Hardened inductive device and systems and methods for protecting the inductive device from catastrophic events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10832859-B2
Application number	US-201916544009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2019
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A hardened inductive device and systems and methods for protecting the inductive device from impact is provided. The inductive device is hardened with protective coating and/or an armor steel housing. The hardened inductive device is protected from impact by an object such as a bullet and leakage of dielectric fluid is prevented. Acoustic and vibration sensors are provided to detect the presence and impact, respectively, of an object in relation to the inductive device housing. The measurements of the acoustic and vibration sensors are compared to thresholds for sending alarms to the network control center and initiating shut-down and other sequences to protect the active part. The acoustic sensor results are utilized to determine the location of origin of the projectile.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for providing cooling to an inductive device, comprising:
an inductive device having:
a tank with top, bottom and side walls; and
a core having at least one core limb extending between a pair of yokes at least one coil assembly mounted to the at least one core limb; and an insulating medium disposed in an internal volume of said tank;

an insulating medium measurement device configured to measure at least one of an insulating medium temperature, an insulating medium pressure, or an insulating medium level;
primary and secondary cooling systems, each having at least one fan; a radiator or cooler; and at least one valve to control a flow of the insulating medium;
at least one acoustic sensor configured to measure a sound pressure of an object approaching the tank;
at least one vibration sensor configured to measure an acceleration of the tank caused by the object striking the tank, the at least one vibration sensor disposed in a predetermined location in contact with the tank; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having thereon a plurality of machine-readable instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to:
compare at least one of the insulating medium temperature, the insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level as measured by the insulating medium measurement device against a predetermined threshold; and
compare signals received from the at least one acoustic sensor and the at least one vibration sensor against thresholds for sound pressure and acceleration; and
determine, in response to the comparison, whether impact by the object to the inductive device has occurred.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to:
determine whether the at least one of the insulating medium temperature, the insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level as measured by the insulating medium measurement device is actionable; and
in response to determining that that the at least one of the insulating medium temperature, the insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level is actionable:
close the at least one valve of the primary cooling system; and
open the at least one valve of the secondary cooling system.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the insulating medium includes a dielectric fluid or a gas.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to determine whether a determination that signals received from the at least one acoustic sensor and the at least one vibration sensor exceeds thresholds for sound pressure and acceleration coincide with at least one of the insulating medium oil temperature, the insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level as measured by the insulating medium measurement device exceeding the predetermined threshold.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said plurality of machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to:
compare a sound pressure measurement of the at least one acoustic sensor with a threshold for sound pressure; and
transmit an alarm if in response to the threshold being met or exceeded.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one vibration sensor includes an RMS accelerometer.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one vibration sensor includes a raw vibration sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined location of the at least one acoustic sensor is above an outer surface of the top wall of the tank and the predetermined location of the vibration sensor is in contact with the outer surface of the top wall of the tank.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vibration sensor includes four sensors that are each disposed at a predetermined location of a center of each side wall of the tank.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one acoustic sensor includes two sensors that are each disposed at a predetermined location of opposing corners of a base of the tank.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one acoustic sensor includes two sensors that are each disposed proximate to a predetermined location of opposing corners of the top wall of the tank.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one acoustic sensor includes four sensors that are each disposed proximate to a predetermined location of opposing corners of the top wall of the tank.

13. A system for providing cooling to an inductive device, comprising:
an inductive device having a tank; a core, at least one coil assembly mounted to the core; and an insulating medium disposed in an internal volume of said tank;
an insulating medium measurement device configured to measure at least one of an insulating medium temperature, an insulating medium pressure, or an insulating medium level;
a primary cooling system and a secondary cooling system, the primary cooling system and the secondary cooling system each having at least one fans; a radiator or cooler; and at least one valve to control a flow of the insulating medium; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having thereon a plurality of machine-readable instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to:
compare at least one of the insulating medium temperature, the insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level as measured by the insulating medium measurement device against a predetermined threshold;
determine whether the at least one of the insulating medium temperature, the insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level is actionable; and
in response to determining that that the at least one of the insulating medium temperature, insulating medium pressure, or the insulating medium level measurements is actionable:
close the at least one valve of the primary cooling system; and
open the at least one valve of the secondary cooling system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the insulating medium includes a dielectric fluid or a gas.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the system further comprises:
at least one acoustic sensor configured to measure a sound pressure of an object approaching the tank; and
at least one vibration sensor configured to measure an acceleration of the tank caused by the object striking the tank, the at least one vibration sensor disposed in a predetermined location in contact with the tank,
wherein said plurality of machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to compare signals received from the acoustic and vibration sensors against thresholds for sound pressure and acceleration to determine whether impact by the object to the tank has occurred.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said plurality of machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to determine whether a determination that the signals received from the acoustic and vibration sensors exceed thresholds for sound pressure and acceleration coincide with at least one of the insu

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Frimpong George K
• Prieto Alberto
• Mousavi Mirrasoul J
• Stoupis James
• Tenyenhuis Ed G
• Schueler Jeremy R
• Bleich Andrew
• Sullivan Elizabeth D
• Lambert Claude J
• Fiskerud Petter A
• Wall Andrew J
• Mcleish Gary C
• Mcdonald Thomas
• Kupiec Ronald A

Classifications

• H01F27/402 Primary

  Association of measuring or protective means · CPC title

• H01F27/02

  Casings · CPC title

• F41J5/056

  Switch actuation by hit-generated mechanical vibration of the target body, e.g. using shock or vibration transducers · CPC title

• F41H5/24

  for stationary use, e.g. fortifications {; Shelters; Guard Booths (air-raid shelters E04H9/04)} · CPC title

• F41H5/0457

  Metal layers in combination with additional layers made of fibres, fabrics or plastics · CPC title