US 5,513,002 AGranted

Optical corona monitoring system

AssigneeThe A.R.T. Group, Inc.

InventorsVincent F. Shapanus, Kevin J. Phipps

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An instrument system for monitoring corona and like conditions of electrical equipment such as generators includes an optical probe which receives light from a plurality of different areas in the equipment and separately conveys the light acquired from each area to a position-sensitive photoelectric converter. The probe includes optical fibers with terminal ends disposed in spaced holes in the wall of a tubular housing. The output of the photoelectric converter is analyzed to determine the presence of corona, arcing, flame ignition combustion, or smoldering conditions at each of the monitored areas in the equipment, the severity of such conditions, and the identity of materials involved in such conditions based on the intensity and spectral content of the acquired light. The photoelectric converter includes a photomultiplier, a photodiode array, and means for automatically directing the acquired light to either one in accordance with its intensity.

Claims36

Dependent claims

Apparatus for monitoring the condition of electrical equipment by detection of light emitted from a plurality of different areas in said equipment, comprising:

a plurality of optical signal acquisition devices each of which is formed from at least one optical fiber strand, each of said plurality of optical acquisition devices being disposed to acquire light from a different one of said plurality of areas in said equipment and to separately convey said acquired light to a detector;
said detector having a position-sensitive photoelectric sensor with a plurality of different sensing areas, each of said sensing areas being disposed to receive light acquired from a different one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment by a corresponding one of said plurality of optical signal acquisition devices, said position-sensitive photoelectric sensor producing electrical output signals representing the intensity of light received from each one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment;
and
a signal processor, coupled to said detector, for receiving said electrical output signals from said position-sensitive photoelectric sensor, said signal processor including corona discharge detection means for determining, in the absence of an arc, whether a corona discharge event has occurred in any of said plurality of different areas in said equipment;
said signal processor further including corona discharge location means, responsive to said corona discharge detection means, for associating one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment with each corona discharge event detected by said corona discharge detection means and for producing a processor output conveying location information corresponding to each corona discharge event detected by said corona discharge means.

2 more elements

A method of monitoring the condition of electrical equipment by detecting light emitted from a plurality of different areas in said equipment, comprising the steps of:

acquiring light separately from each of said plurality of different areas in said equipment with a plurality of optical acquisition devices each of which is formed from at least one optical fiber strand, each of said plurality of optical acquisition devices having an associated field of view corresponding to a different one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment;
sensing, with a position-sensitive photoelectric sensor, said acquired light to produce electrical signals representing the intensity of light acquired at each of said plurality of different areas in said equipment, said position-sensitive photoelectric sensor having a plurality of different sensing areas, each of said sensing areas being disposed to receive light acquired from a different one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment by a corresponding one of said plurality of optical acquisition devices;
analyzing, with a signal processor, said electrical signals to determine, in the absence of an arc, whether a corona discharge event has occurred in any of said plurality of different areas in said equipment;
associating one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment with each corona discharge event detected by said signal processor;
and
producing a processor output conveying location information corresponding to each corona discharge event detected by said signal processor.

3 more elements

Apparatus for monitoring the condition of electrical equipment by detection of light emitted from a plurality of different areas in said equipment, comprising:

a plurality of means for acquiring light separately from each of said plurality of different areas in said equipment, each of said plurality of means for acquiring light being formed from at least one fiber optical strand and having an associated field of view corresponding to a different one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment;
light sensing means, coupled to said plurality of means for acquiring light, for sensing light acquired by each of said plurality of means for acquiring light and producing electrical signals representing the intensity of light acquired from each one of said plurality of areas in said equipment by said plurality of means for acquiring light;
and
signal processing means, coupled to said light sensing means, for analyzing said electrical signals, said signal processing means including means for determining in the absence of an arc, whether a corona discharge event has occurred in any of said plurality of areas in said equipment and associating one of said plurality of different areas in said equipment with said corona discharge event;
said signal processing means including means for producing a processor output conveying location information corresponding to each corona discharge event detected by said signal processing means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.