Metering Device with Control Functionally and Method Thereof

• US 20080147334A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Kagan, Erran
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A metering device of a power substation and method are provided for operating on a secondary analog waveform output by a transformer assembly receiving a primary waveform. The method includes stepping down the secondary waveform and generating a corresponding output signal; operating on the corresponding output signal for generating a corresponding first digital signal having a value proportional to the corresponding output signal and within a first range; and operating on the corresponding output signal for generating a corresponding second digital signal having a value proportional to the corresponding output signal and within a second range. The method further includes processing the first digital signal and outputting a corresponding first output signal; processing the second digital signal and outputting a corresponding second output signal; processing the first and second output signals; and generating output corresponding to the processing of the first and second output signals.

Claims

1. A metering device of a power substation operating on a secondary analog waveform output by a transformer assembly receiving a primary waveform, the metering device comprising:

a transformer for stepping down the secondary waveform and generating an output signal;

first biasing circuitry for operating on the signal output from the transformer for generating a corresponding first digital signal having a value proportional to the signal output from the transformer and within a first range;

second biasing circuitry for operating on the signal output from the transformer for generating a corresponding second digital signal having a value proportional to the signal output from the transformer and within a second range; and

a processor assembly in operative communication with the first and second biasing circuitry, wherein the processor assembly executes application software for receiving the first and second digital signals, the processor assembly comprising;

a first operational software block for processing the first digital signal and outputting a corresponding first output signal;

a second operational software block for processing the second digital signal and outputting a corresponding second output signal; and

a control software block for processing the first and second output signals and generating corresponding output.

2. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the processor assembly further comprises a handler software block for processing the output from the control signal for providing corresponding output to at least one of a communication input/output (I/O) device, a display device, and an indicator device.

3. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the metering device further comprises a digital to analog converter DAC for receiving the output generated by the control software block and generating a corresponding analog retransmit signal.

4. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the output generated by the control software block is provided to a device for controlling the device.

5. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein each processor of the processor assembly that executes at least a portion of at least one of the first operational software block, second operational software block, and control software block is disposed in one housing.

6. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein each of the transformer and the first and second biasing circuitry are disposed in one housing.

7. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the first operational software block performs at least one metering function for measuring energy of the secondary waveform.

8. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the second operational software block performs a condition detection operation for detecting abnormal properties of the secondary waveform.

9. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the second range is substantially more than two times the first range.

10. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first operational software block, second operational software block, and control software block monitors at least one software block of the other software blocks for detecting an abnormal condition and resets the software block of the at least one software block associated with the detected abnormal condition.

11. The metering device according to claim 1, wherein the control software block compares the first and second digital signals for detecting a discrepancy therebetween and generating a corresponding signal.

12. A method for operating on a secondary analog waveform output by a transformer assembly receiving a primary waveform, the method comprising:

stepping down the secondary waveform and generating a corresponding output signal;

operating on the corresponding output signal for generating a corresponding first digital signal having a value proportional to the corresponding output signal and within a first range;

operating on the corresponding output signal for generating a corresponding second digital signal having a value proportional to the corresponding output signal and within a second range;

processing the first digital signal and outputting a corresponding first output signal;

processing the second digital signal and outputting a corresponding second output signal;

processing the first and second output signals; and

generating output corresponding to the processing of the first and second output signals.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

processing the output corresponding to the first and second output signals for at least one of generating a corresponding analog signal, generating a corresponding control signal for controlling a device, providing the output to an input/output (I/O) communication device, providing the output to a display device, and providing the output to an indicator device.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the processing the first digital signal includes performing a metering function for measuring energy of the secondary waveform.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the processing the second digital signal includes performing a condition detection operation for detecting abnormal properties of the secondary waveform.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second range is substantially more than two times the first range.

17. A processor assembly executing application software for receiving first and second digital signals corresponding to a secondary waveform output by a transformer assembly of a power substation in response to the transformer assembly operating on a primary waveform, wherein the first digital signal is biased to have a value within a first range, and the second signal is biased to have a value within a second range, the processor assembly comprising:

a first operational software block for processing the first digital signal and outputting a corresponding first output signal;

a second operational software block for processing the second digital signal and outputting a corresponding second output signal; and

a control software block for processing the first and second output signals and generating corresponding output.

18. The processor assembly according to claim 17, wherein the first operational software block performs at least one metering function for measuring energy of the secondary waveform.

19. The processor assembly according to claim 17, wherein the second operational software block performs a condition detection operation for detecting abnormal properties of the secondary waveform.

20. The processor assembly according to claim 17, wherein the second range is substantially more than two times the first range.

21. The processor assembly according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first operational software block, second operational software block, and control software block monitors at least one software block of the other software blocks for detecting an abnormal condition and resets the software block of the at least one software block associated with the detected abnormal condition.