Aclara Technologies, LLC

Aclara Power-line Systems Inc.

David W Rieken

Lakshan Prageeth Piyasinghe

Roger Astbury Smith

Gregory J Berchin

John B Hessling, Jr

Priotomo Abiprojo

Quentin H Spencer

Benjamin A Hammond

Kartikeya Tripathi

Lawrence R Kremer

Mukesh Kumar Chippa

Dennis L Kelley

William J Davis

Saeed Mirshekari

Michael R Walker, Ii

Gordon Gregg

Albert Fargnoli

Daniel Langenberg

A system for determining a phase of a power supply coupled to a metering device. The system includes a collection device in electronic communication with a metering device connected to a power distribution network and having a memory and one or more electronic processors. The electronic processors are configured to receive a first beacon signal and measure a phasor in response to receiving the first beacon signal. The phasor is stored in the memory along with an identification value associated with the device that transmitted the first beacon signal and a first time. The electronic processors receive a second beacon signal, and extract data from the request message. The electronic processors determine whether the extracted time matches the first time and based on determining that the extracted time matches the first time stored in the memory, calculate a phase by comparing the reference phasor data to the stored phasor.

Wireless synchronized measurements in power distribution networks

An electric utility meter includes a housing, an input configured on the housing that receives input electricity from an electricity source, and a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic processor is configured to measure a first characteristic and a second characteristic of the input electricity, determine a fault parameter value, calculate a confidence score corresponding to the fault parameter value, compare the confidence score to a threshold value, and determine that a fault is occurring based on the confidence score exceeding the threshold value.

Systems and methods for estimating neutral impedance and detecting faulted neutral connection in an electrical meter

Systems and methods for detecting faults in a power distribution network are described. In an aspect, the systems and methods determine a probability that each node of the network is powered and a probability that each distribution line in the network is faulted. In another aspect, the systems and methods determine the probabilities by transmitting a signal over a power distribution network with an active sounding system. In an additional aspect, the systems and methods determine the probabilities by utilizing collected data coupled to the power distribution network.

Framework for fault detection and localization in power distribution networks

The present disclosure pertains to novel systems and methods that incorporate advanced inference algorithms can be developed to detect floating neutrals using phasor measurements. In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to the use of phasor measurements to detect and localize floating neutrals in a distributed power network.

Floating neutral detection and localization system and methods

Systems and methods for synchronized phasor measurement in a power distribution network are described. In an aspect, the systems and methods quantify the phase angle between voltages or currents at any two points in the distribution network. In another aspect, the systems and methods establish a common time reference between points on a power distribution network by transmitting a synchronization pulse throughout the distribution network. In an additional aspect, the systems and methods extract phasors from a power line waveform by utilizing a phase-locked loop (PLL) and regression of the zero-crossings of the PLL output waveform.

Synchronized phasor measurement in power distribution networks

An apparatus, network system, and method for detecting network phenomena of a power distribution network. A signal injection device adapted to be connected to the power distribution network injects a signal having signal parameters onto the power distribution network. A signal receiving device adapted to be connected to the power distribution network receives the injected signal on the power distribution network. The signal receiving device is adapted to determine the signal parameters of the received signal and is adapted to evaluate the signal parameters of the injected signal with respect to the determined signal parameters of the received signal. An output device connected to the signal receiving device provides an indication of the determined evaluation.

VLF band sensor array for power distribution networks

A transmitter transmits an outbound message signal via the power distribution system. The transmitter includes a spreader for spreading the spectrum of the communications signal before transmitting the outbound message signal. A receiver despreads the spectrum of the received digitized signal and digitally demodulates the received despread signal to generate the message. The transmitted signal is orthogonal to a source of interference on the power distribution system.

Mains-synchronous power-line communications system and method

As disclosed, a two-way automatic communications system (TWACS) and method are used by an electrical utility in which outbound messages are sent from the utility to a consumer and inbound messages are sent from the consumer to the utility. The respective outbound and inbound messages are sent and received over the utility's power distribution system. A receiver including an analog filter component, an A/D converter and a digital processor detects the outbound messages. A substation transceiver is configured for sending analog outbound messages from the utility to a consumer. A transponder is configured for sending inbound messages to the transceiver from the consumer to the utility, the respective outbound and inbound messages being modulated on a mains signal of the utility's power distribution system. The receiver in another form includes an analog filter component, a detecting circuit and a demodulator.

TWACS transmitter and receiver

A receiver and method for a transponder of a two-way automatic communications system (TWACS) used by an electrical utility in which analog outbound messages are sent from the utility to a consumer and inbound, reply messages are sent from the consumer to the utility. The receiver and method enable a transponder to detect the outbound messages and include A/D conversion and digital processing for demodulating a digitized signal and providing the outbound message.

Digital two way automatic communication system (TWACS) outbound receiver and method

An agile switched-load transmitter for a communications system for a power distribution network comprises a resonant transponder (T) with a variable primary frequency. The transmitter significantly increases the bandwidth for communications, significantly lessens the effect of bandwidth noise, and greatly improves both the quality of communications and data throughput. Switches (S, S) selectively connect the transponder to the communications systems and control current flow through a resonant circuit of the unit, particularly the timing between charging and discharging of a capacitive component thereof. This allows the frequency of operation of the transmitter to be controlled so an inbound signal has a frequency within a range of selected frequencies, rather than a fixed frequency, and enables the transponder to deliver an output signal of relatively high power that propagates through the power distribution network with relatively little loss in signal strength.

Agile switched-load resonating transmitter for passband power line communication

Improvements in the detection of TWACS outbound message signals. A first improvement involves matching some (or all) of the intermediate points in an outbound preamble occurring between bits of the preamble currently being detected. This reduces the possibility of a false synchronization and therefore decreases the probability of missing outbound message signals. A second improvement is to require some or all of the known preamble bits to exceed a predetermined threshold where both the thresh-old and which bits are adjustable. An additional approach is using 4-8 additional buffers in a transponder to detect preamble patterns in the outbound message. Each half cycle of the outbound message waveform requires entering a bit only into the buffers active for the particular frame of reference in which the message is being transmitted, since only buffers for that frame of reference are employed. The process continues until all bits specified to be sent, based on the length of the outbound message, are extracted. A CRC is then performed for the message. Using this method eliminates the problem of inbound messages being detected as outbound messages, and the resulting 'blindness' of the transponder. It further makes the transponders less sensitive to noise which currently causes the transponder to detect a preamble when there is none, resulting in a valid outbound message being missed.

Detection of outbound message signals in a power line two-way communications system

A point-to-point communications system () for transmitting messages from any location (A) within a power distribution system or network () to any other location (B) within the network. A transceiver () at the one location includes a transmitter (X) that impresses a waveform (W) on a waveform (W) propagated by the network to supply power throughout the network. The transmitter is a resonant transmitter that includes a reactive load () which is selectively connected to and disconnected from the power distribution network. A controller () controls operation of the transmitter to connect and disconnect the reactive load from the network so to impress on the propagated waveform a dampened sinusoidal waveform whose characteristics represent information conveyed over the power distribution system. A receiver (Yn) at the other location receives and demodulates the dampened sinusoidal waveform to extract therefrom the information being conveyed by it.

Point-to-point communications systems particularly for use in power distribution system

Detection of fault occurrences within a power distribution system. A transient detector and fault classification system () implements an algorithm that detects transients which may result from the occurrence of a fault in the power distribution system. The system includes a detection module () which processes a set samples obtained from electrical waveforms propagated of through the power distribution system and appear to be statistically anomalous compared to other sample data. This is done using an adaptive detection algorithm that is applied when large changes occur in a waveform over a relatively short period of time. The identified samples are then provided to a signal classifier module () which processes sets of samples to classify a transient they represent as a likely fault occurrence or some other type of anomaly which is likely not a fault occurrence. If a transient is classified as representing a likely fault occurrence, a polling module () polls users of the distribution system to determine if a fault has occurred within the distribution system, and, if so, where.

Growing community of inventors

St. Peters, MO, United States of America

David W Rieken