Electrical power line parameter measurement apparatus and systems, including compact, line-mounted modules

A system for monitoring the rate of change of a cyclically variable parameter of an energized electrical power conductor and for actuating ground station control means in response to a predetermined abnormal rate of change of said parameter, said system comprising:

• (a) a sensor module for mounting upon and removal from said energized conductor, and carrying means for sampling the value of said parameter at each of a plurality of evenly spaced times within each cycle of said parameter, and for storing the sampled values;
• (b) means carried by said module for comparing said stored values with the sampled values at corresponding points in successive cycles of said parameter and determining whether the difference between said sampled values and said stored values indicates said predetermined abnormal rate of change;
• (c) means carried by said module for transmitting an alarm signal in response to said abnormal rate of change;
• and
• (d) ground receiver means remote from said module for receiving said alarm signal and actuating said control means in response thereto.

A system for wireless sensing of current differential across the primary and secondary windings of a power transformer bank to provide differential relay protection of said power transformer bank, said system comprising:

• (a) a sensor module for mounting upon and removal from each of the energized conductors which are connected to said primary and secondary windings, said modules carrying means for measuring the current flowing through its associated conductor;
• (b) means for causing said modules to measure the current on its associated conductor simultaneously;
• (c) means for transmitting signals from said modules commensurate with the value of current measured thereby;
• (d) means remote from said modules for receiving and comparing said signals all within the time contraints required for effective differential relay protection;
• and
• (e) means for operating a differential relay in response to the difference between said compared signals exceeding a predetermined threshold level.

A system for wireless sensing of current differential on first and second pluralities of electrical conductors carrying current to and from, respectively, a singled bus to provide differential relay protection of said bus, said system comprising:

• (a) a sensor module mounted upon each of the conductors of said first and second pluralities, said modules carrying means for measuring the current flowing through its associated conductor;
• (b) means for causing all of said modules to measure the current on its associated conductor simultaneously;
• (c) means for transmitting signals from said modules commensurate with the current measured thereby;
• (d) means for receiving and comparing said signals from modules on said first plurality of conductors with signals from modules on said second plurality of conductors;
• and
• (e) means for operating a differential relay in response to the difference between said compared signals exceeding a predetermined threshold level.

An integrated system for performing metering functions by both wireless and hard-wired sensing means at an electrical power substation, said system comprising:

• (a) a plurality of individual sensor modules each mounted upon one of a first plurality of power conductors at said substation, each of said modules including means for simultaneously measuring each of a plurality of variable parameters, including d voltage and current, associated with operation of said first conductors;
• (b) means for 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;
• (c) means for transmitting first metering signals commensurate with the values of said parameters from said modules;
• (d) a ground station having means for receiving and processing said signals from said modules;
• (e) said ground station further including means for receiving substation analog signals, and conditioning signals from existing current and potential transformers, processing the values of current and voltage on a second plurality of conductors and generating second metering signals in response thereto;
• (f) means for multiplexing said second metering signals for processing at said ground station;
• and
• (g) means at said ground station for integrating in a single processor the processing of said first and second metering signals.

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) a plurality of sensor modules for complete installation and removal while said conductors are energized, one of said modules being mounted upon each of said energized conductors;
• (b) means carried by each of said modules for sensing values of a plurality of parameters of the associated power conductor;
• (c) means carried by each of said modules for identifying, processing and storing said sensed values;
• (d) means carried by each of said modules for periodically transmitting a sequence of encoded signals in data bursts of predetermined duration from each of said plurality of sensor modules commensurate with each of said sensed values;
• (e) means carried by each of said modules for controlling the starting times of said data bursts by said transmitting means of each of said modules to avoid simultaneous transmission, with consequent data collisions, by any two of said modules;
• (f) means remote from said modules for receiving said signals from each of said plurality of modules and decoding said signals to provide said parameter values at said remote means, and to derive from said values operational status information, including normal, abnormal and transient operating conditions, about said power conductors;
• and
• (g) means for controlling 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:

• (a) mounting upon each of said conductors a sensor module;
• (b) measuring a plurality of parameters of each of said conductors by the module mounted thereon;
• (c) transmitting from each of said modules to a remote receiver a sequence of encoded signals in data bursts of predetermined duration indicating the values of said measured parameters and module identification;
• (d) controlling the starting times of said data bursts to avoid simultaneous transmission by any two of said modules;
• (e) deriving from said values operational status information, including normal, abnormal and transient operating conditions, about said power conductors;
• and
• (f) controlling said power delivery network over said full operating range during all of said normal, abonormal and transient operation conditions, in accordance with said operational status information.