Testing System for Traveling Wave Fault Detectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017102444-A1
Application number	US-201615293171-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A testing apparatus for imposing a traveling wave signal on an electric system signal for testing a fault detector is disclosed herein. The fault detector may be configured to simulate a fault at a particular location by controlling the timing of the traveling wave signal. The testing apparatus may be configured to impose multiple traveling wave signals to test the accuracy of the fault location determined by the fault detector. The testing apparatus may be configured to determine the calculation accuracy of the fault detector. The testing apparatus may impose a traveling wave signal on a signal simulating an electrical signal on an electric power delivery system. The testing apparatus may be used to test capabilities of a fault detector of detecting a fault using traveling waves or incremental quantities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A traveling wave test system configured to test a first high-speed electrical power system fault detector and a second high-speed electrical power system fault detector, comprising:
a stimulus generator configured to generate a representation of a signal in an electric power system; a traveling wave test system configured to generate a plurality of representations of the traveling wave generated by a simulated fault to be imposed on the signal, the traveling wave test system comprising:
an input configured to receive a signal to control a time at which the plurality of representations of the traveling wave is imposed on the signal;
an output controller configured to control the imposition of the representations of the plurality of representations of the traveling wave on the signal based on the input;
a coupler configured to impose the plurality of representations of the traveling waves on the signal; and
a polarity module configured to control a polarity of the plurality of representations of the traveling wave.

2 . The traveling wave test system of claim 1 , wherein the traveling wave test system is further configured to impose a delay between each of the plurality of representations of the traveling wave.

3 . The traveling wave test system of claim 2 , wherein the delay between each of the plurality of representations is determined based on a simulated fault location.

4 . The traveling wave test system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface module in communication with the input, the user interface module configured to receive instructions from a user regarding the time at which the plurality of representations of the traveling wave is imposed on the signal.

5 . The traveling wave test system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of representations of the traveling wave comprise at least one reflection of an initial wave front.

6 . The traveling wave test system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage output configured to provide a first subset of the plurality of representations of the traveling wave to a voltage input of the fault detector; and a current output configured to provide a second subset of the plurality of representations of the traveling wave to a current input of the fault detector.

7 . An apparatus configured to test at least one high-speed electrical power system fault detector, the apparatus comprising:
a stimulus generator configured to generate a representation of a signal in an electric power system; a traveling wave test system configured to generate a representation of a traveling wave to be imposed on the signal; and an output controller in communication with the stimulus generator and the traveling wave test system and configured to cause the stimulus generator to provide the signal and the representation of the traveling wave to the at least one fault detector.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the representation of the traveling wave comprises an initial wave front, and the traveling wave test system is further configured to generate a representation of a reflection of the traveling wave after a delay.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the delay is determined based on a simulated fault location.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the traveling wave test system further comprises an injection capacitor configured to be selectively discharged to create the representation of the traveling wave.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the traveling wave test system further comprises an electrical source configured to charge a reservoir capacitor, and wherein the reservoir capacitor is configured to selectively change the injection capacitor through a charge resistor.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a polarity module configured to determine a polarity of the representation of the traveling wave.

13 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the traveling wave test system further comprises an amplifier configured to create the representation of the traveling wave.

14 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the output controller further comprises an input configured to receive a signal to control a time at which the representation of the traveling wave is imposed on the alternating signal.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the input comprises a transistor-transistor logic input.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the input comprises a time input.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the input is configured to connect to the at least one high-speed electrical power system fault detector.

18 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a plurality of representations of the traveling wave to a first high-speed electric fault detector and a second high-speed electric fault detector.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the traveling wave test system is further configured to generate the plurality of representations of the traveling wave, each of the plurality of representations separated by a delay, and the traveling wave test system is further configured to determine the delay between each of the plurality of representations of the traveling wave based on a simulated fault location.

20 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a user interface module in communication with the output controller, the user interface module configured to receive instructions from a user to impose the representation of the traveling wave on the signal.

Assignees

• Schweitzer Engineering Lab Inc

Inventors

• Whitehead David E
• Lee Tony J
• Sheffield Zachary King
• Windley Tracey G

Classifications

• G01R31/11

  using pulse reflection methods · CPC title

• G01R31/3272

  Apparatus, systems or circuits therefor (G01R31/3275 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R35/00 Primary

  Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• G01R31/086 Primary

  in power transmission or distribution networks, i.e. with interconnected conductors · CPC title

• H02H7/265

  making use of travelling wave theory · CPC title