Fault Location Patents (Class 702/59)
  • Publication number: 20140236503
    Abstract: A method determines a location of a single-phase-to-ground fault in an ungrounded power distribution system. The method detects the faulty phase of the distribution system having the fault and compares a difference between an angle of a voltage and an angle of a current measured at a root of a faulty feeder and boundaries of each section of the faulty feeder to determine a faulty section of a faulty feeder having the fault. A line segment of the faulty section is tested for a change of a sign of a voltage on the faulty phase in the faulty section to determine a faulty line segment. The location of the fault is determined based on a distance from a terminal bus of the faulty line segment to a location along the faulty line segment having a value the voltage on the faulty phase equals zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventor: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20140229127
    Abstract: Determination of information relating to a location of an electrical fault in an electrical energy distribution system based on phasor information is disclosed. A component can receive phasor information and electrical energy distribution system information. The system can determine a distance factor based on the phasor information. The distance factor can be employed to determine fault location information. A set of fault location information can be generated. Fault location information can be corrected for fault characteristics. Equivalent circuit models can be employed in determining the distance factor. Fault locations can be validated to facilitate generating subset of fault location information. Access to fault location information can be facilitated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Alstom Grid, Inc.
    Inventors: Jinfeng Ren, Subrahmanyam Saraswati Venkata
  • Publication number: 20140222356
    Abstract: A time domain reflectometry system for the unambiguous location of at least one singularity in a cable, comprises analysis and calculation means for reflectometry signals suited to generating two injection signals from at least one reflectometry signal, two digital-to-analog converters for converting said digital signals into analog signals, two coupling and transmission means for said signals at two distinct points of said cable, at least one analog-to-digital converter for converting the signal reflected by said singularity and received by said coupling and transmission means, said analysis and calculation means furthermore being suited to receiving and analyzing said reflected signal, digitally converted, to produce a time domain reflectogram, said signals being designed such that the signal propagating from one side of said cable is equal to said reflectometry signal and the signal propagating from the other side of said cable is substantially zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L' ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventor: Luca Incarbone
  • Publication number: 20140207396
    Abstract: Systems for reliability testing include a picometer configured to measure a leakage current across a device under test (DUT); a camera configured to measure optical emissions from the DUT based on a timing of the measurement of the leakage current; and a test system configured to apply a stress voltage to the DUT and to correlate the leakage current with the optical emissions using a processor to determine a time and location of a defect occurrence within the DUT by locating instances of increased noise in the leakage current that correspond in time with instances of increased optical emissions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jifeng Chen, Dirk Pfeiffer, Thomas M. Shaw, Peilin Song, Franco Stellari
  • Publication number: 20140198413
    Abstract: In a method for adapting an arc sensor (35) to a position in an electrical installation system, according to the invention a specifiable number of specifiable arcs are simulated and/or produced at least at a first position in the installation system, wherein after each simulated or produced arc, at least one current curve and/or voltage curve is recorded in a measured-value recording unit (2), wherein at least one characteristic of the recorded current curves and/or voltage curves is determined and stored, and the arc sensor (35) is trained for the electrical installation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: EATON INDUSTRIES (AUSTRIA) GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Koch
  • Patent number: 8781766
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems and methods for calculating a fault location in electric power delivery system based on a traveling wave created by an electrical fault in the electric power delivery system. According to one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device may be configured to detect a transient traveling wave caused by an electrical fault. A first traveling wave value of the transient traveling wave may be determined and a corresponding first time associated with the first traveling wave may be determined. The IED may receive a second time associated with a second traveling wave value of the transient traveling wave detected by a remote IED. The distance to the remote IED may be known. An estimated fault location may be generated based on the time difference between the first time and the second time. Additional methods of calculating the fault location may also be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Veselin Skendzic, Mangaoathirao Venkata Mynam
  • Patent number: 8781765
    Abstract: A method for analyzing electrical shorts in field windings of a synchronous machine having a rotor using a magnetic flux probe, the method includes: monitoring flux signals generated by the flux probe wherein the flux signals are indicative of magnetic flux emanating from the field windings; electronically storing flux data obtained from the monitored flux signals and indicative of electrical shorts in the field windings; automatically analyzing the stored flux data to identify field windings having the shorts and to count the shorts in each identified field winding, and automatically displaying information identifying the field windings with shorts and a number of shorts in each field winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Keith Franklin Beatty
  • Patent number: 8781783
    Abstract: A system and method for checking a ground via of control chips of a printed circuit board (PCB) provides a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying a layout of the PCB. The control chip has a plurality of ground pins. The computer searches for signal path routing of each ground pin and ground vias along each signal path routing of each ground pin. If there are any ground vias having the same absolute coordinates, the computer determines that the ground vias are shared by more than one ground pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsien-Chuan Liang, Shen-Chun Li, Chun-Jen Chen, Shou-Kuo Hsu, Yung-Chieh Chen, Wen-Laing Tseng
  • Patent number: 8775124
    Abstract: A method for generating a set of analytical redundancy relations representative of a system with which a plurality of sensors is associated for the observation of variables indicative of operating conditions and adapted to enable detection and discrimination of faults. A complete set of analytical redundancy relations of the system is built from a set of intermediate relations established between observable and non-observable variables of the system, wherein each intermediate relation is generated by combining two predetermined relations Rj, Rk, each of which is expressed in an implicit form as a tuple (i) of a subset Sj of system variables, (ii) of the set Cj of the support components for said relation, and (iii) of the set Tj of the primary relations used to derive said intermediate relation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Technologia
    Inventors: Amir Fijany, Farrokh Vatan
  • Patent number: 8768528
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of controlling the electric power usage of electric thermal storage heaters and systems are based on: 1) current and recorded measurements local to the heater and building; 2) current measurements external to the heater and building; 3) forecasts communicated to the apparatus. The method also includes sending out communications about power use as well as various other local measurements. The apparatus has local controls on the electric thermal storage, including but not limited to the relays that control flow of power into the heating elements, a logic module that integrates the local controls, as well as communication channels that extend outside the building to entities capable of providing automatic forecasts and potentially other types of information not available locally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: VCharge, Inc.
    Inventors: Jessica Millar, David A. Durfee
  • Patent number: 8762081
    Abstract: A method for locating partial discharges occurring at a discharge site (2) in an electric apparatus (3) with elongate geometry and generating corresponding electric pulses (4) propagating in opposite directions along the apparatus (3) from the discharge site (2) comprises the steps of detecting (11) the electric pulses (4) picked up by a first and a second sensor (5, 7), operatively connected to the apparatus (3) and spaced out along it, and generating corresponding electric signals representative of the waveform of the pulses (4), selecting (12) at least one pair of signals, detected in the consecutive sensors (5, 7), and representative of a pair of homologous pulses (4), relating to the same partial discharge and propagating in opposite directions along the apparatus, deriving, for the signals of the selected pair of homologous pulses (4), at least one attenuation parameter, correlated with a quantity that is variable depending on the distance travelled by the pulses (4), calculating (13) the distance betwe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Techimp Technologies S.R.L.
    Inventors: Stefano Serra, Andrea Cavallini, Gian Carlo Montanari, Gaetano Pasini
  • Patent number: 8731853
    Abstract: A method for fault location in series compensated power transmission lines using two-end unsynchronized voltage and current measurements in stations A and B. The method includes performing a subroutine I for determining whether the fault occurred in a line section LA between the station A and a SC&MOV and the distance dA to the fault from station A. Subroutine II determines whether the fault occurred in a line section LB between the station B and the SC&MOV and the distance dB to the fault from station B. The synchronization angle ej?A is determined in subroutine I, and the synchronization angle ej?B is determined in subroutine II. Then, the distance to fault dA or dB is determined. Finally, an equivalent impedance of compensating banks at fault stage ZSC1—phSUB—A and ZSC1—phSUB—B, and pre-fault stage ZSC1—pre is calculated in order to determine whether distance dA or dB is the final result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Przemyslaw Balcerek, Marek Fulczyk, Eugeniusz Rosolowski, Jan Izykowski, Murari Saha
  • Patent number: 8726091
    Abstract: A system for troubleshooting control programs employs an event log that captures the values of inputs to outputs from the control program only at event times determined by changes in input or output data. The program allows the event log to be reviewed in jumps to only events which cause a change in output value of an instruction or particular change in output value of a particular instruction, greatly simplifying the troubleshooting process. The event log records a particular instruction instance associated with the event permitting the operation of the program to be studied in reverse order. The event log may also record a timestamp of the event allowing time stamped data from different devices to be synchronized with the review of the events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Guenther, Steven A. Zuponcic, Kenwood H. Hall
  • Patent number: 8718959
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for high-speed fault detection of circuits in power distribution networks utilizing protective relay devices (14) segmenting a distribution line (11) having Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) (22) associated with switching devices (20) communicating peer-to-peer via a communication system (30) to provide fast and accurate fault location information in distribution systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventor: Andre Smit
  • Patent number: 8716885
    Abstract: A switching assembly includes a first terminal and a second terminal, a first switch connected to the first terminal, and a second switch connected to the second terminal. The switching assembly further includes a rectifier bridge connected between the first switch and the second switch, and a third switch connected between the first terminal and the second terminal. The switching assembly also includes a control unit that selectively opens and closes the first switch, the second switch and the third switch, and selectively turns on and off the rectifier bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts International, Inc.
    Inventors: Hans-Erik Pfitzer, Adil Oudrhiri
  • Patent number: 8707221
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for automatically predicting production yield for a circuit assembly according to attributes of its components and defect data mapped thereto. Embodiments receive a proposed design specification for a circuit assembly, including bill of materials (BOM) and schematic data, at a yield prediction environment. The yield prediction environment maps a set of attributes to each component in the BOM and maps a set of possible defects to each component according to its attributes. Defects may be further mapped to a manufacturing process assigned to populate each component in the circuit assembly. The defects are associated with predicted frequencies of occurrence, which can be used to roll up a yield prediction for the circuit assembly. Embodiments further allow “what-if” analyses to be performed so that different yield prediction results can be compared according to different form factor options and/or different manufacturing process options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Anthony Durkan
  • Patent number: 8707232
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to techniques for fault diagnosis based on circuit design partitioning. According to various implementations of the invention, a circuit design of a failing die is first partitioned into a plurality of sub-circuits. The sub-circuits may be formed based on fan-in cones of observation points. Shared gate ratios may be used as a metric for adding fan-in cones of observation points into a sub-circuit. Based on test patterns and the sub-circuits, sub-circuit test patterns are determined. Fault diagnosis is then performed on the sub-circuits. The sub-circuit fault diagnosis comprises extracting sub-circuit failure information from the failure information for the failing die. The sub-circuit fault diagnosis may employ fault-free values for boundary gates in the sub-circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Huaxing Tang, Wu-Tung J. Cheng, Robert Brady Benware, Xiaoxin Fan
  • Patent number: 8692777
    Abstract: The testing of a multi-touch sensor panel for opens and shorts on its drive and sense lines is disclosed by placing a substantially ungrounded conductor diagonally over the touch sensor panel so that at least a portion of every drive line and every sense line is covered by the substantially ungrounded conductor. Pixels under the substantially ungrounded conductor can have strongly positive pixels, while pixels outside the substantially ungrounded conductor can have negative pixels. With the substantially ungrounded conductor in place, a backdrop of negative pixels is formed, and an image of touch can be obtained. By analyzing the image of touch, any opens and shorts on the drive and sense lines, any shorts between a drive and a sense line, or any open drive and sense lines can be quickly identified against the backdrop of negative pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Richard Wei Kwang Lim
  • Patent number: 8675327
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for providing impedance protection differentiating between in-zone and out-of-zone faults based on instantaneous, digitally derived operating and polarizing distance comparator signals. The method uses a pair of fast orthogonal filters to derive D and Q components of the input voltages and currents. Two sets of operating and polarizing signals are derived for better speed of response under varying fault moment with respect to the peaks and zero crossings of power signals. Three stages of comparison between the operating and polarizing impedance terms are used. These comparator stages use half a cycle averaging windows, and three-quarters-of-a-cycle windows. The first stage of comparison is based on energy comparator responding to both magnitude and phase information in the signals. Stages 2 and 3 are of phase comparison type, responding mostly at the phase information and neglecting the magnitude information for better immunity to noise and signal distortions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Dale S. Finney, Iulian Raducanu
  • Publication number: 20140074414
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems and methods for calculating a fault location in electric power delivery system based on a traveling wave created by an electrical fault in the electric power delivery system. According to one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device may be configured to detect a transient traveling wave caused by an electrical fault. A first traveling wave value of the transient traveling wave may be determined and a corresponding first time associated with the first traveling wave may be determined. The IED may receive a second time associated with a second traveling wave value of the transient traveling wave detected by a remote IED. The distance to the remote IED may be known. An estimated fault location may be generated based on the time difference between the first time and the second time. Additional methods of calculating the fault location may also be employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Veselin Skendzic, Mangaoathirao Venkata Mynam
  • Publication number: 20140052393
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the spatial location of a conducting wire and an aerial earth wire of a power transmission line, so as to solve the problem that the method in the prior art is not applicable to determining the spatial location of the conducting wire and the aerial earth wire of the conventional power transmission line with respect to lightning shielding failures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicants: SHANXI ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, SHANXI ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY
    Inventors: Zhen Tang, Kanging Wang, Yujun Jia, Jianguo Xu, Yuewen Qi, Xuezhi Wan, Honglong Guo, Shikai Wei, Meisheng Chang, Xingyong Zhao, Jianhua Lian, Yong Mi, Kangmin Mi, Aixiang Feng, Hua Yang, Hau Wang, Hongwei Wang, Tianzheng Wang
  • Patent number: 8655623
    Abstract: Disclosed are system and method embodiments for determining the root-causes of a performance objective violation, such as an end-to-end service level objection (SLO) violation, in a large-scale system with multi-tiered applications. This determination is made using a hybrid of component-level snapshots of the state of the system during a period in which an abnormal event occurred (i.e., black box mapping) and of known events and their causes (i.e., white-box mapping). Specifically, in response to a query about a violation (e.g., why did the response time for application a1 increase from r1 to r2), a processor will access and correlate the black-box and white-box mappings to determine a short-list of probable causes for the violation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, National Security Agency
    Inventors: Linda M. Duyanovich, Kristal T. Pollack, Elizabeth S. Richards, Sandeep M. Uttamchandani
  • Patent number: 8655609
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems and methods for calculating a fault location in electric power delivery system based on a traveling wave created by an electrical fault in the electric power delivery system. According to one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device may be configured to detect a transient traveling wave caused by an electrical fault. A first traveling wave value of the transient traveling wave may be determined and a corresponding first time associated with the first traveling wave may be determined. The IED may receive a second time associated with a second traveling wave value of the transient traveling wave detected by a remote IED. The distance to the remote IED may be known. An estimated fault location may be generated based on the time difference between the first time and the second time. Additional methods of calculating the fault location may also be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Edmund O Schweitzer, III, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Veselin Skendzic, Mangapathirao Venkata Mynam
  • Patent number: 8626460
    Abstract: A chip diagnostics management system includes secure design information that define production features of integrated circuit devices and are accessible according to selected levels of access privilege. A database of device defect information includes information of defects of devices produced according to the production features of the design information and associated wafers, production lots, and dies in or with which the devices were produced. A diagnostic manager correlates device defect information from plural wafers with the design information to identify a device location with a probability of being associated with the device defect information. A diagnostic manager viewer indicates the device location together with an amount of design information correlated the level of access privilege assigned to a selected user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Teseda Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Kaufman, Ralph Sanchez, Brian Mason
  • Publication number: 20140005962
    Abstract: A method for locating a defect in an electric link includes measuring at least one part of components of an electromagnetic field in a vicinity of an estimated location of the defect at plural places along the link; deducing, via a processor, from the measuring an estimation of variation of at least the part of the components of the electromagnetic field along the electric link in a vicinity of the estimated location of the defect; and estimating, via the processor, a new location of the defect as a function of the estimated variation of at least the part of the components of the electromagnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: RTE EDF TRANSPORT
    Inventors: Matthieu Surdon, Christian Aucort, Xavier Bourgeat
  • Patent number: 8620605
    Abstract: A method for detecting and determining a position of faults using reflectometry in a wired electrical network including: injecting a test signal e(t) into a cable in the electrical network, a timing of successive injections being controlled by a synchronization module that generates an emission clock signal and a reception clock signal; retrieving a reflected signal on the cable; sampling the reflected signal at a frequency Fe=1/Te, where Te is a sampling period; counting a number of samples obtained for the reflected signal and comparing the number of samples obtained with a number n predefined as a function of a length of the cable or the electrical network to be diagnosed, where n is an integer; repeating the injecting, the sampling, and the counting steps N times, shifting the emission clock signal by a duration ?; reconstituting the reflected signal from n*N samples obtained; and analyzing the reconstituted reflected signal to detect a fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Julien Guilhemsang, Fabrice Auzanneau, Yannick Bonhomme
  • Publication number: 20130345997
    Abstract: Methods for reliability testing include applying a stress voltage to a device under test (DUT); measuring a leakage current across the DUT; triggering measurement of optical emissions from the DUT based on the timing of the measurement of the leakage current; and correlating measurements of the leakage current with measurements of the optical emissions to determine a time and location of a defect occurrence within the DUT by locating instances of increased noise in the leakage current that correspond in time with instances of increased optical emissions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JIFENG CHEN, Dirk Pfeiffer, Thomas M. Shaw, Peilin Song, Franco Stellari
  • Patent number: 8615724
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for automatically predicting production yield for a circuit assembly according to attributes of its components and defect data mapped thereto. Embodiments receive a proposed design specification for a circuit assembly, including bill of materials (BOM) and schematic data, at a yield prediction environment. The yield prediction environment maps a set of attributes to each component in the BOM and maps a set of possible defects to each component according to its attributes. Defects may be further mapped to a manufacturing process assigned to populate each component in the circuit assembly. The defects are associated with predicted frequencies of occurrence, which can be used to roll up a yield prediction for the circuit assembly. Embodiments further allow “what-if” analysis to be performed so that different yield prediction results can be compared according to different form factor options and/or different manufacturing process options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Flextronics AP LLC
    Inventor: Michael Anthony Durkan
  • Publication number: 20130322133
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting high resistance ground faults in a power distribution system is disclosed. A fault detection and protection system is provided that includes a plurality of current sensors to measure current on the three phase output of the converter-inverter arrangement of the power distribution system and a controller configured to measure the three phase current on the three phase output, extract a fundamental current component for each phase of the three phase output, extract a third harmonic component for each phase of the three phase output, compare the fundamental current component and the third harmonic component extracted from each phase to a first threshold and a second threshold, respectively, and detect a ground fault on a phase of the three phase output based on the comparisons of the fundamental current component and the third harmonic component to the first and second thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventor: Huaqiang Li
  • Publication number: 20130325375
    Abstract: A monitoring device includes a holding circuit and a processor configured to give priority to a first failure over a second failure when the holding circuit holds the first failure and identify a first suspected portion in which the first failure has occurred. The first failure is a failure detected in a first power supply unit and the second failure is a failure detected at least either in a device or in a second power supply unit that converts power supplied from the first power supply unit and that supplies resultant power to the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Ayumi INOBE
  • Patent number: 8587445
    Abstract: A system and method of monitoring a plurality of electrical assets comprise an electricity distribution infrastructure, including a plurality of electrical asset sensors coupled to the electrical assets for monitoring an operating condition of the electrical assets as well as any fault conditions. The sensors may include a current transformer for obtaining a current waveform, a GPS receiver for applying a synchronized time-stamp to the waveform data, and a mesh network radio for transmitting the time-stamped waveform data. Data from the plurality of sensors may be encrypted and transmitted over a mesh network to one or more gateways that are in communication with a central command processor. In response to an abnormal operating condition of any electrical asset, the central command processor may determine a probable fault location, a probable fault type, and a fault response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Inventor: Daniel J. Rockwell
  • Publication number: 20130304406
    Abstract: A distance from a measurement point to a fault in a three-phase circuit is determined. The measurement point is located at an output of a power sub-station and the three phase circuit has a loop circuit having an associated net fault line current and a ground current. A derivative of the net fault line current of the loop circuit as measured from the measurement point is calculated. An uncompensated distance to the sub-cycle fault using at least the derivative of the net fault current is determined, and configured, to compensate for the ground current of the loop circuit. The compensation is applied to the uncompensated distance to produce a compensated distance to the sub-cycle fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Charles J. Kim
  • Publication number: 20130297237
    Abstract: A system for detecting a short-circuited ultracapacitor cell in a machine is disclosed. The system may have a memory that stores instructions and one or more processors capable of executing the instructions. The one or more processors may be configured to perform cell balancing among ultracapacitor cells arranged within two or more ultracapacitor modules, each ultracapacitor module including at least two ultracapacitor cells connected in series. The one or more processors may be further configured to measure a module voltage generated by each of the plurality of ultracapacitor modules after performing the cell balancing and before applying a load of the machine to the ultracapacitor modules, and determine whether an ultracapacitor cell among the plurality of ultracapacitor cells is short-circuited based on a comparison of the measured module voltages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Igor Dos Santos Ramos, Andrew A. Knitt, Wellington Ying-Wei Kwok, Kaiyu Wang
  • Patent number: 8577630
    Abstract: A system comprises a battery cell, control logic, and a battery drain latch circuit. The control logic is coupled to the battery cell and determines whether a battery pack has experienced a failure condition. The battery drain latch circuit is activated by the control logic, upon detection of a failure condition, to cause the battery cell to drain energy therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen D. Heizer, John A. Wozniak, Thomas P. Sawyers
  • Patent number: 8575879
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, a machine-readable medium operable in a controller, and apparatus for controlling a multi-phase inverter that drives a multi-phase electric machine. When a sensor fault is detected, a phase current angle is computed based on the feedback stator currents, and used to estimate an angular velocity and an angular position of a rotor of the multi-phase electric machine. When the estimated angular velocity of the multi-phase electric machine is less than a transition angular velocity threshold, an open-circuit response can be applied at the multi-phase inverter by controlling all switches in the multi-phase inverter drive to be open. By contrast, when the estimated angular velocity is greater than the transition angular velocity threshold, a short-circuit response can be applied at the multi-phase inverter by controlling selected switches in the multi-phase inverter drive to connect all phases of the multi-phase inverter to a single bus (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brian A. Welchko, Min Dai
  • Patent number: 8566047
    Abstract: There are provided a method and a system for real time monitoring of a powered on electrical network in a facility in order to detect an electrical anomaly while the electrical network is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Corporation Nuvolt Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Montreuil, Karl Fecteau
  • Patent number: 8558551
    Abstract: Accurately calculating location of a phase-to-phase fault even on a branched, non-homogenous, radial electric power distribution system. The calculation includes determining a calculated reactance to the fault without using positive-sequence current measurements, and uses the line parameters to determine locations on the system that match the calculated reactance to the fault. The calculation may further include a determination of faulted phase and eliminate fault location possibilities based on absence of the faulted phase at those locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Mangapathirao Venkata Mynam, Yanfeng Gong, Armando Guzman-Casillas
  • Patent number: 8555325
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are described for testing a data connection provided over a power supply line. A testing apparatus is coupled to a socket of the power supply line. The AC power supply line communicatively couples the testing apparatus to a communication device or another testing apparatus. The testing apparatus identifies the signal strengths of signals received by the testing apparatus and identifies the signal strengths of signals received by the communication device. The testing apparatus outputs an indicator of the first signal strength and the second signal strength to a user and this information may be utilized to detect noise or other problems in the data connection provided over the AC power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Anthony Kozlowski, David Belt, Benjamin Cooke
  • Patent number: 8548760
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting a nonlinearity in a cable plant and for determining cable length to a source of the nonlinearity are disclosed. Upstream signal peaks are detected by averaging upstream signal waveforms. The upstream signal peaks are generated at the source of the nonlinearity from naturally occurring downstream signal peaks propagating in the cable plant. The downstream signal peaks occur due to constructive superposition of the downstream channel signals. Acquisition of the upstream signal waveforms is triggered by the downstream signal peaks. The cable length to the source of nonlinearity is determined from a time delay between the downstream signal peaks and the upstream signal peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel K. Chappell
  • Publication number: 20130245971
    Abstract: A defect coordinates measurement method includes a step of detecting detected coordinates of a fiducial mark and a defect of a mask blank placed on support pins, a step of detecting detected coordinates of the alignment mark of a reference mask placed on the support pins, a step of extracting a reference mark near the detected coordinates of the defect among the plurality of reference marks based on the detected coordinates of the defect of the mask blank and the alignment mark of the reference mask, a step of detecting detected coordinates of the extracted reference mark, and a step of calculating coordinates of the defect based on the detected coordinates of the reference mark and the detected coordinates of the defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Lasertec Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko KUSUNOSE, Hiroki MIYAI
  • Publication number: 20130238264
    Abstract: With regard to EMC problems resulting from interference electromagnetic wave emitted from a subject electronic device, a source of interference electromagnetic wave is accurately located by measuring near-field electromagnetic wave emitted from the subject electronic device. The waveform of an electromagnetic wave received by an antenna under interference is compared with the waveform of an electromagnetic wave detected by a sensor, which moves across a vicinity of the subject electronic device, and when the temporal changes in amplitudes of these waveforms coincide with each other, or when a phase difference between the signals is found fairly constant over time, the position of the sensor at which such condition is found and/or the vicinity thereof is identified as the location of a source of the interference electromagnetic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi KAZAMA, Hiroshi TUTAGAYA
  • Patent number: 8527221
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an activity of partial electrical discharges in an electric apparatus powered with direct voltage comprises the following steps, repeated in succession at predetermined time intervals: measuring (1) analogue electrical signals and generating corresponding digital signals representative of the wave form of partial discharge impulses; deriving (2) for each of said digital signals, at least one shape parameter and at least one amplitude parameter; separating (3) the set of the measured data into homogeneous sub-sets with respect to the shape parameter; correlating (4) the sub-sets of signals having similar values of the shape parameter and measured in successive steps; selecting (5) the correlated sub-sets for which the amplitude parameter has a predetermined profile over time and attributing the signals of said subsets to partial discharge activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Techimp Technologies S.r.l.
    Inventors: Gian Carlo Montanari, Andrea Cavallini, Gaetano Pasini
  • Patent number: 8527222
    Abstract: A method for determining installation locations of a plurality of fault indicators in a power network includes a database retrieving step, an installation location setting step, a fault analyzing step, a communication quality analyzing step, a successful probability determination step and an installation location updating step. An apparatus for determining installation locations of a plurality of fault indicators in a power network includes a database, a processor, a fault analyzing module and a communication analyzing module. The processor retrieves graphical information, communication quality information, and fault rate information of feed lines of the power network from the database. The fault analyzing module generates a plurality of fault points in different zones of the power network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: I-Shou University
    Inventors: Chao-Shun Chen, Shang-Wen Luan, Jen-Hao Teng
  • Patent number: 8525522
    Abstract: Accurately calculating location of a fault even on a branched, non-homogenous, radial electric power distribution system. The calculation includes determining a calculated reactance or impedance to the fault, and uses the line parameters to determine locations on the system that match the calculated reactance to the fault. The calculation may further include a determination of faulted phase and eliminate fault location possibilities based on absence of the faulted phase at those locations. The calculation may further use data reported from line monitors such as faulted circuit indicators (FCIs).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Yanfeng Gong, Armando Guzman-Casillas
  • Patent number: 8521457
    Abstract: A user configured measurement display system and method for a non-destructive testing device and instrument (NDT/NDI) with high input data rate is disclosed. The system and the method provide the means for NDT/NDI instruments display measurement values that satisfies user designated measurement criterion occurring during any measurement time intervals (MTIs). The present disclosure overcomes the shortcomings of conventional ways of picking and displaying measurement values at fixed MTIs, by which the values truly satisfying the measurement criterion that occurs at random MTIs (other than scheduled MTIs) are often skipped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus NDT
    Inventors: Jayesh Patel, Michael Drummy
  • Patent number: 8521460
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument including an input port configured to receive an input signal; a digitizer configured to digitize the input signal; a decimator coupled to the digitizer and configured to decimate the digitized input signal to generate a decimated input signal; a digital downconverter coupled to the digitizer and configured to frequency shift the digitized input signal to generate a frequency shifted input signal; and a memory configured to store the decimated input signal and the frequency shifted input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth P. Dobyns
  • Patent number: 8515690
    Abstract: A line locator includes a signal detector to detect signals from an underground line; an error modeler that models a phase error in the signal from neighboring underground lines; and an enhanced electromagnetic field modeler that provides a location of the underground line based on the signal and a result from the error modeler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Metrotech Corporation
    Inventor: Kun Li
  • Patent number: 8515689
    Abstract: A method for determining the location of underground cables and pipes is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes measuring a set of electromagnetic field magnitudes and phases at a plurality of positions while traversing a target line parallelly using 3D electromagnetic coil sensors, the 3D electromagnetic coil sensors being orthogonally oriented to the target line, modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic field magnitudes of a single underground conductor at each of the positions to form a set of values corresponding to a set of individual models for the target line, determining which of the set of individuals models is a best model, determining confidence information at each of the positions based on a comparison between the measured set of complex electromagnetic magnitudes and phases and the best model, and determining parameters at each of positions related to the target line from the best model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Metrotech Corporation Inc.
    Inventors: Kun Li, Jim Waite, Ruwan Welaratna, Johan Overby, Paolo Salvagione
  • Publication number: 20130211750
    Abstract: A method specially designed for detecting events associated with partial discharges (PDs) in high voltage cables includes the identification of the location and the evaluation of the amplitude and rate of repetition per period of the grid voltage, with the possibility of identifying different sources producing PD signals as a function of the location thereof and recognising the type of defect associated with PDs in the same location. Generated electric signals are measured and the discriminated in relation to the background noise. A system for carrying out the method includes devices for discriminating the noise in relation to the transient waveform of the PD, determining the parameters associated therewith, determining the map of sources of PDs along the length of the cable, graphically representing the sources, and identifying the patterns of the sources of PDs separated as a function of the location thereof along the length of the cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicants: UNION FENOSA DISTRIBUCION S.A., UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
    Inventors: Fernando Garnacho Vecino, Miguel Angel Sanchez-Uran Gonzalez, Javier Oretgo La Moneda
  • Patent number: 8508236
    Abstract: An electronic device, and associated method, provided with a circuit board (10), with a set of input contacts (IN/COM), a set of output contacts (OUT/COM) and an electrical circuit (18) connected between the input contacts (IN/COM) and the output contacts (OUT/COM) and a controller. The controller carries out a real-time test of the circuit board using a test signal introduced into the electrical circuit, the electrical circuit (18) being designed as a passive network having a characteristic transfer function and provided with at least two separate partial circuits (18?, 18?) wherein the separate partial circuits are electrically connected in the assembled state by cooperation with at least one of: at least one device components and/or assembly components (181).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Sartorius Weighing Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Swen Weitemeier, Christian Oldendorf