Revenue grade meter with high-speed transient detection

• US 6,636,030 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gauge Technologies
• Inventors: Kagan, Erran, Slota, Frederick B., Rose, Emery S., Banhegyesi, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Minh N.
• Application Number:
  US10/099,041
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 324/74, 324/103.R, 324/103.P, 324/140.R, 324/141-142, 324/140.D, 324/158.1
• US Class Current: 324/142
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/04 Measuring peak values or amplitude or envelope of ac or of pulses
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique

Abstract

A revenue grade power meter capable of detecting and recording high-speed power quality events, and method of operation. The power meter comprises a power metering device for monitoring power metering parameters of power consumed by a user or produced by a producer for metering purposes at a first scanning rate; a plurality of high-speed peak detectors for detecting high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or provided by the provider at a second scanning rate, the second scanning rate being faster than the first scanning rate; a wave analysis component for comparing the detected high-speed quality events to a predetermined threshold; and a multiplexor for combining the stored detected high-speed quality events in time synchronization with the monitored power metering parameters to display the power metering parameters and the detected high-speed quality events in a single waveform.

Claims

1. A method for providing high-speed transient detection and power quality analysis in a revenue grade power meter, comprising the steps of:

monitoring and recording power metering parameters of power consumed by a user or produced by a provider for metering purposes at a first scanning rate;

detecting and recording high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or provided by the provider at a second scanning rate, the second scanning rate being faster than the first scanning rate; and

combining both recorded results to display the power monitoring result and the detected high-speed quality events in a single waveform representation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the high-speed quality events from the power monitoring result before detecting the high-speed quality events.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising saving the single waveform representation in a memory for viewing by a monitor or the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or produced by the producer at the second scanning rate, comprises:

comparing a transient event detected when detecting high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or produced by the provider at the second scanning rate to a predetermined threshold;

storing the transient event in time synchronization with the monitored power metering parameters if the transient detected is above the predetermined threshold; and

disregarding the transient event if the transient detected is below the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined threshold is determined by either one of the monitor or the user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of recording the power metering parameters and the step of recording the high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or provided by the provider comprises saving waveforms of the power monitoring results and the detected high-speed-speed quality events into a temporary memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first scanning rate is at least 120 Hz.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scanning rate is at least 5 KHz.

9. A system for providing high-speed transient detection and power quality analysis in a revenue grade power meter, comprising:

a power metering device for monitoring power metering parameters of power consumed by a user or provided by a provider for metering purposes at a first scanning rate;

a plurality of digital high-speed peak detectors for detecting high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or provided by the provider at a second scanning rate, the second scanning rate being faster than the first scanning rate;

a wave analysis component for comparing the detected high-speed quality events to a predetermined threshold, storing the detected high-speed quality events in time synchronization with the monitored power metering parameters if the high-speed quality events detected are above the predetermined threshold in a memory, and disregarding the detected high-speed quality events if the detected high-speed quality events are below the predetermined threshold;

the memory stores the predetermined threshold, the monitored power metering parameters, the detected high-speed quality events, and a single waveform representation, to be displayed for the user;

a multiplexor for combining the stored detected high-speed quality events in time synchronization with the monitored power metering parameters to display the power metering parameters and the detected high-speed quality events in the single waveform representation; and

a display unit for displaying the contents of the memory.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a high pass filter for filtering the high-speed quality events from the monitored consumption of power before being detected by the digital high-speed peak detectors.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the display is separate unit capable of retrieving the contents of the memory.

12. A system for providing high-speed transient detection and power quality analysis in a revenue grade power meter, comprising:

a power metering device for monitoring power metering parameters of power consumed by a user or provided by a provider for metering purposes at a first scanning rate;

a plurality of analog high-speed peak detectors for detecting high-speed quality events of the power consumed by the user or provided by a provider at a second scanning rate, the second scanning rate being faster than the first scanning rate;

an analog/digital converter for converting analog signals into digital signals to perform calculations and comparisons;

a wave analysis component for comparing the detected high-speed quality events to a predetermined threshold, storing the detected high-speed quality events in time synchronization with the monitored power metering parameters if the high-speed quality events detected are above the predetermined threshold in a memory, and disregarding the detected high-speed quality events if the detected high-speed quality events are below the predetermined threshold;

the memory stores the predetermined threshold, the monitored power metering parameters, the detected high-speed quality events, and a single waveform representation, to be displayed for the user;

a multiplexor for combining the stored detected high-speed quality events in time synchronization with the monitored power metering parameters to display the power metering parameters and the detected high-speed quality events in the single waveform representation; and

a display unit for displaying the contents of the memory.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a high pass filter for filtering the high-speed quality events from the monitored consumption of power before being detected by the analog high-speed peak detectors.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the display is a separate unit capable of retrieving the contents of the memory.