Power line universal monitor

A system for monitoring and controlling an energized high voltage power conductor at conductor potential and detecting possible high impedance faults, and pole-top auto-recloser operations, said system comprising:

• a sensor module for mounting upon and removal from said energized high voltage power conductor, said sensor module having
• sampling circuitry for sampling the value of a variable parameter and determining the fundamental and harmonic content of said variable parameter, said sensor module further including a memory for storing the sampled value over selectable intervals of time (ranging from hours to days), in order to establish a harmonic signature and transient random variation for said variable parameter;
• a processor for monitoring changes in the stored harmonic signature of said variable parameter in order to determine the presence of a high impedance fault;
• and
• a transmitter for transmitting a fault trigger in response to said changes in the stored harmonic signature;
• a ground receiver, remote from said sensor module for receiving said fault trigger and actuating a control means in response thereto.

A system for fault detection, fault isolation, determination of sequence-of-events and service restoration, across a power grid, said system comprising:

• a plurality of sensor modules for mounting upon and removal from each of the energized high voltage AC conductors within the power grid;
• each of said sensor modules in the plurality comprising:
• GPS time level synchronization circuitry for causing said each of said sensor modules in the plurality to simultaneously measure fault indicating parameters on each of their associated high voltage AC conductors;
• a transmitter for transmitting signals from said sensor module commensurate with measurement of the fault indicating parameter;
• a remote controller separate and remote from the plurality of sensor modules, for receiving and comparing said signals all within the time constraints required for effective power grid protection;
• and
• a processor to generate a relay control signal for operating an automated switch or circuit breaker in response to a detected difference between said compared signals exceeding a predetermined threshold level.

A system for providing differential relay protection of a bus or primary substation power device through wireless sensing of current differential on at least one pair of electrical conductors carrying current to and from, respectively, said bus or primary substation power device, the system comprising:

• at least a pair of sensor modules, one of such sensor modules mounted upon each of the conductors in the at least one pair for measuring the current flowing through said conductor;
• wherein each sensor module includes:
• control and timing circuitry for causing all of said modules in the at least one pair to measure the analog current on its associated conductor simultaneously;
• a transmitter for transmitting signals from said modules commensurate with the current measured thereby;
• a master controller having:
• a receiver for receiving said signals;
• a processor for comparing said signals received from each of the modules on each of the conductors;
• and
• a processor to generate a substation control relay signal which is operated in response to a detected difference between said compared signals exceeding a predetermined threshold level to protect said bus or primary substation power device.

An integrated system for performing metering, monitoring and control functions at a high voltage power substation, power grid pole-top capacitor banks and auto-recloser switch locations, said system comprising:

• a plurality of individual sensor modules each of said sensor modules in the plurality being removeably mounted upon a high voltage AC power conductor at said substation, each of said modules including:
• sensing circuitry for simultaneously measuring each of a plurality of variable parameters, including voltage and current, power and reactive power associated with operation of said conductor upon which it is mounted;
• timing and control circuitry for GPS time-synchronizing the measurement of said parameters by said plurality of modules, whereby each of said modules measures the value of the same parameter at the same time on its associated conductor;
• a transmitter for transmitting signals commensurate with the values of said parameters measured by said modules;
• a Master Controller having:
• a receiver for receiving said signals from each of said sensor modules;
• a processor for processing said signals from each of said sensor modules and generating a set of digital signals in response thereto,
• a transmitter for sending said digital signals over a wide area communications network for performing metering, monitoring and control functions at corresponding sensor module locations.

A system for monitoring a plurality of parameters associated with each of a plurality of energized electrical power conductors of a power delivery network over the full operating range from minimum to maximum conductor current, said system comprising:

• a plurality of sensor modules for complete installation and removal while said conductors are energized, each one of said modules being mounted upon one of said energized electrical conductors;
• each of said sensor modules in the plurality having:
• circuitry for sensing and measuring values for any of a plurality of parameters of the associated power conductor upon which said sensor module is mounted;
• timing and control circuitry for synchronizing the measurements with GPS level timing accuracy such that each sensor module can measure any of the plurality of parameters at the same time;
• a processor for identifying, manipulating and processing said sensed and measured values in order to generate encoded signals;
• a transmitter for periodically transmitting time-synchronized sequences of said encoded signals in bursts of predetermined duration;
• means carried by each of said modules for controlling the starting times of said data bursts by said transmitting means using direct sequence code division spread spectrum multiple access 2-way communication links for simultaneous transmissions from multiple sensor modules;
• a remote master controller, remote from said modules, for receiving said encoded signals from each of said plurality of modules and decoding said signals to provide said sensed and measured parameter values in order to derive from said values operational status information, including normal, abnormal and transient operating conditions, about said power conductors, in order to synchronize control of said power delivery network over said full operating range during all of said normal, abnormal and transient operating conditions, in accordance with said operational status information.

A method of monitoring and controlling a power delivery network having a plurality of power conductors over the full operating range from minimum to maximum conductor current, said method comprising:

• removeably mounting a plurality of sensor modules upon the plurality of power conductors while said conductors are energized, each one of said modules being mounted upon one of said energized electrical conductors;
• using said plurality of sensor modules to sense and measure values for any of a plurality of parameters of the associated power conductor upon which said sensor module is mounted;
• synchronizing said sensing and measuring by each of the sensor modules in the plurality with GPS level timing accuracy such that each sensor module can measure any of the plurality of parameters at the same time;
• identifying, manipulating and processing said sensed and measured values in order to generate encoded signals;
• transmitting time-synchronized sequences of said encoded signals in bursts of predetermined duration using direct sequence code division spread spectrum multiple access 2-way communication links for simultaneous transmissions from multiple sensor modules;
• receiving said encoded signals from each of said plurality of modules and decoding said signals to provide said sensed and measured parameter values in order to derive from said values operational status information, including normal, abnormal and transient operating conditions, about said power conductors, in order to synchronize control of said power delivery network over said full operating range during all of said normal, abnormal and transient operating conditions, in accordance with said operational status information.

A high voltage conductor mounted sensor module provides metering grade high voltage, current, and phase angle measurement accuracy, remote customer meter reading gateway functions and comprises:

• a metallic housing mounted in surrounding relation to and conductively isolated from an associated high voltage conductor in a plurality of high voltage conductors, whereby a charging current is present on said housing due to the electric field of said associated high voltage conductor;
• charge current sampling circuitry for sensing voltage proportional to said charging current;
• conductor current sensing and sampling circuitry for measuring conductor current through said high voltage conductor;
• a processor for accurately determining voltage and current phase angles simultaneously using GPS time markers at the same point in time for both the sampled current and voltage, and determining power factor, real and reactive power, and frequency means for data concentration of meter reads from a cluster of customer meters for re-transmission ;
• and
• a transmitter for transmitting the measured values for said voltage, conductor current as well as the determined voltage and current phase angles, power factor, real and reactive power flow, frequency, and customer meter data from a cluster group to a Master Controller using secure direct sequence two-way Code Division Spread Spectrum Multiple Access Communications

A high voltage conductor mounted sensor for detecting earth quake vibrations, comprising:

• a metallic housing mounted in surrounding relation to and conductively isolated from the associated conductor, upon which it is mounted;
• a piezzo electric transducer for detecting conductor vibrations and representing them in the form of an electrical signal;
• memory for storing the electrical signal which represents said measured conductor vibrations as a dynamic record over pre-selectable intervals;
• processing means for calculating the magnitude and frequency of said electrical signal;
• and
• filtering means for digitally filtering out wind portions of said electrical signal which represent wind induced vibrations from earthquake induced vibrations by filtering out those portions of the signal which fall outside the earthquake frequency band.