System and method for locating and analyzing arcing phenomena

A system for detecting and generally locating an arcing phenomenon within an electrical power distribution or transmission system which exhibits wideband radio frequency emission with a varying amplitude said varying amplitude changing at the electrical power distribution system fundamental a.c. frequency and its harmonics and said phenomenon being located within a given geographic region, comprising:

• a mobile receiving assemblage including a wideband antenna, a computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said wideband antenna and having an amplitude detected output, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver providing GPS position data;
• an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter responsive to said amplitude detected output to convert it to digital form at a sampling rate to provide digital samples;
• a digital signal processor (DSP) configured for carrying out arc detection and analysis including fast Fourier transforms (FFT) of said digital samples, extracting narrow band signal frequencies therefrom that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, analyzing said harmonically related narrow band frequencies for peak amplitudes and summing such peak amplitudes to derive maintenance merit values;
• and
• a control computer including a digital storage facility, radio receive frequency change capability, said control computer being responsive to control said radio receiver to locate said amplitude detected output, said control being responsive to compare a said maintenance merit value with a low setting, when such maintenance merit value is less than such low setting, then when radio receive frequency change capability is available said control computer effecting a lowering of the wideband radio receive frequency of said radio receiver, said control computer being responsive when such maintenance merit value is greater than said low setting to effect, when radio receiver frequency change capability is available, a raising of the wideband radio receive frequency of said radio receiver, said control computer further being responsive to compile said maintenance merit values with said GPS position data, and submit such compiled data to the storage facility.

A system for detecting and generally locating an arcing phenomena within an electrical power distribution or transmission system which exhibits wideband radio frequency emissions with a varying amplitude changing at the electrical power distribution system fundamental a.c. frequency and its harmonics and located within a given geographic region, comprising:

• a mobile receiving assemblage including at least one wideband antenna, at least one computer controllable wideband radio receiver operatively coupled with said wideband antenna and having an amplitude detected output, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver providing GPS position data;
• an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter responsive to said amplitude detected output to convert said amplitude detected output to digital form at a sampling rate to provide digital samples;
• a digital signal processor (DSP) configured for carrying out arc detection and analysis including fast Fourier transforms (FFT) of said digital samples extracting narrow band signal frequencies from said fast Fourier transforms that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, and analyzing said harmonically related narrow band frequencies for peak amplitudes, and summing such peak amplitudes to derive maintenance merit values;
• a failure signature library having an input for receiving detected and analyzed arc data including said fast Fourier transforms of said digital samples, extracted narrow band signal frequencies that are harmonically related to said fundamental frequency, the peak amplitudes of a said fast Fourier transform analysis extracting narrow band signal frequencies, a radio frequency spectrum of a said analysis, an accept/reject signature event indicator, a signature part type, a signature part number and a manufacturer;
• a signature correlation and selection filter controllable to correlate said failure signature library retained arc data with the said carrying out of arc detection and analysis prior to said analysis for peak amplitudes;
• and
• a control computer including a digital storage facility and said control computer being responsive to control said radio receiver to locate said amplitude detected output, said control computer being responsive to compare a said maintenance merit value with a low setting, when such maintenance merit value is less than such low setting then when radio receive frequency change capability is available said control computer effecting a lowering of the wideband radio receive frequency of said radio receiver, said control computer being responsive when such maintenance merit value is greater than said low setting to effect, when radio receiver frequency change capability is available, a raising of the wideband radio receive frequency of said radio receiver, said control computer further being responsive
• to control said signature correlation and selection filter to an extent effective to enhance the derivation of maintenance merit values, to reject known false signature indications and further responsive to compile said maintenance merit values signature correlation data with said GPS position data, and submit such compiled data to the storage facility.