METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

• US 20080024321A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Heath, Gail L., West, Phillip B., Svoboda, John M., Scott, Clark L., Polk, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,786,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A sensing platform for monitoring a transmission system may include a sensor that senses one or more conditions relating to a condition of the transmission system or and/or the condition of an environment around the transmission system. A control system operatively associated with the sensor produces output data based on an output signal produced by the sensor. A transmitter operatively associated with the control system transmits the output data from the control system.

Claims

1. A sensing platform for monitoring a transmission system, comprising:

a sensor, said sensor sensing one or more conditions selected from the group consisting essentially of;

a condition of the transmission system; and

a condition of an environment around the transmission system, said sensor producing an output signal related to the sensed condition;

a control system operatively associated with said sensor and responsive to the output signal produced by said sensor, said control system producing output data based on the output signal produced by said sensor; and

a transmitter operatively associated with said control system, said transmitter transmitting the output data from said control system.

2. The sensing platform of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises one or more selected from the group consisting essentially of an accelerometer, an acoustic sensor, an optical sensor, and a temperature sensor.

3. The sensing platform of claim 2, wherein said accelerometer comprises a two-axis accelerometer.

4. The sensing platform of claim 2, wherein said optical sensor comprises an infra-red detector.

5. The sensing platform of claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises a radio-frequency transmitter.

6. The sensing platform of claim 1, further comprising a power converter operatively associated with the transmission system, said power converter extracting energy from the transmission system and converting the extracted energy into a form useable by said sensing platform.

7. The sensing platform of claim 6, wherein the transmission system comprises an electrical power transmission system and wherein said power converter comprises an inductive converter.

8. The sensing platform of claim 1, further comprising a receiver, said receiver receiving transmitted signals from another sensing platform.

9. The sensing platform of claim 8, wherein said receiver and said transmitter comprise a transceiver.

10. A system for monitoring a transmission system, comprising:

a plurality of sensing platforms operatively associated with the transmission system at a corresponding plurality of locations along the transmission system, each of said plurality of sensing platforms comprising;

a sensor, said sensor sensing one or more conditions selected from the group consisting essentially of;

a condition of the transmission system; and

a condition of an environment around the transmission system, said sensor producing an output signal related to the at least one condition sensed;

a control system operatively associated with said sensor and responsive to the output signal produced by said sensor, said control system producing output data based on the output signal produced by said sensor; and

a transceiver operatively associated with said control system, said transceiver transmitting the output data from said control system; and

at least one endpoint receiver, said at least one endpoint receiver receiving output data transmitted by said at least one of said plurality of sensing platforms.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a user-interface system operatively associated with said at least one endpoint receiver.

12. A method for monitoring a transmission system, comprising:

sensing one or more conditions selected from the group consisting essentially of;

a condition of the transmission system; and

a condition of an environment around the transmission system; and

transmitting data related to the sensed condition.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether said sensed condition is a normal condition or an anomalous condition; and

transmitting information about the anomalous condition when the anomalous condition is determined.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the transmitted data related to the sensed condition at an intermediate transceiver;

re-transmitting data related to the sensed condition; and

receiving the re-transmitted data at an endpoint receiver.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting data related to the sensed condition comprises transmitting radio frequency signals.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmission system comprises a power transmission system having power lines and wherein transmitting comprises transmitting via the power lines.

17. A sensing platform, comprising:

sensor means for sensing one or more conditions selected from the group consisting essentially of;

a condition of a transmission system; and

a condition of an environment around the transmission system, and for producing an output signal related to the sensed condition;

means, operatively associated with said sensor means, for operating said sensor means and for processing the output signal from said sensor means to produce output data; and

means for transmitting the output data.