Patents Assigned to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11555839
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Luke P. Booth
  • Patent number: 11550285
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for determining a maintenance mode of one or more merging units of an electric power delivery system using an intelligent electronic device that may rely on communication from wired (or wireless) electrical measurement devices. The intelligent electronic device may be a line relay. The merging units may provide data to the line relay including at least one bit indicating a maintenance mode of each merging unit. If a maintenance mode bit from a particular merging unit indicates that the merging unit is in the maintenance mode, logic of the line relay may determine if a maintenance mode override is received. If so, the line relay may disregard the maintenance mode bit and process the data from the merging unit. If the logic determines that the merging unit is in the maintenance mode, the line relay may force data from the merging unit to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Arun Shrestha, Karen S J Wyszczelski, Priyanka Nadkar, Bharat Nalla, Sathish Kumar Mutha
  • Patent number: 11549996
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a capacitor bank controller that automatically determines the size of a capacitor bank using wireless current sensors. The capacitor bank controller determines a first capacitor bank size estimate using voltage and current measurements from when the capacitor bank is open and when the capacitor bank is closed a first time. The capacitor bank controller determines a second capacitor bank size estimate by using voltage measurements and current measurements from when the capacitor bank is open and when the capacitor bank is closed a second time. The capacitor bank controller determines a filtered capacitor bank size estimate based on the first capacitor bank estimate and the second capacitor bank estimate and controls operation of the capacitor bank based on the filtered capacitor bank size estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Kei Hao, Raymond W. Rice, James Mobley
  • Patent number: 11552822
    Abstract: A controller for an electric power distribution system includes processing circuitry and a memory that includes instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to determine that a first switch of the electric power distribution system is a primary switch communicatively coupled to an intelligent electronic device (IED) of the electric power distribution system, determine that a second switch of the electric power distribution system is a backup switch communicatively coupled to the TED, and distribute a first copy of a security association key (SAK) to the first switch and a second copy of the SAK to the second switch in response to determining that the first switch is the primary switch and the second switch is the backup switch to enable the first switch and the second switch to establish respective media access control security (MACsec) communication links with the IED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Gordon, Robert Meine
  • Patent number: 11552891
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining, via a power system device, a source media access control (SMAC) address. The method includes generating, via the power system device, an Ethernet frame of power system data with a destination media access control (DMAC) address comprising at least a portion of the SMAC address. The method includes sending, via the power system device, the Ethernet frame to an intelligent electronic device (IED) of a power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Manodev J. Rajasekaran, Greg Rzepka
  • Publication number: 20230004131
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for determining a maintenance mode of one or more merging units of an electric power delivery system using an intelligent electronic device that may rely on communication from wired (or wireless) electrical measurement devices. The intelligent electronic device may be a line relay. The merging units may provide data to the line relay including at least one bit indicating a maintenance mode of each merging unit. If a maintenance mode bit from a particular merging unit indicates that the merging unit is in the maintenance mode, logic of the line relay may determine if a maintenance mode override is received. If so, the line relay may disregard the maintenance mode bit and process the data from the merging unit. If the logic determines that the merging unit is in the maintenance mode, the line relay may force data from the merging unit to zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Arun Shrestha, Karen SJ Wyszczelski, Priyanka Nadkar, Bharat Nalla, Sathish Kumar Mutha
  • Publication number: 20220407311
    Abstract: This disclosure discusses systems, methods, and techniques for producing and utilizing a capability region of one or more monitored equipment. To do so, an intelligent electronic device (IED) may access a data set of one or more known performance characteristics of the monitored equipment. The known performance characteristics are based on, or dependent of, one or more variables. The IED may also access a constraint library with geometric primitives. Then, the IED may analyze the data set and may produce the capability region using the geometric primitive. The IED may compare an operating point of the monitored equipment to the capability region of the monitored equipment. Based on the comparison, the IED may implement a control action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellery A. Blood, Scott M. Manson
  • Publication number: 20220393468
    Abstract: An autonomous real-time remedial action scheme (RAS) control system may receive electrical measurements of a power system. The RAS control system may determine active power and reactive power of each bus in the power system based on the received electrical measurements. The RAS control system may dynamically determine whether to shed one or more loads, generators, or both in the power system by optimizing an objective function to maintain maximum critical load and maximum critical generation in the electrical system based on the active and reactive power of each bus in the power system and the generation of each generator in the power system. The RAS control system may send a command to trip at least one breaker to cause the at least one breaker to shed the one or more loads, generators, or both. The RAS control system may send a command to runback one or more generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Niannian Cai, Abdel Rahman Khatib
  • Patent number: 11522358
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods include protective functions in an electrical power system. For example, a processing subsystem may include a first processor and a second processor. The first processor and the second processor may operate independently. A memory subsystem may comprise a first memory section and a second memory section. A memory management subsystem may enable memory access between the first processor and the first memory section and disable memory access between the first processor and the second memory section. The memory management subsystem may further enable memory access between the second processor and the second memory section and disable memory access between the second processor and the first memory section. A protection subsystem may include the first processor and the first memory section and enable a protection function. The second processor and the second memory section may provide a second function that operates independently of the protection function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa Gayle Nelms, Dean G. Stevens, Paul Stoaks
  • Publication number: 20220385058
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) may obtain a voltage measurement matrix based on an arrangement of a transformer in a power system. The TED may obtain a delta connection compensating angle based on the location of the circuit breaker and the transformer arrangement. The IED may obtain voltage measurements of the transformer. The TED may determine a residual flux value of the transformer based at least in part on the voltage measurements, the voltage measurement matrix and the delta connection compensating angle. The TED may send a signal to a circuit breaker of the transformer to connect the transformer to the power system based at least in part on the system voltage and residual flux value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel Benmouyal, Ritwik Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 11513143
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, David E. Whitehead, Krishnanjan Gubba Ravikumar, Austin Edward Wade
  • Publication number: 20220377003
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to monitor real-time digital data for degradation. In one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device (“IED”) in an electric power system may include an interface to receive a stream of digital data, the stream of digital data comprising a plurality of data frames. A protective action subsystem may monitor the sampled digital data and implement a protective action based on the stream of sampled digital data. A digital data degradation detection subsystem may analyze a plurality of digital metrics associated with the plurality of data frames and make a determination regarding degradation of a communication channel based on whether the plurality of digital metrics fails at least one threshold. In response to the determination, the digital data degradation detection subsystem may implement a response to the determination that the plurality of digital metrics fails at least one threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Bharat Nalla, Nishchal Sharma, Arun Shrestha, Ozan Akyildiz, Mauricio G. Silveira, Manodev J. Rajasekaran, Sajal Harmukh, Jaya R A K Yellajosula
  • Patent number: 11509329
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods to compress an input signal representing a parameter in an electric power system. In one embodiment, a system includes a data acquisition subsystem to receive an input signal comprising a plurality of high-speed representations of electrical conditions. A linear prediction subsystem generates an excitation signal estimate based on the input signal, a plurality of linear prediction coefficients based on the input signal, and an estimated signal based on the excitation signal estimate and the plurality of linear prediction coefficients. An error encoding subsystem may generate an encoding of an error signal based on a difference between the input signal and the estimated signal. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store an encoded and compressed representation of the input signal comprising the excitation signal estimate, the plurality of linear prediction coefficients, and the encoding of the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Andrew Silk, Peter S. LaDow, Matthew J. Halladay
  • Patent number: 11506546
    Abstract: A system may include a transformer that may convert a first voltage to a second voltage, such that the second voltage is output via a conductor. The system may also include a wireless current sensor that may detect current data associated with current conducting via the conductor and a processor. The processor may receive the current data, determine one or more temperature measurements associated with the transformer based on the current data, and send a signal to a component in response to the one or more temperature measurements exceeding one or more respective threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy William Blair
  • Publication number: 20220368125
    Abstract: Output circuit devices for use in electric power systems may include a first output subsystem for transmitting a first signal output via an output port to a component of the electric power system, an input subsystem for receiving and monitoring the first signal output transmitted by the first output subsystem, and a second output subsystem for transmitting another signal output to the component of the electric power system. The second output subsystem is to transmit the signal output in response to an indication from the input subsystem. Intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and associated methods may include one or more output circuit devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Evan J. Penberthy, Brian James Peterson
  • Publication number: 20220364401
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ambidextrous hinge. The ambidextrous hinge includes a first knuckle with a first engagement feature, a second knuckle with a second engagement feature, and a third knuckle movably coupled between the first knuckle and the second knuckle. The third knuckle includes a third engagement feature that engages the first engagement feature to cause the ambidextrous hinge to lock in a first open position when used as a first swing hinge. The third knuckle includes a fourth engagement feature that engages the second engagement feature to cause the ambidextrous hinge to lock in a second open position when used as a second swing hinge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric M. Sawyer
  • Publication number: 20220365137
    Abstract: A condition-based monitoring system receives a plurality of measurements from sensors measuring mechanical and electrical aspects of a prime mover and a synchronous machine. The condition-based monitoring system determines a correlation between the mechanical measurements and electrical measurements to estimate parameters of the model. The condition-based monitoring system also updates the model as sensors obtain additional measurements during operation of the prime mover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M. Manson, Ellery A. Blood, Gregary C. Zweigle
  • Patent number: 11500407
    Abstract: Systems and methods to disconnect a faulted region of a power grid are described. For example, a control system may obtain a set of regions of a power grid. The control system may obtain a current magnitude and a voltage magnitude of the power grid. The control system may detect a fault in the power grid based at least in part on the current magnitude. The control system may, from the set of regions, determine a faulted region that the fault is located within based on a voltage magnitude of one or more buses in the power grid, a net change in power with respect to time of one or more regions in the set of regions, or both. The control system may send one or more signals to electrically disconnect the faulted region from the power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnanjan Gubba Ravikumar, Bharath Nayak, Christopher P. Knox, Ceeman B. Vellaithurai
  • Patent number: 11502825
    Abstract: A system includes an entropy device configured to generate and distribute input entropy data and an intelligent electronic device (IED) of an electric power distribution system. The IED is configured to perform operations that include receiving the input entropy data distributed by the entropy device, generating a set of keys using the input entropy data, and establishing a Media Access Control Security (MACsec) communication link using the set of keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Gordon, Dennis Gammel
  • Publication number: 20220359142
    Abstract: Configurable binary circuits for use in electrical power systems may include an input/output port, a binary input subsystem for receiving a binary input signal, a binary output subsystem for transmitting a binary output signal, and a switch subsystem for selecting one of the binary input subsystem or the binary output subsystem for operation. Intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and associated methods may include one or more configurable binary circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian James Peterson, Evan J. Penberthy, Greg Rzepka