Switching apparatus, control system and method for varying an impedance of a phase line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9941680-B2
Application number	US-201114127445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2011
Priority date	Jul 22, 2011
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are for varying an impedance of a phase line of a segment of a first electrical power line, the phase line including n conductors electrically insulated from each other and short-circuited together at two ends of the segment. The apparatus includes at least one controllable switching device for connection with at least one of the conductors. The apparatus also includes a controller for performing control of the at least one controllable switching device, the controller having at least one optical port for receiving first optical signals on which the control is based, and for sending second optical signals to adjacent switching apparatuses, the second optical signals including status information of the one switching apparatus, upon which control of adjacent switching apparatuses is based.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising
first and second switching apparatuses and a router;
a phase line including conductors electrically insulated from each other;
said first and second apparatuses being for varying impedance of the phase line or different phase lines of segments of a first electrical power line, the conductors being short-circuited together at two ends of a segment;
each of the first and second apparatuses comprising:
at least one controllable switching device for connection with at least one of the conductors; and
a controller at the potential of said one conductor of the phase line, for performing control of the at least one controllable switching device, the controller having at least first and second optical ports for receiving first optical signals on which said control is based, and for sending second optical signals, said second optical signals including status information of the first or second switching apparatus, the status information including at least whether the controllable switching device is open or closed;
wherein the first optical port of the first apparatus is connected to the first optical port of the second apparatus via a first optical fiber;
the second optical port of the first apparatus is connected to the router via a second optical fiber; and
the second optical port of the second apparatus is connected to the router via a third optical fiber.

2. A system comprising three systems, each of the systems being as in claim 1 and being a back-to-back system, said first electrical power line having three phase lines, the three back-to-back systems being respectively associated with said three phase lines, wherein, for each back-to-back system:
the first optical port of the first apparatus is connected to the first optical port of the second apparatus via said first optical fiber; and
the second optical ports of the first and second apparatuses are connected to the router via second and third optical fibers,
whereby the controllers of said switching apparatuses send and receive said first and second optical signals via the router.

3. The system according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one optical fiber for connecting said router to a main optical fiber running along said first and second segments.

4. The system according to claim 3 , in combination with said main optical fiber which is connected to a remote control system.

5. A distributed system for varying an impedance of different segments of said first electrical power line, the distributed system comprising several systems, as claimed in claim 2 , where said first and second segments associated with said several systems form said different segments, wherein:
the routers are connected in series with router-to-router optical fibers.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the routers is further connected to second adjacent routers via two other router-to-router optical fibers, respectively.

7. A bridged system comprising first and second switching apparatuses, each apparatus being as claimed in claim 1 , the first and second switching apparatuses being for varying the impedance of segments located on independent, parallel and adjacent electrical power lines, each of the segments including three phase lines, the system further comprising:
first and second routers connected respectively with the first and second switching apparatuses via optical fibers; and
another optical fiber for connecting together said first and second routers.

8. A bridged system comprising two systems, each as claimed in claim 2 , the two systems being for varying the impedance of two electrical power lines that are independent, parallel and adjacent, the bridged system further comprising:
a router-to-router optical fiber for connecting together two adjacent routers of said two systems;
a main optical fiber provided along a length of one of the segments; and
at least one optical fiber for connecting one of the routers to the main optical fiber.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the router comprises a power source for supplying power to the router, said power source being a solar-based power source or a capacitive coupling device.

10. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the router comprises a wavelength-division multiplexer, for multiplexing said second optical signals received from said three switching apparatuses on said other optical fiber.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein for each switching apparatus, the controllable switching device includes at least one of: a mechanical switch, an electro-mechanical switch, a vacuum interrupter and an electronic switch.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each switching apparatus further comprises at least one detector selected in the group comprising a current detector, a voltage detector, a position detector and a stress gauge, said at least one detector being connected to the controller.

13. The switching apparatus system according to claim 1 , wherein for each switching apparatus, the controller comprises three processors operating in parallel and connected to one another, each processor including:
means for comparing three values of a given parameter, each value computed by one of the processors;
means for discarding one of said values when said one value is incoherent with the remaining two values.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein for each switch apparatus, the controller further comprises a stand-by processor, said stand-by processor being linked to each of the three processors and being activated when one of said three values is discarded, in replacement of the processor which has computed said one value.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein for each switching apparatus, the controller further comprises an additional processor, for performing specific computations of parameters of the electrical power line.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second switching apparatuses each comprises a powering module, said powering modules being connected together with an electrical wire.

17. A system for varying an impedance of an electrical power line, the electrical power line having several segments connected in series, each segment having at least one phase line, each phase line having a potential and including n conductors electrically insulated from each other and short-circuited together at two ends of the segment, the system comprising several switching apparatuses, each apparatus being associated with one of the segments, each apparatus comprising:
a controllable switching device for connection with at least one of the conductors of said one segment;
a controller at the potential of one of said conductors of the phase line, for performing a control of the at least one controllable switching device, the controller having at least one optical port:
for receiving first optical signals from adjacent switching apparatuses connected to said segments which are adjacent to said one segment; and
for sending second optical signals to said adjacent switching apparatuses,
said controller being for calculating values representative of operational conditions of the electrical power line based on said first optical signals received, said second optical signals including said values, upon which a control of the controllable switching devices of adjacent switching apparatuses is based.

18. A method for varying an impedance of a phase line of a segment of a first electrical power line, the phase line having a potenti

Assignees

• Couture Pierre
• Hydro Quebec

Inventors

• Couture Pierre

Classifications

• H02J13/1331

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• H02J13/1327

  using optical means · CPC title

• H02J13/333

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title

• H02J13/1323 Primary

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• H02G7/16

  Devices for removing snow or ice from lines or cables · CPC title