System and method for condition monitoring of electricity transmission structures
AssigneeThe University of Akron
InventorsYilmaz Sozer, Jose Alexis De Abreu-Garcia, John Lauletta
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Abstract
System and method for monitoring the condition of electricity conductor support systems, i.e. towers, in a power network distribution system employing a tower structure integrity sensor assemblage. The system allows for identifying particular portions of a structural system for maintenance attention. The tower sensors allow identification of structural failures of electricity transmission towers.
Claims15
The method for detecting and generally locating incipient faults of a structural component of an electrical power delivery system exhibiting a fundamental fault indicator and located at a given position, comprising the steps:
- providing a detector alert assemblage including a sensor input antenna, a computer controllable radio receiver having a data output, and a receiver providing position data;
- propagating a signal through an electrically conducting element of a structural component in order to measure the impedance of a structure;
- determining a relative impedance of a structure by measuring current flow;
- monitoring a segment of electricity conductor support structures using a propagated signal and comparing said segment of support structures to signals from related structures;
- determining a fault signature through a relative change in impedance;
- receiving and processing said fault indicator output;
- and detecting said signal values and classifying them as to fault probability to provide classified signal values, with position data to provide position associated fault probability values and submitting them to said fault storage function.
A system for detecting and generally locating incipient faults at a component of an electrical power delivery system exhibiting a fundamental fault indicator and located at a given segment of electricity conductor, comprising:
- a signal receiving assemblage, a computer controllable radio receiver having a data output, and a receiver providing position data;
- including at least one sensor input antenna, a first computer controllable radio receiver operatively coupled with said antenna having a first amplitude detected output, a second computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said antenna having a second amplitude detected output, and a positioning system providing position data;
- an isolated segment of electricity conductor;
- propagating a test signal along a segment of electricity conducting element;
- receiving and processing a fault indicator output for detecting signal values and classifying them as to fault probability to provide classified signal values, with position data to provide position associated fault probability values;
- a signal converter responsive to said first propagated frequency amplitude output to convert it to digital form at a sampling rate to provide fault related parameter samples;
- a signal processor configured for extracting narrow band signal frequencies therefrom that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, analyzing said signals to derive maintenance merit values;
- and a control computer including a digital storage facility and responsive when a said fault related parameter maintenance merit value is below a setpoint;
- and submitting maintenance merit values to said fault storage function;
- and utilizing such compiled data for alerting of an incipient fault.
A sensor for identifying or locating service incident faults relating to a structural component of an electrical power delivery system exhibiting a fault indication at a position, comprising the steps:
- a) a detector alert assemblage including a sensor input antenna, a computer controllable radio receiver having a data output, and a receiver providing position data;
- b) a signal emitter for propagating a current flow signal through one or more electrically conducting elements associated with the structural component
- c) measuring the impedance of electrically conducting elements associated with the structure by propagating a current flow signal;
- d) recording a relative impedance of said conducting elements by measuring relative current flow signal for a given voltage;
- e) monitoring the relative impedance of the structural component over time;
- f) determining a fault signature associated with a change in relative impedance;
- g) receiving and processing said fault signature;
- and
- h) detecting said fault signatures and classifying them as to fault probability to provide classified signal values, correlated with position data to provide position associated fault probability values and submitting them to said fault storage function, so that a position related fault probability can be utilized to determine the location of a service incident.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.