Virtual metering
First Claim
1. A method of automatically determining whether an unmonitored portion exists in a utility system, comprising:
- determining a hierarchy of the utility system, the hierarchy indicating how a number of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are linked to one another in the utility system, each of the IEDs monitoring one or more characteristics of a utility;
automatically storing a data representation of the hierarchy;
identifying, from the hierarchy, a parent IED in the hierarchy that is directly linked to at least one child IED;
identifying, from the hierarchy, all of one or more child IEDs that are directly linked in the hierarchy to the parent IED;
receiving from the parent IED a measured quantity, PP, of the characteristic of the utility measured by the parent IED;
receiving from each of the one or more child IEDs respective measured quantities of the characteristic of the utility measured by each of the one or more child IEDs;
adjusting the measured quantities measured by the parent IED and by the one or more child IEDs as a function of respective measurement errors associated with the parent IED and with the one or more child IEDs to produce respective error-adjusted quantities; and
based on the error-adjusted quantities, determining whether an unmonitored quantity exists in the utility system, and, if so, storing an indication that a virtual device directly linked to the parent IED exists in the hierarchy.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for improving the accuracy of characterizing unmonitored paths or virtual meters in a utility system. The hierarchical arrangement of IEDs in the utility system is determined. Measured quantities of a characteristic of the utility being monitored are received and error-adjusted using statistical or absolute methods. The statistical method accounts for the mean and standard deviation associated with error measurements of the subject IED, and the absolute method uses the absolute value of the error measurement, expressed as a percentage, to produce ranges of measured quantities within an error tolerance. The differences between the error-adjusted quantities are analyzed to determine whether an unmonitored path exists, and if so, whether the virtual meter is consuming or supplying the utility. The order in which IEDs are read is determined so that a parent and its children are read in sequence to increase synchronicity of the received data and the virtual meter evaluation.
10 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of automatically determining whether an unmonitored portion exists in a utility system, comprising:
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determining a hierarchy of the utility system, the hierarchy indicating how a number of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are linked to one another in the utility system, each of the IEDs monitoring one or more characteristics of a utility; automatically storing a data representation of the hierarchy; identifying, from the hierarchy, a parent IED in the hierarchy that is directly linked to at least one child IED; identifying, from the hierarchy, all of one or more child IEDs that are directly linked in the hierarchy to the parent IED; receiving from the parent IED a measured quantity, PP, of the characteristic of the utility measured by the parent IED; receiving from each of the one or more child IEDs respective measured quantities of the characteristic of the utility measured by each of the one or more child IEDs; adjusting the measured quantities measured by the parent IED and by the one or more child IEDs as a function of respective measurement errors associated with the parent IED and with the one or more child IEDs to produce respective error-adjusted quantities; and based on the error-adjusted quantities, determining whether an unmonitored quantity exists in the utility system, and, if so, storing an indication that a virtual device directly linked to the parent IED exists in the hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of automatically determining a reading order of respective quantities indicative of a characteristic of a utility monitored by intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) arranged in a hierarchy of a utility system, comprising:
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receiving a data representation of a hierarchy of the utility system, the hierarchy indicating how a number of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are linked to one another in the utility system, each of the IEDs monitoring one or more characteristics of a utility; identifying, from the hierarchy, a parent IED in the hierarchy that is directly linked to at least one child IED; identifying, from the hierarchy, all of one or more child IEDs that are directly linked in the hierarchy to the parent IED; automatically determining a reading order of respective quantities indicative of a characteristic of a utility measured by the IEDs such that, after a measured quantity is received from the parent IED, measured quantities from each of the one or more child IEDs are received prior to receiving a measured quantity from another IED in the hierarchy; and automatically determining a quantity of a characteristic of a utility attributable to an unmonitored portion of the hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification