System and method for providing power distribution system information

• US 8,290,727 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Current Communications Services LLC (Widewall Investments SL)
• Original Assignee: Current Communications Services LLC (Widewall Investments SL)
• Inventors: Kreiss, David G., Brancaccio, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US13/184,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 702/58, 702/60, 702/188, 340/870.09, 340/870.02, 340/870.16, 340/12.33, 340/538, 340/646, 700/291, 700/293, 700/295
• US Class Current: 702/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/62 The condition being non-electrical, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report. The plurality of applications may also include a fault analysis application, a transformer analysis application, a theft detection application, a power flow application, a substation automation application, a load shed application and others.

Claims

1. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

a power outage module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power outage;

a power restoration module configured to process the utility data to identify a location of a power restoration;

a transformer analysis module configured to process the utility data to identify an overloaded transformer;

an alarm module configured process the voltage data received from a plurality of power meters and to;

output a first notification if processing of the voltage data indicates that a voltage is below a first voltage threshold; and

output a second notification if processing of the voltage data indicates that the voltage is above a second voltage threshold;

a report module configured to receive information from said power outage module and to output information of the location of the power outage;

said report module configured to receive information from said power restoration module and to output information of the location of the power restoration; and

said report module configured to receive information from said transformer analysis module and to output information of the overloaded transformer.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said alarm module is configured to output a notification if processing of utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions in addition to conditions in which the voltage is below the first voltage threshold or above the second voltage threshold.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said one of the plurality of predetermined conditions comprises a condition in which a current is beyond a threshold current.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a datamart comprised of a plurality of physically remote databases storing utility data including the voltage data;

and

wherein said datamart is accessible via at least one of the power restoration module, the power outage module, and the transformer analysis module.

5. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

a data storage system configured to receive and store utility data including voltage data received from a plurality of power meters;

an alarm module configured to access said data storage system to process the voltage data received from the plurality of power meters and to;

output a first notification if processing of the voltage data indicates that a voltage is below a first voltage threshold; and

output a second notification if processing of the voltage data indicates that the voltage is above a second voltage threshold;

a power outage module configured to access the utility data of said data storage system and, based on the utility data, to identify a location of a power outage;

a power restoration module configured to access the utility data of said data storage system and, based on the utility data, to identify a location of a power restoration; and

a transformer analysis module configured to access the utility data of said data storage system and, based on the utility data, to identify an overloaded transformer.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a report module configured to receive information from said power outage module and to output information of the location of the power outage;

said report module configured to receive information from said power restoration module and to output information of the location of the power restoration; and

said report module configured to receive information from said transformer analysis module and to output information of the overloaded transformer.

7. The system according to claim 5, further comprising an alarm module configured to output a notification if processing of utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions in addition to conditions in which the voltage is below the first voltage threshold or above the second voltage threshold.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein said data storage system comprises a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said datamart includes a plurality of drivers with each driver having access to data of a specific schema of a different one of the plurality of databases.

10. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

a data storage system configured to receive and store the utility data;

wherein at least some of the utility data comprises voltage data received from a plurality of power meters;

a power outage module configured to access the utility data of said data storage system and, based on the utility data, to identify a location of a power outage;

a power restoration module configured to access the utility data of said data storage system and, based on the utility data, to identify a location of a power restoration; and

an alarm module configured to access said data storage system to process the voltage data received from the plurality of power meters and to;

output a first notification if processing of the voltage data indicates that a voltage is below a first voltage threshold; and

output a second notification if processing of the voltage data indicates that the voltage is above a second voltage threshold.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a report module configured to receive information from said power outage module and to output information of the location of the power outage; and

said report module configured to receive information from said power restoration module and to output information of the location of the power restoration.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein said data storage system comprises a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing the utility data.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said datamart includes a plurality of drivers with each driver having access to data of a specific schema of a different one of the plurality of databases.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a transformer analysis module configured to access the utility data of said data storage system and, based on the utility data, to identify an overloaded transformer.