Methods and apparatus for determining power distribution system topology using disturbance detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9608440-B2
Application number	US-201113291642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2011
Priority date	Nov 8, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A disturbance, for example, a frequency variation, is generated in at least a portion of the power distribution network. The disturbance may be generated, for example, by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or some other component of the power distribution network, such as a switch. At least one node of the network experiencing the disturbance is identified and a topology of the power distribution network is determined responsive to identifying the at least one node. The at least one node may be identified by detecting a voltage-related artifact corresponding to the disturbance. A phase-locked loop (PLL)—based circuit may be used for fast artifact detection. Groups of devices in the network may be identified from the artifacts, and combinatorial optimization techniques may be used to determine connectivity within such groups.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method of monitoring a power distribution network, the method comprising:
operating a component of the power distribution network to generate a disturbance;
detecting artifacts in voltages at a plurality of nodes of the power distribution network associated with respective component devices of the power distribution network;
determining a correlation of the detected artifacts with the disturbance to identify at least one group of the devices of the power distribution network; and
determining a topology of the power distribution network responsive to the identification of the at least one group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting artifacts from the monitored voltages comprises generating angle values from voltage values and detecting a variation in a rate of change of the angle values.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating a component of the power distribution network to generate the disturbance comprises changing between a utility-powered mode and an inverter-powered mode of a UPS to generate the disturbance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating a component of the power distribution network to generate the disturbance comprises operating an inverter to vary a frequency and/or magnitude of an output voltage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a topology of the power distribution network responsive to the identification of the at least one group comprises performing a combinatorial optimization to determine a connectivity among members of the at least one group of devices.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein performing a combinatorial optimization to determine a connectivity among members of the at least one group of devices comprises performing the combinatorial optimization using power-related information pertaining to the devices of the at least one group.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code embodied therein, the computer program code configured to perform the claim 1 .

8. An apparatus comprising:
a communications circuit configured to receive information relating to artifacts from a plurality of devices associated with a power distribution network; and
a topology determiner circuit configured to cause a component of the power distribution network to introduce a disturbance in the power distribution network, to determine a correlation of the artifacts with the introduced disturbance to identify at least one group of the devices, and to determine a topology of the power distribution network responsive to the identification of the at least one group.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising respective artifact detector circuits included in respective ones of the plurality of devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the artifact detector circuits is configured to generate angle estimates responsive to a voltage at a node associated with a device of the power distribution network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the detector circuit is further configured to detect a deviation in a rate of change of the angle estimates and to communicate information relating the detected deviation to the topology determiner circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the communications circuit is further configured to receive electrical parameter information from the plurality of devices and wherein the topology determiner circuit is configured to perform a combinatorial optimization based on the received electrical parameter information to determine a connectivity among members of the at least one group of devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the topology determiner circuit is configured to perform the combinatorial optimization using power-related information pertaining to the devices of the at least one group.

14. A system comprising:
a plurality of sensors, each configured to detect a voltage at a node of a power distribution network, to generate angle estimates responsive to the detected voltage and to detect an artifact responsive to the angle estimates; and
a supervisory device configured to cause a component of the power distribution network to introduce a disturbance in the power distribution network, to receive information pertaining to the detected artifacts, to determine a correlation among the artifacts and the disturbance to identify at least one group of devices of the power distribution network and to determine a topology of the power distribution network responsive to the identification of the at least one group.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the sensors are configured to detect the artifacts responsive to a variation in a rate of change of the angle estimates.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the sensors each comprise a phase-locked loop circuit configured to generate the angle estimates.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the supervisory device is configured to perform a combinatorial optimization to determine a connectivity among members of the at least one group of devices.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the component comprises a UPS.

Assignees

• Familiant Yakov Lvovich
• Pereira Luis Rafael
• Li Huaqiang
• Harrison Michael John
• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Familiant Yakov Lvovich
• Pereira Luis Rafael
• Li Huaqiang
• Harrison Michael John

Classifications

• H02J2103/30

  Simulating, planning, modelling, reliability check or computer assisted design [CAD] of electric power networks · CPC title

• H02J9/062

  for AC powered loads · CPC title

• G01R19/2513

  Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging · CPC title

• G01R31/086

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

• H02J3/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks · CPC title