Self learning radio frequency monitoring system for identifying and locating faults in electrical distribution systems

A system for monitoring electrical faults in a power plant electrical distribution system, comprising:

• a plurality of time synchronized radio frequency monitors (RFM) that are distributed about the electrical distribution system (EDS), for monitoring and sampling in real time EDS operation state (OS) radio frequency (RF) emissions data from electrical EDS equipment, the OS RF emissions potentially indicative of electrical faults in the EDS;
• an electrical fault monitor (EFM) coupled to the RFMs and an automated data storage device having stored therein sampled data readings for each RFM, sampled data including the RFM identification, data sample time and data sample characteristics, the RFM determining in real time a likelihood of whether one or a combination of the respective OS data samples is indicative of an electrical fault by:
• referencing in the automated data storage device coupled to the EFM previously stored information associating OS data with any one or more of EDS safe operation (SO), electrical faults or RF emission location within the EDS;
• comparing at least one stored OS sample reading from each RFM with respective stored association information relevant thereto and making respective EDS safe operation (SO) first confidence level determinations;
• comparing a combination of the at least one stored OS sample reading from each respective RFM with respective stored association information relevant thereto, if such combination information is available, and making respective EDS safe operation (SO) second or more confidence level determinations;
• combining all prior sequentially determined confidence levels information to derive an EDS safe operation (SO) overall confidence level;
• and
• causing the EFM to generate an alarm when any of the sequentially determined first through overall SO confidence levels is indicative of an electrical fault within the EDS.

A method for monitoring electrical faults in a power plant electrical distribution system, comprising:

• monitoring and sampling in real time with an EDS electrical fault monitor (EFM) operation state (OS) radio frequency (RF) emissions data from electrical distribution system (EDS) equipment that are obtained with a plurality of time synchronized radio frequency monitors (RFM) that are distributed about the EDS and coupled to the EFM, the OS RF emissions potentially indicative of electrical faults in the EDS;
• storing in an automated data storage device that is coupled to the EFM OS data samples for each RFM, sampled data including the RFM identification, data sample time and data sample waveform characteristics;
• determining with the EFM in real time a likelihood of whether one or a combination of the respective OS data samples is indicative of an electrical fault by:
• referencing in an automated data storage device coupled to the EFM previously stored electrical fault information obtained by the RFMs, resulting from generating electrical fault RF test signals with an RF test generator in the EDS;
• and
• comparing the sampled OS data with the previously stored electrical fault information in the automated data storage device;
• and
• causing the EFM to generate an alarm when the referenced stored information associates the sampled OS data with an electrical fault within the EDS.