Housing arrangement for fault determination apparatus and method for installing the same

• US 8,050,002 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard University
• Original Assignee: Howard University
• Inventors: Kim, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US12/262,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 361/1, 361/42, 324/527, 324/528
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A fault determination apparatus includes a housing. The housing includes a circuit board disposed there within. The housing is shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive placement within an existing electrical system. The circuit board is configured to provide one of a transmitter or a receiver within a fault determination system. A first set of connectors is disposed at a first side of the housing and a second set of connectors disposed at the second end of the housing. The first set of connectors and the second set of connectors are directly connected through the wires provided inside the apparatus while at least one wires under fault monitoring are tapped to the circuit board and configured so as to be electrically coupled to the existing electrical system.

Claims

1. A fault determination apparatus for insertion into an existing electrical system comprising:

a housing including a circuit board disposed there within, the housing shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive placement within an existing electrical system, the circuit board configured to operate as a receiver within the existing electrical system; and

a first set of connectors disposed at a first side of the housing and a second set of connectors disposed at the second end of the housing, the first set of connectors and the second set of connectors being coupled to the circuit board and configured so as to be electrically coupled to the existing electrical system, the existing electrical system having multiple electrical branches with a plurality of transmitters disposed therewith, each of the transmitters configured to transmit data packets to the fault determination apparatus;

wherein the circuit board includes a controller and the controller is configured to receive the data packets transmitted from the plurality of transmitters, the data packets being received from the transmitters without being reflected within the existing electrical system, the controller being configured to perform a comparison of the received data packets to predetermined data and determine whether an intermittent electrical fault exists within the existing electrical system based upon the comparison, the controller further configured to determine a location of the intermittent electrical fault within the existing electrical system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the existing electrical system is selected from a group consisting of an aircraft electrical system, a vehicular electrical system, an electrical system of a building, and an electrical system of a ship.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit board comprises a coupling network, and a modem.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit board is coupled to an external power source via a connector in the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communication port disposed on and through the housing and in electrical connection to the circuit board.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the communication port is coupled to an external device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the external device is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, an indicator, and enunciator, and a display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is generally cylindrical in shape.

9. A method of installing a fault determination device is an existing electrical system comprising:

selecting a first electrical branch within an existing electrical system in which to insert a first fault determination apparatus, the first fault determination apparatus shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive operation within the existing electrical system and operable to transmit first data packets;

non-intrusively inserting the first fault determination apparatus in the first selected electrical branch such that the first fault determination apparatus is readily accessible to a user;

selecting a second branch within an existing electrical system in which to insert a second fault determination apparatus, the second fault determination apparatus shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive operation within the existing electrical system and operable to transmit second data packets;

non-intrusively inserting the second fault determination apparatus in the second selected branch such that the second fault determination apparatus is readily accessible to a user;

selecting a third branch within an existing electrical system in which to insert a third fault determination apparatus, the third fault determination apparatus shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive operation within the existing electrical system and operable to receive the first data packets from the first fault determination apparatus and the second data packets from the second fault determination apparatus;

non-intrusively inserting the third fault determination apparatus in the third selected branch such that the third fault determination apparatus is readily accessible to a user;

transmitting the first and second data packets through the existing electrical system from the first fault determination apparatus and the second fault determination apparatus to the third fault determination apparatus without being reflected by the existing electrical system;

comparing the first and second data packets received at the third fault determination apparatus to a predetermined data set and determining whether an electrical fault exists within the existing electrical system and the location of the fault within the existing electrical system based at least in part upon the comparing.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the existing electrical system is selected from a group consisting of an aircraft electrical system, a vehicular electrical system, an electrical system of a building, and an electrical system of a ship.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein inserting the first fault determination apparatus or the second fault determination apparatus comprises disconnecting a first plug from a second plug and inserting the first or second fault determination apparatus between the first plug and the second plug.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein inserting the first fault determination apparatus or the second fault determination apparatus comprises breaking two wired connections of the existing electrical system and connecting the wired connections of the existing electrical system to the first or second fault determination apparatus.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising attaching the first or second fault determination apparatus to an external power supply.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising coupling the first or second fault determination apparatus to an external device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the external device is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, an indicator, an enunciator, and a display.