SUPERVISORY SYSTEM FOR DETECTION AND LOCATION OF CONTINGENCIES

• US 3,747,104 A
• Filed: 12/13/1971
• Issued: 07/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anthony J. Pansini
• Original Assignee: Anthony J. Pansini
• Inventors: Pansini, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Benjamin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buczinski, S. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/207,013
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 340/224 343/1CS,112PT,113,6DF 325/53
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0061 concerning transmission of signals transmission of measured quantities or switching orders; sectionalised protection involving signal transmission between at least two stations H02H7/261; comparison of the voltage or current values at two spaced portions of a single system H02H3/28; transferring the output of a sensing member to another variable G01D5/00; electrical measuring arrangements using modulation of electromagnetic waves, e.g. light beams G01R15/24, G01R15/26

Abstract

A plurality of self powered, normally silent alarm transmitters are coupled to respective checking points of a distribution network by means of contingency sensitive switches. A receiver continuously monitors the correlated network section within the transmission range of a number of these transmitters to detect the presence of a signal and cooperates with a location finding means adapted to provide, from the received signal, information about location of the active transmitter in the network.

Claims

1. Supervisory system for detection and location of contingencies occurring at predetermined checking points, comprising a plurality of field units respectively connected to said checking points, each of said field units comprising a self powered, normally silent alarm transmitter coupled to the checking point through a contingency sensitive switching means which initiates the oeration of the transmitter when a contingency occurs, at least one receiver means disposed in the transmission range of a number of said field units, said receiver means continuously monitoring said number of field units to detect signals therefrom, and including location finding means responsive to the direction of receipt of said signals for indicating the location of active transmitters in said system.

2. Supervisory system for detection and location of contingencies occurring at predetermined checking points of a power distribution network, comprising a plurality of field units respectively connected to said checking points, each of said field units comprising a self powered, normally silent alarm transmitter coupled to the checking point through a contingency sensitive switch means which initiates oepration of the transmitter when a contingency occurs, a number of direction finding relay units respectively disposed in the transmission range of a group of said field units, and a remote headquarters station, each of said direction finding relay units comprising a direction finder continuously monitoring said number of field units to detect signals therefrom and to provide an angular informaiton signal about the direction of said signals and a relay link adapted to transmit a coded informational signal corresponding to said angular information signal to said remote headquarters station wherein information processing and display means are installed to display the location of active transmitters in said network.

3. The supervisory system according to claim 2 wherein said direction finder is a radar scanner and said information processing means display the location of contingency on a radar screen.

4. The supervisory system according to claim 2 wherein said direction finding relay unit further comprises a continuously operating receiver-actuator for detecting signals from said field units and for actuating a normally silent direction finder when a signal is detected.

5. The supervisory system according to claim 2 wherein said direction finder is a radio direction finder having stationary antenna means.

6. The supervisory system according to claim 5 wherein said radio direction finder is adapted for providing a coded information signal.

7. The supervisory system according to claim 2 wherein said information processing means pinpoint the location of a contingency by calculation from the predetermined positions of respective direction finding relay units and field units.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the signals transmitted by the transmitters of said field unIts differ from one another, and said receiver means include means responsive to said signals for dtermining the location of said active transmitters.

9. A supervisory system for an electric power distribution system of the type having a plurality of electric devices to be monitored, said supervisory system comprising a separate normally silent alarm transmitter at each said electric device and coupled thereto by way of contingency sensitive switching means, said switching means being responsive to predetermined malfunctions of the respective electric device for inititating the operation of the respective transmitter, at least one receiver means disposed in the transmission range of a plurality of said alarm transmitters, said receiver means being adapted to continuously monitor said plurality of alarm transmitters to detect signals therefrom, said receiver means further including location finding means responsive to the direction of receipt of signals from said alarm transmitters for indicating the location of active transmitters in the supervisory system.

10. The supervisory system of claim 2 wherein each of said alarm transmitters is adapted to transmit a binary coded signal distinctive of the respective electric device, and said relay units are responsive to said binary coded signals for providing further information regarding the location of said active transmitters.