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

• US 7,248,977 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• 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:
  US10/613,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 702 57- 62, 702/64, 702/119, 702/122, 702/123, 702182-185, 702/125, 702/186, 702/188, 702/189, 702/177, 702/178, 324/142, 324/504, 324/521, 324/522, 361 75- 80, 361/93.2, 361 85- 88, 307/125, 307/126, 307/131, 307/116, 700/286, 700/22, 700291-298, 340/638, 340/634, 340/870.02, 340657-664, 340/310.01, 370/234, 370/252, 370/503
• US Class Current: 702/62
• 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 system for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit is disclosed. The system includes devices coupled with the network. Each device comprises a sensor, an analog to digital converter, a processor and communications ports. The sensor is coupled with the electric circuit, senses power parameters in the circuit and generates an analog signal indicative thereof. The converter is coupled with the sensor and converts the analog signal to a representative digital signal. The processor is coupled with the converter and generates a computed value from the digital signal. Each of the ports is operative to receive communications from the network and transmit the communications to the processor. The ports are coupled with the network, wherein each device engages in multiple substantially simultaneous communications from the ports, and whereby one of the devices communicates with another device over the network.

Claims

1. A system for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, said system comprising:

(a) a digital network;

(b) first and second devices coupled with said digital network, said first and second devices each comprising;

(1) at least one sensor coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense at least one power parameter in said electric circuit and generate at least one analog signal indicative thereof;

(2) at least one analog to digital converter coupled with said at least one sensor and operative to convert said at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal representative thereof;

(3) a first processor coupled with said at least one analog to digital converter and operative to generate at least one computed value from said at least one digital signal; and

(4) a plurality of communication ports, each communication port of said plurality of communication ports operable to send and receive communications over said digital network with said first processor, said plurality of communication ports being coupled with said digital network, wherein each of said first and second devices are operable to engage in a first communication from a first communication port of said plurality of communications ports substantially simultaneously with engaging in a second communication from a second communication port of said plurality of communications ports;

(c) wherein each of the plurality of communication ports of said first device are further operable to communicate with at least one of the plurality of communication ports of said second device over said digital network; and

(d) further wherein each communication port of said plurality of communications ports includes at least one communications parameter, wherein said at least one communications parameter of a first communication port of said plurality of communications ports is operable to configure the first communication port and said at least one communications parameter of a second communication port of said plurality of communications ports is operable to configure the second communication port independently of the first communication port.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second devices further comprises a local synchronization circuit coupled with said first processor which outputs a timing clock signal to said first processor.

3. The system of claim 1, said first device further comprising a communications module, said communications module operative to allow a device coupled to the digital network to communicate with said first processor of said first device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device is further operative to communicate with said second device over said digital network substantially in real time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least one Ethernet port.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least two RS232 ports.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least two RS485 ports.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least one Ethernet port and at least one of a RS232 port and a RS485 port.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one communications parameter of a said first communication port is configurable independent of a configuration of said at least one communications parameter of said second communication port.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a baud-rate.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a communications protocol.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a physical communication mode, said physical communication mode further comprising at least one of RS232 and RS485.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a Request to Send (“

RTS”

) level.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a Clear to Send (“

CTS”

) level.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a Request to Send (“

RTS”

) delay.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a transmission delay.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one communications parameter comprises a unit identifier.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one communication port of said plurality of communications ports is coupled with a second processor, said second processor further coupled with said first processor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said second processor comprises a communications processor.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said first processor comprises a communications processor.

21. A method for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit using a digital network, said method comprising:

(a) sensing, by first and second devices coupled with said digital network and said electric circuit, at least one power parameter in said electric circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative thereof, wherein each of said first device and said second device is coupled with said digital network through a plurality of communication ports;

(b) converting said at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal representative thereof;

(c) generating at least one computed value from said at least one digital signal;

(d) receiving communications from said digital network and processing said communications; and

(e) engaging in a plurality of substantially simultaneous communications over said digital network, wherein at least one of said substantially simultaneous communications comprises at least one communication between at least one of the plurality of communication ports of said first device with at least one of the plurality of communication ports of said second device over said digital network, wherein each of the plurality of communication ports of said first device are further operable to communicate with at least one of the plurality of communication ports of said second device over said digital network;

wherein each communication port of said plurality of communication ports includes at least one communications parameter operable to configure said communication port of said plurality of communication ports;

further wherein said at least one communications parameter of a first communication port from the plurality of communication ports is configurable independent of a configuration of said at least one communications parameter of a second communication port from the plurality of communication ports.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

(f) receiving a time synchronization request by at least one of said first device and said second device.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

(f) transmitting a time synchronization request by at least one of said first device and said second device.

24. A system for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, said system comprising:

a digital network;

first and second devices coupled with said digital network, said first and second devices each comprising;

sensing means for sensing at least one power parameter in said electric circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative thereof;

converting means for converting said at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal representative thereof;

processing means for generating at least one computed value from said at least one digital signal; and

communicating means for receiving communications from said digital network and transmitting said communications to said processing means, wherein each of said first device and said second devices further comprises a plurality of communication ports, wherein said plurality of communication ports in said first device are operable to communicate with at least one of said plurality of communication ports in said second device, wherein each communication port of said plurality of communication ports includes at least one communications parameter operable to configure said communication port, further wherein said at least one communications parameter of a first communication port of said plurality of communications ports is configurable independent of a configuration of said at least one communications parameter of a second communications port of said plurality of communications ports.