System and Method for Providing Power Distribution System Information

• US 20110270457A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Communications Services LLC (Widewall Investments SL)
• Original Assignee: Current Communications Services LLC (Widewall Investments SL)
• Inventors: Brancaccio, Daniel S., Kreiss, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/62 The condition being non-electrical, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report. The plurality of applications may also include a fault analysis application, a transformer analysis application, a theft detection application, a power flow application, a substation automation application, a load shed application and others.

Claims

1. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

a fault analysis module configured to identify a location of a fault based on the utility data;

an incipient cable fault module configured to predict a location of a fault of an underground power cable based on the utility data;

an alarm module configured to output a notification if processing of the utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions; and

a report module configured to receive information from said fault analysis module and said incipient cable fault module and to output a report.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a load control module configured to perform load shedding based on the utility data.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one of the plurality of predetermined conditions comprises a condition in which a voltage is beyond a threshold voltage.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said alarm module is configured to process the utility data and to output a first notification if a voltage is below a first threshold and to output a second notification if the voltage is above a second threshold.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing the utility data.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a power flow module configured to control the flow of power through the power grid based on the utility data.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power outage module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power outage; and

a power restoration module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power restoration.

8. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing the utility data;

a fault analysis module configured to identify a location of a fault based on the utility data;

an alarm module configured to output a notification if processing of the utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions; and

a report module configured to receive information from said fault analysis module and to output a report.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a load control module configured to perform load shedding based on the utility data.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said one of the plurality of predetermined conditions comprises a condition in which a voltage is beyond a threshold voltage.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said alarm module is configured to process the utility data and to output a first notification if a voltage is below a first threshold and to output a second notification if the voltage is above a second threshold.

12. The system according to claim 8, further comprising an incipient cable fault module configured to predict a location of a fault of an underground power cable based on the utility data.

13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a power flow module configured to control the flow of power through the power grid based on the utility data.

14. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a power outage module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power outage.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising a power restoration module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power restoration.

16. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing the utility data;

a fault analysis module configured to identify a location of a fault based on the utility data;

an alarm module configured to process the utility data and to output a first notification if a voltage is below a first threshold and to output a second notification if the voltage is above a second threshold; and

a report module configured to receive information from said fault analysis module and to output a report.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a load control module configured to perform load shedding based on the utility data.

18. The system according to claim 16, further comprising an incipient cable fault module configured to predict a location of a fault of an underground power cable based on the utility data.

19. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a power flow module configured to control the flow of power through the power grid based on the utility data.

20. The system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a power outage module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power outage; and

a power restoration module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power restoration.