Hydro-quebec

François Léonard

Arnaud Zinflou

Alexandre Bouffard

Mathieu Viau

Jean-Marc Bourgeois

Daniel Pineau

Louis Dupont

Sylvain Riendeau

Patrick Picher

Michel Gauvin

Hugo Bertrand

Daniel Fournier

Dominique Champagne

Bruno Cantin

Jacques Bherer

Yvan Roy

The disclosed method reconstructs a topology of an electrical distribution network. An ohmic matrix model is generated as a function of consumption measurements provided by smart meters in the network. A tree table of nodes to which the smart meters are connected is defined. A branch in exploration is defined in the table and the nodes of the branch meeting preestablished relations are entered in the table as a function of connection values derived from resistive quantities in the matrix model. One of the relations determines a junction of the branch in exploration with a branch already explored connectable to a root to which a distribution transformer of the distribution network is connected. The topology is reconstructed by iteratively proceeding with sequences of decreasing values derived from the resistive quantities.

Reconstruction of a topology of an electrical distribution network

The disclosed method detects anomalies in an electrical network. An ohmic matrix model of the network is initially generated from consumption measurements produced by meters connected to a same transformer. The model has currents carried by the meters as input, relative voltage drops of the meters referenced to a voltage of a reference node located on the network as output, and resistive quantities initially determined by currents and voltages based on the consumption measurements as matrix terms, the relative voltage being a voltage difference between a voltage determined for a meter and an average of voltages determined for a set of meters of the network. The model is iteratively modified according to detected anomalies, and a diagnosis of the network characterizing the detected anomalies is provided.

Detection of anomalies in an electrical network

A computerized method for quantitative analysis of signal related measurements, performed with one or more processors, is disclosed. An estimated signature typifying a characteristic feature of the signal related measurements is produced. Multidimensional statistics on the signal related measurements are computed in a multidimensional space with respect to the estimated signature. Matching likelihoods of the signal related measurements are quantified based on distances of the signal related measurements with respect to a shell manifold derived from the multidimensional statistics and enveloping a signature manifold in the multidimensional space. Multidimensional statistics on the estimated signature and trending and pattern recognition are also possible from the signal multidimensional projection.

Quantitative analysis of signal related measurements for trending and pattern recognition

There is proposed a computer-implemented method for automatic correction of a topology of a smart network that uses the information contained in the voltage measurements provided by smart meters in order to determine which meter is connected to which transformer. The method starts from an initial topology and divides up the meters into first and second batches for each transformer. Successive reallocations of meters in the second batches are made according to similarities with average voltages calculated and corrected from the first batches of meters. The method proceeds by iterations until there remain no more meters attributable to other transformers and updates the topology so that its evolution at a given time be readable.

Updating a topology of a distribution network by successive reallocation of the meters

The disclosed method corrects consumption measurements provided by meters presumed to be connected to a same network. The measurements taken by the meters at time intervals are collected in a form of samples used to determine electrical quantities in relation with currents and voltages relating to the meters. A selection of a group of retained samples among the samples considered to be valid, corresponding to a load range or a range of load variation ratio carried by the network based on the electrical quantities is performed. Correction functions of the consumption measurements are defined from the group of retained samples, and the consumption measurements are adapted according to the correction functions. An anomaly corresponding to an electrical non-compliance of a meter can be detected by the method.

Online calibration of meters and detection of electrical non-compliances

A method for clustering of transient signals is provided. The method comprises the steps of acquiring the transient signals as they come, dynamically building up clusters of similar transient signals in a hyperspace based on comparison and clustering rules so that each new one of the transient signal acquired ends up in a cluster with similar transient signals formerly acquired, analyzing the clusters to determine respective signatures defined by the transient signals gathered in the clusters, and processing the signatures to detect a phenomenon connectable to an intrinsic attribute of the transient signals.

Dynamic clustering of transient signals

The invention concerns a protected system for controlling power transactions for an electric vehicle. Identification modules are incorporated into the vehicle battery management system and box, and integrity sensors of the box and of the battery are connected to a monitoring module. The system comprises a processing module for processing information produced by the battery management system, the vehicle management unit, the integrity monitoring module, and an identification module for identifying devices connected to a bus between the devices. A memory stores data indicative of technical characteristics of the battery, and data concerning events, transactions and energy depending on the information received. A calculation unit determines an energy balance according to the event, transaction and energy data. A communication module transmits a warning in case of an imbalance in the energy balance and a breach in integrity revealed by the data.

Protected system for controlling power transactions for an electric vehicle

According to the invention, a time synchronization of phase between measurement devices that do not share a same clock for their respective sampling of the signals is carried out by a time tagging of samples of the signals in time blocks followed by an adjustment of the phase values of components of interest of the signals in the regrouped time blocks so that the values refer to common time references between the measurement devices. The tagging is carried out with a synchronization signal available to the measurement devices, completed with count values provided by a counter operated by a reference clock for each measurement device.

Method and system for time synchronization of phase of signals from respective measurement devices

In order to detect, localize and interpret a partial discharge occurring in a partial discharge site along an electrical equipment, two measurement probes and a synchronization probe are installed along the electrical equipment. The measurement probes detect pulses travelling in the electrical equipment while the synchronization probe detects a phase angle in the electrical equipment and is usable for calibration purposes. A control unit receives the signals sensed by the probes and conditions them. Digital processing applied on the conditioned signals, involving their correlation, a time-frequency distribution and a form factor estimation, allows establishing a diagnosis indicating a detection of a partial discharge and its localization along the electrical equipment. A wideband magnetic probe may be provided for detecting the pulses traveling in the electrical equipment.

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Montréal, Canada

François Léonard