Infrared Sensor Array Circuit Breaker Monitoring

• US 20170089763A1
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Rothenberger, Rick, Bonaccio, John, Freer, Benjamin Avery, Iannce, Stephan P., Manahan, Joseph Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,371,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/106 Arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0096 for measuring wires, electrical contacts or electronic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/10 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/308 using non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical radiation investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means G01N21/00; image analysis G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A thermal monitoring system includes at least one of an infrared sensor and a plurality of infrared sensors arranged in an array. Each infrared sensor has a resolution including a plurality of pixels. A controller is configured to create a thermal image of an area to be monitored based at least in part on the plurality of pixels of each infrared sensor. A thermal monitoring assembly includes an electrical panel including a plurality of electrical components located within the electrical panel. The at least one of an infrared sensor and the plurality of infrared sensors arranged in an array, either alone or in combination with additional sensors, are located inside the electrical panel. Methods of monitoring various parameters including a temperature of the plurality of electrical components located inside the electrical panel are also provided.

Claims

1. A thermal monitoring system comprising:

an infrared sensor having a resolution comprising a plurality of pixels; and

a controller configured to create a thermal image of an area to be monitored based at least in part on the plurality of pixels of the infrared sensor.

2. The thermal monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional sensor comprising at least one of a current transformer and an ambient temperature sensor configured to respectively determine at least one of a current and an ambient temperature with respect to the area to be monitored.

3. The thermal monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the infrared sensor is arranged inside an electrical panel, and wherein the area to be monitored comprises an electrical component located within the electrical panel.

4. The thermal monitoring system of claim 3, comprising a plurality of infrared sensors arranged in an array, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors has a resolution comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein the area to be monitored comprises an entire area within the electrical panel comprising a plurality of electrical components located within the electrical panel, and wherein the controller is configured to create a thermal image of the entire area to be monitored based at least in part on the plurality of pixels of each of the plurality of infrared sensors.

5. The thermal monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to digitally overlay the thermal image onto a visual representation of the area to be monitored.

6. The thermal monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the visual representation of the area to be monitored comprises at least one of a picture of the area to be monitored, a wireframe drawing of the area to be monitored, a block diagram of the area to be monitored, and a photograph of the area to be monitored.

7. The thermal monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the visual representation of the area to be monitored is stored electronically within a memory of the controller, the controller being configured to access the visual representation of the area to be monitored from the memory and digitally overlay the thermal image onto the visual representation of the area to be monitored to produce a composite thermal map of the area to be monitored.

8. The thermal monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to map each of the plurality of pixels of the infrared sensor to a corresponding plurality of points, wherein each of the corresponding plurality of points is located within the area to be monitored.

9. The thermal monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the infrared sensor is configured to determine a temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points, and wherein the controller is configured to create a thermal map of the area to be monitored based at least in part on the temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points.

10. A thermal monitoring assembly comprising:

an electrical panel comprising a plurality of electrical components located within the electrical panel;

a plurality of infrared sensors arranged in an array, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors has a resolution comprising a plurality of pixels, and wherein the array is located inside the electrical panel;

an additional sensor located inside the electrical panel configured to determine additional data with respect to an area to be monitored, and

a controller configured to map each of the plurality of pixels of each of the plurality of infrared sensors to a corresponding plurality of points, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors is configured to determine a temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points, wherein each of the corresponding plurality of points is located within the area to be monitored, wherein the area to be monitored is located inside the electrical panel and comprises the plurality of electrical components, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine a characteristic of the electrical panel based at least in part on the temperature and the additional data.

11. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 10, wherein the additional sensor is at least one of a current transformer configured to measure a current of the plurality of electrical components and an ambient temperature sensor configured to measure an ambient temperature with respect to the area to be monitored.

12. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to at least one of report and analyze the characteristic to at least one of diagnose and predict at least one of a status or problem of the electrical panel.

13. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to create a thermal image of the area to be monitored based at least in part on the temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points.

14. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to associate the temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points with the area to be monitored, and wherein the controller is configured to create a composite thermal map comprising the thermal image and a visual representation of the area to be monitored.

15. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 14, wherein the visual representation of the area to be monitored comprises a visual representation of the electrical components, and wherein the controller is configured to create the composite thermal map by digitally overlaying the thermal image onto the visual representation of the electrical components.

16. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 13, further comprising a monitor, wherein the controller is configured to at least one of display the thermal image on the monitor and identify the characteristic on the monitor.

17. The thermal monitoring assembly of claim 10, wherein the electrical panel comprises a door configured to selectively provide and restrict access to an interior of the electrical panel, and wherein the array is arranged on at least one of the door and a frame structure inside the electrical panel such that each of the plurality of infrared sensors faces the interior of the electrical panel when the door is arranged to restrict access to the interior of the electrical panel, and wherein the thermal monitoring assembly is configured to determine a position of the door with respect to the interior of the electrical panel.

18. A method of monitoring a temperature of a plurality of electrical components located inside an electrical panel comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of infrared sensors arranged in an array inside the electrical panel, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensors has a resolution comprising a plurality of pixels; and

mapping each of the plurality of pixels from each of the plurality of infrared sensors to a corresponding plurality of points, wherein each of the corresponding plurality of points is located within an area to be monitored, and wherein the area to be monitored is located inside the electrical panel and comprises the plurality of electrical components.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

determining a temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points;

creating a thermal image of the area to be monitored based at least in part on the temperature at each of the corresponding plurality of points; and

providing an additional sensor inside the electrical panel, wherein the additional sensor is configured to determine additional data with respect to the area to be monitored.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

creating a composite thermal map of the area to be monitored comprising digitally overlaying the thermal image onto a visual representation of the area to be monitored; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of electrical components in the composite thermal map based at least in part on at least one of the temperature of at least one of the corresponding plurality of points and the additional data.