Portable self powered line mountable device for measuring and transmitting ambient temperature

• US 9,380,857 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• 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): Nguyen, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THANG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US14/092,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 324/127, 324/126, 324/117.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 with an opening for accepting the power line conductor and 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. An ambient temperature measuring assembly is mounted inside and near the bottom of the electrically conductive housing. The ambient temperature measuring assembly is thermally insulated from the housing for thermally separating the ambient temperature measuring assembly from the housing.

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 power line conductor;

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

an ambient temperature measuring assembly mounted inside and near the bottom of the electrically conductive housing, the ambient temperature measuring assembly is thermally insulated from the housing for thermally separating the ambient temperature measuring assembly from the housing, wherein the ambient temperature measuring assembly includes a temperature sensing element located within and at the bottom of an electromagnetic shielding protection tube, the electromagnetic shielding protection tube is grounded to the housing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensing element is attached to an internal bottom portion of the protection tube with a thermally conductive material.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the thermally conductive material is an epoxy.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the protection tube and the temperature sensing element are surrounded by and thermally insulated from a vertical tubular chimney, the tubular chimney includes slots at the top for allowing outside ambient air to flow up and adjacent to the protection tube and out of the top of the tubular chimney.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the tubular chimney is thermally insulated from the housing.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensing element is attached to an internal bottom portion of the protection tube and includes a pair of twisted lead wires extending from the sensing element through the protection tube.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the protection tube extends through an opening in a thermally insulating washer such that the protection tube is suspended within a tubular chimney having at least one slot.

8. The device of claim 7, comprising a thermally insulating sleeve including an opening in a first end aligned with an opening in the housing and the tubular chimney extending through an opening in a second end.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one slot is spaced from the thermally insulating sleeve.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion selectively attachable to the first housing portion, the opening for accepting the power line conductor is located in the first housing portion and the ambient temperature measuring assembly is attached to the second housing portion.

11. A method of determining a current carrying capacity of a power line conductor comprising:

measuring ambient temperature with an ambient temperature measuring assembly, the ambient temperature measuring assembly is thermally insulated from an electrically conductive housing for thermally separating the ambient temperature measuring assembly from the electrically conductive housing and the ambient temperature measuring assembly includes a temperature sensing element located within and at the bottom of an electromagnetic shielding protection tube, the electromagnetic shielding protection tube is grounded to the housing;

signal conditioning measured values of ambient temperature;

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

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.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the signal conditioned measured values are transmitted by the transmitter-receiver unit to a remote location receiver.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the measured values are transmitted by the said transmitter-receiver unit to the remote location receiver on a real time basis.

14. The method of claim 12 including:

determining an amount of current traveling through the power line conductor needed to prevent ice from forming on the power line conductor.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the ambient temperature measuring assembly is mounted inside and near the bottom of the electrically conductive housing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the temperature sensing element is attached to an internal bottom portion of the protection tube and includes a pair of twisted lead wires extending from the sensing element through the protection tube.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the protection tube extends through an opening in a thermally insulating washer such that the protection tube is suspended within a tubular chimney having at least one slot.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising a thermally insulating sleeve including an opening in a first end aligned with an opening in the housing and the tubular chimney extending through an opening in a second end and the at least one slot is spaced from the thermally insulating sleeve.