Method and apparatus for monitoring and characterizing power quality, faults and other phenomena in network power systems

• US 5,796,631 A
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tempo Instrument Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tempo Instrument Incorporated
• Inventors: DiFranco, Christian A., Iancu, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H.
• Application Number:
  US08/797,136
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 364/483, 364/492, 364/707, 364/481, 364/487, 395/750, 395/182.13, 395/182.2, 395/915, 307/64, 307/66, 307/85-87, 361/88, 361/62, 361/65, 361/78-82, 361/76, 361/71, 361/63, 361/67, 361/86, 324/141, 324/537, 340/660, 340/663, 340/870.02, 323/210, 323/215
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0092 concerning the data processing means, e.g. expert systems, neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/915 Power plant

Abstract

A method and apparatus for receiving, monitoring and characterizing network power information in real time through the use of a specialized display system. A processor receives three phase current and voltage information from a network power relay, converts and scales that data into a two-dimensional vector having coordinates that are represented by, and displayed as, a single pixel on a display screen. The repeated monitoring provides a Feature Map (FM) of the network system that can be easily read and understood by operating personnel.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring power in network power systems comprising the steps of:

receiving voltage and current data from a power network including receiving three phase voltage and current data from a network protector relay;

processing and converting the received data into n-dimensional vectors representative of the received data;

scaling the n-dimensional vector information to be input into a processing device; and

converting the scaled n-dimensional vector information into two-dimensional vector information having coordinates representing a pixel on a display screen.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of displaying includes the step of generating a Feature Map representing the current operating condition of the power network.

3. An apparatus for monitoring and characterizing power in network power systems utilizing power distribution relays comprising:

a digital signal processor having an input adapted to receive three phase current and voltage data from the distribution relay and an output; and

a micro-controller having an input coupled to said output of said digital signal processor and an output, said micro-controller being adapted to scale and convert the three phase current and voltage data into n-dimensional vectors representative of said input data;

a neural network adapted to receive, process and convert the n-dimensional vector data into two-dimensional vectors,

wherein each of the generated two-dimensional vectors has coordinates representative of a pixel; and

a display device coupled to said neural network and arranged to display the two-dimensional vector data of the voltage and current data.

4. An apparatus for monitoring and characterizing power in network power systems utilizing power distribution relays comprising:

signal processing means having an input for receiving the three phase current and voltage data from the power network, and an output;

scaling means having an input coupled to said output of said signal processing means for scaling and converting the three phase current and voltage data into n-dimensional vectors representative of said input data;

a neural network adapted to receive and convert the n-dimensional vector data into two-dimensional vectors, wherein each of the generated two-dimensional vectors has coordinates represented by a pixel; and

display means coupled to said neural network for displaying the two-dimensional vector data of the voltage and current data.