Electrical Power System Sensor Devices, Electrical Power System Monitoring Methods, And Electrical Power System Monitoring Systems

• US 20110172938A1
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexlent LLC
• Original Assignee: Nexlent LLC
• Inventors: Kwok, Jerry C. L., Donnelly, Matthew K., Wu, Chuck-yan, Gu, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/142 Arrangements for simultaneous measurements of several parameters employing techniques covered by groups G01R15/14 - G01R15/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/185 with compensation or feedback windings or interacting coils, e.g. 0-flux sensors using galvano-magnetic field sensors G01R15/20; conversion of DC into AC using transductors G01R19/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Electrical power system sensor devices, electrical power system monitoring methods, and electrical power system monitoring systems are disclosed according to some aspects of the description. In one aspect, an electrical power system sensor device includes sensor circuitry configured to monitor a characteristic of electrical energy which is conducted using an electrical conductor of an electrical power system, an attachment assembly configured to position the sensor circuitry with respect to the electrical conductor wherein the sensor circuitry monitors the characteristic of the electrical energy which is conducted within the electrical conductor of the electrical power system, and wherein the sensor circuitry is electrically isolated from the electrical conductor of the electrical power system.

Claims

1. An electrical power system sensor device comprising

sensor circuitry configured to monitor a characteristic of electrical energy which is conducted using an electrical conductor of an electrical power system;

an attachment assembly configured to position the sensor circuitry with respect to the electrical conductor wherein the sensor circuitry monitors the characteristic of the electrical energy which is conducted within the electrical conductor of the electrical power system; and

wherein the sensor circuitry is electrically isolated from the electrical conductor of the electrical power system.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to detect an electromagnetic field about the electrical conductor to monitor the characteristic comprising current of the electrical energy.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a hall effect circuit which monitors the characteristic of the electric energy comprising high voltage electrical energy equal to or greater than approximately 600 Volts.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the hall effect circuit is embodied within a package, and wherein a plurality of leads which extend from the package are spaced at a common distance from the electrical conductor.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the circuitry comprises a winding which is wrapped about a core which is positioned around at least a portion of the electrical conductor.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising power circuitry configured to generate operational electrical energy which is used by the sensor circuitry to monitor the characteristic of the electrical energy, and wherein the power circuitry is electrically isolated from all electrical conductors which are external of the sensor device.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to generate data signals which are indicative of the characteristic of the electrical energy, and further comprising communications circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate measurement data of the data signals externally of the sensor device.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to monitor an electromagnetic field generated about the electrical conductor as a result of the conduction of the electrical energy using the electrical conductor.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises circuitry of a first sensor configured to monitor a first aspect of the characteristic of the electrical energy which is conducted using the electrical conductor, and further comprising a second sensor which is configured to monitor a second aspect of the characteristic of the electrical energy which is conducted using the electrical conductor, and wherein the first and second aspects are different.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is electrically isolated from all ground references which are external of the sensor device.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry is electrically isolated from all electrical conductors which are external of the sensor device.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a housing which includes the attachment assembly, and wherein the attachment assembly is configured to physically couple the sensor device with the electrical conductor.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the housing and the attachment assembly are not supported by ground apart from support from the conductor.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein an entirety of the sensor device is supported solely by the conductor.

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising processing circuitry configured to process an output of the sensor circuitry to calculate phasors.

16. An electrical power system monitoring method comprising:

using a plurality of sensor circuits, monitoring a characteristic of electrical energy which is conducted using an electrical conductor of an electrical power system;

using the sensor circuits, generating a plurality of data signals which correspond to different aspects of the electrical characteristic of the electrical energy which is conducted using the electrical conductor; and

processing the data signals to provide information regarding the electrical characteristic of the electrical energy being conducted within the electrical conductor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring comprises detecting electromagnetic fields about the electrical conductor using respective ones of the plurality of sensor circuits to monitor the characteristic comprising current of the electrical energy.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the characteristic of the electrical energy using the sensor circuits configured to monitor different ranges of intensities of the electromagnetic field.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the electrical characteristic at different axial locations of the electrical conductor using plural ones of the sensor circuits which are positioned adjacent to the different axial locations of the electrical conductor, and wherein the data signals comprise measurement data regarding the electrical characteristic of the electrical energy at the different axial locations of the electrical conductor.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the measurement data comprises a plurality of samples, and further comprising generating the samples of the plural data signals at a plurality of common moments in time.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the generating of the samples for one of the common moments in time comprises generating the samples for the one of the common moments in time at the same moment in time using the plural sensor circuits.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the electrical characteristic at different distances from the electrical conductor using plural ones of the sensor circuits which are positioned at different distances from the electrical conductor, and wherein the data signals comprise measurement data regarding the electrical characteristic of the electrical energy at the different distances from the electrical conductor.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the electrical characteristic using the plurality of the sensor circuits which are positioned adjacent to opposite sides of the electrical conductor.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the processing comprises combining the data signals which are generated using the sensor circuits which are positioned adjacent to the opposite sides of the electrical conductor.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising processing the data signals to detect presence of interference.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the processing comprises processing the data signals to reduce noise in the data signals.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising synchronizing the sensor circuits with respect to time, and further comprising generating a plurality of samples of the data signals using the plural sensor circuits which are synchronized with one another and a plurality of common moments in time.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring the electrical characteristic at different axial locations of the electrical conductor using the sensor circuits which are located adjacent to the different axial location of the electrical conductor, and wherein the processing comprises processing to provide information regarding a direction of flow of the electrical energy being conducted using the electrical conductor.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring using the sensor circuits which are electrically isolated from the electrical conductor.

30. The method of claim 16 wherein the sensor circuits are embodied within a single sensor device, and further comprising, before the processing, wirelessly communicating measurement data of the data signals to a receiver device using wireless communications circuitry of the single sensor device.

31. An electrical power system monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of sensor devices which are individually configured to monitor an electrical characteristic of electrical energy which is conducted using an electrical conductor of an electrical power system, to generate a plurality of data signals which are indicative of the monitored electrical characteristic of the electrical energy, and to communicate the data signals externally of the individual sensor device; and

a receiver device configured to receive the data signals which are communicated by the sensor devices and to coordinate at least one operation of the sensor devices with respect to the monitoring of the electrical characteristic of the electrical energy.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the data signals individually include measurement data indicative of the electrical characteristic monitored by respective ones of the sensor devices, and wherein the receiver device is configured to combine the measurement data from the different sensor devices into a composite signal.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the sensor devices comprise wireless communications circuits which are configured to wirelessly communicate measurement data of the data signals, which is indicative of the monitored electrical characteristic by the respective sensor devices, to the receiver device.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the receiver device is configured to synchronize communication of the measurement data from the plurality of sensor devices to the receiver device to coordinate the at least one operation of the sensor devices.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the receiver device is configured to synchronize sampling of the data signals by the sensor devices at a plurality of common moments in time to coordinate the at least one operation of the sensor devices.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the electrical energy is conducted as a time-varying signal using the conductor, and the sensor devices generate a plurality of samples of the data signals at a common moment in time to provide information regarding the time-varying at a plurality of different locations of the conductor at the common moment in time.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the receiver device is configured to synchronize the timing of the samplings by the sensor device to coordinate the at least one operation.

38. The system of claim 31 wherein the sensor devices are configured to generate a plurality of samples of the electrical characteristic at a plurality of common moments in time and the receiver device is configured to associate the samples from the different sensor devices together in a plurality of groups according to the plurality of common moments in time.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the receiver device is configured to associate timing information which identifies the common moments in time with respective ones of the groups.