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US 7,031,859 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for identifying cable phase in a three-phase power distribution network
OwnerGregory H. Piesingerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A line phase identification system and method identifies the phase of a power line at a remote unknown-phase line (160) in a three-phase power distribution network (100). The instantaneous phase of a known-phase line (150) is measured and saved each GPS second using a 1-pps time mark of a GPS receiver (660). The instantaneous phase at the unknown-phase line (160) is measured at a single GPS second using the 1-pps time mark of a GPS receiver (660) and compared to the phase measurement taken from the known-phase line (150) at the same GPS second. The differential phase between these simultaneously taken known and unknown instantaneous phases will be close to either 0, +120, or −120 degrees, thus identifying the line phase at the line under test (160).
Claims37
An apparatus for identifying a phase of a power line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said apparatus comprising:
- a reference phase identification meter (145,695) coupled to a reference line (150) at a first location in said network (100) and configured to gather reference phase data relative to said reference line (150) at a predetermined time (320);
- a test phase identification meter (155,600) coupled to a line under test (160,610) at a second location in said network (100) and configured to gather test phase data relative to said line under test (160,610) at said predetermined time (320);
- and
- a computer (165) configured to establish communication with said test phase identification meter (155) after said test phase identification meter (155) has gathered said test phase data, configured to receive said test phase data from said test phase identification meter (155), and configured to identify a phase of said second line (160) in response to said test phase data from said test phase identification meter (155) and said reference phase data from said reference phase identification meter (145).
1 more element
A method for identifying a phase of a line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said method comprising:
- a) connecting a first phase identification meter (145) to a first line (150) at a first point in said power distribution network (100);
- b) measuring, with said first phase identification meter (145), a first interval between a start time (320) and a first stop time;
- c) connecting a second phase identification meter (155) to a second line (160) at a second point in said power distribution network (100);
- d) measuring, with said second phase identification meter (155), a second interval between said start time (320) and a second stop time;
- e) recording said second interval in said second phase identification meter (155);
- f) holding said second interval in said second phase identification meter (155) for greater than one second;
- g) establishing a communication link;
- h) communicating one of said first and second intervals over said communication link after said measuring, recording, and holding activities d), e), and f);
- i) computing said phase of said second line (160) in response to said first and second intervals.
6 more elements
A method
- for identifying a phase of a line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said method comprising:
- a) connecting a first phase identification meter (145) to a first line (150) at a first point in said power distribution network (100);
- b) measuring, with said first phase identification meter (145), a first interval between a start time (320) and a first stop time;
- c) recording said first interval after said measuring activity b);
- d) iterating said measuring activity b) and said recording activity c) a plurality of times;
- e) connecting a second phase identification meter (155) to a second line (160) at a second point in said power distribution network (100);
- f) measuring, with said second phase identification meter (155), a second interval between said start time (320) and a second stop time;
- g) recording said second interval after said measuring activity f);
- h) iterating said measuring activity f) and said recording activity g);
- i) establishing a communication link;
- j) communicating communicates said recorded second intervals over said communication link after said measuring activity f);
- and
- k) computing, for each of said recorded second intervals, said phase of said second line (160) in response to said each of said recorded second intervals and one of said recorded first intervals.
10 more elements
A method
- for identifying a phase of a line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said method comprising:
- a) connecting a first phase identification meter (145) to a first line (150) at a first point in said power distribution network (100);
- b) measuring, with said first phase identification meter (145), a first interval between a start time (320) and a first stop time;
- c) recording said first interval after said measuring activity b);
- d) iterating said measuring activity b) and said recording activity c) a plurality of times to generate a plurality of said first intervals;
- e) connecting a second phase identification meter (155) to a second line (160) at a second point in said power distribution network (100);
- f) measuring, with said second phase identification meter (155), a second interval between said start time (320) and a second stop time;
- g) recording said second interval after said measuring activity f);
- and
- h) iterating said measuring activity f) and said recording activity g);
- i) establishing a communication link;
- j) communicating said second intervals over said communication link after said measuring activity f);
- and
- k) computing for each of said second intervals, said phase of said second line (160) in response to said each of said second intervals and one of said plurality of first intervals.
11 more elements
A method
- for identifying a phase of a line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said method comprising:
- a) connecting a first phase identification meter (145) to a first line (150) at a first point in said power distribution network (100);
- b) measuring, with said first phase identification meter (145), a first interval between a start time (320) and a first stop time;
- c) connecting a second phase identification meter (155) to a second line (160) at a second point in said power distribution network (100);
- d) measuring, with said second phase identification meter (155), a second interval between said start time (320) and a second stop time;
- e) establishing a communication link;
- f) communicating one of said first and second intervals over said communication link after said measuring activity a);
- activity d);
- g) computing said phase of said second line (160) in response to said first and second intervals;
- establishing a data link between said second phase identification meter (155) and a computer (165);
- and
- said communicating activity f) communicates said second interval to said computer (165) via said data link.
9 more elements
A method for identifying a phase of a line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said method comprising:
- a) connecting a first phase identification meter (145) to a first line (150) at a first point in said power distribution network (100);
- b) measuring, with said first phase identification meter (145), a first interval between a start time (320) and a first stop time;
- c) connecting a second phase identification meter (155) to a second line (160) at a second point in said power distribution network (100);
- d) measuring, with said second phase identification meter (155), a second interval between said start time (320) and a second stop time;
- e) establishing a communication link;
- f) communicating one of said first and second intervals over said communication link after said measuring activity d);
- g) computing said phase of said second line (160) in response to said first and second intervals;
- h) mapping a service area of said power distribution network (100);
- i) storing said map within one of said first and second phase identification meters (145,155);
- and
- j) determining if said one of said first and second phase identification meters (145,155) is within said service area.
8 more elements
A phase identification meter (600) for identifying a phase of a power line in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said phase identification meter (600) comprising:
- a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver (660) configured to generate a start time (320) as a predetermined GPS time;
- an analog to digital (A/D) converter (640) configured to generate a stop time when an input voltage from said power line crosses zero in a predetermined direction;
- and
- a processor (650) coupled to said A/D converter (640) and said GPS receiver (660), and configured to determine a time interval between said start time (320) and said stop time.
1 more element
A method for identifying a phase of a line under test (160) in a three-phase power distribution network (100), said method comprising:
- a) connecting a reference phase identification meter (145) to a reference line (150) at a first point in said power distribution network (100);
- b) connecting a test phase identification meter (155) to said line under test (160) at a second point in said power distribution network (100);
- c) repetitively measuring, with said reference phase identification meter (145), an instantaneous reference phase of said reference line (150) at each of a series of predetermined instants in time to produce a plurality of said instantaneous reference phases;
- d) measuring, with said test phase identification meter (155), an instantaneous test phase of said line under test (160) at said predetermined instant in time, wherein said predetermined instant in time is one of said series of predetermined instants in time;
- e) computing said phase of said line under test (160) in response to one of said plurality of instantaneous reference phases, said instantaneous test phase, and said one of said series of predetermined instants in time;
- f) recording said plurality of instantaneous reference phases in association with said series of predetermined instants in time;
- g) recording said instantaneous test phase in association with said one of said series of predetermined instants in time;
- and
- h) communicating said instantaneous test phase and said one of said series of predetermined instants in time after said measuring activity d).
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.