Portable self powered line mounted high speed camera system for overhead electric power lines

• US 8,913,126 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murray W. Davis
• Original Assignee: Murray W. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Murray W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAWAZ, TALHA M
• Application Number:
  US14/101,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 348 41-161
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3073 Brush for cleaning specific unusual places not otherwise covered, e.g. gutters, golf clubs, tops of tin cans, corners
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/028 Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0616 of coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/20 Modifications of basic electric elements for use in electric measuring instruments; Structural combinations of such elements with such instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/22 Tong testers acting as secondary windings of current transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/186 using current transformers with a core consisting of two or more parts, e.g. clamp-on type G01R15/142 - G01R15/16 take precedence; tong testers G01R1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0084 measuring voltage only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/086 in power transmission or distribution networks, i.e. with interconnected conductors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/02 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/22 Cooling by heat conduction through solid or powdered fillings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/30 Constructions
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/28 Clamped connections, spring connections made by means of terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/02 for overhead lines or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A device for attaching to an electric power line conductor includes an electrically conductive housing having an opening for accepting the power line conductor and configured to be grounded to the electric power line conductor. At least one magnetic core is configured to surround the power line conductor and power a power supply electronics module. At least one camera assembly is connected to the housing and configured to capture fault and lightning stroke images along the electric power line conductor.

Claims

1. A device for attaching to an electric power line conductor comprising:

an electrically conductive housing including an opening for accepting the power line conductor and configured to be grounded to the electric power line conductor;

at least one magnetic core configured to surround the power line conductor and power a power supply electronics module; and

at least one camera assembly connected to the housing configured to capture fault and lightning stroke images from the electric power line conductor, wherein the at least one camera assembly is electrostatically shielded by a transparent material including an electrically conductive substrate mounted within an electrically conducting corona free bezel which is mounted to the housing for preventing corona discharges when the housing is mounted on the electric power line conductor.

2. The device of claim 1 including an energy storage device configured to power the at least one camera.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera assembly includes a first camera assembly and a second camera assembly.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the first camera assembly and the second camera assembly are mounted on opposite sides of the housing.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the first camera assembly and the second camera assembly point in opposite directions.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the transparent material is located over an outside of a lens of the at least one camera.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is electromagnetically shielded for preventing interference from the load current and fault current flowing in the electric power line conductor.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the at least one camera is electromagnetically shielded by surrounding the at least one camera with a ferrous material.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera includes a telephoto lens.

10. The device of claim 1 including a global positioning sensor and clock for time stamping the fault and lightning stroke images.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera includes an automatic exposure control with low lux sensitivity and very high speed frame rates.