Apparatus and Method for Monitoring and Controlling Load Requirements

Abstract

An apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling load requirements relating to a transport refrigeration unit, including receiving one or more power information from a load: a power consumption information or a power requirement information; receiving one or more state information from the load: state of a compressor, state of a condenser, state of a compressor fan, state of an evaporation fan or state of a condenser fan; determining the following based on one or more power information and one or more state information: a) an amount of power to supply, b) a time duration for supplying power, and c) an operational frequency. In one example, one or more auxiliary information are also used for the determination: a fluid leakage measurement, a current measurement, a timer measurement, a counter measurement, a controlled environment temperature, or an environmental temperature.

1 . A method for monitoring and controlling load requirements relating to a transport refrigeration unit, comprising:
 receiving one or more of the following power information from a load: a power consumption information or a power requirement information;   receiving one or more of the following state information from the load: state of a compressor, state of a condenser, state of a compressor fan, state of an evaporation fan or state of a condenser fan;   determining the following based on one or more of the power information and one or more of the state information:   a) an amount of power to supply,   b) a time duration for supplying power, and   c) an operational frequency.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending a command to a power source to deliver the amount of power for the time duration and at the operational frequency. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving one or more of the following auxiliary information: a fluid leakage measurement, a current measurement, a timer measurement, a counter measurement, a temperature information of a controlled environment, or an environmental temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein one or more of the auxiliary information is used in the determining step. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising displaying one or more of the following power information, state information or auxiliary information on a display screen. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising receiving an instruction from a user via the display screen. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the fluid leakage measurement is a measurement of a cooling fluid leakage in the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the current measurement is a measurement of current being drawn by one or more of a compressor, a condenser, a compressor fan, an evaporation fan or a condenser fan. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the timer measurement is a measurement of how long in time duration one or more of the following has been turned ON: a compressor, a condenser, a compressor fan, an evaporation fan, a condenser fan, or the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the counter measurement is a measurement of how many times one or more of the following has been turned ON or turned OFF since a last reset: a compressor, a condenser, a compressor fan, an evaporation fan, a condenser fan, or the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether or not to send a fault code to inhibit power delivery to the load based on one or more of the power information or the state information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the state information includes one or more of the following state types: an “on” state, an “off” state or an operational frequency. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load is the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of power to supply to the load is also determined based on the capacity of a power source and the power demands on the power source by other loads. 
     
     
         15 . A method for monitoring and controlling load requirements relating to a transport refrigeration unit, comprising:
 receiving one or more of the following power information from a load: a power consumption information or a power requirement information;   receiving one or more of the following state information from the load: state of a compressor, state of a condenser, state of a compressor fan, state of an evaporation fan or state of a condenser fan;   receiving one or more of the following auxiliary information: a fluid leakage measurement, a current measurement, a timer measurement, a counter measurement, a temperature information of a controlled environment, or an environmental temperature; and   determining whether or not to send a fault code to inhibit power delivery to the load based on one or more of the power information, state information or auxiliary information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising sending a command to inhibit power delivery to the load. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the current measurement is a measurement of current being drawn by one or more of a compressor, a condenser, a compressor fan, an evaporation fan or a condenser fan. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the timer measurement is a measurement of how long in time duration one or more of the following has been turned ON: a compressor, a condenser, a compressor fan, an evaporation fan, a condenser fan, or the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the counter measurement is a measurement of how many times one or more of the following has been turned ON or turned OFF since a last reset: a compressor, a condenser, a compressor fan, an evaporation fan, a condenser fan, or the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the load is the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for monitoring and controlling load requirements relating to a transport refrigeration unit, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing program code executable by the processor for performing the following:
 receiving one or more of the following power information from a load: a power consumption information or a power requirement information;   receiving one or more of the following state information from the load: state of a compressor, state of a condenser, state of a compressor fan, state of an evaporation fan or state of a condenser fan;   determining the following based on one or more of the power information and one or more of the state information:   a) an amount of power to supply,   b) a time duration for supplying power, and   c) an operational frequency.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the memory further comprising program code for sending a command to a power source to deliver the amount of power for the time duration and at the operational frequency. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the power source is one of the following: a generator source for generating a direct current (DC) voltage or an unregulated alternating current (AC) voltage, a direct current (DC) battery source, or a shore power source. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the memory further comprising program code for modulating the frequency of the shore power source. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the load is the transport refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         26 . An apparatus for monitoring and controlling load requirements relating to a transport refrigeration unit, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing program code executable by the processor for performing the following:
 receiving one or more of the following power information from a load: a power consumption information or a power requirement information;   receiving one or more of the following state information from the load: state of a compressor, state of a condenser, state of a compressor fan, state of an evaporation fan or state of a condenser fan;   receiving one or more of the following auxiliary information: a fluid leakage measurement, a current measurement, a timer measurement, a counter measurement, a temperature information of a controlled environment, or an environmental temperature; and   determining whether or not to send a fault code to inhibit power delivery to the load based on one or more of the power information, state information or auxiliary information.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the memory further comprising program code for sending a command to inhibit power delivery to the load. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the power source is one of the following: a generator source for generating a direct current (DC) voltage or an unregulated alternating current (AC) voltage, a direct current (DC) battery source, or a shore power source. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the memory further comprising program code for modulating the frequency of the shore power source. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the load is the transport refrigeration unit.