Power monitoring system

• US 20030184280A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veris Industries LLC (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Veris Industries LLC (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Bruno, David, Bowman, Marc, Mauney, Marshall
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/142
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/006 Measuring power factor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects

Abstract

A power monitoring system with multiple current sensors.

Claims

1. A power monitoring system comprising:

(a) a first current sensor suitable to sense changing electrical energy within a first conductor to a first load, said first current sensor providing a first signal;

(b) a second current sensor suitable to sense changing electrical energy with a second conductor to a second load, said second current sensor providing a second signal

(c) a first conductor sensing a first voltage potential provided to said first load and to said second load; and

(d) a power monitor that determines,

(i) a first power measurement associated with said first load based upon, at least in part, said first signal and said first voltage potential;

(ii) a second power measurement associated with said second load based upon, at least in part, said second signal and said first voltage potential.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first conductor is interconnected to a bus bar within a power panel.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said first current sensor and said second current sensor include a wire wound torodial core.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said first conductor is an elongate wire.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said power monitor further determines

(a) a first phase relationship between said first signal and said first voltage potential;

(b) a second phase relationship between said second signal and said first voltage potential; and

(c) wherein said first phase relationship is used in said determining said first power measurement and said second phase relationship is used in said determining said second power measurement.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a third current sensor suitable to sense changing electrical energy within a third conductor to said first load, said third current sensor providing a third signal;

(b) a second conductor sensing a second voltage potential provided to said first load; and

(c) wherein said first power measurement is further based upon, at least in part, said third signal and said second voltage potential.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

(a) a fourth current sensor suitable to sense changing electrical energy within a fourth conductor to said first load, said fourth current sensor providing a fourth signal;

(b) a third conductor sensing a third voltage potential provided to said first load; and

(c) wherein said first power measurement is further based upon, at least in part, said fourth signal and said third voltage potential.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said power monitor further determines

(a) a first phase relationship between said first signal and said first voltage potential;

(b) a second phase relationship between said second signal and said first voltage potential; and

(c) wherein said first phase relationship is used in said determining said first power measurement and said second phase relationship is used in said determining said second power measurement.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said power monitor further determines

(a) a third phase relationship between said third signal and said second voltage potential;

(c) wherein said third phase relationship is used in said determining said first power measurement.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said power monitor further determines

(a) a fourth phase relationship between said fourth signal and said third voltage potential;

(c) wherein said fourth phase relationship is used in said determining said first power measurement.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said first power measurement is an instantaneous power measurement.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said first power measurement is a power measurement for a period of time.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said first conductor is the only interconnection between said power monitor and said voltage potential.

14. The system of claim 6 wherein said first conductor is the only interconnection between said power monitor and said first voltage potential, and said second conductor is the only interconnection between said power monitor and said second voltage potential.

15. The system of claim 7 wherein said first conductor is the only interconnection between said power monitor and said first voltage potential, and said second conductor is the only interconnection between said power monitor and said second voltage potential, and said third conductor is the only interconnection between said power monitor and said third voltage potential.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said power monitor, said first current sensor, said second current sensor, said third current sensor, said fourth current sensor, said first conductor, said second conductor, and said third conductor, are enclosed within a power panel.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein a plurality of circuit breakers are included within said power panel.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a support;

(b) a third current sensor and a fourth current sensor, said first, second, third, and fourth current sensors defining an opening through which a wire may be extended; and

(c) said first, second, third, and fourth current sensors being supported by said support in a fixed spatial relationship.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said openings of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are oriented in a substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein said support has a longitudinal axis and said openings of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said support.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein said openings of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are oriented in a substantially perpendicular relationship with respect to the general alignment of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are aligned in only one substantially linear arrangement.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are aligned in at least two substantially co-linear arrangements.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein at least two of said aligned first, second, third, and fourth sensors have a first linear arrangement and at least two others of said first, second, third, and fourth aligned sensors have a second linear arrangement.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are maintained in a spatial arrangement opposed to respective circuit breakers.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are arranged such that a respective housing at least partially surrounding each of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors has an overlapping region in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis of said support and the general alignment of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein said openings of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are arranged in a non-overlapping relationship with respect to other said openings in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis of said support and the general alignment of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors.

28. The system of claim 18 wherein said openings of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are arranged in a non-overlapping relationship with respect to respective housings at least partially surrounding each of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis of said support and the general alignment of said first, second, third, and fourth sensors.

29. The system of claim 18 further comprising

(a) a power panel;

(b) a plurality of circuit breakers within said power panel;

(c) said power monitor within said power panel; and

(d) said first, second, third, and fourth sensors arranged in a spatial arrangement such that said openings defined by said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are in a substantially directly opposing relationship with respect to respective ones of said circuit breakers.

30. The system of claim 18 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth sensors are split core first, second, third, and fourth sensors.

46. The device of claim 15 wherein said power monitor estimates the power provided by said wire.

31. An electrical sensing device comprising:

(a) a support;

(b) at least four sensors defining an opening through which a wire may be extended; and

(c) said sensors being supported by said support in a fixed spatial relationship.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein each of said sensors includes a wire wound torodial core.

33. The device of claim 31 wherein said openings of said sensors are oriented in a substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other.

34. The device of claim 31 wherein said support has a longitudinal axis and said openings of said sensors are substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said support.

35. The device of claim 31 wherein said openings of said sensors are oriented in a substantially perpendicular relationship with respect to the general alignment of said sensors.

36. The device of claim 31 wherein said sensors are aligned in only one substantially linear arrangement.

37. The device of claim 31 wherein said sensors are aligned in at least two substantially co-linear arrangements.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein at least two of said aligned sensors have a first linear arrangement and at least two others of said aligned sensors have a second linear arrangement.

39. The device of claim 31 wherein each of said sensors are maintained in a spatial arrangement opposed to respective circuit breakers.

40. The device of claim 31 wherein said sensors are arranged such that a respective housing at least partially surrounding each of said sensors has an overlapping region in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis of said support and the general alignment of said sensors.

41. The device of claim 31 wherein said openings of said sensors are arranged in a non-overlapping relationship with respect to other said openings in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis of said support and the general alignment of said sensors.

42. The device of claim 31 wherein said openings of said sensors are arranged in a non-overlapping relationship with respect to respective housings at least partially surrounding each of said sensors in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to at least one of a longitudinal axis of said support and the general alignment of said sensors.

43. The device of claim 31 further comprising

(a) a power panel;

(b) a plurality of circuit breakers within said power panel;

(c) said device within said power panel; and

(d) said sensors arranged in a spatial arrangement such that said openings defined by said sensors are in a substantially directly opposing relationship with respect to respective ones of said circuit breakers.

44. The device of claim 31 wherein said sensors are split core sensors.

45. The device of claim 31 further comprising

(a) a connector supported by said support;

and

(b) a power monitor that receives a signal from said connector representative of the current levels of a wire sensed by one of said sensors.