# US 2019/0170804 A1 · Fault monitoring systems and methods for detecting connectivity faults

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- Number: US 2019/0170804 A1
- Document ID: US20190170804A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/091,681
- Filed: 2017-04-06
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-06
- Assignees: QHi Group Limited
- Applicants: QHi Group Limited
- Inventors: Daniel Thomas; Ross Kennedy; John Hope
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170804A1

## CPC

- G01R 31/69: of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances
- G01K 3/14: in respect of space
- H01H 47/18: for introducing delay in the operation of the relay (short-circuited conducting sleeves, bands or discs H01H50/46)
- H02J 13/12: Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status
- H02J 13/1321: {using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus}
- H02J 13/333: the equipment forming part of substations
- H01H 2011/0068: {measuring the temperature of the switch or parts thereof}
- H01H 2071/044: {Monitoring, detection or measuring systems to establish the end of life of the switching device, can also contain other on-line monitoring systems, e.g. for detecting mechanical failures}
- H02B 1/36: with withdrawable units
- Y02E 60/00: Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y04S 10/30: State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
- Y04S 40/124: using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02B: BOARDS, SUBSTATIONS OR SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SUPPLY OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

The present invention provides a fault monitoring system for detecting connectivity faults in a device control centre. The fault monitoring system comprising for the or each control section, at least a first pair of temperature sensors, one of the first pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of a of the first pair of terminals (TL1-IN), and the other of the first pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of the other of the first pair of terminals (TL1-OUT)—The system comprises a processor configured to receive the detected temperatures, calculate an IN-OUT difference the IN-OUT difference, being a difference between the temperatures of the first pair of terminals (ΔTL1), compare the calculated IN-OUT difference with a predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L1), whereby a calculated difference IN-OUT (ΔTL1) greater than the predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L1) is indicative of a connectivity fault at one of the first pair of terminals, and to generate at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-64. (canceled)

### Claim 65

A fault monitoring system for detecting connectivity faults in a device control center, the device control center including at least one control section configured to control the supply of electrical power from a power source to a respective at least one device, the or each control section being electrically connected between the power source and the respective device at least a first pair of terminals, one of the first pair of terminals connecting the control section to of the power source side of a first power line and the other of the first pair of terminals connecting the control section to the device side of the first power line such that the control section completes the power circuit of the device, the fault monitoring system comprising:
for the or each control section, at least a first pair of temperature sensors, one of the first pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of one of the first pair of terminals (TL1-IN), and the other of the first pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of the other of the first pair of terminals (TL1-OUT);
a processor configured to receive the detected temperatures, calculate an IN-OUT difference, the IN-OUT difference being a difference between the temperatures of the first pair of terminals (ΔTL1), compare the calculated IN-OUT difference with a predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L1), whereby a calculated IN-OUT difference (ΔTL1) greater than the predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L1) is indicative of a connectivity fault at one of the first pair of terminals, and to generate at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison; and
an output module adapted to receive the output signal(s) generated by the processor and to communicate the output signal(s) externally.

### Claim 66 (depends on 65)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 65, wherein the or each control section is additionally electrically connected between the power source and the respective device at a second pair of terminals and optionally at subsequent pair(s) of terminals, each of the second and optional subsequent pair(s) of terminals connecting the control section to the source side and device side of respective second and optional subsequent power line(s), the first, second and optional subsequent power lines carrying power with different respective phases L1, L2 . . . Lm, and the fault monitoring system further comprises:
for the or each control section, a second pair of temperature sensors, one of the second pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of one of the second pair of terminals (TL2-IN), and the other of the second pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of the other of the second pair of terminals (TL2-OUT); and optionally
subsequent pair(s) of temperature sensors, one of each subsequent pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of one of each respective subsequent pair of terminals (TL1-IN), and the other of the subsequent pair of temperature sensors being adapted to detect the temperature of the other of the respective subsequent pair of terminals (TL1-OUT);
wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the IN-OUT difference between the temperatures of the terminals in the second and in any subsequent pair of terminals (ΔTL2 . . . ΔTLm), compare the or each calculated IN-OUT difference with a predetermined respective threshold value (ΔT*L2 . . . ΔT*Lm), whereby a calculated IN-OUT difference (ΔTL2 . . . ΔTLm) greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L2 . . . ΔT*Lm) is indicative of a connectivity fault at one of the respective pair of terminals, and to generate at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 67 (depends on 65)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 65, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the detected temperature of each terminal (TL1-IN, TL1-OUT, . . . ) against a respective predetermined threshold value (T*L1-IN, T*L1-OUT, . . . ), whereby a detected temperature greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value is indicative of a connectivity fault at the respective terminal, and to generate at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 68 (depends on 67)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 67, wherein the fault monitoring system further comprises an ambient temperature sensor, adapted to detect the ambient temperature TAMB, and the processor is further configured to compare the detected temperature of each terminal (TL1-IN, TL1-OUT, . . . ) relative to the detected ambient temperature TAMB against a respective predetermined threshold value (T*L1-IN/AMB, T*L1-OUT/AMB, . . . ), whereby a detected relative temperature greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value is indicative of a connectivity fault at the respective terminal, and to generate at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 69 (depends on 66)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 66, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate an imbalance difference, the imbalance difference being a difference (ΔTL1/L2-IN) between the temperatures of the power source side terminal of the first power line (TL1-IN) and the power source side terminal of the second power line (TL2-IN), and/or a difference (ΔTL1/L2-OUT) between the temperatures of the device side terminal of the first power line (TL1-OUT) and the device side terminal of the second power line (TL2-OUT), and to compare the calculated imbalance difference with a predetermined respective threshold value (ΔT*L1/L2-IN and/or ΔT*L1/L2-OUT), whereby a calculated difference greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value is indicative of an imbalance between the power supplied on the first power line and the power supplied on the second power line, and to generate at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 70 (depends on 65)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 65, wherein the processor is adapted such that the at least one output signal generated by the processor includes at least one status signal which is an alarm signal if a connectivity fault at one of the terminals or an imbalance between two of the power lines is indicated, and is a no-alarm signal otherwise.

### Claim 71 (depends on 65)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 65, wherein the processor is adapted such that the at least one output signal generated by the processor includes detected temperature data which preferably comprises any of: the detected temperatures of one or more of the terminals (TL1-IN, TL1-OUT, . . . ), and/or one or more calculated temperature differences (ΔTL1, ΔTL2, ΔTL1/L2-IN, TL1-IN/AMB, . . . ).

### Claim 72 (depends on 65)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 65, wherein the output module comprises a communications device configured to convert the output signal(s) to a network data protocol and to communicate the output signal(s) to an external device via a network, the network data protocol preferably being a serial communications protocol, preferably being MODBUS.

### Claim 73 (depends on 65)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 65, wherein the fault monitoring system comprises a fault monitoring module for each of the at least one control sections, each fault monitoring module comprising:
the at least a first pair of temperature sensors for the respective control section;
the processor, wherein the processor is a local processor configured to receive the detected temperatures from the at least a first pair of temperature sensors for the respective control section only; and
the output module, wherein the output module is a local output module.

### Claim 74 (depends on 73)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 73, wherein the device control center comprises a plurality of control sections, the fault monitoring system comprising a respective plurality of fault monitoring modules.

### Claim 75 (depends on 72, 74)

A fault monitoring system according to claim 74, comprising a network of fault monitoring modules and a controller, wherein each fault monitoring module comprises an output module in accordance with claim 72 for communication with the controller across the network.

### Claim 76 (depends on 65)

A device control center, comprising at least one control section configured to control the supply of electrical power from a power source to a respective at least one device, the or each control section being electrically between the power source and the respective device at least a first pair of terminals, one of the first pair of terminals connecting the control section to of the power source side of a first power line and the other of the first pair of terminals connecting the control section to the device side of the first power line such that the control section completes the power circuit of the device, and a fault monitoring system in accordance with claim 65.

### Claim 77

A method for detecting connectivity faults in a device control center, the device control center comprising at least one control section configured to control the supply of electrical power from a power source to a respective at least one device, the or each control section being electrically connected between the power source and the respective device at least a first pair of terminals, one of the first pair of terminals connecting the control section to of the power source side of a first power line and the other of the first pair of terminals connecting the control section to the device side of the first power line such that the control section completes the power circuit of the device, the method comprising:
for the or each control section, detecting the temperature of one of the first pair of terminals (TL1-IN), and the other of the first pair of terminals (TL1-OUT);
in a processor, calculating an IN-OUT difference, the IN-OUT difference being a difference between the temperatures of the first pair of terminals (ΔTL1), comparing the calculated In-OUT difference with a predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L1), whereby a calculated In-OUT difference (ΔTL1) greater than the predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L1) is indicative of a connectivity fault at one of the first pair of terminals, and generating at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison; and
at an output module, receiving the output signal(s) generated by the processor and to communicate the output signal(s) externally.

### Claim 78 (depends on 77)

A method according to claim 77, wherein the or each control section is additionally electrically connected between the power source and the respective device at a second pair of terminals and optionally at subsequent pair(s) of terminals, each of the second and optional subsequent pair(s) of terminals connecting the control section to the source side and device side of respective second and optional subsequent power line(s), the first, second and optional subsequent power lines carrying power with different respective phases L1, L2 . . . Lm, and the method further comprises:
for the or each control section, detecting the temperature of one of the second pair of terminals (TL2-IN), and the other of the second pair of terminals (TL2-OUT); and optionally
detecting the temperature of one of each respective subsequent pair of terminals (TLn-IN), and the other of the respective subsequent pair of terminals (TLn-OUT);
in the processor, calculating the IN-OUT difference between the temperatures of the terminals in the second and in any subsequent pair of terminals (ΔTL2 . . . ΔTLm), comparing the or each calculated In-OUT difference with a predetermined respective threshold value (ΔT*L2 . . . ΔT*Lm), whereby a calculated IN-OUT difference (ΔTL2 . . . ΔTLm) greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value (ΔT*L2 . . . ΔT*Lm) is indicative of a connectivity fault at one of the respective pair of terminals, and generating at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 79 (depends on 77)

A method according to claim 77, further comprising comparing the detected temperature of each terminal (TL1-IN, TL1-OUT, . . . ) against a respective predetermined threshold value (T*L1-IN, T*L1-OUT, . . . ), whereby a detected temperature greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value is indicative of a connectivity fault at the respective terminal, and generating at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 80 (depends on 79)

A method according to claim 79, further comprising detecting the ambient temperature TAMB, comparing the detected temperature of each terminal (TL1-IN, TL1-OUT, . . . ) relative to the detected ambient temperature TAMB against a respective predetermined threshold value (T*L1-IN/AMB, T*L1-OUT/AMB, . . . ), whereby a detected relative temperature greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value is indicative of a connectivity fault at the respective terminal, and generating at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 81 (depends on 78)

A method according to claim 78, further comprising calculating an imbalance difference, the imbalance difference being a difference (ΔTL1/L2-IN) between the temperatures of the power source side terminal of the first power line (TL1-IN) and the power source side terminal of the second power line (TL2-IN), and/or a difference (ΔTL1/L2-OUT) between the temperatures of the device side terminal of the first power line (TL1-OUT) and the device side terminal of the second power line (TL2-OUT), comparing the calculated imbalance difference with a predetermined respective threshold value (ΔT*L1/L2-IN and/or ΔT*L1/L2-OUT), whereby a calculated difference imbalance greater than the corresponding predetermined threshold value is indicative of an imbalance between the power supplied on the first power line and the power supplied on the second power line, and generating at least one output signal based on the results of the comparison.

### Claim 82 (depends on 77)

A method according to claim 77, wherein the at least one output signal includes at least one status signal which is an alarm signal if a connectivity fault at one of the terminals or an imbalance between two of the power lines is indicated, and is a no-alarm signal otherwise.

### Claim 83 (depends on 77)

A method according to claim 77, wherein the at least one output signal includes detected temperature data which preferably comprises any of: the detected temperatures of one or more of the terminals (TL1-IN, TL1-OUT, . . . ), and/or one or more calculated temperature differences (ΔTL1, ΔTL2, ΔTL1/L2-IN, TL1-IN/AMB, . . . ).

### Claim 84 (depends on 77)

A method according to claim 77, further comprising converting the output signal(s) to a network data protocol and communicating the output signal(s) to an external device via a network, the network data protocol preferably being a serial communications protocol, preferably being MODBUS.

### Claim 85 (depends on 77)

A computer program product storing a sequence of steps configured to perform the method of claim 77.