Phasor transducer apparatus and system for protection, control, and management of electricity distribution systems

• US 6,694,270 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Hart, Ronald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US10/068,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57-62, 702/64-66, 702/75, 702/117-119, 702/122, 702/123, 702/125, 702/182-185, 702/189, 702/FOR.103, 702/FOR.104, 702/FOR.106, 702/FOR.111, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 324/142, 324/509, 324/521, 324/522, 361/78-80, 361/85-88, 361/93.2, 307/125, 307/126, 307/131, 307/116, 307/38-40, 700/286, 700/291-298, 340/638, 340/639, 340/657-664, 340/310.01, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 717/108
• US Class Current: 702/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/00 Systems supporting electrical power generation, transmission or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/22 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] or power factor or reactive power compensating or correcting units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A phasor monitoring system and apparatus for use with a distribution system for electricity wherein periodic three phase electricity is distributed in a plurality of circuits. The phasor monitoring apparatus comprises a phasor transducer that has an input that receives analog signals representative of parameters of electricity in a circuit of the distribution system, an analog to digital converter that receives the analog signals and outputs a digital data signal representative of the analog signals, a processor coupled to the analog to digital converter to receive the digital data signal output from the analog to digital converter, programming on the processor that computes phasor data representative of the electricity in the circuit based on the digital data received from the analog to digital converter and provides a digital output representative of the phasor data, and a network-compatible port coupled to the processor to transmit the phasor data onto a data network coupled thereto. The phasor monitoring system comprises a data network interconnecting a plurality of phasor transducers each associated with one of the circuits of an electricity distribution system. A phasor array processor is connected to the data network and receives phasor data from a plurality of the phasor transducers connected to the network. The phasor array processor computes combined phasor data for the plurality based upon the phasor data received from the plurality of phasor transducers.

Claims

1. A protection device for use with an electrical circuit, said protection device comprising:

a communications port operative to couple said protection device with a data network;

at least one output coupled with said electrical circuit and operative to control a flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit;

a processor coupled with said communications port and said at least one output, said processor executing at least one programmable software module, each programmable software module of said at least one programmable software module including a plurality of programmable software sub-modules, said plurality of programmable software sub-modules being characterized by a capability of being linked together to perform an arbitrary function, said at least one programmable software module further operative to receive data from said communications port, process said data and generate a signal on said at least one output to at least one of interrupt and restore said flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit.

2. The protection device of claim 1, wherein said data network comprises an Ethernet network.

3. The protection device of claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit comprises at least one circuit breaker, said at least one output being coupled with said at least one circuit breaker to control operation of said at least one circuit breaker.

4. The protection device of claim 3, wherein said at least one output is coupled with said at least one circuit breaker via said data network.

5. The protection device of claim 1, wherein each programmable software module of said at least one programmable module comprises at least one object oriented software program module.

6. The protection device of claim 1, wherein said arbitrary function comprises a protection function.

7. The protection device of claim 1, wherein at least one programmable software sub-module of said plurality of programmable sub-modules is operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said data network.

8. The protection device of claim 1, wherein said processor is further operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said data network.

9. The protection device of claim 8, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one sensor coupled with said electrical circuit and operative to sense at least one electrical parameter in said electrical circuit, generate an analog signal representative thereof, digitize said analog signal and transmit said digitized analog signal onto said data network.

10. The protection device of claim 8, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one other protection device.

11. The protection device of claim 8, wherein said at least one programmable module comprises at least one programmable sub-module coupled with said at least one other device to receive said data.

12. A protection device for use with an electrical circuit, said protection device comprising:

communications means for coupling said protection device with a data network;

output means for coupling said protection device with said electric circuit to control a flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit;

processor means, coupled with said communications means and said output means, said processor means for executing at least one programmable software module means, each programmable software module means of said at least one programmable software module means including a plurality of programmable software sub-module means, said plurality of programmable software sub-module means being characterized by a capability of being linked together to perform an arbitrary function, said at least one programmable software module means further operative to receive data from said communications means, process said data and generate a signal on said output means to at least one of interrupt and restore said it flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit.

13. The protection device of claim 12, wherein said data network comprises an Ethernet network.

14. The protection device of claim 12, wherein said electrical circuit comprises at least one circuit breaker, said output means being coupled with said at least one circuit breaker to control operation of said at least one circuit breaker.

15. The protection device of claim 14, wherein said output means is coupled with said at least one circuit breaker via said data network.

16. The protection device of claim 12, wherein each programmable software module means of said at least one programmable software module means comprises at least one object oriented program module.

17. The protection device of claim 12, wherein said arbitrary function comprises a protection function.

18. The protection device of claim 12, wherein at least one of said plurality of programmable software sub-module means is operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said data network.

19. The protection device of claim 12, wherein said processor means is further operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said data network.

20. The protection device of claim 19, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one sensor means for sensing at least one electrical parameter in said electrical circuit, generating an analog signal representative thereof, digitizing said analog signal and transmitting said digitized analog signal onto said data network.

21. The protection device of claim 19, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one other protection device.

22. The protection device of claim 19, wherein said at least one programmable module means comprises at least one programmable sub-module means coupled with said at least one other device to receive said data.

23. A power control and monitoring system, comprising:

an electrical power distribution network;

a plurality of protection devices, each protection device of said plurality of protection devices being associated with at least one portion of said electrical power distribution network and each protection device of said plurality of protection devices including a communications port for connection to a data network;

wherein each protection device of said plurality of protection devices includes user-programmable logic, said user programmable logic including at least one logic input and at least one logic output and a plurality of sub-components, each sub-component of said plurality of sub-components being capable of being coupled with another of said sub-component of said plurality of sub-components and said at least one logic input and said at least one logic output in a user specified arrangement so as to perform an arbitrary function derived from said user specified arrangement, and wherein said at least one logic input and said at least one logic output are communicated between said plurality of protection devices over said data network.