Apparatus and method for monitoring substation disconnects and transmission line switches
AssigneeElectric Power Research Institute, Inc.
InventorAndrew John Phillips
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for continuously monitoring substation disconnects and transmission line switches to detect improper closing of the disconnects or switches is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing an apparatus adapted to measure, process, and transmit data associated with a disconnect or switch. The method further includes the steps of positioning the apparatus on or in close proximity to the disconnect or switch, using the apparatus to collect data of the disconnect or switch and processing the data for transmission to a remote receiver, and transmitting the processed data to a remote receiver.
Claims15
A method of continuously monitoring substation disconnects and transmission line switches to detect improper closing of the disconnects or switches, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an apparatus adapted to measure, process, and transmit data associated with a disconnect or switch, the data including temperature to determine if a high resistance condition exists and AC magnetic field to determine an amount of current flowing through the disconnect or switch;
- (b) positioning the apparatus on or in close proximity to the disconnect or switch;
- (c) using the apparatus to collect temperature and AC magnetic field data of the disconnect or switch;
- (d) processing the AC magnetic field data and determining current data flowing through the disconnect or switch;
- (e) correlating the temperature data to the current data and determining whether the temperature data is normal or due to a high loading condition, wherein if the temperature data is normal, the disconnect or switch is properly closed, and if the temperature data is due to a high loading condition, the disconnect or switch is not properly closed;
- and
- (f) transmitting the data to a remote receiver.
A method of continuously monitoring substation disconnects and transmission line switches to detect improper closing of the disconnects or switches, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an apparatus having:
- (i) a temperature measurement device;
- (ii) a processor;
- (iii) a wireless transmitter;
- and
- (iv) a coil having a ferrite core with windings wrapped around the core;
- and
- (b) positioning the apparatus on or in close proximity to a disconnect or switch;
- (c) positioning the temperature measurement device in thermal contact with the disconnect or switch;
- (d) using the coil to harvest power from a magnetic field produced by current flowing through the disconnect or switch and using the harvested power to power the apparatus;
- (e) using the processor to process temperature measured by the temperature measurement device;
- and
- (f) using the transmitter to transmit the processed temperature measurements to a remote receiver and determining if the temperature measurements are the result of normal heating or the result of high loading conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.