System and method of detecting and locating intermittent and other faults

• US 8,897,635 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard University
• Original Assignee: Howard University
• Inventors: Kim, Charles J
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Oommen
• Application Number:
  US12/464,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20100111521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 398/13, 398/9, 398/10, 370/242
• US Class Current: 398/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/24 Testing correct operation

Abstract

A signal is conducted from a controller module onto a network via a first coupling. The signal is transmitted across the network and received at one or more receiver modules via one or more second couplings. At the one or more receiver modules, the received signal is analyzed and based upon the analysis, a determination is made as to whether a fault has occurred in the network and/or where the occurrence occurred.

Claims

1. A method for detecting intermittent electrical faults in a network comprising:

conducting a first signal from a first transmitter onto an electrical network via a first magnetic coupling, the electrical network including a plurality of segments of a transmission medium;

conducting a second signal from a second transmitter onto the electrical network via a second magnetic coupling;

transmitting the first signal and the second signal across the electrical network;

receiving selected ones of the first signal and the second signal at one or more receiver modules via one or more third magnetic couplings; and

at the one or more receiver modules, analyzing the received and unreflected first signal from the first transmitter and the received and unreflected second signal from the second transmitter, and determining from the analyzing of the received and unreflected first signal and the received and unreflected second signal whether an intermittent fault has occurred in one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium of the electrical network, the plurality of segments being disposed physically between the first transmitter and the one or more receiver modules, and the second transmitter and the one or more receiver modules so as to spatially and physically separate the first transmitter and the second transmitter from the one or more receiver modules, the one or more receiver modules further determining from the analyzing of the received signal a location for the intermittent fault in one of the plurality of segments, wherein the location is determined by comparing information in the received and unreflected first signal to an expected first information pattern and the received and unreflected second signal to an expected second information pattern, wherein the location of the intermittent fault identifies a selected one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium, and wherein transmissions of the first signal from the first transmitter and transmissions of the second signal from the second transmitter, and receptions and analyzing of the received and unreflected first signal and received and unreflected second signal at the one or more receiver modules do not require control from each other.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first magnetic coupling and the one or more third magnetic couplings each comprise a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively activating and deactivating the first magnetic coupling to effect the connection and disconnection of the controller module from the electrical network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the first signal across the electrical network to the one or more receiver modules comprises transmitting the first signal to a plurality of receivers and wherein each of the receiver modules includes a separate magnetic coupling.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the first signal comprises selectively broadcasting the signal to one or more receivers.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selectively broadcasting the first signal comprises broadcasting the first signal to different receiver module groupings at different times and at different frequencies.

7. An apparatus for performing fault detection comprising:

at least one first inductive coil;

a first transmitter coupled to the at least one first inductive coil, the at least one first inductive coil being magnetically coupled to at least one second inductive coil, the at least one second inductive coil being in electrical connection to an electrical network, the electrical network including a plurality of segments of a transmission medium, the plurality of segments being disposed physically between the transmitter and a receiver so as to spatially and physically separate the transmitter and the receiver;

wherein a magnetic coupling is formed between the at least one first inductive coil and the at least one second inductive coil and power is selectively transmitted across the magnetic coupling and onto the electrical network;

wherein a first signal is received at the receiver from the first transmitter and a second signal is received from a second transmitter, the receiver being coupled to the electrical network and the receiver is configured to determine an intermittent fault condition and an intermittent fault location in one of the plurality of segments based upon an analysis of the received and unreflected first signal and the received and unreflected second signal, wherein the intermittent fault location is determined by comparing first information in the received and unreflected first signal to an expected first information pattern and by comparing second information in the received and unreflected second signal to an expected second information pattern, wherein the intermittent fault location identifies one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium, and wherein the transmissions of the first signal from the first transmitter and transmissions of the second signal from the second transmitter, and receptions of the received and unreflected first signal and received and unreflected second signal and determination of fault location at receiver do not require control from each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first transmitter is configured to effect the transmission of the signal at specific times.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first transmitter is configured to effect the transmission of the signal at specific frequencies.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first transmitter is configured to effect the transmission of the signal at specific times and at specific frequencies.

11. A system comprising:

a first in-controller half-coupler module comprising;

a first housing;

a first inductive coil disposed at least partially within the first housing;

a first transmitter disposed within the first housing and coupled to the first inductive coil;

a first wire-side half-coupler module positioned proximal to the first in-controller half-coupler module, the first wire-side half-coupler module comprising;

a second housing that is physically separated from the first housing;

a second inductive coil disposed at least partially within the second housing, the second inductive coil being magnetically coupled to the first inductive coil via a first magnetic coupling, the second inductive coil being further electrically connected to an electrical network, the electrical network including a plurality of segments of a transmission medium, the plurality of segments being disposed physically between the first transmitter and at least one receiver module so as to spatially and physically separate the transmitter and the at least one receiver module;

wherein the first transmitter selectively effects the transmission of a first signal across the magnetic coupling and onto the electrical network;

wherein the at least one receiver module receives the first signal transmitted onto the electrical network and a second signal transmitted by a second transmitter, the at least one receiver module being coupled to the electrical network and configured to determine an intermittent fault condition and an intermittent fault location in one of the plurality of segments based upon an analysis of the received and unreflected first signal and the received and unreflected second signal, wherein the intermittent fault location is determined by comparing information in the received and unreflected first signal to an expected first information pattern and by comparing second information in the received and unreflected second signal to an expected second information pattern, wherein the intermittent fault location identifies one of the plurality of segments of transmission medium, and wherein the transmissions of the first signal from the first transmitter and transmissions of the second signal from the second transmitter, and receptions of the received and unreflected first signal and received and unreflected second signal and determination of fault location at the at least one receiver module do not require control from each other.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein a connection of the first wire-side half-coupler module to the network is a hard-wired connection.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein a connection of the first wire-side half coupler module to the network is via a plug.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil comprise ring-shaped core structures.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the first in-controller half-coupler module is a portable device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first in-controller half-coupler module is moved to check for electrical faults.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one receiver module comprises a plurality of receiver modules.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the receiver module comprises a second wire-side half-coupler module and a second in-controller half-coupler module, the second wire-side half-coupler module being electrically coupled to the electrical network and being located proximally to and magnetically coupled to the second in-controller half-coupler module via a second magnetic coupling.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the second in-controller half-coupler module comprises

a third housing;

a third inductive coil.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the second wire-side half-coupler module comprises:

a fourth housing;

a fourth inductive coil disposed within the fourth housing, the fourth inductive coil being magnetically coupled to the third inductive coil via the second magnetic coupling and electrically connected to the network;

wherein the third inductive coil receives signals via the fourth inductive coil and the fourth inductive coil receives signals from the electrical network.

21. A method for detecting intermittent electrical faults in a network comprising:

at a receiver module;

receiving a first signal transmitted from a first transmitter onto an electrical network via a first magnetic coupling, the electrical network including a plurality of segments of a transmission medium, the first signal not being reflected in the electrical network;

receiving a second signal transmitted from a second transmitter onto the electrical network via a second magnetic coupling, the second signal not being reflected in the electrical network;

analyzing the received and unreflected first signal from the first transmitter and the received and unreflected second signal from the second transmitter, and determining from the analyzing of the received and unreflected first signal and the received and unreflected second signal whether an intermittent fault has occurred in one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium of the electrical network, the plurality of segments being disposed physically between the first transmitter and the one or more receiver modules, and the second transmitter and the receiver module so as to spatially and physically separate the first transmitter and the second transmitter from the receiver module, the receiver module further determining from the analyzing of the received signal a location for the intermittent fault in one of the plurality of segments, wherein the location is determined by comparing information in the received and unreflected first signal to an expected first information pattern and the received and unreflected second signal to an expected second information pattern, wherein the location of the intermittent fault identifies a selected one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium, and wherein transmissions of the first signal from the first transmitter transmissions of the second signal from the second transmitter, and receptions and analyzing of the received and unreflected first signal and received and unreflected second signal at the one or more receiver modules do not require control from each other.

22. A method for detecting intermittent electrical faults in a network comprising:

transmitting a first signal transmitted from a first transmitter onto an electrical network to a receiver module via a first magnetic coupling, the electrical network including a plurality of segments of a transmission medium, the first signal not being reflected in the electrical network;

transmitting a second signal transmitted from a second transmitter onto the electrical network to the receiver module via a second magnetic coupling, the second signal not being reflected in the electrical network;

such that the received and unreflected first signal from the first transmitter and the received and unreflected second signal from the second transmitter are analyzed at the receiver module and a first determination is made as to whether an intermittent fault has occurred in one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium of the electrical network, the plurality of segments being disposed physically between the first transmitter and the receiver module, and the second transmitter and the receiver module so as to spatially and physically separate the first transmitter and the second transmitter from the receiver module;

and such that a second determination is made as to a location for the intermittent fault in one of the plurality of segments, wherein the location is determined by comparing information in the received and unreflected first signal to an expected first information pattern and the received and unreflected second signal to an expected second information pattern, wherein the location of the intermittent fault identifies a selected one of the plurality of segments of the transmission medium, and wherein transmissions of the first signal from the first transmitter transmissions of the second signal from the second transmitter, and receptions and analyzing of the received and unreflected first signal and received and unreflected second signal at the one or more receiver modules do not require control from each other.