WO2014080096A2

WO2014080096A2 - Method and device for commanding and controlling the power of public or private lighting

Info

Publication number: WO2014080096A2
Application number: PCT/FR2013/000309
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel VALLON; Brahim Zaim
Original assignee: Lumnex
Priority date: 2012-11-26
Filing date: 2013-11-26
Publication date: 2014-05-30
Also published as: WO2014080096A3; FR2998757B1; FR2998757A1

Abstract

A method for commanding and controlling a public or private lighting network comprising one or a plurality of lamps combined with one or a plurality of ballasts characterised in that it consists of: a) - dividing a daily lighting cycle into a plurality of consecutive operating ranges, allocating each operating range with an electric lighting power value and a duration d representative of a fraction, expressed as a percentage, of the total duration of said lighting cycle, and permanently memorising the duration d of the operating cycles and the lighting powers allocated to these operating ranges, b) - after switching on the public lighting, calculating, from the value D' of the duration of the or one prior lighting cycle that has been previously measured and memorised, the values d' in time units of the durations of the operating ranges of the current lighting cycle, c) - powering the lighting network, for each operating range, with the corresponding electrical power, d) - when the power supply of the lighting network is switched off, memorising, as the new value D', the duration of the power supply between the time when the lighting network is switched on and the time when the power supply of said lighting is switched off, e) - repeating steps b to d daily from the time the lighting network is switched on.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AND CONTROLLING POWER FROM PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LIGHTING.

Technical area.

The present invention is in the field of methods and devices used to control and control electrical power public or private lighting.

State of the art

It is known that the public lighting installations comprise a series of posts carrying, above the ground, discharge lamps, electrically associated with electrical control devices of the ballast type. These lamps and ballasts are often organized in a network or sector.

These electrical appliances can be classified into three categories:

- Equipment belonging to the first category, when energized by a central controller, provides the lamp with maximum power for the duration of the power supply, until the central control unit cut off their diet. These devices are of ferromagnetic or electronic type. These devices have synchronized operation of all lamps placed on the same power line when energized, but do not save energy if they are not associated with an external voltage reducer . They therefore do not allow energy savings to be made autonomously.

- The appliances in the second category are those that are under constant electrical voltage and contain an internal clock that controls the lamp on and off, as well as the power reduction, at times scheduled in advance. These devices are of the electronic type and include a device for saving the time in the event of power failure, as well as a communication circuit for setting the time of the device according to the installation location in the area. world. The devices of the second category control the lighting of the lamps with full power as well as the reduction of the power and the extinction according to a profile programmed in advance. However, this command is made out of sync, depending on the internal time of each device whose clock drift more or less depending on the environmental conditions, requiring updates on time regular. This drift is all the more important that the device is subject to significant temperature differences between the period when the lamp is off and the period when the lamp is on. On the other hand, the device requires a backup device of the supply voltage of the clock circuit to keep the time in case of power failure. When this backup device fails, the device loses the time during an electrical power failure. These devices are not autonomous because they require regular interventions for the control of time and time setting.

- The devices of the third category are those which are either permanently energized or energized by a central controller and which are controlled by external commands received either by carrier current on the electrical network or on a communication channel dedicated to this use. These devices are, for the most part, of the electronic type. These devices have a synchronized operation of all the lamps placed on the same power supply line when they receive an order to switch on the lamps, to reduce or increase the power delivered to these lamps, or to switch off the lamps. these lamps. However, this mode of operation can be implemented only if the devices are integrated in the same system. They are not autonomous.

Presentation of the invention.

The object of the present invention is to solve the drawbacks mentioned above by implementing a method for controlling and controlling a public or private lighting network comprising one or more lamps associated with one or more ballasts, capable of leading to substantial energy savings and by giving the said network and more particularly to its electrical control and steering equipment, a great autonomy.

For this purpose, the process according to the invention is essentially characterized in that it consists of:

a) - to cut a lighting cycle into several consecutive operating ranges, to be assigned to each operating range, a lighting electric power value and a representative duration of a fraction, expressed as a percentage, of the duration of the lighting cycle, and to permanently memorize the durations of the operating ranges and the lighting powers assigned to the operating ranges,

b) - after switching on the street lighting, to calculate from the value D 'of the duration of the previous illumination cycle or cycle, previously measured and stored, the values of, in unit of time, durations of the operating ranges of the current lighting cycle,

c) - to supply the lighting network, for each operating range, with the corresponding electrical power,

d) - as soon as the power supply of the lighting network to be memorized as a new value D 'is cut off, the duration of the power supply between the moment of switching on of the lighting network and the instant the power supply of said lighting,

e) - to repeat, daily, as soon as the lighting network is switched on, steps b to d.

Thus, by implementing the method, it is now possible and in a totally autonomous manner, to control the electrical power supply of the lighting network and possibly of each lamp of this network and to graduate, according to a pre-established scheme. , this power according to the need of luminous intensity during the night.

Thus, each lamp can be powered at full power at the beginning of the night and then fed at a reduced power and following a profile proportional to the duration of the night and without use of internal clock giving true time. The process thus avoids any intervention aiming at a time-setting, in particular to take account of the change in statutory time every two years.

Finally, the method according to the invention makes it possible to achieve significant energy savings.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the method consists in memorizing the values D 'of several successive successive cycles of illumination.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the method, prior to step b), and after step a) consists, as soon as the lighting network is first powered up, to carry out a cycle of initialization lighting, and at the end of the initialization lighting cycle corresponding to the power failure, to store as the last value D the duration of this initialization cycle.

Such an arrangement achieves a first phase of self-learning in which is determined a duration of lighting knowing that the following duration of lighting will be different only of some minutes of the preceding one.

According to another characteristic of the method according to the invention, during the initialisation lighting cycle, the lighting network is fed continuously with the maximum electrical power.

According to another characteristic of the invention, when the lighting is switched on, before step b, the method consists in calculating the difference E between the oldest record of D 'in memory and the most recent in memory, to search among the different records a coherent sequence of two records of D 'whose value of the difference is less than or equal to the difference E, these two records can not be simultaneously the oldest and the newest, to be addressed steps b) to d) if such a sequence is found, and to proceed in the opposite case to an initialization lighting cycle and at the end of the initialization lighting cycle to be stored as the last value D the duration of this initialization cycle.

This is a second step of self-learning. Such an arrangement makes it possible to prevent any error due, for example, to an early cut-off of the power supply on the network, or to a lack of cut-off at the end of the night.

According to another characteristic of the invention, in the case where a coherent sequence is detected, the method consists of choosing as value D ', for the calculation of the values of, that corresponding to the most recent recording.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the storage of a new value of D 'causes the erasure of the oldest value D' and the shift of one rank of the other values of D '.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the interruption of the mains power supply terminates the last power supply sequence.

The present invention also relates to a device of the ballast type for implementing the method according to the invention.

According to one characteristic, the ballast comprises in particular a control and control unit able to determine the operating mode of the ballast, autonomous or controlled, to control the ignition phase of the lamp, to control the lamp power of the lamp , to control the current and the voltage of the lamp, the voltage delivered by a power factor corrector circuit and voltage regulator, the internal temperature of the ballast, to ensure the accumulation of hours of operation of the lamp and to check the operating status of the lamp.

According to another characteristic of the invention, in the autonomous mode of the ballast, the control and control unit controls the night time and controls the reduction of the lighting power of the lamp according to a program of lighting contained in a memory which is equipped with several registers arranged in a stack, in which are recorded the values D 'of previous lighting cycles.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the ballast is provided with a digitally addressed lighting interface for receiving from a central control station data relating to its operating mode as well as to the mode of operation of the lamp. .

Brief presentation of figures and drawings.

Other advantages, aims and features of the invention will appear on reading the description of a preferred embodiment given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a lighting network,

- Figure 2 is a schematic view of a ballast for implementing the method according to the invention.

Best way to realize the invention.

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a public or private lighting network comprising posts 1, carrying above the ground one or more light sources constituted, for example, by discharge lamps 2 known per se, controlled and controlled by electrical appliances. These discharge lamps are preferably free of light sensors. The lighting network and more particularly the ballasts 3 are connected to a power source 4 via a central control station 5. This control station 5, at the beginning of the lighting period corresponding to the beginning of the night, switches the lighting network on the source of electrical energy so as to cause the lighting of the discharge lamps and at the end of the lighting period corresponding to the end of the night, disconnects the public lighting network of the power source the power supply to cause the extinguishing of the lighting lamps.

Each device, of the ballast type, includes a memory assembly 30 in which are stored on the one hand a computer program for implementing the method according to the invention and on the other hand data usable by this program. Preferably, this memory assembly consists of memory modules of the EEPROM type (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory) for storing the data even in the absence of an electrical supply). Such an arrangement thus avoids the presence in each ballast of expensive electric batteries per se. The ballast further comprises a control unit 31 known per se and structured around a microprocessor. The control and control unit 31 is able to read the instructions of the program and execute them for the implementation of the method.

The data usable by the program relate to the number of operating ranges, for example four, which is divided into a daily lighting cycle and to the duration of each operating range expressed as a fraction, that is to say in percentage the total duration of the lighting cycle. These data also relate to the values of the electrical powers according to which the lamps are powered during the operating ranges. Thus, each operating range is associated with a value of electrical power. Such an arrangement determines a power supply profile of the lighting network. Thus the latter can be fed at the beginning of the night with a maximum electric power, and then, according to a reduced power and this in a totally autonomous way. Preferably, the power values will be expressed in terms of fraction or percentage of a maximum power whose value is also introduced into memory. These various data are not intended to be modified daily, but according to technical specifications provided by the entity in charge of public lighting or private lighting. They can be modified at the factory or in situ using appropriate portable devices, known per se.

The memory assembly 30 also comprises memory registers R1, R2, R3 provided to receive the durations D ', expressed in units of time, of the lighting cycles relating to previous nights and preferably to the previous three nights. The duration of each lighting cycle is the time that elapses between the moment of connection of the lighting network to the power source and the moment of its disconnection.

These registers R1, R2, R3 are organized into stacks. The value of the duration D 'of the last elapsed cycle is introduced in R1 and before that, the previous value of R1 is introduced into R2 while the previous value of R2 is introduced into R3 thus causing the cancellation of the previous value of R3. . Thus the introduction of a new value D 'of cycle duration results in the erasure of the oldest value and the shift from one register to the other of the other values D'.

Each ballast operates autonomously, but can also operate in a controlled manner. Thus the ballast 3 comprises an input on which is applied a toggle signal from one mode of operation to another. Advantageously, this input is connected by a communicatio line to the central control station.

When turned on, each ballast checks the status of its communication circuit. If it receives no external command, it retains its current mode of operation (autonomous or slave).

In autonomous mode, the ballast and more particularly the control and control unit of the latter checks the operating times of the cycles recorded in the memory registers R1, R2 and R3. If the control and control unit 31 does not recognize from the last three records, a coherent sequence corresponds to two power-up times whose difference is less than or equal to the maximum difference between three consecutive nights, to which adds the uncertainty related to the measurement of time, it then controls the ignition of the or each lamp associated with its maximum electrical power, shifts the value contained in the register R2 to the register R3 and the value contained in the register R1 to the R2 register. It counts the duration of the current lighting cycle in a register R0 until the detection of the power failure. Before going off, it saves the value contained in the register R0 in the register R1. Such an arrangement makes it possible to discern an abnormal power-up duration of a duration of switched on corresponding to a normal night time, despite the change in duration from one night to another. This learning allows the ballast 3 to predict the current night time and to plan the periods of power variation, in proportion to the duration of the night.

If now, the control and control unit 31 recognizes among the last three records contained in R1, R2, and R3, a coherent sequence corresponds to two lighting cycle durations whose difference is less than or equal to the difference maximum between the durations of the last three consecutive cycles to which is added the uncertainty related to the measurement of time, it lights the first or each lamp associated with the power corresponding to the first operating range for example to the maximum power . It uses the most recent cycle duration of the coherent sequence (most often the value entered in R1 but sometimes that entered in R2) to predict the duration D 'of the current night, this duration being equal to the duration of the the most recent cycle, and calculates the time intervals or durations of 1, 2, 3, 4 of the different operating ranges from the durations expressed as a percentage and the duration D 'of the operating cycle the most recent of the coherent sequence. It then saves the value contained in the register R2, in the register R3 and the value contained in the register R1 in the register R2. It counts the duration of the current lighting cycle in the register R0. When this time is equal to the value of the duration of 1, it supplies the or each associated lamp with the power corresponding to the second operating range and so on until the complete flow of the penultimate range of operation or it supplies the or each associated lamp 2, with the electrical power corresponding to the last operating range. Each ballast 3 retains this state until the detection of the power failure. Before going off, the central unit 31 records the duration D 'of the cycle in the register R1.

When the ballast 3 receives a control command on its communication circuit while it is in autonomous mode, it switches to slave mode as a simple communicating ballast executing the commands transmitted by the control station.

The method and the ballast as described allow a reduction significant energy consumption of public or private lighting. The ballast is capable of autonomously controlling the electric power supplied to the lamp 2 or to each associated lamp 2, depending on the need for light intensity without the need to receive external commands or to switch to slave operation if an external control system is installed. It is able to reduce or increase the power delivered to the or each lamp 2 according to the time of night, in a manner proportional to the duration of night.

In addition to the control and control unit 31 and the different registers, the ballast 3 includes a mains connection interface 32 whose function is to allow its connection to the electrical distribution network and to protect it from high voltage pulses which can be present on the network. At this interface 32 is connected a circuit 33 filtering and rectifying current. The filters of this circuit 33, meet the standards of electromagnetic compatibility. This circuit 33 is equipped with a voltage rectifier bridge. This circuit 33 has the function of filtering the disturbances that could return the power part of the ballast, to ensure compliance with electromagnetic compatibility standards, to avoid disturbing the communication powerline. The rectifier bridge of this assembly has the function of transforming the alternating voltage of the electrical energy distribution network into a DC voltage.

At the filtering and rectifying circuit 33 is connected a power factor corrector circuit 34 and voltage regulator. The function of this circuit 34 is to compensate for the phase difference between the mains voltage and the input current of the ballast 3 so that the active power absorbed by the ballast 3 is close to the apparent power input of the ballast. This circuit 34 also has the function of regulating the DC voltage at a constant value regardless of the variation of the voltage of the electrical energy distribution network.

At circuit 34 is connected a current regulator converter circuit. The function of this circuit 35 is to regulate the power delivered to the lighting lamp 2 by acting on the current supplied to it. It may be noted that this circuit 35 is connected to the control and command unit 31 to be controlled by the latter.

At the circuit 35 as well as at the control and control unit 31 is connected a current converter circuit 36 able to convert a direct current into alternating current necessary for the proper functioning of the lighting lamp 2. At this circuit 35 is associated an ignition circuit 36 'whose function is to generate a high voltage pulse across the lamp to start the ignition of the latter.

At the current converter circuit 36 and the ignition circuit is connected an interface 37 for connection to the illumination lamp 2. The function of this interface is to allow the connection of the ballast 3 to the lamp. This interface 37 is connected to a circuit 38 for measuring the current and the voltage applied to the lighting lamp. This circuit 37, connected to the control and control unit 31, transforms the current and voltage variables into signals measurable by the control and control unit 31.

At the control and control unit 31 is connected a digitally addressed lighting interface 39, (DALI interface) for addressing the ballast 3 of the central station 5. This interface allows the selection of the ballast and the reception of the orders which is specifically addressed to it from the central station 5. It also allows the transmission of data from the control and control unit 31 to the central station 5.

Finally, the ballast will be equipped with a voltage regulated electrical power source 3a, connected to the control and control unit 31 as well as to the various circuits and interfaces to ensure the power supply.

The control and control unit 31 determines the operating mode of the ballast, autonomous or controlled, controls the lighting phase of the lamp 2, controls the lighting power of the lamp 2, controls the current and the voltage of the lamp. the lamp, the voltage delivered by the circuit 34 corrector power factor and voltage regulator, the internal temperature of the ballast, the latter being equipped with a temperature sensor. It ensures the cumulative hours of operation of the lamp and controls the operating status of the lamp. In stand-alone mode, the control and command unit, controls the night time (power on ballast) and controls the reduction of the lighting power of the lamp according to the lighting program contained in the memory 30. In slave mode, when it recognizes commands from the DALI interface, it executes them and sends back to the central station, operating data of the lamp and ballast. The orders received may concern in particular the lighting of the lamp, the reduction of power and the extinction.

It goes without saying that the present invention can receive any arrangements and variants of the field of technical equivalents without departing from the scope of this patent as defined by the claims below.

Claims

1 / A method for controlling and controlling a public or private lighting network comprising one or more lamps associated with one or more ballasts, characterized in that it consists of:

a) - to divide a daily lighting cycle into several consecutive operating ranges, to be assigned to each operating range, a lighting electric power value and a representative time of a fraction, expressed as a percentage, of the total duration of said lighting cycle, and permanently storing the durations d of the operating ranges and the lighting powers assigned to these operating ranges, b) - after switching on the street lighting to be calculated at from the value D 'of the duration of the previous illumination cycle or cycle, previously measured and stored, the values of time units, the durations of the operating ranges of the current lighting cycle,

e) - to repeat, daily, as soon as the lighting network is turned on, the steps b) to d).

Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists in memorizing the values D 'of several successive successive cycles of illumination.

3 / A method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that prior to step b, and after step a it consists, as soon as the first lighting of the lighting network, to carry out a lighting cycle initialization, and at the end of the initialization lighting cycle corresponding to the power failure, to memorize as the last value D the duration of this initialization cycle.

4 / A method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that during the initialization lighting cycle, the lighting network is powered by continuous with the maximum electrical power.

5 / A method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that during the powering of the lighting, before step b, it consists in calculating the difference E between the oldest record of D 'in memory and the most recent memory, to search among the different records a coherent sequence of two records of D 'whose difference value is less than or equal to the difference E, these two records can not be simultaneously the oldest and most recent, to approach steps b to d if such a sequence is found and to proceed in the opposite case to a boot light cycle and at the end of the boot light cycle to be stored as the last value D ' the duration of this initialization cycle.

6 / A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the case where a coherent sequence is detected, it consists in choosing as value D 'for the calculation of the values of, that corresponding to the recording. most recent.

7 / A method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the storage of a new value of D 'causes the erasure of the oldest value D'.

8 / A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the cut-off of the power supply of the electricity network terminates the last power supply sequence.

9 / Ballast characterized in that it implements the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

10 / ballast according to the preceding claim characterized in that it comprises in particular a control and control unit (31) able to determine the operation mode of the ballast, autonomous or slave, to control the ignition phase of the lamp ( 2), to control the lighting power of the lamp (2), to control the current and the voltage of the lamp, the voltage delivered by a circuit 34 corrector of the power factor and voltage regulator, the internal temperature of the ballast , to ensure the cumulative hours of operation of the lamp and to check the operating status of the lamp.

1 / Ballast according to the preceding claim, characterized in that autonomous mode, the control and control unit (31) controls the night time and controls the reduction of the lighting power of the lamp according to a lighting program contained in a memory (30) which is equipped with several registers arranged in a stack, in which the values D 'of the preceding lighting cycles are inscribed.

12 / ballast according to claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that it is provided with a digitally addressed lighting interface (39) for receiving from a central control station (5) data relating to its operating mode and the operating mode of the lamp (2).