ARCING EVENT DETECTION

• US 20090088988A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Benner, Carl L., Xu, Peng, Russell, B. Don, Muthu-Mannivannan, Karthick
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/58
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Abstract

Methods for detecting electrical arcing on an electrical power system are provided, as well as systems and computer program products for carrying out the method. The method includes the steps of: a) obtaining data indicative of the temporal behavior of a signal which is indicative of a first periodic property of the electrical power system; and b) determining whether an arcing event is present on the electrical power system based on the shape observed in the first data.

Claims

1. A method for detecting electrical arcing on an electrical power system, comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining first data indicative of the temporal behavior of a signal which is indicative of a first periodic property of the electrical power system; and

b) determining whether an arcing event is present on the electrical power system based on a shape observed in the first data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first periodic property is current.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wherein the signal includes a normal load component, and further including, prior to step b), removing the normal load component from the first data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the cause of the arcing event by comparing the data to shapes associated with known arcing event types.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data represents a derived characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining second data indicative of a second periodic property.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second periodic property is voltage.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shape of the first data is indicative of current bursts and a shape contained in the second data is indicative of a periodic voltage having voltage peaks.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of determining that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the current bursts indicated by the first data substantially coincide in time with voltage peaks indicated by the shape of the second data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is indicative of RMS current in the electrical power system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data indicates a peak having a precipitous decrease at its end.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data is indicative of current, and comprising the step of determining that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data presents a generally sinusoidal shape which includes at least one generally flat region.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the generally flat region is present substantially at a point where the sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-current line.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the first data is indicative of current, and comprising the step of determining that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data presents a generally sinusoidal shape which includes at least one generally flat region which is present substantially at a point where the sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-voltage line of the second data.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether an arcing event is present includes:

(a) observing the shape of the first data at a first resolution to determine if an arcing event is potentially present; and

(b) if an arcing event is determined to be potentially present in step (a), examining the first data at a second resolution finer than the first resolution to determine whether an arcing event is present.

16. A system for detecting electrical arcing on an electrical power system, comprising:

a) a data acquisition unit that is electrically connected to an electrical power system, wherein the data acquisition unit is configured to monitor signals indicative of a first periodic property of the electrical power system; and

b) a computing device operably connected to the data acquisition unit and programmed to;

i) obtain first data from the data acquisition unit indicative of the temporal behavior of the first signal; and

ii) determine whether an arcing event is present on the electrical power system based on the shape observed in the first data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first periodic property is current.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal includes a normal load component, and wherein the computing device, prior to step ii) is programmed to remove the normal load component from the first data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing device is programmed to determine the cause of the arcing event by comparing the data to shapes associated with known arcing event types.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data represents a derived characteristic.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the computing device is programmed to obtain second data indicative of a second periodic property.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the second periodic property is voltage.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the shape of the first data is indicative of current bursts and the shape of the second data is indicative of a periodic voltage having voltage peaks.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the computing device is programmed to determine that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the current bursts indicated by the first data substantially coincide with voltage peaks indicated by the shape of the second data.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data is indicative of RMS current in the electrical power system.

26. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing device is programmed to determine that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data indicates a peak having a precipitous decrease at its end.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing device is programmed to determine that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data presents a generally sinusoidal shape which includes at least one generally flat region.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the computing device is programmed to determine that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the generally flat region is present substantially at a point where the sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-current line.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing device is programmed to determine that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data presents a generally sinusoidal shape which includes at least one generally flat region that is present substantially at a point where the sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-voltage line of the second data.

30. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing device programmed to determine whether an arcing event is present includes the steps of:

(a) observing the shape of the first data at a first resolution to determine if an arcing event is potentially present; and

(b) if an arcing event is determined to be potentially present in step (a), examining the first data at a second resolution finer than the first resolution to determine whether an arcing event is present.

45. The computer program product of claim 30 wherein the processor determines whether an arcing event is present including the steps of:

(a) observing the shape of the first data at a first resolution to determine if an arcing event is potentially present; and

(b) if an arcing event is determined to be potentially present in step (a), examining the first data at a second resolution finer than the first resolution to determine whether an arcing event is present.

31. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a system, causes the one or more processors to:

a) receive first data which is indicative of the temporal behavior a signal which is indicative of a first periodic property of an electrical power system; and

b) determine whether an arcing event is present on the electrical power system based on the shape observed in the first data.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the first periodic property is current.

33. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein the signal includes a normal load component, and wherein the instructions cause the processor, prior to step b), to remove the normal load component from the data.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising the step of determining the cause of the arcing event b comparing the first data to shapes associated with known arcing event types

35. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the first data represents a derived characteristic.

36. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the instructions cause the processors to obtain second data, wherein the second data is indicative of a second periodic property.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the second periodic property is voltage.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the shape of the first data is indicative of current bursts and the shape of the second data is indicative of a periodic voltage having voltage peaks.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the processor determines that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the current bursts indicated by the first data substantially coincide in time with voltage peaks indicated by the shape of the second data.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the first data is indicative of RMS current in the electrical power system.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the processor determines that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data indicates a peak having a precipitous decrease at its end.

42. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein the first data is indicative of current versus time, and wherein the processor determines that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data is a generally sinusoidal shape which includes at least one generally flat region.

43. The computer program product of claim 42 wherein the processor determines that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the generally flat region is present substantially at a point where the sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-current line.

44. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the processor determines that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the first data is a generally sinusoidal shape which includes at least one generally flat region that is present substantially at a point where the sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-voltage line of the second data.