Portable self powered line mountable device for measuring and transmitting solar radiation

• US 8,933,687 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• 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): Vazquez, Arleen M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pothen, Feba
• Application Number:
  US14/085,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• US Class Current: 324/96
• 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 a housing with an opening for accepting the power line conductor. The housing is configured to be grounded to the power line conductor. At least one magnetic core is configured to surround the power line conductor and power a power supply electronics module. A solar sensing element is configured to be mounted horizontally on the housing.

Claims

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

a housing including an opening for accepting the power line conductor, the housing is configured to be grounded to the power line conductor;

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

a solar sensing element mounted horizontally on the housing, wherein the solar sensing element is mounted under and adjacent a transparent lens that is undercoated with a transparent electrically conductive substrate, the transparent lens being mounted to an electrically conductive mounting structure which forms a Faraday cage completely surrounding the solar sensing element.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the solar sensing element includes a silicon photovoltaic solar cell mounted adjacent and under the transparent lens and a transparent dielectric located between the silicon photovoltaic solar cell and the transparent lens which isolates the top of the silicon photovoltaic solar cell from the transparent electrically conductive substrate.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the transparent lens is undercoated with an indium-tin oxide substrate.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the transparent lens is electrically grounded to an electrically conductive mounting structure which completely surrounds the solar sensing element.

5. The device of claim 4 where the electrically conductive mounting structure includes an electrically conductive bezel for mounting the transparent lens therein, the electrically conductive bezel is grounded to the transparent electrically conductive substrate and the housing.

6. The device of claim 1 including a photovoltaic solar cell configured to produce a voltage output proportional to an incident solar radiation when the sun'"'"'s solar altitude measured from the horizon is greater than 13.75 degrees at sunrise and when the solar altitude is greater than 13.75 degrees at sunset.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the transparent lens, the transparent electrically conductive substrate, a transparent dielectric, a photovoltaic solar cell, and output leads are contained within an electrically conductive bezel which is attachable to an electrically conductive mounting structure and grounded to the housing.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the photovoltaic solar cell is mounted within an opening in a wafer that accepts the output leads.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the wafer is a non-reflective white thin high operating temperature tolerant plastic.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein the bezel includes inside threads configured to screw onto outside threads of an electrically conductive mount ring, the mount ring contains a pair of diametrically opposed holes for screwing internal threads on the mount ring onto outer threads on an electrically conductive solar mount which is grounded to said housing.

11. The device of claim 10 including an “

O”

ring placed over the external threads of the said solar mount which centers an electrically conductive flat washer upon the electrically conductive solar mount and an upper surface of the flat washer engages the bottom of the mount ring and a lower surface of the flat washer engages the top of the solar mount for providing a direct electrically conductivity path from the bezel to the mount ring to said solar mount and to the housing.

16. The device of claim 1, including at least one moveable jaw located within the housing for engaging the power line conductor and the at least one magnetic core is attached to the at least one moveable jaw.

12. A method of measuring solar radiation with a device configured to be attached to a power line conductor comprising:

measuring solar radiation levels with a solar sensing element mounted under and adjacent a transparent lens that is undercoated with a transparent electrically conductive substrate, the transparent lens being mounted to an electrically conductive mounting structure which forms a Faraday cage completely surrounding the solar sensing element;

grounding the Faraday cage to the power line conductor;

signal conditioning measured values of solar radiation;

sending the signal conditioned measured values to a remote location with a transmitter-receiver unit located within a housing;

powering a sensor electronics module and the transmitter-receiver unit from current flowing in the power line conductor; and

processing the measured values to determine a current carrying capacity of the power line conductor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the signal conditioned measured values are transmitted by the transmitter-receiver unit to a remote location receiver.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the measured values are transmitted by the said transmitter-receiver unit to the remote location receiver on a real time basis.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the measured values represent a real power output of solar panels inter-connected with the power line conductor for controlling the output of the solar panels and regulating a voltage of the power line conductor.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the housing includes an opening for accepting a power line conductor and moveable jaws located within the housing for engaging the power line conductor, the moveable jaws translate in a first direction to cause a magnetic core to surround the power line conductor.

18. The method of claim 12, including attaching the device to the power line conductor, wherein the device includes a housing having an upper jaw and a lower jaw for engaging the power line conductor and a magnetic core attached to at least one of the upper jaw and the lower jaw.

19. The method of claim 12, including powering the device with an energy storage element when current ceases to flow in the power line conductor.

20. The method of claim 12, including grounding the housing to the power line conductor.