System, method, field unit, reference unit and computer program product for phase tracking of electrical conductors

A method of measuring relative phase angles between electrical conductors, comprising steps of:

• measuring a reference time delay between a time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a reference signal associated with a reference conductor at a reference location;
• measuring a field time delay between said time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a field signal associated with a field conductor at a field location;
• and
• comparing a reference time delay indicator representing said reference time delay and a field time delay indicator representing said field time delay and determining a relative phase angle value of said field conductor in relation to said reference conductor;
• and
• said relative phase angle value comprises a phase designation of said field conductor at said field location, said field conductor being one of a plurality of conductors of a multi-phase electricity supply.

A phase tracking system for measuring relative phase angles between electrical conductors, comprising:

• means for measuring a reference time delay between a time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a reference signal associated with a reference conductor at a reference location;
• means for measuring a field time delay between said time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a field signal associated with a field conductor at a field location;
• and
• means for comparing a reference time delay indicator representing said reference time delay and a field time delay indicator representing said field time delay, so as to determine a relative phase angle value of said field conductor in relation to said reference conductor;
• wherein
• said relative phase value comprises a phase designation of said field conductor at said field location, said field conductor being one of a plurality of conductors of a multi-phase electricity supply.

A field unit for a phase tracking system, comprising:

• means for measuring a field time delay between a time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a field signal associated with a field conductor at a field location;
• means for transmitting from said field unit to a reference unit at least a field time tag representing a time at which said field time delay was measured;
• means for receiving at least a reference time delay from said reference unit;
• means for comparing said reference time delay and said field time delay, to determine a relative phase angle of said field conductor in relation to said reference conductor;
• and
• means for displaying said relative phase angle;
• wherein
• said relative phase angle comprises a phase designation of said field conductor at said field location, said field conductor being one of a plurality of conductors of a multi-phase electricity supply.

A reference unit for a phase tracking system, comprising:

• means for measuring a reference time delay between a time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a reference signal associated with a reference conductor at a reference location;
• means for receiving from a field unit a field time tag representing a time of measurement of a field time delay between said time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a field signal associated with a field conductor at a field location;
• and
• means for transmitting to said field unit at least a reference time delay representing a reference time delay between said time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a reference signal associated with a reference conductor at a reference location.

A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for measuring relative phase angles between electrical conductors, the computer program code mechanism performing the steps of:

• measuring a reference time delay between a time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a reference signal associated with a reference conductor at a reference location;
• and
• measuring a field time delay between said time signal and a predetermined portion of a waveform of a field signal associated with a field conductor at a field location;
• comparing a reference time delay indicator representing said reference time delay and a field time delay indicator representing said field time delay, to determine a relative phase angle value of said field conductor in relation to said reference conductor;
• wherein
• said relative phase angle value comprises a phase designation of said field conductor at said field location, said field conductor being one of a plurality of conductors of a multi-phase electricity supply.