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US 7,609,158 B2Granted
Electrical power system control communications network
AssigneeCooper Technologies Company
InventorsJohn Fredrick Banting, Frank John Muench
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Communication networks having redundant signal paths for sensed operating conditions and control parameters for electrical power transmission and distribution systems.
Claims27
A communications network for at least one of an electrical power transmission system and an electrical power distribution system, the network communicating at least one of monitoring signals and control signals for a network of electrical circuits, the communications network comprising:
- at least one sensor node comprising a sensor device configured to detect an operating condition of the transmission system or the distribution system;
- at least one sensor communication node corresponding to the sensor device, the sensor communication node configured to transmit a first wireless signal corresponding to the detected operating condition;
- and
- at least one control communication node separately provided from the sensor communication node, the control communication node configured to receive the first wireless signal, and transmit a second wireless signal corresponding to the first wireless signal;
- and
- a gateway device in communication with the control communication node and receiving the second wireless signal.
3 more elements
A communications network for at least one of an electrical power transmission system and an electrical power distribution system, the control communications network comprising:
- a plurality of sensor nodes, each sensor node comprising a sensor device configured to detect an operating condition of at least one of cabling, equipment, switching devices and protective devices in the transmission system or the distribution system;
- a plurality of sensor communication nodes, the sensor communication nodes corresponding to the sensor nodes, each of the sensor communication nodes being configured to transmit a first wireless signal corresponding to the detected operating condition at the location of each sensor node;
- and
- a plurality of control communication nodes separately provided from the sensor communication nodes, the control communication nodes configured to receive the first wireless signals of the sensor communication nodes, and transmit a second wireless signal corresponding to the received signals;
- wherein the control communication nodes are arranged in a mesh network interspersed with the sensor communication nodes, the mesh network establishing multiple and redundant wireless signal paths among the control communication nodes.
2 more elements
An electrical power system comprising:
- a generation facility;
- a transmission system receiving high voltage power from the generation facility, the transmission system comprising cabling and at least one of equipment, a switching device, and a protective device connected to the cabling;
- a distribution system connected to the transmission system and supplying electrical power to a plurality of metering/service points, the distribution system comprising cabling and at least one of equipment, a switching device, and a protective device connected to the cabling;
- and
- at least one control communication network interspersed with one of the transmission system and the distribution system;
- the control communications network comprising:
- a plurality of sensor communication nodes receiving input data corresponding to a sensed electrical condition of at least one of the cabling, equipment, switching devices and protective devices in the transmission or distribution system, the sensor nodes configured to generate a wireless signal corresponding to the sensed electrical condition;
- and
- a plurality of control communication nodes spaced from the sensor communication nodes;
- the control nodes each configured for wireless communication, and wherein the control communication nodes define multiple and redundant wireless communication paths from the sensor communication nodes to a remote location;
- wherein the control communication nodes are arranged in a mesh network interspersed with the sensor communication nodes, the mesh network establishing multiple and redundant wireless signal paths among the control communication nodes.
8 more elements
An electrical power system comprising:
- means for generating electrical power;
- means for transmitting the electrical power to a location different from the means for generating;
- means for distributing the electrical power to metering points;
- means for sensing electrical conditions in at least one of the means for transmitting and the means for distributing;
- means for broadcasting the sensed electrical conditions, the means for broadcasting corresponding to the means for sensing electrical conditions;
- and
- means for communicating the broadcast conditions along one of multiple and redundant communication paths to a location remote from the means for sensing;
- wherein the means for broadcasting and the means for communicating are established without point-to-point wiring, and
- wherein the means for communicating is separately provided from the means for broadcasting.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.