Modular power quality monitoring device

• US 6,404,348 B1
• Filed: 03/23/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Quality Consultants, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Power Quality Consultants, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilfong, Dennis Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US09/274,700
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 340/657, 340/660, 340/664, 340/310.01, 340/310.08
• US Class Current: 340/657
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging

Abstract

A modular power quality monitoring device, adaptable to an electrical anomaly detection circuit, such as a surge protection device, comprises an electrical connection to an AC power line, voltage surge detection circuitry, a neuron microprocessor, a DC power source and a transmission circuit. The modular device is capable of detecting a plurality of electrical anomalies, such as voltage levels, current draw, power surges, phase outages, phase shifting, power factor, harmonic distortion and panel load. A plurality of the modular devices can be employed about a facility to create a power quality control network. A user interface permits data stored by the modular device to be retrieved and viewed on the display. Various ways of transmission can be employed, such as modulated power line transmission or free topology—twisted pair, RS485, fiber optics, RF carrier or computer modem connection.

Claims

1. A power quality monitoring circuit adaptable to an electrical anomaly detection circuit for creating a single node on a control network, the power quality monitoring circuit capable of detecting and storing data relating to a plurality of electrical anomalies occurring on a power line circuit to which the electrical anomaly detection circuit is coupled, the power quality monitoring circuit further capable of transmitting the data to a central location, the power quality monitoring circuit comprising:

a) an electrical connection to the power line circuit,

b) voltage surge detection circuitry coupled to the electrical connection,

c) a microprocessor electrically coupled to the voltage surge detection circuitry, the microprocessor having a unique identification number representing the node location of the power quality monitoring circuit on the control network,

d) a regulated DC power supply,

e) transmission means for transmitting the electrical anomaly data detected and stored by the power quality monitoring circuit over the control network to the central location, and

f) display means for displaying numeric and alphanumeric data relating to electrical anomalies detected by the power quality monitoring circuit.

2. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the power line circuit is an AC circuit chosen from the group consisting of a single, two and three phase AC circuit, the electrical connection to the AC power line circuit established by coupling the power quality monitoring circuit to the one, two or three phases, respectively, and ground of the AC circuit.

3. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 2, further comprising phase loss indication means for indicating the loss of any of the phases of the AC power line circuit.

4. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 3, wherein the phase loss indication means employs a single LED for each phase of the AC power line circuit.

5. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage surge detection circuitry comprises a low voltage indicator and a voltage comparator.

6. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is a neuron chip comprising:

a) memory,

b) a transceiver port, and

c) embedded firmware.

7. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 6, wherein the transmission means is a transmission circuit capable of interfacing with a communication medium of the control network, the transmission circuit coupled to the neuron chip transceiver port.

8. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 7, wherein the communication medium is chosen from the group comprising modulated power line transmission, free topology—

twisted pair, RS-485, fiber optic, RF carrier and computer modem communication.

9. The power quality monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the display means comprises an LCD display and a driver circuit coupled to the microprocessor.

10. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a) user interface means for permitting a user to extract electrical anomaly data stored by the power quality monitoring circuit and for setting network parameters associated with the node location of the power quality monitoring circuit on the control network, and

b) alarm means for providing signals to a user that certain electrical anomalies have occurred on the power line.

11. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 10, wherein the user interface means comprises a function and an enter push button, each push button electrically coupled to the microprocessor and capable of being actuated, permitting the user to access a series of menus for setting network parameters, displaying electrical anomaly data on the display means and initiating a data transmission along the control network through the transmission means.

12. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 10, wherein the user interface means comprises a computer interface connection to the circuit, the computer interface connection permitting the user to access a series of menus for setting network parameters, displaying electrical anomaly data on the display means and initiating a data transmission along the control network through the transmission means.

13. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 12, wherein the display means is a monitor connected to a computer.

14. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 10, wherein the alarm means comprises a speaker and a driver circuit electrically coupled to the microprocessor.

15. A modular power quality monitoring device adaptable to an electrical anomaly detection circuit for creating a single node on a power quality control network, the modular power quality monitoring device capable of detecting and storing data relating to a plurality of electrical anomalies occurring on a power line circuit to which the electrical anomaly detection circuit is coupled, the modular power quality monitoring device further capable of transmitting the data to a central location, the modular power quality monitoring device comprising:

a) an electrical connection to the power line circuit,

b) voltage surge detection circuitry coupled to the electrical connection,

c) a microprocessor electrically coupled to the voltage surge detection circuitry, the microprocessor having a unique identification number representing the node location of the modular power quality monitoring device on the power quality control network,

d) a regulated DC power supply, and

e) a transmission circuit coupled to the microprocessor capable of interfacing with a communication medium of the power quality control network.

16. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of electrical anomalies is chosen from the group including voltage levels, current draw, power surges, phase outages, phase shifting, power factor, harmonic distortion and panel load.

17. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the power line circuit is an AC circuit chosen from the group consisting of a single, two and three phase AC circuit, the electrical connection to the AC power line circuit established by coupling the modular power quality monitoring device to the one, two or three phases, respectively, and ground of the AC circuit.

18. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 17, further comprising a single LED for each phase of the AC power line circuit, each LED indicating whether the modular power quality monitoring device has detected a phase loss to the respective AC phase.

19. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the microprocessor is a neuron chip comprising:

a) memory,

b) a transceiver port, and

c) embedded firmware.

20. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the neuron chip utilizes the LONWORKS®

protocol over the power quality control network.

21. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the communication medium is chosen from the group comprising modulated power line transmission, free topology—

twisted pair, RS-485, fiber optic, RF carrier and computer modem communication.

22. The power quality monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the display means comprises an LCD display and a driver circuit coupled to the microprocessor.

23. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 15, further comprising:

a) user interface means for permitting a user to extract electrical anomaly data stored by the modular power quality monitoring device and for setting network parameters associated with the node location of the modular power quality monitoring device on the power quality control network, and

b) alarm means for providing signals to a user that certain electrical anomalies have occurred on the power line.

24. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 23, wherein the user interface means comprises a function and an enter push button, each push button electrically coupled to the microprocessor and capable of being actuated, permitting the user to access a series of menus for setting network parameters, displaying electrical anomaly data on the display means and initiating a data transmission along the power quality control network through the transmission circuit.

25. The modular power quality monitoring device of claim 23, wherein the user interface means comprises a computer interface connection to the device, the computer interface connection permitting the user to access a series of menus for setting network parameters, displaying electrical anomaly data on the display means and initiating a data transmission along the power quality control network through the transmission circuit.

26. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 23, wherein the alarm means comprises a speaker and a driver circuit electrically coupled to the microprocessor.

27. A power quality monitoring system capable of detecting and storing data relating to a plurality of electrical anomalies occurring on a power line circuit, the system comprising at least two modular power quality monitoring devices, each modular device adaptable to a separate electrical anomaly detection circuit for forming a power quality control network, each modular device comprising:

i) an electrical connection to the power line circuit,

ii) voltage surge detection circuitry coupled to the electrical connection,

iii) a microprocessor electrically coupled to the voltage surge detection circuitry, the microprocessor having a unique identification number representing the node location of the modular power quality monitoring device on the power quality control network,

iv) a regulated DC power supply,

v) transmission means for transmitting the electrical anomaly data detected and stored by the power quality monitoring system over the power quality control network to a central location, and

vi) display means for displaying numeric and alphanumeric data relating to electrical anomalies detected by the power quality monitoring system.

28. The power quality monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the power line circuit is an AC circuit chosen from the group comprising of a single, two and three phase AC circuit, each modular device electrical connection to the AC power line circuit established by coupling each modular device to the one, two or three phases, respectively, and ground of the AC circuit.

29. The power quality monitoring system of claim 28, each modular power quality monitoring device further comprising a single LED for each phase of the AC power line circuit.

30. The power quality monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the microprocessor of each modular power quality monitoring device is a neuron chip comprising:

a) memory,

b) a transceiver port, and

c) embedded firmware.

31. The power quality monitoring system of claim 30, wherein the transmission means is a transmitting circuit capable of interfacing with a communication medium of the power quality control network, the transmitting circuit coupled to the neuron chip transceiver port.

32. The power quality monitoring system of claim 31, wherein the communication medium is chosen from the group comprising modulated power line transmission, free topology—

twisted pair, RS-485, fiber optic, RF carrier and computer modem communication.

33. The power quality monitoring system of claim 32, wherein the neuron chip utilizes LONWORKS®

as the protocol over the power quality control network.

34. The power quality monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the display means of each modular power quality monitoring device comprises an LCD display and a driver circuit coupled to the microprocessor.

35. The power quality monitoring system of claim 27, each modular power quality monitoring device further comprising:

a) user interface means for permitting a user to extract electrical anomaly data stored by each power quality monitoring device and for setting network parameters associated with the node location of each power quality monitoring device on the control network, and

b) a speaker and a driver circuit electrically coupled to the microprocessor for providing an audible signal that an electrical anomaly has occurred.

36. The power quality monitoring system of claim 35, wherein the user interface means of each modular device comprises a function and an enter push button, each push button electrically coupled to the microprocessor and capable of being actuated, permitting the user to access a series of menus for setting network parameters, displaying electrical anomaly data on the display means and initiating a data transmission along the power quality control network through the transmission means.

37. The power quality monitoring circuit of claim 35, wherein the user interface means of each modular device comprises a computer interface connection to each device, the computer interface connection permitting the user to access a series of menus for setting network parameters, displaying electrical anomaly data on the display means and initiating a data transmission along the power quality control network through the transmission means.

38. The power quality monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of electrical anomalies is chosen from the group including voltage levels, current draw, power surges, phase outages, phase shifting, power factor, harmonic distortion and panel load.