High voltage power line communication system using an energy harvesting power supply

• US 8,392,130 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southern States, LLC
• Original Assignee: SSI Power, LLC
• Inventors: Schafer, Bradley John, Rostron, Joseph Richard, Ortkiese, Russell Keith, Anand, Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/756,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 702/62, 702/64, 702/76, 702/77, 702182-185
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/142 Arrangements for simultaneous measurements of several parameters employing techniques covered by groups G01R15/14 - G01R15/26
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A communication and control system for a high voltage power line using an energy harvesting power supply to avoid batteries in the communication components maintained at line voltage. The energy harvesting power supply utilizes scavenged backscatter power received from a transceiver maintained at ground potential or a power supply with a super-saturating magnetic flux core, such as a mu-metal core, to harvest electromagnetic field energy from the power line. The communication equipment maintained at line voltage communicates information to the transceiver maintained at ground potential by modulating backscatter energy reflected from the beam transmitted by the ground level transceiver to minimize the power requirement of the communication equipment maintained at line voltage. Response equipment includes capacitors, voltage regulator, voltage sag supporter, circuit interrupter, remote communication equipment, reporting and analysis system.

Claims

1. A communication and control system for a high voltage electric power line operating at a line voltage, comprising:

a transceiver maintained at ground potential;

communication equipment maintained at the line voltage comprising one or more low power transducers for obtaining measured parameters indicating operating conditions of the power line, a microcontroller for processing the measured parameters, an antenna for communicating the measured parameters via a beam of energy propagating through ambient atmosphere to the transceiver maintained at ground potential, and a battery-free energy harvesting power supply maintained at the line voltage providing electric power to electronic components of the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage;

response equipment coupled to the transceiver maintained at ground potential for implementing one or more response actions in response to the measured parameters; and

wherein the energy harvesting power supply obtains power from an electromagnetic field in ambient atmosphere around the energy harvesting power supply.

2. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting power supply obtains scavenged power transmitted by the transceiver maintained at ground potential.

3. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting power supply obtains power from an electromagnetic field produced by the power line through a super-saturating magnetic flux core.

4. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage communicates the measured parameters to the transceiver maintained at ground potential by modulating a beam of energy transmitted by the transceiver maintained at ground potential and reflected back to the transceiver maintained at ground potential.

5. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage modulates the beam of energy transmitted by the transceiver maintained at ground potential by switching an element that changes an impedance characteristic of the antenna.

6. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the response equipment includes power control equipment selected from the group consisting of a capacitor bank, a voltage regulator, a voltage sag supporter, and a circuit interrupter.

7. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein:

the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage communicates the measured parameters to the transceiver maintained at ground potential in a raw data format comprising data points obtained from each sensor at least every 4 milliseconds that has not been error corrected, integrated or summarized; and

the transceiver maintained at ground potential or a processor operatively connected to the transceiver maintained at ground potential error corrects, integrates and summarizes the measured parameters to reconstruct one or more wave forms represented by the measured parameters.

8. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the response equipment includes communication equipment for transmitting the measured parameters to a remote location that enters the measured parameters into a reporting and analysis system.

9. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the response equipment includes communication equipment for transmitting the measured parameters to a remote location that remotely control power control equipment affecting the operation of the power line.

10. The communication and control system of claim 9, wherein the power control equipment includes a capacitor bank, a voltage regulator, a voltage sag supporter, or a circuit interrupter.

11. The communication and control system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver maintained at ground potential receives electric power via a local transformer or substation interconnected with the power line.

12. A communication and control system for a high voltage electric power line operating at a line voltage, comprising:

a transceiver maintained at ground potential;

communication equipment maintained at the line voltage comprising one or more low power transducers for obtaining measured parameters indicating operating conditions of the power line, a microcontroller for processing the measured parameters, an antenna for communicating the measured parameters via a beam of energy propagating through ambient atmosphere to the transceiver maintained at ground potential, and a battery-free energy harvesting power supply maintained at the line voltage providing electric power to electronic components of the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage;

wherein the energy harvesting power supply obtains power from an electromagnetic field produced by the power line through a super-saturating magnetic flux core.

13. The communication and control system of claim 12, wherein the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage communicates the measured parameters to the transceiver maintained at ground potential by modulating a beam of energy transmitted by the transceiver maintained at ground potential and reflected back to the transceiver maintained at ground potential.

14. The communication and control system of claim 12, wherein the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage modulates the beam of energy transmitted by the transceiver maintained at ground potential by switching an element that changes an impedance characteristic of the antenna.

15. The communication and control system of claim 12, wherein the response equipment includes power control equipment selected from the group consisting of a capacitor bank, a voltage regulator, a voltage sag supporter, and a circuit interrupter.

16. The communication and control system of claim 15, wherein:

the communication equipment maintained at the line voltage communicates the measured parameters to the transceiver maintained at ground potential in a raw data format comprising data points obtained from each sensor at least every 4 milliseconds that has not been error corrected, integrated or summarized; and

the transceiver maintained at ground potential or a processor operatively connected to the transceiver maintained at ground potential error corrects, integrates and summarizes the measured parameters to reconstruct one or more wave forms represented by the measured parameters.

17. The communication and control system of claim 12, wherein the response equipment includes communication equipment for transmitting the measured parameters to a remote location that enters the measured parameters into a reporting and analysis system.

18. The communication and control system of claim 12, wherein the response equipment includes communication equipment for transmitting the measured parameters to a remote location that remotely control power control equipment affecting the operation of the power line.

19. The communication and control system of claim 18, wherein the power control equipment includes a capacitor bank, a voltage regulator, a voltage sag supporter, or a circuit interrupter.

20. The communication and control system of claim 12, wherein the transceiver maintained at ground potential receives electric power via a local transformer or substation interconnected with the power line.