GSM/GPRS based method, system and computer programs to determine and locate high impedance faults on medium voltage distribution networks in high resistivity

A system to detect and locate broken or open conductor faults associated with a medium voltage distribution network positioned to distribute electric power to areas with high resistivity, the system comprising:

• a voltage distribution network configured to distribute electric power to areas that have high resistivity, the voltage distribution network comprising a plurality of high voltage conductor lines, each having a common node, and a plurality of low voltage conductor lines;
• a plurality of distribution transformers, each of the plurality of distribution transformers comprising an upper portion connected to one or more of the plurality of high voltage conductor lines and configured to reduce one or more first voltages received by the one or more of the plurality of high voltage conductor lines to one or more second voltages that are lower than the one or more first voltages, each of the plurality of distribution transformers further comprising a bottom portion connected to one or more of the plurality of low voltage conductor lines to distribute the one or more second voltages thereto from a respective one or more of the plurality of distribution transformers;
• and
• a plurality of open conductor devices, each of the plurality of open conductor devices being connected on a low voltage side of a respective distribution transformer and to a lateral end of a respective low voltage conductor line that is connected to the bottom portion of the respective distribution transformer, each of the plurality of open conductor devices configured to communicate a plurality of voltage readings to a master station via a global system for mobile (GSM) communication network and comprising:
• a power supply configured to supply power to the plurality of open conductor devices, the power supply comprising a voltage transformer and a rectifier circuit,
• a battery charging unit configured to charge a direct current (DC) battery as backup power supply,
• a GSM module configured to facilitate communication with the GSM communication network,
• a voltage sensing module configured to sense voltages of the plurality of low voltage conductor lines, and
• one or more microcontroller boards connected to the GSM communication network interface and configured to store a plurality of voltage loads of the plurality of low voltage conductor lines sensed by the voltage sensing module and to communicate the plurality of voltage loads using the GSM communication,
• the system further comprising
• one or more servers positioned remote from the plurality of open conductor devices and in proximity to a substation to define the master station, the master station being configured to determine a location of one or more broken or open conductor faults on the voltage distribution network, the master station comprising:
• one or more processors;
• one or more subscriber identification modules configured to facilitate communication with the GSM communication network;
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums encoded with one or more computer programs operable with the one or more processors to determine the location of the one or more broken or open conductor faults on the voltage distribution network, the computer program comprising the instructions of:
• constructing a plurality of voltage distribution topology lookup tables for the voltage distribution network, the plurality of lookup tables comprising a topology of each of the plurality of high voltage conductor lines, each of the plurality of low voltage conductor lines, and each pathway to a common connection point via the plurality of high voltage conductor lines, the plurality of open conductor devices, and the plurality of low voltage conductor lines,
• determining, responsive to receiving a plurality of first voltage loads from the plurality of low voltage conductor lines over a predetermined period of time from the plurality of open conductor devices, a baseline voltage for each of the plurality of low voltage conductor lines,
• determining receipt of a plurality of second voltage loads that is at least a predetermined difference lower than the baseline voltage for the plurality of low voltage conductor lines, the plurality of second voltage loads being communicated from at least two of the plurality of open conductor devices via the GSM communication network to thereby define a plurality of fault detected conductor devices,
• identifying, responsive to the plurality of voltage distribution topology look up tables, each pathway that is shared by each of the plurality of fault detected conductor devices and the common connection point based on the plurality of voltage distribution topology lookup tables, and
• identifying, responsive to identifying each pathway that is shared, two of the plurality of fault detected conductor devices that are positioned furthermost downstream from the common connection point, a location of a broken or open conductor fault being in proximity to one or more of the plurality of high voltage conductor lines connected between the two of the plurality of fault detected conductor devices.