Device and method for monitoring an electrical network

An electrical network system in an aircraft comprising:

• a monitoring device including circuitry that includes a first detector and a second detector, the first detector being configured to detect electrical signals, and the second detector being configured to detect additional signals produced in the electrical network, the additional signals being mechanical wave signals, which are of a different physical nature from the electrical signals, the first detector and second detector being installed at a same geographic location upstream from the electrical network, wherein
• the circuitry is configured to
• process the electrical signals to define a first time reference representing a detection time of the electrical signals emitted upon a fault event corresponding to arcs, arc tracking, or partial discharges arising in the electrical network,
• process the additional signals to define a second time reference representing a detection time of the additional signals emitted upon the same fault event arising in the electrical network, and
• spatially locate the fault event in the electrical network according to the first and second time references, the location of the fault event being determined as a function of a difference between the first and second time references given different propagation rates between the electrical and mechanical signals.

A method for monitoring an electrical network, comprising:

• detecting, by a first detector, electrical signals, and detecting, by a second detector, additional signals produced in the electrical network, the additional signals being mechanical wave signals, which are of a different physical nature from the electrical signals, the first detector and second detector being installed at a same geographic location upstream from the electrical network;
• processing the electrical signals to define a first time reference representing a detection time of the electrical signals emitted on a fault event corresponding to arcs, arc tracking, or partial discharges arising in the electrical network;
• processing the additional signals to define a second time reference representing a detection time of the additional signals emitted on the same fault event arising in the electrical network;
• and
• spatially locating the fault event in the electrical network according to the first and second time references, the location of the fault event being determined as a function of a difference between the first and second time references given different propagation rates between the electrical and mechanical signals.