Patents by Inventor Robert B. Northop

Robert B. Northop has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and instrumentation for the detection, location and characterization of partial discharges and faults in electric power cables
    Patent number: 4887041
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of detecting the locations of incipient faults in an insulated power line which comprises the method steps of opening one end of the power line, if it is not suitably terminated to reflect high frequency pulses, applying an excitation voltage to the other end of the power line at an excitation point, detecting a first high frequency pulse produced by a discharge in the power line and transmitted on the power line to the excitation point, detecting a first reflection of the pulse from the open end of the power line to the point of excitation, detecting the travel time of a reflection of the first pulse from the excitation point to the open end of the power line and return to the excitation point, and dividing the time between the detection of the first pulse and the first reflected pulse by the detected travel time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Matthew S. Mashikian, Robert B. Northop, Rajeev Bansal, Chrysostomos L. Nikias