System and method for locating and analyzing arcing phenomena

• US 20080027663A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exacter, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exacter, Inc.
• Inventors: Lauletta, John, Anderson, Larry, Beal, John W., Ellis, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/59
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1227 of components, parts or materials G01R31/1209, G01R31/1218, G01R31/18 take precedence; circuits therefor G01R31/14; testing vessels of electrodes G01R31/16

Abstract

System and method for detecting partial discharge arcing phenomena in a power network distribution system which employs a mobile receiving assemblage including a wideband antenna, a computer controllable wideband radio receiver deriving an amplitude detected output and a global positioning system providing system position data. The amplitude detected outputs are digitized and treated with a digital signal processor based analysis including fast Fourier transforms extracting narrowband signal frequencies that are harmonically related to the network fundamental frequency. The narrowband signal frequencies are analyzed for peak amplitudes which are summed to derive maintenance merit values related to the arcing phenomena.

Claims

1. The method for detecting and generally locating arcing at a component of an electrical power distribution system exhibiting a fundamental a.c. frequency and located within a given geographic region, comprising the steps:

providing a mobile receiving assemblage including a wideband antenna, a computer controllable wideband radio receiver having an audio output, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver providing position data;

maneuvering said receiving assemblage about said geographic region;

converting said audio output to digital form at a sampling rate to provide digital samples;

providing a control assemblage including a digital signal processor, a control computer, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) function and a storage function;

using said control assemblage, responding to said digital samples with said FFT function to derive narrow band signal values that are harmonically related to said fundamental a.c. frequency; and

detecting said signal values and classifying them as to arc strength to provide classified signal values, controlling said wideband radio receiver with respect to its detection ranges deriving from said classified signal values, value of maintenance merit, correlating said values of maintenance merit with position data from said GPS receiver to provide position associated maintenance merit values and submitting them to said storage function.

2. The method of claim 1 in which:

said control assemblage is maneuverable with said receiving assemblage.

3. A system for detecting and generally locating an arcing phenomenon within an electrical power distribution system which exhibits wideband radiofrequency emission with a varying amplitude changing at the electrical power distribution system fundamental a.c. frequency and its harmonics and located within a given geographic region, comprising:

a mobile receiving assemblage including a wideband antenna, a computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said wideband antenna and having an amplitude detected output, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver providing GPS position data;

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter responsive to said amplitude detected output to convert it to digital form at a sampling rate to provide digital samples;

a digital signal processor (DSP) configured for carrying out arc detection and analysis including fast Fourier transforms (FFT) of said digital samples, extracting narrow band signal frequencies therefrom that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, analyzing said harmonically related narrow band frequencies for peak amplitudes and summing such peak amplitudes to derive maintenance merit values; and

a control computer including a digital storage facility and responsive to control said radio receiver to locate said amplitude detected output, compile said maintenance merit values with said GPS position data, and submit such compiled data to the storage facility.

4. The system of claim 3 in which:

said analog-to-digital converter, said digital signal processor, said control computer and said radio receiver are mounted within a portable housing.

5. The system of claim 4 in which:

said portable housing is located within a vehicle maneuverable about said geographic region, said wideband antenna and GPS receiver being mountable with said vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

an arc data storage server configured to receive said compiled merit value and GPS position data from a cell phone network; and

a cellular modem within said housing controllable by said control computer to broadcast said compiled merit values and position data to said arc data storage server.

7. The system of claim 5 in which:

said vehicle includes a storage battery electrical power supply and an ignition switch actuateable between on and off orientations to selectively activate a switched electrical power supply;

said system further comprising a power supply circuit under the control of said control computer responsive to actuation of the ignition switch to the on-orientation to power all components of said system from the switched electrical power supply and controllable in response to actuation of said ignition switch to the off-orientation to effect the powering of the vehicle borne components of said system from the storage battery electrical power supply for an interval effective to broadcast said compiled merit value and position data.

8. The system of claim 3 in which:

said digital signal processor is further configured to carry out a finite impulse response filtering of said maintenance merit values to provide resultant maintenance merit values for said compilation with GPS position data.

9. The system of claim 8 in which:

said control computer is responsive to a said resultant merit values when it exceeds a setpoint value and is derived in the presence of said fundamental frequency or a harmonic thereof to submit said compiled data to the storage facility.

10. The system of claim 8 in which:

said control computer is responsive to compare said resultant merit values with a low setting, when such a resultant merit value is less that such low setting, then when available it effects a lowering of the wideband radio frequency response of said radio receiver.

11. The system of claim 10 in which:

said control computer is responsive when such resultant merit value is greater than such low setting to effect, when available, a raising of the wideband radio frequency response of said radio receiver

12. The system of claim 3 in which said system further comprises:

a weather sensing assemblage having a weather output representing ambient temperature, humidity and barometric pressure; and

said control computer is responsive to submit said weather output to said storage facility in conjunction with the submittal of said compiled merit values and GPS position data.

13. The system of claim 6 in which said system further comprises:

a display facility in data transfer communication with said arc data storage server and configured to display a map of said geographic region in combination with visible indicia representing said compiled merit values and GPS position data and also displays GPS track information indicating geographical coverage by the mobile system.

14. The system of claim 3 in which:

said control computer sets said analog-to-digital converter sample length to a mathematical power of 2 and sample rate such that said fast Fourier transforms exhibit an output with said narrow band frequencies falling on said fundamental frequency and its harmonics;

15. The system of claim 3 in which:

said control computer is responsive to submit said digital samples as raw data to the storage facility to develop a signature analysis capability.

16. A system for detecting and generally locating an arcing phenomenon within an electrical power distribution system exhibiting wideband radiofrequency emissions with a varying amplitude changing at the electrical power distribution system fundamental a.c. frequency and its harmonics and located within a given geographic region comprising:

a mobile receiving assemblage including at least one wideband antenna, a first computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said antenna having a first amplitude detected output, a second computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said antenna having a second amplitude detected output, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver providing GPS position data;

a first analog-to-digital converter responsive to said first radio frequency amplitude output to convert it to digital form at a sampling rate to provide first high frequency parameter digital samples;

a second analog-to-digital converter responsive to said second radiofrequency amplitude output to convert it to digital form at a sampling rate to provide second low frequency parameter digital samples;

a first digital signal processor configured for carrying out arc detection and analysis including fast Fourier transforms of said first digital samples, extracting narrow band signal frequencies therefrom that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, analyzing said harmonically related narrow band frequencies for peak amplitudes and summing such peak amplitudes to derive first high frequency parameter maintenance merit values;

a second digital signal processor configured for carrying out arc detection and analysis including fast Fourier transforms of said second digital samples, extracting narrow band signal frequencies therefrom that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, analyzing said harmonically related narrow band frequencies for peak amplitudes and summing such peak amplitudes to derive second low frequency parameter maintenance merit values; and

a control computer including a digital storage facility and responsive when a said second low frequency parameter maintenance merit value is below a low setting to lower the wideband radio frequency response of said second computer controllable radio receiver, responsive when a said second low frequency parameter maintenance merit value is above a low setting to raise the wideband radio frequency response of said second computer controllable radio receiver, and responsive to said second low frequency parameter maintenance merit value to establish the wideband frequency response of said first computer controllable radio receiver, responsive to compile first and second maintenance merit values with said GPS position data and submit such compiled data to the storage facility.

17. The system of claim 16 in which the wideband radio frequency response ranges of said first computer controllable radio receiver are retained in a lookup table addressable by a combination of the second low frequency parameter maintenance merit values and second wideband radiofrequency response.

18. The system of claim 16 in which:

said first and second analog-to-digital converters, said first and second digital signal processors, said control computer and said first and second computer controllable wideband radio receivers are mounted within a portable housing.

19. The system of claim 18 in which:

said portable housing is located within a vehicle maneuverable about said geographic region, said wideband antenna and GPS receiver being mountable with said vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

an arc data storage server configured to receive said compiled maintenance merit values and GPS position data from a cell phone network; and

a cellular modem within said housing controllable by said control computer to broadcast said compiled maintenance merit values and position data to said arc data storage server.

21. The system of claim 20 in which:

said vehicle includes a storage battery electrical power supply and an ignition switch actuateable between on and off orientations to selectively activate a switched electrical power supply;

said system further comprising a power supply circuit under the control of said control computer responsive to actuation of the ignition switch to the on-orientation to power all components of said system from the switched electrical power supply and controllable in response to actuation of said ignition switch to the off-orientation to effect the powering of the vehicle borne components of said system from the storage battery electrical power supply for an interval effective to broadcast said compiled maintenance merit value and position data.

22. The system of claim 16 in which:

said first digital signal processor is further configured to carry out a finite impulse response filtering of said first high frequency parameter maintenance merit values to provide first high frequency parameter resultant maintenance merit values for said compilation with GPS position data; and

said second digital signal processor is further configured to carry out a finite impulse response filtering of said second low frequency parameter maintenance merit value to provide second low frequency parameter resultant maintenance merit values for said compilation with GPS position data.

23. The system of claim 22 in which:

said control computer is responsive to a said first high frequency parameter maintenance merit value when it exceeds a setpoint value and is derived in the presence of said fundamental frequency or a harmonic thereof to submit said compiled data to the storage facility; and

said control computer is responsive to a said second low frequency parameter maintenance merit value when it exceeds a setpoint and is derived in the presence of said fundamental frequency or a harmonic thereof to submit said compiled data to the storage facility.

24. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a weather sensing assemblage having a weather output representing ambient temperature, humidity and barometric pressure; and

said control computer is responsive to submit said weather output to said storage facility in conjunction with the submittal of said compiled data.

25. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

an arc data storage server configured to receive said compiled data from a cell phone network; and

a cellular modem within said housing controllable by said control computer to broadcast said compiled data to said arc data storage server.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

a display facility in data transfer communication with said arc data storage server and configured to display a map of said geographic region in combination with visible indicia representing said compiled data.

27. The system of claim 16 in which:

said control computer sets the sample length of said first and second analog-to-digital converters to a mathematical power of 2 and said fast Fourier transforms of said first and second digital signal processors exhibit outputs with said narrow band frequencies falling on said fundamental and its harmonic.

28. The system of claim 16 in which:

said control computer is responsive to submit said digital samples as raw data to the storage facility to develop a signature analysis capability.

29. A system for detecting and generally locating an arcing phenomena within an electrical power distribution system which exhibits wideband radiofrequency emissions with a varying amplitude changing at the electrical power distribution system fundamental a.c. frequency and its harmonics and located within a given geographic region, comprising:

a mobile receiving assemblage including at least one wideband antenna, at least one computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said wideband antenna and having an amplitude detected output, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver providing GPS position data;

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter responsive to said amplitude detected output to convert it to digital form at a sampling rate to provide digital samples;

a digital signal processor (DSP) configured for carrying out arc detection and analysis including fast Fourier transforms (FFT) of said digital samples extracting narrow band signal frequencies therefrom that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, and analyzing said harmonically related narrow band frequencies for peak amplitudes, and summing such peak amplitudes to derive maintenance merit values;

a failure signature library having an input for receiving detected and analyzed arc data including said fast Fourier transforms of said digital samples, extracted narrow band signal frequencies that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, the peak amplitudes of a said analysis, a radiofrequency spectrum of a said analysis, an accept/reject signature event indicator, a signature part type, a signature part number and a manufacturer;

a signature correlation and selection filter controllable to correlate said failure signature library retained arc data with the said carrying out of arc detection and analysis prior to said analysis for peak amplitudes; and

a control computer including a digital storage facility and responsive to control said radio receiver to locate said amplitude detected output, responsive to control said signature correlation and selection filter to an extent effective to enhance the derivation of maintenance merit values, to reject known false signature indications and further responsive to compile said maintenance merit values signature correlation data with said GPS position data, and submit such compiled data to the storage facility.

30. The system of claim 29 in which:

said analog-to-digital converter, said digital signal processor, said control computer and said radio receiver are mounted within a portable housing.

31. The system of claim 30 in which:

said portable housing is located within a vehicle maneuverable about said geographic region, said wideband antenna and GPS receiver being mountable with said vehicle.

32. The system of claim 31 further comprising:

an arc data storage server configured to receive said compiled merit value and GPS position data from a cell phone network; and

a cellular modem within said housing controllable by said control computer to broadcast said compiled merit values and position data to said arc data storage server.

33. The system of claim 32 in which said cellular modem and said failure signature library are controlled by said control computer to download said detected and analyzed arc data to said failure signature library input.

34. The system of claim 31 in which:

said vehicle includes a storage battery electrical power supply and an ignition switch actuateable between on and off orientations to selectively activate a switched electrical power supply;

said system further comprising a power supply circuit under the control of said control computer responsive to actuation of the ignition switch to the on-orientation to power all components of said system from the switched electrical power supply and controllable in response to actuation of said ignition switch to the off-orientation to effect the powering of the vehicle borne components of said system from the storage battery electrical power supply for an interval effective to broadcast said compiled merit value and position data.

35. The system of claim 29 in which:

said digital signal processor is further configured to carry out a finite impulse response filtering of said maintenance merit values to provide resultant maintenance merit values for said compilation with GPS position data.

36. The system of claim 35 in which:

said control computer is responsive to a said resultant merit values when it exceeds a setpoint value and is derived in the presence of said fundamental frequency or a harmonic thereof to submit said compiled data to the storage facility.

37. The system of claim 35 in which:

said control computer is responsive to compare said resultant merit values with a low setting, when such a resultant merit value is less that such low setting, then when available it effects a lowering of the wideband radio frequency response of said radio receiver.

38. The system of claim 37 in which:

said control computer is responsive when such resultant merit value is greater than such low setting to effect, when available, a raising of the wideband radio frequency response of said radio receiver

39. The system of claim 29 in which said system further comprises:

a weather sensing assemblage having a weather output representing ambient temperature, humidity and barometric pressure; and

said control computer is responsive to submit said weather output to said storage facility in conjunction with the submittal of said compiled merit values and GPS position data.

40. The system of claim 32 in which said system further comprises:

a display facility in data transfer communication with said arc data storage server and configured to display a map of said geographic region in combination with visible indicia representing said compiled merit values and GPS position data.

41. The system of claim 29 in which:

said control computer sets said analog-to-digital converter sample length to a mathematical power of 2 and sample rate such that said fast Fourier transforms exhibit an output with said narrow band frequencies falling on said fundamental frequency and its harmonics;

42. The system of claim 29 in which:

said control computer is responsive to submit said digital samples as raw data to the storage facility to develop a signature analysis capability.