Patents Assigned to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11233635
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) includes memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The IED establishes, over a communication network of a power system, a connection association (CA) with a receiving device using a media access control security (MACsec) Key Agreement (MKA) protocol. The IED automatically sends an announce message indicating a set of enabled application protocols on the IED to the receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Colin Gordon
  • Patent number: 11231999
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to detection of anomalous conditions in a variety of types of systems. In one embodiment, a system may be configured to identify anomalous conditions in a stream of measurements. The system may include a communications interface configured to receive a stream of measurements. An archive subsystem may maintain a data archive comprising a statistical representation of the stream of measurements. A pre-processing subsystem may divide the stream of measurements into a plurality of data windows. The plurality of data windows may be analyzed by an analysis subsystem configured to generate a plurality of normalized representations based on the data archive. The plurality of normalized representations may be grouped into a plurality of ranges. An anomaly detection subsystem may perform a comparison of the plurality of normalized representations to at least one threshold and may determine that the comparison indicates an anomalous condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Jacob Halladay, Ellery Abner Blood
  • Patent number: 11233389
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) may obtain a residual flux of each phase of a transformer. The IED may determine a maximum difference (DIF) signal based on the residual flux and the prospective flux associated with potential close POWs of the corresponding phase. The TED may select a closing POW that results in a minimum DIF signal. The TED may send a signal to close a ganged switching device of the transformer at a time based on the selected closing POW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ritwik Chowdhury, Gabriel Benmouyal
  • Patent number: 11231449
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be used to measure a frequency of a power delivery system and/or of a supply signal transmitted to a load. A system may record an input waveform, determine a frequency of the input waveform at a present time based at least in part on the input waveform and a derivative of the input waveform, and control an operation of a power delivery system based at least in part on the determined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcos A. Donolo, Jay Hartshorn
  • Patent number: 11228521
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting a failover capability of a network device of a computer network are disclosed. A network controller, upon detecting incoming traffic from a network device, can disable the port of the network where the incoming traffic is detected. The network controller can then detect if the network device has failed over to send network traffic to the network via another port of the network, or determine the network device is incapable of failover communication if network traffic from the network device only arrives at the original port after that port is re-enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Tristan Lloyd Mullis
  • Publication number: 20220015276
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and techniques of assembly of discrete modules of a control panel are disclosed. The modules can be independently wired, tested, and installed into a control panel. Module definitions are defined specifying components to perform the electrical function, a mechanical arrangement of the components, electrical connections, and logical interactions of the module. A bill of materials can be generated based on a designation of a set of modules for a control panel and the module definitions. Modularly assembled control panels are disclosed. An assembly frame is described herein for temporarily mounting components of a module for independent assembly of a control module and for eventual removal and installation into a control panel frame. The assembly frame may include a faceplate frame and side frames and temporary mounting features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Julian M. Alzate, Cameron Scott Soller, Bryan Gentry, Kyle Ellis Hildenbrand
  • Patent number: 11218103
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) according to the present disclosure can estimate a full load rotor resistance value as a function of motor positive-sequence resistance. The IED may estimate the full load rotor resistance value by measuring zero-crossings of voltage after a motor disconnect. The IED may also acquire motor current and voltage measurements and calculate motor slip using the acquired motor current and voltage measurements and the estimated full load rotor resistance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcos A. Donolo, Jay Hartshorn, Subhash C. Patel, Vinod K. Yedidi, Jianchun Qin
  • Patent number: 11218023
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a recloser control that detects islanding based on a continuous analysis of frequency and rate of change of frequency. For example, a recloser control may include protection circuitry that is communicatively coupled to a recloser. The recloser control may receive measurements of an electrical characteristic in an electric power delivery system. The recloser control may determine frequency (F) and a rate of change of frequency (ROCOF) based on the received measurements. The recloser control may detect islanding of a microgrid in the electric power delivery system based at least in part on F and ROCOF. The recloser control may send a signal to the recloser to trip the recloser based on the islanding of the microgrid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M Manson, Craig Thompson
  • Patent number: 11219147
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and techniques of assembly of discrete modules of a control panel are disclosed. The modules can be independently wired, tested, and installed into a control panel. Module definitions are defined specifying components to perform the electrical function, a mechanical arrangement of the components, electrical connections, and logical interactions of the module. A bill of materials can be generated based on a designation of a set of modules for a control panel and the module definitions. Modularly assembled control panels are disclosed. An assembly frame is described herein for temporarily mounting components of a module for independent assembly of a control module and for eventual removal and installation into a control panel frame. The assembly frame may include a faceplate frame and side frames and temporary mounting features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barber, Julian M. Alzate, Robert I. Jayne
  • Publication number: 20210408782
    Abstract: Distance protection for electric power systems disclosed herein uses an operating signal and a sequence polarizing signal made up of a supervised sequence current and a supervised sequence voltage. The polarizing signal may be determined based on the fault type and may be weighted toward sequence currents or sequence voltages depending on the power system conditions. For phase-to-ground faults, the sequence currents may include negative-sequence and zero-sequence currents. For phase-to-phase faults, the sequence currents may include negative-sequence currents. The current portion of the sequence polarizing signal may be weighted based on detection of insufficient negative-sequence current magnitude, standing unbalance, current transformer saturation, open pole, three-phase fault, and the like. The distance elements described herein provides improved protection during real-world power system conditions and changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Mangapathirao Venkata Mynam
  • Patent number: 11211788
    Abstract: Systems and methods may mitigate risk of fire caused by an electric power system. In one embodiment, a system may include an intelligent electronic device (IED). The IED includes a communication subsystem to receive a signal from a sensor related to a condition of the electric conductor. A processing subsystem in communication with the communication subsystem may operate in at least two modes comprising a high security mode and a fire prevention mode. In the fire prevention mode, the IED may interrupt a flow of electric current based on the signal from the at least one sensor associated with the electric conductor. In the high security mode, the system may interrupt a flow of electric current based on the signal from the at least one sensor associated with the electric conductor and based on a second condition relating to the electric conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Austin Edward Wade, Krishnanjan Gubba Ravikumar
  • Patent number: 11209465
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a capacitor bank control system that uses a combination of line post sensors and wireless current sensors for control operations. For example, a capacitor bank controller may include one or more inputs that electrically couple to a line post sensor to allow the capacitor bank controller to obtain line post sensor measurements. The capacitor bank controller may include a transceiver that receives wireless current sensor measurements from first and second wireless current sensors. The capacitor bank controller may include a processor that controls one or more switching devices of a capacitor bank based at least in part on a combination of line post sensor measurements and wireless current sensor measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Kei Hao
  • Patent number: 11204377
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for estimating a period and frequency of a waveform. In one embodiment a system may comprise an input configured to receive a signal comprising a representation of the waveform. A period determination subsystem may calculate an estimated period of the signal based on a period determination function. An estimated period adjustment subsystem may determine an adjustment to the estimated period based on a result of the period determination function. A quality indicator subsystem configured to evaluate a measurement quality indictor function based on the estimated period, and to selectively update the period of the waveform based on the measurement quality indicator. A control action subsystem configured to implement a control action based on the period of the waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Tony J. Lee
  • Patent number: 11201759
    Abstract: A network communication system may include intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in a dual-ring communication network. A software-defined network (SDN) device may be programmed by a removable or disconnectable SDN controller to control the flow path of data packets to the IEDs in the dual-ring network. A first ring of the dual-ring communication network may be dedicated to high priority data packets, and a second ring of the dual-ring communication network may be dedicated to low priority data packets. The SDN device may implement various levels of redundancy depending on the number and location of link failures detected. A first level of redundancy may direct high priority data packets in the opposite direction, and a second level of redundancy may direct high priority data packets onto the other ring normally used for low priority data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Amandeep Singh Kalra, David J. Dolezilek, Robert Meine
  • Publication number: 20210382096
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a recloser control that monitors compliance of a standard for distributed energy resources (DERs). For example, a method includes obtaining power system measurements between a microgrid and an area electronic power system (EPS). The method includes determining a rate of change of power (RoCoP) based on the power system measurements. The method includes determining that a DER exceeded a threshold of the area EPS based at least in part on the RoCoP. The method includes sending a signal indicating that the DER has violated the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Luke P. Booth
  • Patent number: 11196369
    Abstract: Protection devices prevent damage to synchronous generators during loss-of-field events. In various embodiments, a first protective element is associated with a first protection zone to protect a generator from a loss-of-field event at full load. A second protective element is associated with a second protection zone to prevent thermal overload during underexcited operation of the generator and to protect from loss-of-filed at light load. A third protective element associated with a third protection zone limits operation of the generator within the generator's specific steady-state stability limits. A fourth protective element is associated with a fourth protection zone to provide an alarm prior to operation of the second protective element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Matchyaraju Alla, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Dale S. Finney, Normann Fischer
  • Publication number: 20210376506
    Abstract: Systems for interfacing a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) adapter module to a receiver housing are provided. The receiver housing may have a first interface mounted on the receiver housing via a first mount and the PCBA adapter module may have a second interface mounted on the adapter module via a second mount. One of the interfaces has a protruding feature that aligns the interfaces when matingly engaged, while the other interface has a centering hole opposite the protruding feature. The first centering hole is enlarged with respect to an axis of an insertion-angle plane such that the protruding feature substantially clears the centering hole without causing either interface to exceed a limit of free-play between that interface and its respective mount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Greg Alden Lloyd
  • Patent number: 11187727
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for monitoring a capacitance-coupled voltage transformer (CCVT) in electrical communication with the electric power delivery system, the CCVT comprising a stack of capacitors and an electrical contact to a first ground connection. A first current transformer is disposed between the stack of capacitors and the first ground connection. The current transformer provides an electrical signal corresponding to a current associated with the CCVT. A second current transformer is disposed between a primary winding of a step-down transformer associated with the CCVT and a second ground connection. An intelligent electronic device (IED) in electrical communication with the current measurement devices monitors a ratio of magnitudes from the current transformers at a single frequency. The ratio is compared against an acceptable range. When the ratio exceeds the acceptable range, an alarm is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Travis C Mallett, Robert Lopez, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20210364557
    Abstract: Systems and methods to test an electric power delivery system include a communication subsystem to transmit test signals to one or more merging units, a test subsystem to transmit a test data stream to the one or more merging units via the communication subsystem, and a processor subsystem to receive looped back data from the one or more merging unit in response to the transmitted test data stream and to determine an operating condition based on the looped back data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, David E. Whitehead, Krishnanjan Gubba Ravikumar, Austin Edward Wade
  • Publication number: 20210359503
    Abstract: Systems and methods to estimate trapped charge for a controlled automatic reclose of a power line using a ganged switching device are described herein. For example, an intelligent electronic device (IED) may calculate a voltage amount associated with trapped charge of each phase of a power line based on voltage measurements of the power line. The IED may send a signal to close a ganged switching device at a time based at least in part on the trapped charge of each phase of a power line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ritwik Chowdhury, Gabriel Benmouyal, Carolyn Sun