System and method for inferring schematic and topological properties of an electrical distribution grid

• US 10,554,257 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dominion Enterprises (Landmark Media Enterprises LLC), TRC Companies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dominion Enterprises (Landmark Media Enterprises LLC)
• Inventors: Hansell, Jerritt, Bernheim, Henrik F., Liao, Yu, Martin, Marcia Reid, Abendschein, Andrew Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giles, Eboni N
• Application Number:
  US15/177,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20160285511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/18 Indicating phase sequence; Indicating synchronism
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/546 Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/16 Electric power substations
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A system and method for inferring schematic and topological properties of an electrical distribution grid is provided. The system may include Remote Hubs, Subordinate Remotes, a Substation Receiver, and an associated Computing Platform and Concentrator. At least one intelligent edge transmitter, called a Remote Hub Edge Transmitter, may transmit messages on the electrical distribution grid by injecting a modulated current into a power main that supplies an electric meter. The Subordinate Remotes, Remote Hubs, the Substation Receiver, and the associated Computing Platform and Concentrator may contain processing units which execute stored instructions allowing each node in the network to implement methods for organizing the on-grid network and transmitting and receiving messages on the network. The Substation Receiver, Computing Platform, and Concentrator may detect and infer schematic grid location attributes of the network and publish the detected and inferred attributes to other application systems including geospatial information systems.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a first remote hub comprising a processor device, a first pilot signal on a first phase of a plurality of phases of an electrical distribution grid to which the first remote hub is coupled, the first remote hub being coupled to the first phase on a low voltage side of a transformer;

receiving, from a second remote hub coupled to the first phase, a first acknowledgement message;

in response to the first acknowledgement message, updating an inventory to identify the second remote hub as being coupled to the first phase on the low voltage side of the transformer;

receiving, from a third remote hub, a negative acknowledgement message; and

in response to the negative acknowledgement message, updating the inventory to identify the third remote hub as being coupled to a second phase on the low voltage side of the transformer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending, by the first remote hub to the third remote hub, a message instructing the third remote hub to initiate a second pilot signal on the second phase.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, from a fourth remote hub coupled to the second phase on the low voltage side of the transformer, a second acknowledgement message; and

in response to the second acknowledgement message, updating the inventory to identify the fourth remote hub as being coupled to the second phase on the low voltage side of the transformer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

iteratively transmitting, onto the first phase, a poll signal, wherein at each successive iteration an amplitude of the poll signal is increased; and

recording an amplitude of the poll signal wherein the second remote hub responds to the poll signal and neither the third remote hub or the fourth remote hub respond to the poll signal.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating, by the first remote hub, a message; and

sending, by the first remote hub to the second remote hub, the message and an instruction to send the message via the second phase to a substation receiver coupled to the electrical distribution grid on a high voltage side of the transformer.

6. A first remote hub comprising:

a memory; and

a processor device coupled to the memory and configured to;

send a first pilot signal on a first phase of a plurality of phases of an electrical distribution grid to which the first remote hub is coupled;

receive, from a second remote hub coupled to the first phase, a first acknowledgement message;

in response to the first acknowledgement message, update an inventory to identify the second remote hub as being coupled to the first phase on a low voltage side of a transformer;

receive, from a third remote hub, a negative acknowledgement message; and

in response to the negative acknowledgement message, update the inventory to identify the third remote hub as being coupled to a second phase on the low voltage side of the transformer.

7. The first remote hub of claim 6 wherein the processor device is further configured to send, by the first remote hub to the third remote hub, a message instructing the third remote hub to initiate a second pilot signal on the second phase.

8. The first remote hub of claim 7 wherein the processor device is further configured to:

receive, from a fourth remote hub coupled to the second phase on the low voltage side of the transformer, a second acknowledgement message; and

in response to the second acknowledgement message, update the inventory to identify the fourth remote hub as being coupled to the second phase on the low voltage side of the transformer.

9. The first remote hub of claim 8 wherein the processor device is further configured to:

iteratively transmit, onto the first phase, a poll signal, wherein at each successive iteration an amplitude of the poll signal is increased; and

record an amplitude of the poll signal wherein the second remote hub responds to the poll signal and neither the third remote hub or the fourth remote hub respond to the poll signal.

10. The first remote hub of claim 6 wherein the processor device is further configured to:

generate a message; and

send, to the second remote hub, the message and an instruction to send the message via the second phase to a substation receiver coupled to the electrical distribution grid on a high voltage side of the transformer.