US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

David Mark Hull

Simon J Ghionea

Alan Shane Edelstein

Ross N Adelman

Stephen J Vinci

Thorkell Gudmundsson

Jeffrey Spencer Pulskamp

Gabriel L Smith

James W Waite

Sarah Salah Bedair

William T Fraser

Sean M Heintzelman

Peter M Cremona-Simmons

Gregory Alton Holifield

Philip N Repicky

Luke E Sturdevant

Mark R Probst

Kevin E Claytor

A non-contact power meter system for measuring power in an energized cable is provided. It includes: at least one electric field sensor; a plurality of magnetic field sensors, wherein the at least two magnetic field sensors together are configured to measure a magnetic field in a tangential direction and a radial direction with respect the energized cable measured; and a processor, which receives measurement signals from the various sensors, and is configured to measure power in the energized cable. A method of determining twist in an energized cable using non-contact power meter system(s) is also provided.

Non contact power meter independent of placement of field sensors around the cable

A system includes at least one electric field sensor and at least one magnetic field sensor, wherein the at least one electric field sensor and the at least one magnetic field sensor are formed as an integrated sensor unit with a single electrical circuit, and wherein the integrated sensor is configured to measure power of an energized cable.

Non-contact multi-phase cable sensor

A system and method for estimating the magnitude and phase of magnetic and electrical currents in a power line comprising at least one processor operating to create a model of the power line and derive expected complex magnetic and electric-field values; at least one memory; at least one sensor positioned proximate to the at least one power line for sensing and providing measurements of the magnetic and electric fields of the at least one power line; the at least one processor operating to compute a set of complex magnetic and electric field values based upon the measurements provided by the at least one sensor and to estimate parameters related to the complex voltage and/or current of the at least one power line based upon the measured field values and the set of expected complex electric current and voltage values derived from a model of at least one power line.

Method and apparatus for power quality and synchrophasor monitoring on power lines

A system and method for measuring the complex resistivity of a ground section. One embodiment utilizes stand-off capacity-coupled resistivity (CCR) sensing to inject current into the ground at a frequency within the range of 1 Khz to 1 MHz. A sensor detects the voltage which is used to determine the complex resistively of the ground and, thus, ground content. The system and method permits surveys to be conducted at speeds of 10-20 mph or more. Alternatively, current is injected into the ground along a plasma channel that is enabled with a high energy laser. Alternatively, an alpha particle generator may be used to inject the current. Multiple frequencies may be used within the range of 1 KHz to 1 MHz to produce an impedivity spectroscopy to thereby determine and/or display a map of ground content.

Standoff geophysical anomaly detection system and method

Embodiments of the present invention relate to power line detection, and more particularly, to methods and systems for autonomous power line detection, avoidance, navigation, and inspection. They may be implemented using aerial crafts, but do not have to. According to an embodiment, a method for detecting energized power lines in ambient space in the vicinity of an aerial craft is presented. The method includes measuring, with sensors located on the aerial craft, electric and magnetic fields in the space; and with a power line detection controller, detecting an energized power line in the space in the vicinity of the aerial craft using the sensor data; and determining the orientation of the detected energized power line in the space based on the electric and magnetic field measurements. Similar methods and systems are also presented.

Method of autonomous power line detection, avoidance, navigation, and inspection using aerial crafts

According to embodiments, an electric field sensor having a sensor electrode is constructed of an electrically conductive material and having one or more outwardly protruding pillars. A screen electrode overlies the sensor electrode and has one or more openings which register with the one or more pillars on the sensor electrode. At least one piezoelectric actuator is connected to the screen electrode so that, when excited by a voltage signal, the piezoelectric actuator modulates the screen electrode toward and away from the sensor electrode at the frequency of the periodic voltage signal. An output circuit configured to detect a voltage, a current output, or both, between the sensor electrode and the screen electrode which is proportional in magnitude to the strength of the electric field.

Electric field sensor

An electric field sensor having at least a first and second electrically conductive generally planar electrodes that are spaced apart from each other. A circuit is electrically connected to the electrodes which is configured to generate an output signal proportional to a time derivative of a varying electric field surrounding the electrodes. Optionally, three sets of spaced apart electrodes which are arranged perpendicularly relative to each other are used for three-dimensional measurements of the electric field.

Methods of detecting anomalies in ambient alternating current (AC) fields are provided. An exemplary embodiment of such a method includes the steps of placing an AC field sensor in an ambient AC field, generating a signal representative of the ambient AC field received by the sensor, and processing the signal to determine if the ambient AC field includes any anomalies. Various applications for the methods are also provided.

Methods of detecting anomalies in ambient alternating current fields

Methods for detecting and classifying loads on alternating current (AC) lines are provided. One such method includes the steps of placing an AC field sensor in AC electric and magnetic fields generated by an AC line, generating an electric field signal representative of the AC electric field received by the AC field sensor, generating a magnetic field signal representative of the AC magnetic field received by the AC field sensor, generating a relative phase signal representative of relative phase changes between the electric and magnetic fields, and processing the relative phase signal to detect and classify loads on the AC line. In another method, relative load vector signals representative of relative magnitude and phase changes in the magnetic field are generated and processed to detect and classify loads on the AC line.

Methods for detecting and classifying loads on AC lines

A representative system for providing an electric field comprises an electrically insulated frame, guard members and endplates. The frame incorporates a top, a bottom, opposing sides and opposing ends, with the sides extending between the top and the bottom. Each of the ends engages the top, the bottom and the sides. The frame defines an interior. The guard members are suspended within the interior of the frame, with each of the guard members being formed of metal tubing. The guard members are spaced from each other and located along a length of the frame such that the guard members are oriented substantially parallel to the ends of the frame. The endplates are positioned at the ends of the frame. The frame, guard members and endplates are operative to form an electric field within the interior of the frame responsive to an electric potential being applied to at least one of the endplates.

Systems and methods involving electric-field cages

Systems and methods for reducing electrostatic platform noise in electric-field sensors due to various self-charging and discharging processes are provided. A representative method includes: identifying avoidance regions of an electrostatically-floating sensor platform that have a propensity for self-induced charging and discharging; locating a first electrode and a second electrode on the electrostatically-floating sensor platform, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned and dimensioned to receive substantially equal amounts of distributed charge via self-charging; and obtaining a differential signal from these two electrodes that is proportional to an external ambient E-field of interest, while at the same time nulling out the common-mode signal that results from sensor platform self-charging and/or discharging.

Systems and methods for reducing common-mode platform noise in electric-field sensors

A magnetic sensing transducer device that senses low frequency magnetic fields by using flux concentrators that modulate the observed low frequency signal, thereby shifting this observed signal to higher frequencies and minimizing 1/f-type noise. This is accomplished by the oscillatory motion of a microelectromechanical (MEMS)-type magnetic flux concentrator operated with a magnetic sensor, preferably made on a common substrate. Such a combined device can be used in a magnetometer. Such a device is small, low-cost and has low-power-consumption requirements. The magnetic sensor can be a Hall effect or other type of magnetic sensor. At least one MEMS-type fabricated flux concentrator is used with the magnetic sensor. The concentrator oscillates at a modulation frequency much greater than the observed magnetic field being sensed by the device.

Magnetic sensor with modulating flux concentrator having minimized air resistance for 1/f noise reduction

A magnetic sensing device that senses low frequency magnetic fields by using movable flux concentrators that modulate the observed low frequency signal. The concentrator oscillates at a modulation frequency much greater than the observed magnetic field being sensed by the device. The modulation shifts this observed signal to higher frequencies and thus minimizes 1/f-type noise. This is preferably accomplished by the oscillatory motion of a microelectromechanical (MEMS)&mdash;type magnetic flux concentrator operated with a magnetic sensor, preferably made on a common substrate. Such a combined device can be used in a magnetometer. Such a device is small, low-cost and has low-power-consumption requirements. The magnetic sensor can be a Hall effect or other type of magnetic sensor. At least one modulating flux concentrator is used with the magnetic sensor.

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Adelphi, MD, United States of America

David Mark Hull