Portable self powered line mountable electric power line current monitoring transmitting and receiving system

• US 8,952,679 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• 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): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, DANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/059,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 324/126, 324/127
• US Class Current: 324/126
• 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 measuring current of an electric power line conductor includes a housing with an opening for accepting a power line conductor. A first coil loop including coil windings with a first end spaced from a second end and having a circular shape. The first coil loop is configured to partially surround the power line conductor located in the housing. An internal central wire attached to an end of the first coil loop extends through a center of the first coil loop. A jaw assembly is configured to insure a vertical centerline of the first coil loop is aligned with a vertical centerline of the electric power line conductor.

Claims

1. A device for measuring current of an electric power line conductor comprising:

a housing including an opening for accepting a power line conductor;

a first coil loop including coil windings with a first end spaced from a second end and having a circular shape and configured to partially surround the power line conductor located in the housing and an internal central wire attached to an end of the first coil loop and extending through a center of the first coil loop; and

a jaw assembly configured to insure a vertical centerline of the first coil loop is aligned with a vertical centerline of the electric power line conductor, wherein the first end of the first coil loop is rigidly fixed from movement relative to the second end of the first coil loop when the jaw assembly moves between an open position for accepting the power line conductor and a closed position for engaging the power line conductor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein first coil loop defines a circular arc less than 360 degrees.

3. The device of claim 1, including a power supply transformer mounted on the power line conductor adjacent the first coil loop configured to supply power to a sensor electronics module and a transmitter-receiver unit, wherein the power supply transformer includes a first magnetic core slidably attached to a first jaw assembly and a second magnetic core rigidly attached to a second jaw assembly, the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core are configured to surround the power line and move together in unison when in contact.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the sensor electronics module is configured to convert the voltage output of the first coil loop to a current signal which is representative of a power line frequency current in the electric power line conductor without phase shift and saturation during faults.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first coil loop includes a double layer coil loop with windings extending in opposite directions.

6. The device of claim 1, including a second coil loop with a first end spaced from a second end and having a circular arc shape and configured to partially surround the power line conductor located in the housing and a second internal central wire attached to the first end of the second coil loop and extending through a center of the second coil loop, wherein the first end of the second coil loop is rigidly fixed from movement relative to the second end of the second coil loop when the jaw assembly moves between an open position for accepting the power line conductor and a closed position for engaging the power line conductor.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the second coil loop extends approximately 180 degrees or less.

8. The device of claim 6, including a power supply transformer mounted on the power line conductor adjacent the second coil loop configured to supply power to a sensor electronics module and a transmitter-receiver unit.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the voltage measured output from the second coil loop is converted to a current signal and is representative of the actual high frequency lightning stroke current flowing in the power line conductor for positive or negative polarity strokes and without phase shift or saturation.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the second coil loop is mounted to the housing and a vertical centerline of the second coil loop is configured to align with a vertical centerline of the power line conductor.

11. The device of claim 6, wherein the second coil loop is wound on a rigid nonflexible non-metallic dielectric coil form.

12. The device of claim 6, including a first pair of conical areas located at a first end of the second coil loop and a second pair of conical areas located at a second end of the second coil loop.

13. The device of claim 3, including a sensor electronics module configured to process data to determine a fault and a transmitter-receiver unit configured to send data indicating a fault in the power line conductor to at least one remote location.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the transmitter-receiver unit is configured to receive trigger data from at least one remote location.

15. The device of claim 13, including an energy storage device configured to supply power to the sensor electronics module and the transmitter-receiver unit.

16. The device of claim 1, including a voltage measuring device configured to determine a location of a lighting stroke.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the opening extends through a rigidly fixed portion of the housing.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the housing includes a one piece first portion and a one piece second portion, the opening extends through the one piece first portion.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the jaw assembly includes a first jaw assembly and a second jaw assembly, the first jaw assembly and the second jaw assembly are located within the first portion of the housing and are configured to engage the power line conductor, the first jaw assembly is fixed relative to the first portion of the housing and the second jaw assembly is movable relative to first portion of the housing.

20. The device of claim 2, wherein first coil loop defines a circular arc greater than 180 degrees.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the first coil loop is wound on a rigid nonflexible non-metallic dielectric coil form.

22. The device of claim 1, including a first pair of conical areas located at a first end of the first coil loop and a second pair of conical areas located at a second end of the first coil loop.

23. A device for measuring current of an electric power line conductor comprising:

a housing including an opening for accepting a power line conductor;

a first coil loop including coil windings with a first end spaced from a second end and having a circular shape and configured to partially surround the power line conductor located in the housing and an internal central wire attached to an end of the first coil loop and extending through a center of the first coil loop, and the first end of the first coil loop is rigidly fixed from movement relative to the second end of the first coil loop; and

a jaw assembly configured to insure a vertical centerline of the first coil loop is aligned with a vertical centerline of the electric power line conductor, wherein the first coil loop is wound on a rigid nonflexible non-metallic dielectric coil form.

24. A device for measuring current of an electric power line conductor comprising:

a housing including an opening for accepting a power line conductor;

a first coil loop including coil windings with a first end spaced from a second end and having a circular shape and configured to partially surround the power line conductor located in the housing and an internal central wire attached to an end of the first coil loop and extending through a center of the first coil loop, and the first end of the first coil loop is rigidly fixed from movement relative to the second end of the first coil loop;

a jaw assembly configured to insure a vertical centerline of the first coil loop is aligned with a vertical centerline of the electric power line conductor; and

a first pair of conical areas located at a first end of the first coil loop and a second pair of conical areas located at a second end of the first coil loop.