KR100316207B1 - Modular core, self-powered powerline sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The modular core self-powered powerline sensor 10 is a.c. A plurality of modular core elements 18, 20, 22 disposed around the power line 12; A plurality of interconnected windings 24, 26, 28 disposed around the modular core elements 18, 20, 22, respectively, said a.c. At least one sensor 36 for sensing a condition around or within the powerline, the a.c. A winding layer energized by the power line; And a controller 106 responsive to the sensor 36 and receiving a signal indicative of a sensed condition in which power is applied by the windings 24, 26, 28.

Description

Modular Core Type Self-Drive Power Line Sensors {MODULAR CORE, SELF-POWERED POWERLINE SENSOR}

This application is a partial continuing application of US Patent Application No. 08 / 604,357, filed February 21, 1996, filed April 25, 1994, US Patent Application No. 08 / 232,702.

A.c. both in overhead transmission and overhead lines and in both primary and secondary fields. Monitoring of power lines may indicate failures of equipment and a.c. This is important for electrical work to anticipate power outages caused by overload on the powerline and potentially causing loss of service for many customers. The likelihood of power outages and enormous customer losses increases during peak periods when power usage is greatest and continued power supply is at a threshold. If a power outage is caused by a broken line or an overloaded line, costs are required to repair transformers and other equipment, and the power company in terms of risk and loss to utility employees and loss of company ratings. There is a costly sacrifice for. If the power lines are underground, the consequences of unexpected power outages as a result of failure or overload power lines become even worse. Replacing most damaged underground lines requires a lot of time and increased safety precautions because most of the work required is cramped, somewhat wet, and always underperformed. As a result, repairing such damaged underground lines is very costly and time consuming and dangerous.

Thus, to better anticipate such an unexpected power outage caused by a failed or overloaded equipment, a.c. A.c. sensing electrical conditions such as power, voltage and current in monitoring power lines and related equipment such as transformers and switches. Powerline sensors are very useful for utilities. If utilities can monitor the status of power lines, they can perform maintenance maintenance and replacement of power lines that can weaken as a result of overloads and failures, thereby reducing the frequency of unexpected power outages. . By maintaining and maintaining such equipment, the utility company can significantly reduce downtime for the user. The cost associated with replacing or repairing a damaged cable is reduced, and the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged cable is significantly increased compared to maintenance or replacement of regular working hours due to overtime pay.

However, conventional commercial powerline sensors generally require intrusive electrical connections to the monitored power circuit. This type of equipment is expensive for utilities, potentially dangerous for installers and can cause service interruptions for users. Due to this limitation, powerline sensors have not been used extensively by power companies.

The sensor disclosed in US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 232,702, filed April 25, 1994, overcomes the deficiencies of conventional systems. The sensor is a.c. A thin but relatively wide core layer of high permeability ferromagnetic material is used surrounded by the insulating rubber layer of the power line. The plurality of windings may allow them to be substantially a.c. It is wound around the core layer to be parallel to the direction of the power line. A.c. A.c. of the power line applies power to the sensors and controllers and a.c. It is used to induce current in the windings to sense current in the power line and to measure non-referenced voltage levels. Since the sensor is compact, it can be easily installed within a limited volume and on lines that are spaced in close proximity. In addition, it operates without intrusive contact with the power line and is therefore installed stably, easily and quickly. However, the sensor has a disadvantage.

First of all, the sensor is a.c. It does not extract power from the powerline efficiently. In order to extract power more efficiently, the core layer should have a donut shape whose thickness of the cross section is approximately equal to its width. However, to maintain a low profile, the sensor must have a core layer cross section that is relatively wider than its thickness. This prevents the sensor from efficiently extracting power from the power line, and thus cannot extract enough voltage to drive from a power line with a low line current. In order to extract more power, the width of the core layer must be increased, but at the same time the cross-sectional thickness must be moderately increased to maximize efficiency. In order to achieve the desired power requirements, the thickness of the core layer cross section must be increased to the point where the low profile structure is no longer maintained and can no longer be installed within the limited volume and on closely spaced lines.

In addition, since the core layer width of the sensor is inflexible, it is difficult to install in a portion of a power line having a radical curvature.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a.c. The present invention provides a modular core type self-driving power line sensor that detects a state in or around a power line.

Another object of the present invention is to maintain a low profile structure while maintaining a.c. To provide a modular core self-driving powerline sensor that efficiently maximizes power extraction from the powerline.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modular core type self-driving power line sensor capable of extracting power from a power line having an extremely low line current.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular core self-driving powerline sensor which is very flexible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a.c. It is to provide a modular core type self-driving power line sensor that is energized by low power directly derived from the power line.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a.c. It provides a modular core-type self-powered powerline sensor that can communicate the sensed states within and around the powerline.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a.c. It is to provide a modular core type self-powered power line sensor that can transmit and receive communication signals with a remote base station via a power line.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a modular core type self-driving power line sensor that is installed quickly, easily and safely without interrupting the power authorization service or affecting the power authorization service.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular cored self-driving powerline sensor that can be installed on powerlines of various sizes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular cored self-driving powerline sensor that can be mounted within a limited volume and on closely spaced cables.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular self-powered powerline sensor that has a low profile and is compact in size and lightweight.

Another object of the present invention is a.c. It is to provide a modular core self-driving power line sensor mechanically supported by the power line.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular core type self-driving power line sensor which is inexpensive and removable.

The present invention provides a.c. And a plurality of small modular core elements disposed around the power line, each of the core elements being a.c. A core having many windings for extracting power from a power line, the windings of each modular core element interconnected, said a.c. A.c. having extremely low line current by providing means for sensing a condition within or around the powerline and for receiving control signals in response to the sensing means and powered by the windings and receiving a signal indicative of the sensed condition. Even power lines can be implemented with very small self-powered power line sensors that can efficiently extract enough power for operation.

The invention features a modular cored self-driving powerline sensor. The current extraction device of the sensor is a.c. It includes a plurality of modular core elements disposed around the power line. a.c. There is a winding layer that is energized by the powerline and includes a plurality of windings disposed around each modular core element. The windings of each modular core element are interconnected. Current and voltage sensors and a.c. Other means for sensing the condition around or inside the powerline are powered by the windings if they require power. The controller, powered by the winding, receives (and transmits) a signal indicative of the detected state in response to the sensing means.

In a preferred embodiment, the modular core element of the current extraction device has a small donut-shaped shape and is made of a magnetically high permeability ferromagnetic material. The width of the core elements is approximately equal to their cross-sectional thickness. The modular core element is equipped with a power line sensor and a.c. It may include a gap that is forcibly spaced to be removed from the power line. The windings of each modular core element are electrically interconnected in series or in parallel, the windings being a.c. It is energized by the operation of the non-contact transformer with the power line.

The voltage sensor is a.c. A.c. comprising a first and second spaced apart plate positioned proximate the powerline and a dielectric disposed between the plates. And a capacitor for capacitively sensing the voltage on the power line. The dielectric may be air. The first and second spaced apart plates are a.c. It may be arranged coaxially around the power line. The current sensor is an inductor comprising a plurality of windings and an insulating material disposed around the first and second plates. Other sensors are a.c. It can be used to sense different conditions around or inside the powerline.

Control means are described in a.c. Means for transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed state via the powerline. The transmitting means transmits the signal to a remote base station. The transmission means is a.c. Through the operation of a contactless transformer and a communication core element arranged around the power line a.c. And a plurality of windings disposed around the communication core element for coupling the signal to a power line. The control means is a.c. Means for transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed state over a power line, the means for transmitting comprising: a.c. It may be interconnected with a capacitor to capacitively couple the signal to a power line. The control means comprises means for receiving a communication signal from a remote base station, the receiving means may be interconnected to a capacitor for capacitively coupling the communication signal from the power line. The control means is a.c. Means for receiving a communication signal from a remote base station transmitted over the powerline. The receiving means is a.c. Communication signals from remote base stations and communication core elements disposed around the power line; And a plurality of windings disposed around the communication core element for coupling from the power line. The control means sends a signal indicative of the detected conditions to the a.c. Means for transmitting via a powerline and means for receiving a communication signal transmitted from a remote base station, said transmitting means and receiving means receiving a.c. A.c. capacitively coupled to the powerline and transmitted by the remote base station. Interconnected to the capacitor to capacitively couple the signal from the power line. The control means further comprises means for receiving a communication signal from a remote base station, the winding on the communication core element being controlled by the contactless transformer through the operation of the a.c. The communication signal from the power line can be coupled. The control means includes means for statistically manipulating a received signal indicative of a detected state over a predetermined time period to set a nominal state level and means for detecting a change from the nominal level. The detected state is a voltage. The statistically manipulating means includes means for averaging the received signal over the predetermined time period.

The above techniques of the present invention can be easily understood in view of the following detailed description with reference to the drawings.

The present invention relates to a modular core type self-driving power line sensor, and more particularly to a sensor capable of efficiently extracting power from a power line having an extremely low level of line current.

Is a three-dimensional view of a modular cored self-driving powerline sensor in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1B schematically illustrates the interconnection of the windings around the modular core element of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 1C illustrates in three dimensions the sensing watch of the modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of FIG. 1A; FIG.

2 shows the modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of FIG. 1 with a protective covering surrounding the modular core and an electronic component disposed between the winding of the sensor and the protective covering.

3 is a.c. Schematic block diagram of the sensor and base station of FIG. 1 coupled to a power line.

4 is a.c. A.c. to measure changes from nominal states around and within the powerline. A flow chart of the software used by the microcontroller of FIG. 3 to establish a nominal level based on time of the sensed state around and inside the powerline.

a.c. A modular cored self-driven power line sensor 10 according to the present invention disposed around the power line 12 is shown in FIG. 1A. The power line 12 includes a conductive element wire 14 (or a single core) and an insulating rubber layer 16. Shown a.c. Power line 12 is a cable type commonly used in underground line low voltage power distribution applications; However, this is not an essential limitation of the present invention. This is because the sensor 10 can be used in the low voltage field of overhead lines using insulated or non-insulated cables and can be used in the high pressure fields of overhead transmission lines and underground lines.

Power extraction

The sensor 10 comprises small modular core elements 18, 20, 22, which forcibly space the gaps 19, 21, 23 for fitting the core element on the power line 12. And thus the gaps are elastically returned to their original positions to secure in place the core element. The core element is formed of a magnetically high permeability ferromagnetic material, such as steel, and is generally coated with an insulating material.

The core elements 18, 20, 22 are donut-shaped and generally have a cross-sectional thickness T that is approximately half an inch wide and approximately equal to the width W. FIG. Thus, as described in the background of the present invention, they are approximately a.c. It has a configuration for the most efficient power extraction from the power line 12. In addition, as described in the background of the present invention, using a single core system, a.c. The width of the core must be increased to improve the amount of power extraction from the power line, and the cross-sectional thickness of the core is increased in balance to maintain efficiency. However, because the cross-sectional thickness increases to maintain efficiency, the size of the sensor becomes very large and cannot be applied inside the limited volume and on closely spaced lines. According to the invention, the core consists of a large number, here three modular core elements. This maintains the efficiency of the sensor by making the cross-sectional thickness of the core elements approximately equal to their width, and by using a large number of core elements, power extraction is increased while the multi-sided thickness of the sensor is limited to maintain a small shape. Can be.

Sizing the core elements 18, 20, 22 for optimized power extraction maximizes the coupling between the multiple windings on the core (secondary winding) and the powerline cable (primary winding) through the center of the core On the other hand, it is a combination that minimizes losses.

The three fundamental losses actually found are losses due to secondary winding resistance, losses due to magnetic leakage inductance, and losses due to eddy currents induced in the core material. Other losses may exist that may affect performance to an increased or decreased range depending on the detailed design. However, these three losses are the main losses observed.

In a test embodiment of the sensor, the core comprises a design made of a tape wound magnetic steel material. By winding the core is wound around a spiral strip of steel and made to have a toroidal shape very similar to a roll of conventional tape. The advantage of this manufacturing method is that it is relatively easy and inexpensive, which allows the use of magnetic steel optionally oriented to have a high magnetic permeability aligned along the length of the steel strip. When this oriented steel strip is wound into a donut, the best magnetic permeability is located approximately along the circular path of the donut core body. The best magnetic permeability path is thus aligned with the path of the magnetic flux generated by the current flowing along the primary conductor through the center of the toroidal core. If the core is made of a magnetic material coated using an electrically insulating coating, it forms a core structure that effectively limits the flow of eddy current through the core along an outwardly radially directed path from the center of the primary winding. However, such structures tend not to limit the eddy currents flowing along the passages inside the core parallel to the primary windings, and eddy currents induced inside the cores by the primary windings tend to form along these parallel paths. Disregarding other issues, if helical cores are electrically separated into a number of side-by-side cores to block eddy current paths in the core parallel to the primary winding, these eddy currents are substantially reduced with their associated losses (inefficiencies).

The cross section of the core is optimized to optimize the loss and minimize the coupling between the primary and secondary windings. Typical cores have an inner radius R ₁ , an outer radius R ₂ and a width W. The core cross section thickness T is the difference between R ₁ and R ₂ .

T = R ₂ -R ₁ (1)

The coupling between the primary winding and the secondary winding can be characterized by flux leakage at the core. The secondary winding resistance and leakage inductance can be characterized by the length of each secondary wrap above the core or by the core cross section outer circumferential length (2T + 2W). By maximizing flux leakage and minimizing core cross-section periphery, core size settings can be optimized. For the range of sizes expected for a sensor, optimized core size settings require a ratio of W to T (W / T) in the range of approximately 1-3. As mentioned above, the test embodiment of the sensor uses three cores 18, 29 and 22, each having a W / T ratio of approximately 1.

The winding layer comprising windings 24, 26, 28 is wound several times with a wire, such as a 28-gauge magnetic wire, around each core element 18, 20, 22, and the winding of each core element in series as shown in FIG. It is formed by interconnecting windings. Optionally, the windings can be connected in parallel. A.c. of power line 12. The power induces a current in the windings 24, 26, 28 by the operation of the contactless transformer. Suitable ratio of windings is a.c. When the power line is energized, the desired current is selected to be induced in the windings. The number of turns of the winding is determined by the current drawn in the winding and a.c. Determined by the ratio of the currents in the power line 12, the upper limit is to the point where the core elements 18, 20, 22 contain the induced flux density at or below the saturation level. To extract enough power to drive a sensor 10 with a line current as low as 20 amps, the typical number of turns for each core element is 75. By increasing the core element or winding or both, the sensor 10 extracts more power, thereby lowering a.c. It also works with line currents.

Voltage sensing

The sensor 10 further includes a voltage and current sensing device 36 in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The voltage is a.c. Capacitor 37 having a first inner surface conductor 38 adjacently spaced apart from the insulating layer 16 of the power line 12 and an outer surface conductor 40 spaced apart from the inner surface conductor 38. Is detected by. Both conductors are a.c. Disposed concentrically around the powerline 12, and between them comprises a dielectric 42, such as an air or foam core. The capacitor 37 is a receiver for capacitively coupling a high frequency power line communication signal from the power line 12 and is proportional to the voltage of the power line 12. It is used to sense a capacitively coupled voltage from power line 12. Because capacitor 37 is disposed concentrically around power line 12, the capacitor tends to ignore power effects at other power lines than power line 12 spaced close to power line 12. have.

In order to further reduce the undesirable effects and / or noise of the external electromagnetic field, for example from other electromagnetic source or adjacent power lines, the inner surface conductor 38 is electrically connected with further coaxial plates 39, 41. The coaxial plates 39, 41 are spaced outwardly from the plate 38 in the same manner as the plate 40, and between the plate 39 and the plate 38 and between the plate 38 and the plate 41. Use the same dielectric in between. The additional plates 39, 41 are approximately half of the surface area of the outer coaxial plate 40, respectively, and are electrically connected to the inner coaxial plate 38 shown. As such, any external signal tends to be drawn equally by both the inner coaxial plate and the outer coaxial plate and is not provided as a difference value between the inner surface conductor 38 and the outer surface conductor 40. . Only one coaxial plate, for example plate 39, which has the same surface as the outer plate 40, may be present. Alternatively there are three coaxial plates, each having a surface area of one third of the outer plate 40. In general, if there are n plates, the surface area of each plate is 1 / n of the surface area of the outer plate 40.

Current sensing

An inductor 43 having a plurality of current measuring windings 44 wound around a toroidal insulating material 45 (eg foam) is disposed around the capacitor 37. a.c. Current from power line 12 is a.c. And a current flowing in the winding 44 in proportion to the current flowing in the power line 12. Since the inductor 43 is wound around with an insulating material made of air or foam material, the inductor does not saturate as in a conventional iron core core. The sensed current is thus more linear, which makes it more accurate to interpret and easier to judge.

The insulating material 45 acts like an appearance for the windings 44 so that the insulating material has a low magnetic permeability such as air. The insulating material 45 may have a high permeability, but includes a gap so that the appearance material 45 is not magnetically saturated and the current sensed by the inductor 43 is not linear and difficult to interpret. Or must be considered to control magnetic permeability. Nonlinear current measurements can be sensed and accurately interpreted by the inductor 43, or this requires some enormous complexity for other sensor elements.

The voltage and current sensing device 36 also includes a.c. Installation on power line 12 and a.c. A gap 46 formed to remove it from the powerline 12. Although the voltage sensing device (capacitor 37) and the voltage current sensing device (inductor 43) and the sensing device 36 are shown arranged in the same position near the power line 12, this is an essential limitation of the present invention. Not a matter. They may be arranged adjacent to each other or may be arranged spaced apart from each other.

Communication

The communication device 48 is a.c. from the sensor 10 by the operation of the contactless transformer. It consists of a communication core element 50 and a number of windings 52 wound around the core element 50 for non-intrusive transmission of the communication signal to the power line 12. It is preferable to use the capacitor 37 of the sensor 36 as a high frequency communication receiver in addition to using the communication device 48 as a high frequency communication transmitter and as a voltage sensor. It can be used as a transmitter or a receiver or as a transceiver. Thus, noninvasive coupling of communication signals to or from a power line in accordance with the present invention is generally described as reactively coupling to include both capacitive and inductive coupling techniques.

In FIG. 2, the sensor 10 generally includes a protective covering 62, which is an electrical insulator. The covering 62 is generally formed of rubber and attached to the windings by self-curing tape, adhesive or other suitable means. Retention ties 63 and 64 are a.c. The power line sensor 10 is appropriately removably fixed around the power line 12. The covering 62 performs an additional function of efficiently holding a plurality of electronic elements 66 mounted on the flexible printed circuit board 68 between itself and the surface of the winding. The electrical connection between the winding (FIG. 1B) and the electrical elements is made by an electrical connection not shown in this figure but schematically shown in FIG. 3. Electronic device 66 is essentially a different type of sensor for sensing various phenomena, such as temperature, pressure, radiation, humidity, etc. a.c. A power supply, a microcontroller, and other elements described in detail below in connection with FIG. 3, powered by a winding 24, 26, 28 energized by a non-contact transformer with a power line 12. .

Although all of the electronics shown in FIG. 2 are shown fixed to the flexible printed circuit board 68, this is not essential, and a sensor is disposed outside the printed circuit board 68 and the protective covering 62 and the windings. Sensors may be placed outside of the protective covering 62 to detect a particular type of phenomenon around the protective covering 62.

The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor 10 is schematically shown in the system 11 of FIG. 3. The power for the modular cored self-driven powerline sensor 10 is a.c. by the windings 24, 26, 28 shown as single windings in this figure for simplicity. Derived from power line 112, the power line may be a single phase power line, which may be part of a single phase or multiphase power transmission or distribution system. The winding is connected by lines 103 and 104 to a power supply 102 disposed on a flexible printed circuit board 68. a.c. The power supply 102, which may be a dc regulator integrated circuit, provides 5V dc to the microcontroller 106 and also provides ± 12V and + 5V output for use by one or more sensors or other electronic devices.

Microcontroller 106 is an 8-bit embedded controller with analog-to-digital converter. Sensors 108-112 are shown interconnected to microcontroller 106, although a variety of sensors may be used. Sensors 108-110 are disposed on flexible printed circuit board 68, while sensors 111, 112 are disposed on outer protective covering 62. Only one sensor, i. E. Sensor 112, is powered by the power supply 102 and the remaining sensors do not require external power for operation. These sensors are a.c. The microcontroller 106 provides an analog or digital signal indicative of specific conditions sensed around or within the power line 12. In addition to these sensors, capacitor 37 acting as a voltage sensor and inductor 43 acting as a current sensor are shown.

Capacitor 37 is interconnected by lines 114 and 115 to signal conditioner 116 which amplifies and filters the sensed signal to match the input request of microcontroller 106. The signal from voltage sensor 37 is a.c. Is a capacitively coupled voltage representing the instantaneous voltage on power line 12. The voltage sensor 37 does not provide an absolute voltage that is read into the microcontroller 106 because there is no reference voltage. However, the average or nominal level can be determined by monitoring the instantaneous voltage level supplied by the capacitor 37 for a period of time, and a change from the nominal voltage level is instantaneous from the capacitor 37 after the nominal level is set. Can be determined from the input. Microcontroller 106 performs statistical calculations of non-reference voltage input signals, such as weights, and determines changes from these other types of statistical measurements.

Current sensing is performed in a.c. This is done by an inductor 43 which induces a current proportional to the line current therein. The induced current is provided to a current extraction signal conditioner 117 that amplifies and filters the signal before applying the signal to the microcontroller 106.

Sensors 108-110 are located on the flexible printed circuit board 68 and sensors 111, 112 are located on the outer or protective covering 62. Such sensors can sense, for example, temperature, pressure, gas, humidity, radiation or light (visible or infrared). Indeed, sensors for detecting any phenomenon may be used. Certain sensors, such as temperature sensors or radiation sensors, may be installed directly on the flexible printed circuit board 68; Other sensors, such as sensors 111 and 112 for sensing gas or light, may be located and operated outside of the protective covering 62.

Sensors 108-112 and voltage and current sensors 36 continue to sense various conditions within or around the a.c. power line and provide analog and digital signals to the microcontroller 106 indicative of the detected condition. These signals provided by the sensor are converted into digital signals by the microcontroller 106 as needed to generate communication data indicative of the sensed state and these communication data are powerline carriers encoding data via line 118. Supplied to the electronic device 120. The powerline carrier electronics 120 then transmits a transmission pulse from the microcontroller 106 of the sensor 10 in operation of a non-contact transformer. Encoded data is supplied to an output driver 122 which is used to transmit low voltage, high current pulses to the windings of communication device 48 for non-invasive coupling to power line 12. Storage device 129 is connected to lines 118 and 119 for local readout of the powerline state. Storage device 129 may be located at a convenient location near the powerline.

Alternatively, as shown by the dashed lines, output from driver 122 may be provided via lines 124 and 125 to the inner and outer surface conductors 38 and 40 of capacitor 37 of FIG. 1. have. In this configuration, the signal transmitted from the microcontroller 106 is capacitively coupled to the a.c. powerline 12 and the driver 122 must be configured to provide a high voltage, low current output pulse. The current driver 122 is preferably configured to drive the windings 52 of the communication device 48. The driver 122 may be a high voltage amplifier (inverted or non-inverted).

The data transmitted from the microcontroller 106 is each specific individual sensor 108-112, 37 and 43 on the powerline sensor 10, indicating an identification code identifying the powerline sensor 10 and the type of data being transmitted. Contains an identification code for). That is, the transmitted data is transmitted data, which may be information about the origin of the transmitted data (multiple powerline sensors may be used at various locations in the utility's distribution system) and data about voltage, current, temperature and radiation. Contains information about the type of. Transmission and identification codes and interesting data can occur regularly on a time basis when certain thresholds are detected or according to any desired criteria. The communication code follows the selected commutation communication system details or protocol. The protocol is based on the Open Syatem Interconnect (OSI) communication reference model developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Other communication codes suitable for power line communication may also be used.

Data transmitted from sensor 10 is received by remote base station 126. Base station 126 is a direct electrical connection that is part of a power line distribution or transmission system and is connected to a power line 12 'that is typically a power line, neutral or ground, of a different phase than power line 12' (in a multiphase system). Interconnected to power line 12 by 127 and 128. However, connection to the power line can be achieved by operation of capacitive coupling or contactless transformer as described above for the sensor 10. For example, the inductor 43 'may be used to connect to the power line with non-invasive inductive coupling and / or the capacitor 37' may be used to connect to the power line with non-invasive capacitive coupling. Can be. The transmitted data is supplied to the computer 132 via a standard powerline capital modem 130 that matches the communication module of the sensor 10. Base station 126 may also transmit data from computer 132 to a.c. powerline 12 via powerline carrier modem 130. Thus, for example, base station 126 polls any other powerline sensor and modular core, self-powered powerline sensor 10 on the system for the required sensor information instead of manually waiting for transmissions from the powerline sensor. can do. Moreover, the powerline sensor can be reprogrammed for base station 126.

The encoded communication data transmitted from the remote base station 126 is preferably received at the capacitor 37 by capacitive coupling from a.c. powerline 12. These high frequency communication signals are provided to the high pass filters 134 and 136 and are able to pass through the filters and are supplied to the powerline carrier electronics 120. The powerline carrier electronics 120 decode the communication signal and send it to the microcontroller 106 on line 119.

Optionally, winding 52 of communication device 48 may be used to receive communication signals from remote base station 126. This is accomplished by providing the highpass filters 134 and 136 with induction lines 138 and 139 (shown in dashed lines) that interconnect the windings 52.

Although it is desirable to use non-invasive power line communication between the sensor 10 and the base station 126, this is not a necessary limitation in the present invention. Non-powerline communications or direct contact powerline communications may be used, such as RF, telephone line modems, cable TVs, cellular phones, infrared fiber optic cables, microwave or ultrasonic communications.

The microcontroller 106 performs analog-to-digital conversions on the sensed states, adjusts and updates memory locations that store previously sensed states, and numerical operations such as moving time average measurements to track time for synchronization purposes. And controls communication between the modular core self-driving powerline sensor 10 and the base station 126.

The microcontroller 106 may provide the base station 126 with an actual instantaneous value, i.e., an actual temperature or radiation dominance value, for a particular sensing state. However, it is also possible to provide the base station 126 with an indication of the detected specific states that change from the nominal level and the amounts of these changes. As noted above, this type of data transfer requires voltage sensing since there is no reference level for the sensed voltages that can be compared to determine the absolute voltage. Therefore, the sensed voltage is compared with the nominal level so that a change in sensed voltage from the nominal level is determined and sent to the base station 126. The nominal level may be an average voltage level or other types of statistical manipulations, such as weights, are performed on the sensed data voltages and compared to the nominal level to determine a change from the nominal level. Moreover, although this process does not need to be performed with all types of sensors (as many sensors provide a value for the sensed state), they can be used with any sensed state. Thus, in many cases this is monitored for changes from any nominal value since the monitored condition is not monitored for actual values.

To detect and transmit a change from the nominal level of the sensed state, the microcontroller 106 operates according to the flowchart of FIG. 4. In step 152, a modular core, self-driven powerline sensor is installed, and a state (eg, voltage, current, temperature, radiation, etc.) continues to be acquired in step 154 instantaneously. In step 156, a time-based average for any statistical manipulation type or instantaneous value, such as the weight of the sensed state over time period t, is performed to determine the nominal level for the state of a.c. powerline. At this point the initial calculation is complete, where the nominal value for the desired statistical operation type is determined. It may take a few seconds to weeks or even months for the computational process to obtain accurate nominal value level readings. After the initial calculation process is complete, in step 158, the instantaneous value obtained in step 154 is compared with the nominal level. After the initial nominal level is determined, it is continuously recalculated with new instantaneous sensor data. In step 160, it is determined whether the instantaneous value changes from the nominal level and is a signal indicating that there is a change, and in step 162 the degree of change is sent to the remote base station. Regardless of whether a change was detected, the system returns to step 154 where another instantaneous value is obtained and the process is no longer determined until a sensor is removed from the ac power line or for a particular state that is detected. Continue until you don't need it.

Although the features of the present invention have been shown with reference to the drawings, these are shown for convenience as each feature and can be combined with any other feature in accordance with the present invention.

Other embodiments within the scope of the following claims are possible to those skilled in the art.

Claims (49)

a.c. A plurality of modular core elements disposed around the powerline; A.c. a plurality of windings disposed around each of the modular core elements and interconnected respectively; A winding layer energized by a power line; A.c. In the power line or a.c. Means for sensing a condition around a power line; And And control means energized by the windings and receiving a signal indicative of the sensed state in response to the sensing means. 2. The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of claim 1, wherein the modular core element is toroidal. 2. The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of claim 1, wherein the modular core element has a low profile. 2. The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of claim 1, wherein the modular core element is formed of a ferromagnetic material having a high permeability. 2. The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of claim 1, wherein the width of each core element is equal to its cross-sectional thickness. The method of claim 1 wherein the modular core element is the power line sensor is a.c. Installed on the power line and a.c. A modular cored self-driving powerline sensor, comprising a gap that is forcibly spaced to allow removal from the powerline. 2. The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of claim 1, wherein the windings of each of the modular core elements are interconnected in series or in parallel. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windings are a.c. A modular core type self-driving power line sensor characterized by being energized by the operation of a contactless transformer with the power line. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said state sensing means comprises a.c. And a means for sensing a voltage on the power line. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the voltage sensing means includes a capacitor for capacitively sensing a voltage on the ac power line, the capacitor being spaced apart from the inner and outer spaced plates disposed near the ac power line. And a dielectric disposed between the inner and outer plates. 11. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 10, wherein said dielectric is air. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the spaced inner and outer plates are a.c. A modular core self-driving power line sensor, characterized by being coaxially arranged around the power line. 11. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 10, further comprising n additional plates connected to the inner coaxial plate to reduce noise. 14. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 13, wherein the n additional plates each have a surface area that is 1 / n of the surface area of the outer plate. 2. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises means for sensing current in said a.c powerline. 16. The modular cored self-driven powerline sensor of claim 15, wherein the sensing means comprises an inductor. The method of claim 16, wherein the inductor is a.c. A modular cored self-driving powerline sensor, comprising a plurality of current-measuring windings wound around an insulating material disposed around the powerline. 18. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 17, wherein the insulating material has a low conductivity. 18. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 17, wherein the insulating material is foam. 18. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 17, wherein the insulating material is toroidal. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said state sensing means comprises a.c. In the power line or a.c. And a means for sensing a plurality of states around the power line. The method of claim 1, wherein the control means comprises: a.c. And a means for transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed state via the powerline. 23. The modular cored self-powered powerline sensor of claim 22, wherein said transmitting means transmits said signal to a remote base station. 24. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 23, wherein said transmission means transmits said signal to a storage device located near a power line. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said means for transmitting is a.c. A modular core self-contained comprising a plurality of windings disposed around the communication core element for coupling the signal to the ac power line via a contactless transformer operation and a communication core element disposed around the power line. Driven power line sensor. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said control means comprises: a.c. Means for transmitting a signal indicative of a sensed state over a power line, the transmission means sending the signal to the a.c. And a modular cored self-driven power line sensor interconnected with the capacitor for capacitive coupling to a power line. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said control means comprises means for receiving a communication signal from a remote base station, said receiving means being interconnected to said capacitor for capacitively coupling the communication signal from said power line. Modular core self-powered powerline sensor. The method of claim 1, wherein the control means comprises: a.c. And a means for receiving a communication signal transmitted from a remote base station via a power line. 29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said receiving means is a.c. And a plurality of windings arranged around the communication core element for coupling a communication core element disposed around the power line and the communication signal from the remote base station to the ac power line. Driven power line sensor. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said control means comprises: a.c. Means for transmitting said signal indicative of a state sensed via a power line and means for receiving a communication signal transmitted from said remote base station, said transmitting means and receiving means receiving a signal transmitted by said control means. Capacitively coupled to the powerline, a.c. And a modular cored self-powered powerline sensor interconnected to said capacitor for capacitively coupling a signal from a powerline to said remote base station. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the control means further comprises means for receiving a communication signal from a remote base station, wherein the plurality of windings on the communication core element are configured via a.c. And a modular core type self-driving power line sensor, coupling the communication signal from a power line. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises means for statistically manipulating said received signal indicative of said sensed condition for a predetermined period of time to set a nominal condition level and means for detecting a change from said nominal level. A modular core self-powered powerline sensor. 33. The modular cored self-driving powerline sensor of claim 32, wherein said sensed condition is a voltage. 33. The modular cored self-powered powerline sensor of claim 32, wherein said statistical manipulation means comprises means for averaging the received signal during said predetermined period of time. a.c. A plurality of modular core elements disposed around the powerline; A.c. a plurality of windings disposed around each modular core element and interconnected respectively; A winding layer energized by a power line; A.c. In the power line or a.c. Means for detecting a state around a power line; And Receive a signal indicative of the detected state in response to the sensing means, and energized by the winding, and return the received signal to the a.c. And a control means for transmitting to a base station via a power line and receiving a communication signal transmitted from said base station. A voltage sensing capacitor comprising a pair of spaced inner and outer plates disposed around a power line and a dielectric disposed between the plates; And And a current sensing inductor comprising an insulation material disposed around the power line and a plurality of windings wound around the insulation material. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the capacitor further comprises n additional plates connected to the inner plate, wherein the surface area of each plate is approximately 1 / n of the surface area of the outer plate to reduce noise. Sensing device. 37. The sensing device of claim 36, wherein the inner and outer plates are donut shaped. 37. The sensing device of claim 36, wherein said insulating material has a low conductivity. 40. The sensing device of claim 39, wherein said insulating material is foam. 40. The sensing device of claim 39, wherein said insulating material is donut shaped. 37. The sensing device of claim 36, wherein said inductor is disposed above said capacitor. 43. The sensing device of claim 42, wherein said winding is wound over said capacitor. a.c. A plurality of modular core elements disposed around the powerline; And And a winding layer comprising a plurality of windings disposed around each of the modular core elements and energized by the power line, the windings of each of the modular core elements being interconnected. 45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the modular core element is donut shaped. 45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said modular core element has a low profile. 45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the modular core element is formed of a ferromagnetic material having a high permeability. 45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the width of each core element is approximately equal to the cross-sectional thickness. 45. The method of claim 44, wherein said modular core element comprises a.c. And a force spaced gap so as to be installed on and removed from the power line.