# US 11,906,566 B2 · System for monitoring the state of a cable through distributed transferometry > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,566 B2 - Document ID: US11906566B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/772,495 - Filed: 2020-10-13 - Published: 2022-10-27 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-29 - Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives - Applicants: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives - Inventors: Marie-Bénédicte Jacques; Cyril Chastang; Alain Giraud; Nicolas Ravot - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906566B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/085: {in power transmission or distribution lines, e.g. overhead} - G01R 31/08: Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks - H02H 1/003: {Fault detection by injection of an auxiliary voltage (same for detection of earth fault currents H02H3/17; for monitoring earth connection H02H5/105)} - H02H 5/10: responsive to mechanical injury, e.g. rupture of line, breakage of earth connection - H02H 7/265: {making use of travelling wave theory} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) ## Abstract A system for monitoring the state of a cable, includes a plurality of transferometry devices capable of injecting a test signal into the cable and measuring a signal being propagated in the cable, the transferometry devices being positioned along the cable so as to break down the cable into successive sections, the system comprising a control member capable of communicating with the transferometry devices and configured so as to perform at least one transferometry test consisting in injecting a test signal into the cable by means of a first transferometry device and measuring the test signal after its propagation in the cable by means of a second transferometry device different from the first device, the system comprising a post-processing member capable of communicating with the transferometry devices and configured to compare the measured signal to a reference signal to deduce therefrom an indicator of degradation of the section of cable disposed between the first transferometry device and the second transferometry device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring the state of a cable, the system comprising a plurality of transferometry devices each being capable of injecting a test signal at an injection point of the cable and measuring a signal being propagated in the cable at a measurement point of the cable, the transferometry devices being intended to be positioned along the cable at predetermined positions so as to break down the cable into successive sections, the system comprising: a control member capable of communicating with the transferometry devices and configured so as to perform at least one transferometry test consisting in injecting a test signal into the cable with a first transferometry device and measuring the test signal after its propagation in the cable with a second transferometry device different from the first transferometry device, the system further comprising: a post-processing member capable of communicating with the transferometry devices and configured to compare the measured signal to a reference signal to deduce therefrom an indicator of degradation of a cable section disposed between the first transferometry device and the second transferometry device, the control member being configured to control, according to a predefined test procedure, each transferometry device by activating or deactivating the injection of a test signal into the cable said each transferometry device and by activating or deactivating an acquisition of a measurement of a signal being propagated in the cable by each transferometry device, the predefined test procedure consisting in successively executing the following commands: activating the injection of a test signal by a first transferometry device situated at a start of a first section of the cable, activating an acquisition of a signal measurement by a second transferometry device disposed at an end of the first section, and after a first predetermined monitoring period, deactivating the injection of a test signal by the first transferometry device, and deactivating the acquisition of a measurement by the second transferometry device, and after a second predetermined timer period, reiterating the predefined test procedure for the subsequent sections of the cable with, for each section, a first transferometry device situated at the start of the section and a second transferometry device disposed at the end of the section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first monitoring period is predetermined as a function of a speed of propagation of the signal in the cable and of a distance between two consecutive transferometry devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second timer period is predetermined as a function of the speed of propagation of the signal in the cable and of a signal attenuation factor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference signal corresponds to a measurement performed by a transferometry device at a preceding instant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein each transferometry device comprises a coupler for injecting and measuring a signal at a point of the cable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupler is a contactless coupler, inductive or capacitive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupler is produced by several core toroids disposed in parallel in a vicinity of a point of the cable, each core toroid being linked to the transferometry device by a connecting wire forming several windings around the core toroid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupler is produced by physical contact with the cable. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system for monitoring the state of a cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the degradation indicator is proportional to an amplitude difference between the reference signal and the measured signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An assembly comprising a cable (C) and a system for monitoring the state of the cable as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 11 A system for monitoring a state of a cable, the system comprising a plurality of transferometry devices each being capable of injecting a test signal at an injection point of the cable and measuring a signal being propagated in the cable at a measurement point of the cable, the transferometry devices being intended to be positioned along the cable at predetermined positions so as to break down the cable into successive sections, the system comprising: a control member capable of communicating with the transferometry devices and configured so as to perform at least one transferometry test consisting in injecting a test signal into the cable with a first transferometry device and measuring the test signal after its propagation in the cable with a second transferometry device different from the first transferometry device, the system further comprising: a post-processing member capable of communicating with the transferometry devices and configured to compare the measured signal to a reference signal to deduce therefrom an indicator of degradation of a cable section disposed between the first transferometry device and the second transferometry device, the control member being configured to control, according to a predefined test procedure, each transferometry device by activating or deactivating the injection of a test signal into the cable with said device and by activating or deactivating an acquisition of a measurement of a signal being propagated in the cable with said transferometry device, wherein the control member is configured to simultaneously activate several tests procedures for several sections of the cable, a test procedure consisting in successively executing the following commands: activating the injection of a test signal by a first transferometry device situated at a start of a first section of the cable, and activating the acquisition of a signal measurement by a second transferometry device disposed at an end of the first section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the several sections of the cable are spaced apart from one another by a distance predetermined as a function of a speed of propagation of the signal in the cable and of a signal attenuation factor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the test signals for different simultaneous tests procedures are mutually orthogonal. ### Claim 14 A system for monitoring a state of a cable, the system comprising: a plurality of transferometry devices each being capable of injecting a test signal at an injection point of the cable and measuring a signal being propagated in the cable at a measurement point of the cable, the transferometry devices being intended to be positioned along the cable at predetermined positions so as to break down the cable into successive sections; a control device configured to communicate with the transferometry devices and configured so as to perform at least one transferometry test consisting in injecting a test signal into the cable with a first transferometry device and measuring the test signal after its propagation in the cable with a second transferometry device different from the first transferometry device; and a post-processing device configured to communicate with the transferometry devices and configured to compare a measured signal to a reference signal to deduce therefrom an indicator of degradation of a cable section disposed between the first transferometry device and the second transferometry device, the control device being configured to control, according to a predefined test procedure, each transferometry device by activating or deactivating the injection of a test signal into the cable with said control device and by activating or deactivating an acquisition of a measurement of a signal being propagated in the cable with said transferometry device, wherein the control device is configured to simultaneously activate several tests procedures for several sections of the cable, a test procedure comprising successively executing the following commands: activating the injection of a test signal by a first transferometry device situated at a start of a first section of the cable, and activating the acquisition of a signal measurement by a second transferometry device disposed at an end of the first section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the several sections of the cable are spaced apart from one another by a distance predetermined as a function of a speed of propagation of the signal in the cable and of a signal attenuation factor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein test signals for different simultaneous tests procedures are mutually orthogonal.