System for detecting an object approaching and/or impacting electrical equipment

A system for detecting an object approaching and/or impacting electrical equipment, the system comprising:

• a housing for the electrical equipment;
• at least one acoustic sensor for measuring a sound pressure of the object approaching the housing, the at least one acoustic sensor disposed at a predetermined location at which the at least one acoustic sensor is not in contact with the housing;
• at least one vibration sensor for measuring an acceleration of a surface of the housing caused by the object striking the housing, the at least one vibration sensor disposed at a predetermined location at which the at least one vibration sensor is in contact with the housing;
• at least one computer processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having thereon a plurality of machine-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to determine at least one of approach of the object for impact on the housing using comparisons of signal received from the at least one acoustic sensor against a threshold, and impact of the object to the housing using comparisons of signal received from the at least one vibration sensor against a threshold for the acceleration,
• wherein the at least one computer processor carries out instructions to perform the following steps:
• a. determining that the signal received from at least
• one of the at least one acoustic sensor and the at least one vibration sensor is at an actionable level;
• b. closing, upon determining the received signal is at an actionable level, valves to a primary cooling system of the electrical equipment;
• and
• c. opening, upon closing of the valves of the primary cooling system in response to determining the received signal is an actionable level, valves to a secondary cooling system of the electrical equipment.