Sensors for power distribution network and electrical grid monitoring system associated therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778286-B2
Application number	US-201414283476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A network of sensors is associated with a power distribution network. Sensors are positioned at each connecting line in the vicinity of each node of the power distribution network. The sensors regularly report the following measured data to the central processing unit: a geographical position of each sensor, direction of the energy flow relative to the nearest node; and value of RMS current synchronously measured over the entire network and averaged over chosen averaging period. The central processing unit includes an arrangement for receiving the measured data and using this data for constructing and updating a graph and a state of the power distribution network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network of sensors associated with a power distribution network, said network of sensors comprising:
said sensors positioned at each end of each connecting line at each node of said power distribution network, said sensors positioned in a non-contact manner with respect to each line; and
a central processing unit (CPU) adapted to receive information from said sensors;
wherein each of said sensors regularly reports measured data from each line to said central processing unit, said measured data comprising:
a geographical position of the reporting sensor;
a direction of energy flow relative to a node nearest said reporting sensor, and
a value of Root Mean Square (RMS) current for the reporting sensor averaged over a chosen averaging period, said RMS current measured synchronously at all said sensors in the network; and
wherein said central processing unit includes an arrangement for receiving said measured data and applying said data for constructing and updating a graph of the state of said power distribution network.

2. The network of sensors of claim 1 , wherein the synchronous measurements are carried out by means of a group of satellite based systems selected from the group including: Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

3. The network of sensors of claim 1 , wherein the measured data includes changes in measured physical quantities relative to previously reported quantities.

4. The network of sensors of claim 1 , wherein processing functions further include evaluation of the energy flow through the sensor based on the known Root Mean Square voltage and the calculated average values of Root Mean Square current.

5. The network of sensors of claim 1 , wherein each sensor is formed with two ports, a first of said two ports connecting the sensor to said node nearest said sensor and a second of said two ports connecting said sensor to a remote node.

6. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising an AC current magnitude sensor, said current magnitude sensor selected from the group comprising:
a current transformer, a “Rogowski coil”, a Hall effect sensor, or other magneto-sensitive, magneto-resistive and magneto-optical elements.

7. The network of sensors of claim 6 , further comprising a directional detector of energy flow, said directional detector is adapted for measurement of the direction of the Poynting vector associated with an energy flow in a connecting line.

8. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising at least one positional sensor for determining a position and a spatial orientation of a sensor body of at least one of said sensors, said positional sensor including an environmental sensor.

9. The network of sensors of claim 1 , each of said sensors further comprising a position sensor providing a geographical position of the sensor; a directional sensor providing a spatial orientation of the sensor body; and an environmental sensor for collecting environmental data effecting power consumption of the sensor.

10. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising an environmental power source and energy storage elements adapted for power collecting and storage.

11. The network of sensors of claim 10 , wherein the energy storage elements include a combination of rechargeable batteries and super capacitors.

12. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising a computing unit for controlling the sensors, so as to activate all sensors in the network in a programmable manner.

13. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising a system part for providing communication and power control functions, and an operational part for controlling the sensors, the data storage and processing operations.

14. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit for handling a power-saving mode and a full-power mode.

15. The network of sensors of claim 14 , wherein consumed energy is controlled by means of a multi-core processor with selectively activated memory blocks.

16. The network of sensors of claim 14 , wherein said control unit is adapted for power failure detection, so that upon consumed power reaching below a pre-selected threshold, the sensor switches to a “power failure beacon mode”, in which internal loads of the sensors are minimized and an alarm message is generated.

17. The network of sensors of claim 1 , further comprising a main communication unit for providing a short distance, high speed mode adapted for personnel service and a long distance, low data rate mode adapted for main operation.

18. The network of sensors of claim 1 , wherein said CPU is adapted to run computational algorithms enabling construction of a topological model of the power network based on consistent application of Kirchhoff's law.

19. The network of sensors of claim 18 , said CPU further comprising a computation arrangement for detecting tampering with the power distribution network based on a detected violation of Kirchhoff's law, the violation caused by an unauthorized leak.

20. The network of sensors of claim 18 , wherein said CPU is adapted to detect tampering with the power distribution network at a level below a monitored level by comparing total energy incoming into a last monitored node over a specified period of time to the sum of energies received by all legitimate customers from that node.

Assignees

• Univ New York State Res Found

Inventors

• Gouzman Mikhail
• Luryi Serge
• Sharma Satya
• Shkolnikov Peter

Classifications

• G01R15/14 Primary

  Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks · CPC title

• G05F1/70 Primary

  Regulating power factor; Regulating reactive current or power · CPC title