System for detecting a falling electric power conductor and related methods
AssigneeSan Diego Gas & Electric Company
InventorsWilliam O'Brien, Eric A. Udren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for detecting a falling power line in a power transmission or distribution system are described. Electrical measurements at various points in the power distribution system are used to detect changes in a power line indicating that the conductor has broken or become disconnected. Upon detection, control mechanisms are used to deenergize the conductor while the conductor is falling and/or before it contacts the ground.
Claims24
A control box for use in at least one of an electrical transmission system and a distribution system comprising:
- a housing having an enclosure and enclosing a plurality of electronic circuitries;
- a processor located in the housing and configured to:
- receive a first signal from a first measuring device, the first measuring device configured to measure an electrical characteristic of a conductor at a location in the at least one of the electrical transmission system and the distribution system;
- determine that a conductor break caused by the conductor falling has occurred based at least partly on the first signal from the first measuring device;
- and
- emit a disconnect signal to one or more switching devices to deenergize the affected portion of the system before the conductor contacts the ground.
A method for detecting a falling conductor in at least one of an electrical transmission system and a distribution system, the method comprising:
- receiving a first signal from a first measuring device, the first measuring device configured to measure an electrical characteristic of a conductor at a location in the at least one of the electrical transmission system and the distribution system;
- determining that a conductor break caused by the conductor falling has occurred based at least partly on the first signal from the first measuring device;
- and
- emitting a disconnect signal to one or more switching devices to deenergize the affected portion of the system before the conductor contacts the ground.
A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for detecting a falling conductor in at least one of an electrical transmission system and a distribution system, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to perform the operations of:
- receiving a signal from a measuring device, the measuring device configured to measure an electrical characteristic of a conductor at a location in the at least one of the electrical transmission system and the distribution system;
- determining that a conductor break caused by the conductor falling has occurred based at least partly on the signal from the measuring device;
- and
- emitting a disconnect signal to one or more switching devices to deenergize the affected portion of the system before the conductor contacts the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.