regarding the state of the main energy supply 6 through the communication device 18, in particular an energy price and/or, for example, a control command from a control device superordinate to the system 1 (not shown). On the basis of this information, the control device 34 decides whether it should block the converter 26 and thus a direct energy flow from the main energy supply 6 to the passenger transportation installation 4 or an energy flow from the main energy supply 6 into the energy storage means 32 (rectifier operation of the converter 26) or an energy flow from the energy storage means 32 into the conductor 24 (inverter operation of the converter 26) to accomplish. In this embodiment of the structural unit 13, the communication and control device is supplied with electrical energy by the phase conductor 24 of the main energy supply 6 and an energy supply integrated in the controller. This offers the advantage that the communication and control device 18, 34 is supplied with energy even when the main switch is open and can then also fulfill its task. For example, the communication device 18 can communicate with the superordinate control device even in the case of an open main switch 8. To implement the second aspect of the invention, the control device also contains an analysis device. According to a second aspect of the invention, the measured current profiles are analyzed via the control device 34 and analysis device in relation to the type and state of the passenger transportation installation 4, for which purpose the measured current profile is divided into partial flow curves and compared with stored partial flow curves.
[0142] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the structural unit 13 according to the first and second aspects of the invention. The elements already present in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference signs in FIG. 3 and the following figures; a renewed description of the elements is not given and the description in the upper section is referred to instead.
[0143] In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 2, this further embodiment of the structural unit 13 is equipped with a single-phase converter 26. In this embodiment, the components of the passenger transportation installation 4 that are active in standby mode are all connected to a phase conductor 24 of the main energy supply. This phase conductor 24 is connected to the energy storage means 32 via the converter 26. The energy storage means 32 is also used to supply the communication and control device 18, 34. This has the advantage that even if the main energy supply 6 fails, the communication device 18 can communicate with the device (not shown) superordinate to the system 1.
[0144] FIG. 4 shows a further, third embodiment of the structural unit 13 according to the first and second aspect of the invention. In contrast to the first and second embodiment of the structural unit 13, in the third embodiment of the structural unit 13 the converter 26 is divided into two unidirectional converters 26. This embodiment includes a first unidirectional three-phase converter 26 for charging the energy storage means with energy from the main energy supply 6. This embodiment further comprises a second unidirectional converter 26, which has a single-phase design and allows the energy of the energy storage means 32 to be converted into energy for feeding into the phase conductor 24. In this third embodiment, the communication and control device 18, 34 is fed both by the main energy supply 6 and by the energy storage means 32.
[0145] FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the system 1 according to the first and second aspects of the invention. In contrast to the first embodiment, the system 1 comprises a first passenger transportation installation 4.1 and a second passenger transportation installation 4.2, both of which are electrically connected in parallel to the output side 12 of the main switch 8. In this embodiment of the system 1, the structural unit 13 is provided both for the first passenger transportation installation 4.1 and for the second passenger transportation installation 4.2. Correspondingly, the measuring device 14 of the structural unit 13 measures the sum of the electric current of the first passenger transportation installation 4.1 and the second passenger transportation installation 4.2.
[0146] FIG. 6 shows a detailed illustration of the measuring device 14 of the structural unit 13 of the embodiment from FIG. 3. It can be seen that the measuring device 14 has one sensor 16 per conductor 24 of the main energy supply 6. The conductor 24 consists of three phase conductors 24.sub.P1, P2, P3 and a neutral conductor 24.sub.N.
[0147] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of the system 1 according to the first and the second aspect of the invention, in which embodiment an analysis and control device 20, 36 superordinate to the system 1 is shown. The control device 34 (not shown, see FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6) of the structural unit 13 communicates via the communication device 18 (not shown, see FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6) with the analysis and control device 20, superordinate to the system 1. The superordinate analysis and control device 20, 36 can thus coordinate the control device 34 of a plurality of systems 1. The analysis of the measured current in relation to the state of the passenger transportation installation of system 1 and of the other system 1 (second aspect of the invention) also takes place centrally in the superordinate analysis and control device 20, 36.
[0148] FIG. 8 shows a curve of the electrical parameter (current) [A] measured by the measuring device 14 (not shown, see FIGS. 2-4 and 6). In FIG. 8, the start of a trip of the elevator installation is marked with a first point and the stop of a trip is marked with a second point. Five trips are shown in FIG. 8. The dashed line shows the standby current in standby mode. Furthermore, the three phase conductor currents are shown with solid lines which largely overlap. It can be seen that the pulse length and the amplitudes of the trips differ. At the beginning and at the end of each trip, a door movement can be seen in the current.
[0149] FIG. 9 shows two curves of the electrical parameter P measured by the measuring device 14 (not shown, see FIGS. 2-4 and 6), which in this embodiment is an electrical power. In FIG. 9, a first decrease in the drawn power can be seen, which decrease has to do with the extinguishing of the car lighting. A second drop in the consumed energy occurs when the door drives are switched off. A third drop results from switching off the ventilation. The installation then slowly goes into standby mode in which it switches off other small auxiliary loads and/or operates them in economy mode.
[0150] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
