Fault Location Patents (Class 702/59)
  • Patent number: 8508235
    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 one capacitive element, wherein the capacitive element is a conductor surface (221) forming a capacitor in the assembled state with a corresponding, device-side conductor surface (222?), which is connected to the electrical circuit (18) via a contact element in the assembled state, whereby the capacitive value of the capacitive element in the assembled state differs from the capacitive value of the capacitive element in the disassembled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Sartorius Weighing Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Swen Weitemeier, Christian Oldendorf
  • Publication number: 20130204555
    Abstract: In order to locate a cable fault in a cable, a testing apparatus applies a test signal to the cable so as to induce an electrical oscillation. The testing apparatus includes a voltage source that generates the test signal, which e.g. ignites an electrical arc at the cable fault or applies a voltage surge to the cable, to cause the electrical oscillation. The apparatus further includes a measured signal evaluation device to measure the resulting oscillations in the time domain or the frequency domain, and carry out a spectral analysis in the frequency domain, so as to automatically determine the location of the fault preferably from the total phase rotation of the signal, the phase rotation of the reflection at the first cable end, the phase rotation of the reflection at the cable fault, and the imaginary part of the propagation constant of the signal in the cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Inventors: Sven SCHEUSCHNER, Matthias HIRTE, Joerg PETZOLD, Thomas GEBHARDT
  • Patent number: 8502542
    Abstract: An appliance and a method are intended to monitor a phase line of a section of an electrical energy grid line. The appliance comprises a device for monitoring a parameter of a phase line. The parameter is representative of routine operating conditions of the phase line and has a known propagation speed. The appliance also comprises a device for generating an event detection signal each time the parameter has a value that exceeds a threshold, and for storing a reception time when the detection signal is generated. The appliance also has a device for sending a signal representative of a geographic location of the end of the section and a device for performing a geographic location of the event once two consecutive detection signals are generated from the signal representative of the geographic location, and reception times associated with the two detection signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hydro Quebec
    Inventor: Pierre Couture
  • Publication number: 20130191051
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method for detecting loss or malfunctions in a meshed electrical distribution network. The method comprises a step of receiving average measured voltage values and average measured current values associated with one or more points of supply within the electrical distribution network, and a step of receiving average measured voltage values and average measured current values associated with a plurality of points of consumption within the electrical distribution network. Furthermore, the method comprises the step of calculating first conductivity parameters based on said received average measured voltage values and average measured current values and the step of receiving further average measured voltage values and average measured current values associated with said points of supply within the electrical distribution network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Inventors: Klaus Stocker, Dieter Kopp
  • Publication number: 20130191050
    Abstract: A method and a device for locating internal arcing that occurs in a compartment (CPi) of a gas-insulated line (L), each compartment being provided with at least one pressure sensor (Pi). The method comprises: triggering pressure measurements in a compartment as soon as the difference between the currents that flow through two current toroids (TCi) around two adjacent compartments exceeds a threshold value indicating the occurrence of internal arcing in the compartment; calculating a period ?t that separates the time at which the pressure detector began to detect a pressure variation and the time at which the internal arcing occurred; and calculating a distance d that separates the place at which the internal arc is formed from the position of the pressure sensor using the equation d=V/?t in which V is the speed of sound in the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Patrice Juge, Guillaume Granelli
  • Publication number: 20130179099
    Abstract: A system for the detection of discharges over high voltage power-line insulator strings of an electrical grid. A sensor unit is deployed on a non conducting cable of the grid. The sensor feeds an array of band cut-off filters receiving each signals from said at least one sensor unit. An analogue processor is associated with each of the band cut-off filters associated each with a current peak detector. An ADC unit is associated with each one of said analogue processors. In addition a digital processor is provided for calculating data received from each one of the ADCs and one radio transmitter unit sends data to a gateway of a network. A digital processor is adapted to send data processed based on the output of the ADCs, to the radio transmitter for conveying the data to processor associated with a WAN.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: METRYCOM COMMUNICATIONS LTD.
    Inventor: METRYCOM COMMUNICATIONS LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130179100
    Abstract: A sensor detects partial discharges (PDs) in an electrical power system and generates a corresponding analog electrical signal. A data acquisition component receives the signal from the sensor and converts it to digitized zero span data for a series of uniformly spaced frequencies in a frequency spectrum of interest. A digital signal processing component receives the digitized zero span data, analyzes such data, and generates a corresponding phase resolved spectrum signal in three dimensional format including dimensions of amplitude, phase and frequency for each of the uniformly spaced frequencies. A display component receives the analyzed data stream from the processing component and actuates one or more displays from which characteristics of the PD can be identified, such as different types of PDs from different sources, and information on the location of a PD relative to the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: UTILX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Utilx Corporation
  • Patent number: 8483987
    Abstract: There is provided a circuit with control function including a circuit to be controlled so as to be operated only if a predetermined environment meets a specific condition and being arranged to detect, in any predetermined environment, whether or not the circuit with control function is normally operated, and a test method thereof. The circuit with control function includes a controller (microcomputer) for operating the circuit to be controlled (a heater) only if a predetermined environment (ambient temperature) detected by a sensor (a first temperature sensor) meets a specific condition (0° or below).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyozo Terao
  • Patent number: 8473229
    Abstract: A system having unified diagnostics where an electrical energy storage device may supply an actuator. Various techniques may be used to determine energy storage capacity and actuator current usage. Measured storage capacity and actuator current may indicate the health of the energy storage device and the actuator, respectively. Also, operation of a service switch for the actuator may be checked relative to its state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: David Kucera, Pavel Kania, Shanna Lorraine Leeland, Peter Anderson
  • Patent number: 8467982
    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: (11) of detecting the pulses (4) picked up by a first and a second sensor (5, 7), connected to the apparatus (3) and spaced out along the same; (15) of deriving shape, phase and amplitude parameters for each of the signals detected; (17) of separating the sets of signals detected in each sensor into respective subsets which are uniform in terms of pulse waveform; (18) of identifying the subsets of signals relating to partial discharges and classifying them; (19) of correlating the subsets relating to different sensors and similarly classified, in order to derive a pair of subsets of signals relating to the same discharge site (2); (12) of selecting, for the pair of correlated subsets, at least one pair of homologous pulses (4) det
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Techimp Technologies S.R.L.
    Inventors: Stefano Serra, Andrea Cavallini, Gian Carlo Montanari, Gaetano Pasini
  • Publication number: 20130138257
    Abstract: A protection and control system for an electric power system includes at least one electric power generation device and at least one voltage measurement device. The system also includes at least one memory device coupled to the voltage measurement device. The memory device is configured to store a plurality of voltage measurements of the electric power system. The system further includes at least one processor coupled in communication with the memory device. The processor is programmed to determine a change of voltage induced by an electric power generation device, and, determine an approximate location of an electrical fault as a function of the change of voltage induced by the electric power generation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventor: Thomas Edenfeld
  • Publication number: 20130138367
    Abstract: Power outages and restorations at telecommunications subscribers' premises can be automatically detected and reported in a manner that is sensitive to subscriber privacy concerns. A server device receives, from a network terminal device installed at a subscriber premise, an alert that the network terminal device has lost primary power from a power grid. The server device determines a physical address of a location for the network terminal and associates the physical address of the network terminal location with particular power grid equipment. The server device determines whether a power outage of the power grid has occurred and outputs a notification of the power outage associated with the particular power grid equipment when the power outage is determined to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING, INC.
    Inventor: Verizon Patent and Licensing, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8453088
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to identifying regions including physical defects in semiconductor devices are disclosed. For example, one embodiment includes receiving an electrical test mismatch reported for a scan chain; identifying a suspect logical region including a plurality of logic cones electrically connected with the scan chain; adjusting a scope of the suspect logical region by simulating data flow within the logic cones, generating simulated scan chain output based on the simulated data flow within the logic cones, and excluding at least one of the logic cones from the suspect logical region based on a comparison of the electrical test mismatch and the simulated scan chain output; after adjusting the scope of the suspect logical region, generating a candidate defect region, the candidate defect region being defined to include physical instantiations of logical cells and logical interconnections included in the suspect logical region; and displaying the candidate defect region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Teseda Corporation
    Inventors: Armagan Akar, Ralph Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8447540
    Abstract: A method for detecting, identifying and locating partial discharges occurring in a discharge site along an electric apparatus comprises the following steps: detecting (1) electrical signals in a detection station; attributing (2) to each detected signal a value of a phase parameter; deriving (3) for each signal at least one shape parameter and one amplitude parameter; separating (4) the set of signals detected into sub sets that are homogeneous relative to the shape parameter; identifying (5) sub-sets related to partial discharges and cataloguing them; repeating the above steps in a plurality of detection stations positioned along the apparatus; correlating (7) the sub-sets of signals detected in different detection stations and catalogued similarly; selecting (8) as a function of the amplitude and shape parameters of a sub-set among the correlated ones and locating (9) the partial discharges related to said sub-sets at the detection station of the selected sub-set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Techimp Technologies S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gian Carlo Montanari, Andrea Cavallini, Gaetano Pasini
  • Publication number: 20130124119
    Abstract: The locating of a fault on a de-energized power line section is carried out by measuring a reflection signal characterizing the fault and deriving from a voltage signal applied on the section. An application of the voltage signal and corresponding measurements of reflection signals are simulated with a model of the section for a fault located at different locations along the section. The simulated reflection signals are compared with the measured reflection signal. A location of the fault is located based on the location of the fault for the simulated reflection signal having a highest correlation with the measured reflection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: HYDRO-QUEBEC
    Inventors: Lionel Reynaud, Daniel Pineau
  • Patent number: 8442779
    Abstract: A method for identifying a degraded fan measures acoustic data from an operating datacenter fan. A motor rotation frequency and a vane passing frequency are determined from the acoustic data. Amplitudes of the frequencies are determined from the acoustic data. If the amplitude of the motor rotation frequency is greater than the amplitude of the vane passing frequency, then it is determined that the fan is degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramakrishna C. Dhanekula, Kenneth C. Gross
  • Patent number: 8442785
    Abstract: One or more example diagnostics may be implemented as part of an intelligent luminaire manager or other radio frequency (RF) device that is in communication with an equipment or fixture such as a luminaire. Example diagnostics can determine a status such as a fixture malfunction, a cycling condition, a miswiring configuration, or another condition. The determined status can be wirelessly transmitted from the intelligent luminaire manager or other radio frequency device to a network server via a network. The network may be a network of intelligent luminaire managers and/or RF devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC
    Inventors: Jeff Walters, Michael Dorogi, Szabolcs Zigovski, Voicu Cristian, Ion Ticus
  • Patent number: 8442787
    Abstract: An apparatus is described, including: a signal processing circuit adapted to process an input signal to obtain an output signal; a sensor element for sensing a predetermined physical quantity, wherein the sensor element is adapted to generate a sensor signal in response to the predetermined physical quantity; wherein the signal processing unit is adapted to process the input signal to obtain the output signal depending on the sensor signal; and wherein the apparatus further comprises an evaluation circuit adapted to evaluate the sensor signal and to generate an indication signal indicating an abnormal operating condition in case the sensor signal does not fulfill a predetermined normal operation criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Udo Ausserlechner, Mario Motz, Christian Kolle
  • Publication number: 20130103329
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for reducing impact of a repair action in a switch fabric. In one embodiment, a server system is provided that includes a first interposer card that operatively connects one or more server cards to a midplane. The first interposer card may include a switch module that switches network traffic for the one or more server cards. The first interposer card may be hot-swappable from the midplane, and the one or more server cards may be hot-swappable from the first interposer card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8428878
    Abstract: A lightning strike simulation apparatus includes a storage device for storing lightning strike data, a setting unit for setting a simulation target in a simulation space, a downward leader advancing unit for advancing a downward leader from a lightning strike start position set by the setting unit, an upward leader advancing unit for advancing upward leaders from lightning strike-receiving candidate points set in the simulation space when a distance between a leading edge of the downward leader and a reference point is within a first threshold value, and a lightning strike point determination unit for, when a distance between a leading edge of the downward leader and a leading edge of any one of the upward leaders is within a second threshold value, determining that the lightning strike-receiving candidate point corresponding to the any one of the upward leaders is a lightning strike point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Naka, Tsuyoshi Wakasa, Shinji Arinaga
  • Publication number: 20130096855
    Abstract: A technique detects an abnormal signal in a compound sampled signal recorded in the time domain. The technique involves dividing the sampled signal recorded in the time domain into sample segments; transforming each of the sample segments from the time domain into the frequency domain to determine transformed segments, each transformed segment having frequency points, each frequency point having an amplitude associated with a certain frequency; for a frequency point in a given transformed segment, determining a ratio by dividing the amplitude of the frequency point by a value indicative of an average of the amplitudes of the frequency points at the same frequency across transformed segments; repeating the determination of a ratio for frequency points in each transformed segment to determine ratios for each transformed segment; repeating the determination of ratios for transformed segments; and using the ratios to detect the abnormal signal in the compound sampled signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: SERVICE SOLUTIONS U.S. LLC
    Inventor: Service Solutions U.S. LLC
  • Publication number: 20130096854
    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: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: SCHWEITZER ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventor: SCHWEITZER ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, I
  • Patent number: 8423305
    Abstract: The advantageous embodiments provide a method, a computer program product, and an apparatus for monitoring a wiring system. A number of responses to signals transmitted in a portion of the wiring system are measured to form a measured signature. Design data for the portion of the wiring system is retrieved. A number of expected responses for the signals in the portion of the wiring system are identified using the design data to form a computed signature. The measured signature is compared with the computed signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Terrance L. Thomas, Camron Ravell Call, Monica C. Rosman LaFever, Carey Chaplin
  • Patent number: 8397191
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for determining a level of resilience of a circuit to single event upsets based on a layout of a circuit design. A set of locations in the layout of the circuit design is selected. A respective maximum level of linear energy transfer (LET) that is tolerable for each location in the selected set is determined. For each determined maximum level of LET, cross-section values at locations having the maximum level of LET are summed to determine a respective total cross-section value for the maximum level of LET. For each determined maximum level of LET, the total cross-section value is divided by the determined maximum level of LET to produce respective intermediate values. The respective intermediate values are summed to determine a level of resilience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Austin H. Lesea
  • Publication number: 20130060493
    Abstract: A monitoring system for use with a power generation system is provided. The monitoring system includes a plurality of sensors that include at least one sensor that is configured to detect an interruption of an electromagnetic field within the power generation system, wherein the interruption of the electromagnetic field corresponds to at least one fault within the power generation system. The monitoring system also includes a computing device that is coupled to the sensor. The computing device includes an interface configured to receive a signal representative of the interruption of the electromagnetic field. A processor is coupled to the interface and programmed to identify a location of the sensor to enable the identification of a location of the fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Venu Madhav Tadepalli, Blaine Madison Mucklow, Ramon Juan San Andres, Atul Nigam, Prashant Kumar Sharma, Robert Michael Lewkovich, Shitanshu Srivastava, Deepti Bhutani
  • Publication number: 20130054161
    Abstract: Cell-aware fault models for delay faults are created for library cells. Analog one-clock-cycle fault simulations are first performed on a transistor-level netlist of a cell to identify type one detectable defects and type two detectable defects in defects of interest. The type one detectable defects are detectable by one-clock-cycle testing and their fault models may be created based on results of the analog one-clock-cycle fault simulations. The type two detectable defects are defects for which two-cycle detection conditions may be calculated from corresponding results of the analog one-cycle fault simulations. Analog two-clock-cycle fault simulations are then performed for the rest defects in the defects of interest to determine type three detectable defects and their detection conditions. The created cell-aware fault models may be used to generate cell-aware test patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventors: Friedrich Hapke, Wilfried Redemund, Juergen Schloeffel, Andreas Glowatz
  • Publication number: 20130054162
    Abstract: Techniques for determining conditions of power lines in a power distribution system based on data collected by a plurality of sensor units deployed in the power distribution system. The techniques include obtaining data associated with measurements collected by at least two sensor units in the plurality of sensor units, and determining, by using at least one processor, at least one condition of at least one power line in the power distribution system by using the data obtained by the at least two sensor units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: Tollgrade Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger A. Smith, Rebecca Ross
  • Publication number: 20130046491
    Abstract: A method and system for providing simultaneous localization of defects in both the time and frequency domain. A high frequency repeating pattern is written on media, and the pattern is read to generate a readback signal, which is converted into ADC samples. The ADC samples are analyzed, in-line, to determine the type of wavelet, level of decomposition, and threshold level for a wavelet transform of the particular readback signal. The wavelet transform provides details and/or approximations (wavelet coefficients) that are analyzed to determine the type, location, and duration of any identified defects. Any noise in the details and/or approximations (wavelet coefficients) is removed by a wavelet based denoising operation. Flags indicating the type, location, and duration of any defects are generated so that the defects may be mapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Mathuranathan Viswanathan, Myint Ngwe, Quek Leong Choo
  • Publication number: 20130035883
    Abstract: A monitoring system is provided. The monitoring system includes at least one sensor that is configured to detect at least one fault within a power generation system. Moreover, the monitoring system includes a computing device that is coupled to the sensor. The computing device includes an interface that is configured to receive a signal representative of the fault. The computing device also includes a processor that is programmed to identify a location of the fault by considering a plurality of potential fault locations and the processor is programmed to determine at least one restoration solution to restore the fault by considering a plurality of potential restoration solutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Ramon Juan San Andres, Blaine Madison Mucklow, Venu Madhav Tadepalli, Atul Nigam, Prashant Kumar Sharma, Robert Michael Lewkovich, Shitanshu Srivastava, Deepti Bhutani
  • Patent number: 8370091
    Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for detecting ESD on a surface and determining an origination location of the ESD. A programmed computer device monitors time-varying current data related to the surface to detect ESD on the surface. The current profile for the surface may be compared to a catalog of ESD current profiles, where each ESD current profile in the catalog corresponds to a different location on the surface. The location on the surface whose corresponding ESD current profile best matches the actual current profile from the ESD may be determined to be the origination location of the ESD. Moderately different processes may be used to determine the ESD origination location depending on whether the surface is symmetrical or irregular, flat or curved, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: C. Christopher Reed, Tom R. Newbauer, Richard Briët
  • Patent number: 8340930
    Abstract: An arrangement for protecting equipment of an AC electrical power system comprises first means configured to measure the frequency of the current and voltage at at least one location in the electrical power system along an interconnection between two theoretical electric machines of an equivalent two machine system. Fourth means are configured to use the values of the frequency of the current and voltage measured to determine whether a power swing has occurred and if an occurrence of a power swing has been determined determine whether the measuring location is located on a motor side or a generator side of a potential pole slip electrical centre along said interconnection, the electrical centre being defined as the location where the voltage becomes zero during a pole slip, and send this information further to third means for use in a control for protecting equipment of the electrical power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Zoran Gajic
  • Publication number: 20120323507
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes an first storage unit to store a value output by a communication unit, a second storage unit to store positional data indicating a place the modules, an third storage unit to store an output model indicating the relationship between a sunshine condition and an electrical output, a estimation unit to estimate a sunshine condition for each module based on the value and the output model, a forth storage unit to store the sunshine condition estimated, a correction unit to correct the sunshine condition, and a detection unit to calculate an expected electrical output for each module based on the corrected sunshine condition and the output model, and to detect a fault in the modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hasegawa, Makoto Sato, Akihiro Suyama
  • Patent number: 8335656
    Abstract: A short-circuit recognition method is disclosed, especially an early short-circuit recognition method, for an electric network. In at least one embodiment, in order to improve the switching times of protective devices, the current and the first and second temporal derivation thereof are continuously and consecutively determined at the same time and in the same temporal distance and are processed as respective digital sequences of numbers. Every sequence of numbers is associated with a defined threshold value, the numbers of the three sequences of numbers being compared with the respective threshold value associated therewith. Every number that exceeds the threshold value associated therewith is associated with a weighting variable and the weighting variables that pertain to the same time are added up to a first weighting sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Frank Berger, Timo Mützel
  • Patent number: 8315827
    Abstract: A method for identifying an approximate fault location in a power transmission line comprises detecting first and second dominant frequencies in first and second recovering voltages resulting from the fault without using the velocity of either of the recovering voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Southern California Edison
    Inventors: Vitaly Faybisovich, Mark I. Khoroshev
  • Publication number: 20120278013
    Abstract: A system and device for detecting insulation defects in a cable are provided. The system and device include using signals received from sensors to detect a partial discharge caused by insulation defects in a cable. The system is passive, without signals being injected into system cables, and may use one or more sensors, data acquisition systems, gateway devices, and monitoring stations and is based on detecting partial discharge from insulation defects and reporting the detection when it occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Meena Ganesh
  • Publication number: 20120271573
    Abstract: Systems and methods (the “utility”) presented herein provide for the assessment of acousto-electrical probes, such as their connections (e.g., transducer leads) and their response characteristics. For example, the utility may provide for readily evaluating transducer leads that have been broken and/or detached from transducers within an ultrasound probe. Due to the increasing complexity of ultrasound probes, identification of broken and/or detached transducer leads also becomes increasingly complex. Being able to identify such disconnected transducer leads may enable a person to repair, or “reterminate”, these transducer leads leading to a potentially substantial cost savings, the least of which being incurred by avoiding total replacement of an ultrasound probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: UNISYN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Nickolas Markoff, Christopher M. Cone
  • Publication number: 20120265458
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a fault in an electrical component using a diagnostic system having a plurality of sensors. The method includes positioning the electrical component in a predetermined position adjacent the diagnostic system and at a predetermined orientation with respect to the diagnostic system. The method also includes causing a predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component, the stationary sensors sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault, and the tangible computerized controller receiving sensor data from the sensors. The method further includes the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate test information including a location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring in at least two dimensions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATONS LLC
    Inventors: John S. Agapiou, Daniel L. Simon, John Patrick Spicer, Edward Panozzo
  • Patent number: 8290719
    Abstract: A method is present for processing a signal. A response signal is received from a structure. The response signal is decomposed into a plurality of signals based on a number of characteristics. A mode in the plurality of signals is identified based on a number of known characteristics for the mode, wherein the mode has a velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeong-Beom Ihn, Christopher J. Martens
  • Publication number: 20120259563
    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: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Keith Franklin Beatty
  • Patent number: 8285513
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for detecting an abnormal on-line analysis or laboratory measurement and for predicting an abnormal quality excursion due to an abnormal process condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventor: Kenneth F. Emigholz
  • Patent number: 8285500
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Current Communications Services, LLC
    Inventors: David G. Kreiss, Daniel S. Brancaccio
  • Patent number: 8280656
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Current Communications Services, LLC
    Inventors: David G. Kreiss, Daniel S. Brancaccio
  • Patent number: 8280654
    Abstract: An apparatus is for a conductor capable of conducting a current. The apparatus includes a global positioning system device structured to determine location of the global positioning system device, a coupling device structured to couple the global positioning system device to the conductor, and a power supply structured to power the global positioning system device responsive to a current conducted by the conductor. The global positioning system device is further structured to wirelessly communicate the determined location when powered by the power supply responsive to the current conducted by the conductor. The global positioning system device does not wirelessly communicate when current is not conducted by the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Faulkner, Rodney L. Spottsville
  • Patent number: 8280652
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for measuring the magnetic field produced by phase conductors in multi-phase power lines. The magnetic field measurements are used to determine the current load on the conductors. The magnetic fields are sensed by coils placed sufficiently proximate the lines to measure the voltage induced in the coils by the field without touching the lines. The x and y components of the magnetic fields are used to calculate the conductor sag, and then the sag data, along with the field strength data, can be used to calculate the current load on the line and the phase of the current. The sag calculations of this invention are independent of line voltage and line current measurements. The system applies a computerized fitter routine to measured and sampled voltages on the coils to accurately determine the values of parameters associated with the overhead phase conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Promethean Devices LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Syracuse, Roy Clark, Peter G. Halverson, Frederick M. Tesche, Charles V. Barlow
  • Patent number: 8271214
    Abstract: A differential protection system has a differential protection device at each end of a line section of an electrical power transmission line, such that it can selectively identify and safely disconnect even high-impedance faults on the monitored line section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Tevfik Sezi
  • Patent number: 8271213
    Abstract: A system and method for online monitoring partial discharge of a generator are disclosed. The system is connected in parallel with a busbar between the generator and electric network, includes: a near-end circuit on a generator side, which includes a near-end capacitive coupling sensor connected to the busbar and a near-end impedor connected in series with the near-end capacitive coupling sensor; a far-end circuit on an electric network side, which includes a far-end capacitive coupling sensor connected to the busbar and a far-end impedor connected in series with the far-end capacitive coupling sensor; and a detection device, which has a near-end input terminal connected to a connection point between the near-end capacitive coupling sensor and the near-end impedor through a near-end cable, a far-end input terminal connected to a connection point between the far-end capacitive coupling sensor and the far-end impedor through a far-end cable, and a processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignees: Xi'an Jiaotong University, Guangdong Power Test & Research Institute of Guangdong Province
    Inventors: Yang Xu, Xiao Hu, Yuan La, Zhengping Zhang, Chuming Yang
  • Publication number: 20120221263
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a fault point location method of locating a fault point by using a voltage and a current of each terminal of a transmission line to be located and a transmission line constant is disclosed. According to the method, a formula simplified by a secondary approximation using an approximation of a hyperbolic function from a basic equation of a distributed constant circuit equation using the hyperbolic function or a formula simplified by a division of both sides by the hyperbolic function is determined. A location distance from a predetermined end of the transmission line to the fault point is calculated by using the simplified formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hideyuki Takani, Takaya Shono
  • Patent number: 8239147
    Abstract: Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a test signal generating section that generates a test signal to be applied to the device under test; a first driver that is electrically connected to a terminal of the device under test and that supplies the test signal to the terminal of the device under test; a correction signal generating section that generates a correction signal for correcting attenuation of the test signal occurring until the test signal reaches the terminal of the device under test; and a second driver that is electrically connected to the terminal of the device under test and that supplies the correction signal to the terminal of the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Watanabe, Toshiyuki Okayasu
  • Publication number: 20120182657
    Abstract: A method and algorithm are disclosed that can be used to determine if an electrical fault exists within a protection zone defined as in the area between specific current transformers. (CTs). Currents from CTs are brought into a microprocessor (or other device) that converts the analog currents into digital quantities. The current quantities are summed both vectorially and arithmetically by the microprocessor. The mathematical derivative of the vector and the arithmetic sums are compared in order to determine if an electrical fault exists within the protection zone. An electrical trip signal is generated by the microprocessor if the fault is deemed to be in the protection zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Krishnaswamy Gururaj Narendra, David James Fedirchuk, Nan Zhang
  • Patent number: RE44256
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring and measuring the electrical, thermal and mechanical operating parameters of high voltage power conductors. A toroidal shaped housing, which can be mounted onto an energized conductor, contains all of the necessary electrical instruments to monitor the parameters associated with the conductor. Moreover, the housing includes the processing capability to analyze disturbance and fault events based on these parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Fish, John Engelhardt, Paul Alex, Duncan Breese