METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

• US 20100033345A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• 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: West, Phillip B., Svoboda, John M., Heath, Gail L., Scott, Clark L., Polk, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,941,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.10
• 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, and method therefor, may include a sensor that senses one or more conditions relating to a condition of the transmission system 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 method for monitoring a transmission system, comprising:

sensing a condition indicative of a potential threat to an integrity of the transmission system from an environmental condition with a sensing platform disposed near the transmission system;

evaluating the sensed condition to develop potential threat data;

transmitting the potential threat data in a first direction from the sensing platform to an end point receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the potential threat is selected from the group consisting of a passage of a person within range of the sensing platform, a passage of a vehicle with range of the sensing platform, and a vibration of the sensing platform.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from the sensing platform information corresponding to at least one of an identifier for the sensing platform and a location of the sensing platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the potential threat data further comprises retransmitting the potential threat data in the first direction sequentially through a plurality of sensing platforms positioned at a plurality of locations along the transmission system between the sensing platform and the end point receiver.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein retransmitting the potential threat data in the first direction sequentially through the plurality of sensing platforms further comprises bypassing at least one sensing platform among the plurality of sensing platforms.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a redundant transmission by transmitting the potential threat data from the sensing platform to an additional end point receiver at a different location from the end point receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting to the additional end point receiver comprises retransmitting the potential threat data sequentially through an additional plurality of sensing platforms along the transmission system in a direction different from the first direction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from the end point receiver to the sensing platform reprogramming the threshold levels for the sensing the condition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the sensed condition comprises digitizing the potential threat data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the sensed condition comprises comparing the potential threat data with a threshold level associated with a normal condition to determine an existence of an anomalous condition when the potential threat data is outside of the threshold level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the sensed condition comprises processing the potential threat data using a signal processing technique.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal processing technique comprises a Fast Fourier Transfer.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a report at a user interface system when there is the existence of the anomalous condition, wherein the user interface system receives the potential threat data from the end point receiver.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the potential threat data includes transmitting image data from an optical sensor operatively coupled with the sensing platform.

15. A system for monitoring a transmission system, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensing platforms disposed at locations near a transmission system, at least one sensing platform among the plurality of sensing platforms comprising;

a sensor configured to sense a condition indicative of a potential threat to an integrity of the transmission system;

a control system operatively coupled with the sensor and responsive to an output signal produced by the sensor, the control system configured to produce output data associated with the output signal produced by the sensor; and

a transceiver operatively coupled with the control system, the transceiver configured to;

transmit the output data from the control system to a nearby sensing platform among the plurality of sensing platforms;

receive information from the nearby sensing platform among the plurality; and

re-transmit the information received from the nearby sensing platform; and

at least one endpoint receiver configured to receive the output data transmitted by the at least one sensing platform among the plurality of sensing platforms.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the potential threat is selected from the group consisting of a passage of a person within a range of the sensing platform, a passage of a vehicle within another range of the sensing platform, and a vibration of the sensing platform.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit, receive, and retransmit the output data to a second nearby sensing platform among the plurality, wherein the second nearby sensing platform is in a direction substantially opposite from the nearby sensing platform.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising an additional endpoint receiver configured to receive a redundant set of the output data transmitted by the at least one sensing platform.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensing platform among the plurality of sensing platforms is disposed on a support structure of the transmission system.

20. A sensing platform comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a condition indicative of a potential threat to an integrity of a transmission system, and to produce an output signal related to the sensed condition;

a control system operatively coupled with the sensor and responsive to the output signal produced by the sensor, the control system configured to produce output data based on the output signal produced by the sensor;

a transceiver operatively coupled with the control system and configured to;

receive transmitted data from a second sensing platform;

retransmit the transmitted data to a third sensing platform; and

transmit the output data from the control system to at least one sensing platform in a plurality of sensing platforms.

21. The sensing platform of claim 20, wherein the sensor comprises one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, an acoustic sensor, an optical sensor, and a temperature sensor.

22. The sensing platform of claim 20, wherein the control system is further configured to compare the sensed condition from the sensor with a threshold level associated with a normal condition to determine an existence of an anomalous condition when the output data is outside of the threshold level.

23. The sensing platform of claim 22, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a reprogramming signal from an endpoint receiver, wherein the reprogramming signal from the endpoint receiver reprograms the threshold level used to determine the existence of the anomalous condition.

24. The sensing platform of claim 20, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to produce image data of an area near the transmission system.