Method and apparatus for collecting data related to the status of an electrical power system

• US 20080112223A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Bayoumi, Deia Salah-Eldin, Giacobbe, Mark C., Sosinski, Thomas G., Maharsi, Mohamed
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.08
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0092 concerning the data processing means, e.g. expert systems, neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for collecting data related to a status of an electrical power system, wherein data is continuously acquired from the electrical power system and is stored, at least temporarily, in a first volatile memory. Upon the occurrence of an event, the data stored in the first volatile memory is copied and permanently stored in a second non-volatile memory.

Claims

1. A method for collecting data related to a status of an electrical power system operatively coupled with a microprocessor-based relay, comprising:

acquiring data from said electrical power system;

storing at least temporarily the acquired data in a first volatile memory; and

upon the occurrence of an event, copying the data stored in said first volatile memory and permanently storing the copied data in a second non-volatile memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying if the data copied from said first volatile memory has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

when the data copied from said first volatile memory has not been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory, trying again to permanently store in said second non-volatile memory said data copied from the first volatile memory; and

verifying again if the copied data has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first volatile memory is provided with a source of auxiliary power, and the method further comprises:

upon the occurrence of a condition when power feeding the relay is switched off and thereafter switched on, verifying if data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off matches with data stored in said second non-volatile memory.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

when the data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off does not match with data stored in said second non-volatile memory, copying the data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off and permanently storing the copied data in the second non-volatile memory.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

verifying if the data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

when said data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off has not been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory, trying again to permanently store in said second non-volatile memory said data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off; and

verifying again if said data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first volatile memory is a battery-backed low power SRAM and said second non-volatile memory is a NAND flash memory.

9. An electronic relay for collecting data related to a status of an electrical power system operatively coupled therewith, comprising:

a microprocessor for acquiring data from said electrical power system;

a first volatile memory for storing at least temporarily the acquired data; and

a second non-volatile memory for permanently storing thereon data copied from said first volatile memory upon the occurrence of an event.

10. The electronic relay of claim 9, further comprising an electronic logic circuit for interfacing said microprocessor with said second non-volatile memory.

11. The electronic relay of claim 9, wherein said first volatile memory is provided with a source of auxiliary power.

12. The electronic relay of claim 9, wherein said first volatile memory is a low power battery-backed SRAM and said second non-volatile memory is a NAND flash memory.

13. The electronic relay of claim 9, wherein it comprises a driver module for storing data in said second non volatile memory and comparing the data stored in said second non volatile memory with data copied from the first volatile memory.

14. An electronic relay for collecting data related to a status of an electrical power system operatively coupled therewith, comprising:

a microprocessor, a first volatile memory for at least temporarily storing data, and a second non-volatile memory for permanently storing data thereon, wherein said microprocessor has thereon computer usable program code configured to;

acquire data from said electrical power system;

store the acquired data in said first volatile memory; and

upon the occurrence of an event, copy the data stored in said first volatile memory and permanently store the copied data in a second non-volatile memory.

15. The electronic relay of claim 14, wherein said computer usable program code further comprises code configured to:

verify if the data copied from said first volatile memory has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

16. The electronic relay of claim 15, wherein said computer usable program code further comprises code configured to:

try again to permanently store in said second non-volatile memory said data copied from the first volatile memory when the data copied from said first volatile memory has not been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory; and

verify again if the copied data has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

17. The electronic relay of claim 14, wherein said first volatile memory is provided with a source of auxiliary power, and said computer usable program code further comprises code configured to:

upon the occurrence of a condition when power feeding the relay is switched off and thereafter switched on, verify if data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off matches with data stored in said second non-volatile memory.

18. The electronic relay of claim 17, wherein said computer usable program code further comprises code configured to:

when the data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off does not match with data stored in said second non-volatile memory, copy the data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off and permanently storing the copied data in the second non-volatile memory.

19. The electronic relay of claim 18, wherein said computer usable program code further comprises code configured to:

verify if the data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.

20. The electronic relay of claim 19, wherein said computer usable program code further comprises code configured to:

when said data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off has not been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory, try again to permanently store in said second non-volatile memory said data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off; and

verify again if said data stored in said first volatile memory before the power feeding the relay was switched off has been correctly stored in said second non-volatile memory.