Intelligent signal lightning protection device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an intelligent signal lightning protection device, relates to the technical field of lightning protection equipment, and realizes real-time state sensing and remote fault early warning of a transient voltage suppressor (TVS) by discharging lightning surge step by step through two stages of lightning protection circuits and integrating a temperature monitoring system and an RS-485 communication module. A dual-channel diagnosis architecture and a self-adaptive filtering algorithm are innovatively adopted, the technical bottleneck of offline detection of a traditional lightning protection device is broken through, the method is suitable for scenes such as a 5G base station and a high-speed rail signal system, the operation and maintenance cost is reduced, high-reliability protection is provided for key infrastructures in the era of the Internet of Things, and the safety of the system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lightning protection equipment technology, and more specifically to an intelligent signal lightning arrester. Background Technology

[0002] The current design and use of signal surge protectors have many drawbacks. Traditional signal surge protectors rely on signal interruption as the basis for fault diagnosis, failing to detect potential problems in advance. Furthermore, ordinary surge protectors lack remote signaling nodes, cannot actively transmit their own status information, and lack early warning, alarm, and communication functions. In unattended areas, remote mountainous regions, or scenarios with large-scale applications, the maintenance of traditional series-type signal surge protectors is arduous and labor-intensive. With the development of IoT technology, the interconnection of everything is becoming a trend, and traditional surge protectors can no longer meet this demand, urgently requiring innovation and improvement.

[0003] Existing technology, such as the invention application patent with announcement number CN103795052B, discloses an RS-485 intelligent surge protector and method for data signal lines, including a surge protector circuit breaker and a surge monitoring unit. The surge monitoring unit includes a current sensor, an A / D converter, etc. An embedded chip is set on the surge protector circuit breaker, and an induction coil is set on the grounding wire. The induction coil is connected in sequence to the current sensor, the A / D converter, the microcontroller, the RS-458 chip, and the optocoupler. The optocoupler is connected to a wireless acquisition terminal, and the data is transmitted to the power company's data monitoring center by the wireless acquisition terminal.

[0004] The existing technology also has the following shortcomings, specifically: 1. The existing surge protector uses signal interruption as the sole criterion for fault determination, and cannot provide early warning when TVS components show signs of aging or slight deterioration. Its mechanical indicator can only display a complete short circuit and cannot distinguish between different failure modes such as TVS thermal breakdown and surge overload, resulting in late average fault detection and failing to meet the real-time requirements of modern communication systems.

[0005] 2. Existing surge protectors lack digital communication interfaces and rely on manual inspections for status confirmation, making remote monitoring impossible. In unattended scenarios, this incurs significant manpower costs, and they cannot be integrated into smart city management platforms or support industrial standard protocols such as Modbus RTU, resulting in a severe disconnect from the interconnected needs of the Internet of Things era. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent signal surge protector that solves the problems existing in the background art.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The present invention provides an intelligent signal surge protector, comprising: a two-stage signal surge protection circuit, an RS-485 communication module, an RS-485 communication module power protection circuit, a signal protection circuit, and a thermal fuse.

[0008] The secondary signal lightning protection circuit is used to provide lightning protection for the protected equipment and lines.

[0009] The RS-485 communication module is used to implement remote communication functions.

[0010] The power protection circuit and signal protection circuit of the RS-485 communication module are used to protect the communication module and MCU from damage caused by lightning strikes.

[0011] The temperature fuse is used to collect the temperature of the TVS in real time.

[0012] Preferably, the secondary signal surge protection circuit consists of a discharge tube GDT, a decoupling resistor R, a transient voltage suppressor (TVS), and a thermal fuse. When a lightning strike intrudes from the surge side, the surge is discharged and limited in stages through the discharge tube GDT, the decoupling resistor R, and the transient voltage suppressor (TVS), ultimately protecting the equipment with low residual voltage.

[0013] Preferably, the temperature fuse is a normally closed structure and multiple fuses are connected in series. When the TVS deteriorates or breaks down, causing overheating, it will burn the temperature fuse attached to it, making the monitoring circuit open. This open circuit signal is provided to the MCU of the RS-485 communication module. After the MCU converts it into communication data, it sends the fault data to the host computer through the RS-485 port.

[0014] Preferably, the RS-485 communication module adopts the standard MODBUS communication protocol and can be connected to the environmental monitoring platform or a back-end computer to realize remote monitoring of the host computer.

[0015] Preferably, the intelligent signal surge protector integrates temperature threshold early warning, short-circuit fault code generation, and failure mode self-diagnosis algorithm, which can accurately identify typical faults such as TVS aging and breakdown.

[0016] Preferably, the intelligent signal surge protector adopts a dual insurance mechanism of built-in self-resetting fuse + RS-485 communication port and local status display alarm, so as to realize automatic reporting and fault troubleshooting, eliminating the need for manual inspection and maintenance.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. In this invention, the real-time perception of the TVS component status is achieved through the coordinated monitoring of the temperature fuse and the MCU. The three-level temperature protection system can predict aging failure in advance. Combined with the detection of temperature slope and leakage current increment, accurate fault codes are generated. The melting of the temperature fuse triggers the MCU interrupt. The fault data is uploaded in real time via RS-485, which improves the response speed and realizes the leap from "passive maintenance" to "active defense".

[0018] 2. In this invention, an intelligent protection network is constructed to realize the full life cycle management of equipment. The intelligent networking capability supports 256 nodes in cascade, a communication distance of 1200 meters, and is compatible with SCADA / EMS systems. It is suitable for smart cities and industrial IoT. Furthermore, the self-resetting fuse and RS-485 dual insurance mechanism automatically report faults and attempt self-healing, reducing operating costs. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an intelligent signal surge protector.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram for signal lightning protection circuit and surge protection path. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides an intelligent signal surge protector, comprising: a two-stage signal surge protection circuit, an RS-485 communication module, an RS-485 communication module power protection circuit, a signal protection circuit, and a thermal fuse.

[0024] The secondary signal lightning protection circuit is used to provide lightning protection for the protected equipment and lines.

[0025] It should be noted that the secondary signal surge protection circuit includes a primary surge protection unit and a secondary surge protection unit, which are connected by a decoupling resistor R, which adopts a non-inductive winding process.

[0026] In one specific embodiment, the secondary signal surge protection circuit consists of a discharge diode (GDT), a decoupling resistor (R), a transient voltage suppressor (TVS), and a thermal fuse. When a lightning strike occurs from the surge side, the surge is sequentially discharged and limited through the GDT, R, and TVS, ultimately protecting the equipment with low residual voltage. The intelligent signal surge protector possesses real-time status sensing capabilities, achieving millisecond-level fault response speed through coordinated monitoring by the thermal fuse and the MCU.

[0027] It should be noted that the discharge tube GDT, when struck by lightning from the surge side, acts as a primary surge discharge unit, capable of withstanding a large surge current and discharging most of the surge energy to the ground, thus providing initial protection. Its large current-carrying capacity allows for a rapid response to the large current surge generated by a lightning strike. The decoupling resistor R limits the rate of change of the surge current, preventing excessive current from directly impacting the transient voltage suppressor (TVS). It also regulates the voltage and current distribution in the circuit, ensuring the stability of the entire lightning protection circuit. The TVS, acting as a secondary voltage limiting unit, further limits the voltage of the remaining surge after the discharge tube GDT has discharged part of the surge energy, passing through the decoupling resistor R. It can clamp the voltage within a safe range in a very short time, and protect the protected equipment from damage by excessive voltage with low residual voltage. In the secondary signal surge protection circuit, in addition to collecting the temperature of TVS in real time, the temperature fuse also plays a certain role in protecting the entire circuit. When TVS overheats due to deterioration or breakdown, the temperature fuse will perform corresponding protective actions.

[0028] The RS-485 communication module is used to implement remote communication functions. It adopts an isolated design with built-in TVS and GDT dual protection circuits. TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) time slot allocation technology is embedded in the RS-485 communication to ensure a bit error rate of less than 10% under strong electromagnetic interference. -6 It supports dual redundant communication when the main channel bit error rate is greater than 10. -6 It automatically switches to the backup channel. Through this remote communication function, maintenance personnel can monitor the operating status of the surge protector in real time from a distance, promptly identify and address problems, and improve the maintainability and management efficiency of the equipment.

[0029] The power protection circuit and signal protection circuit of the RS-485 communication module are used to protect the communication module and MCU from damage caused by lightning strikes.

[0030] The temperature fuse is used to collect the temperature of the TVS in real time.

[0031] It should be noted that each TVS surface is fitted with a thermally conductive silicone sealant to attach a thermal fuse.

[0032] In one specific embodiment, the temperature fuse is a normally closed structure and multiple fuses are connected in series. When the TVS deteriorates or breaks down, causing overheating, it will burn the temperature fuse attached to it, making the monitoring circuit open. This open circuit signal is provided to the MCU of the RS-485 communication module. After the MCU converts it into communication data, it sends the fault data to the host computer through the RS-485 port.

[0033] In this invention, the real-time perception of the TVS component status is achieved through the coordinated monitoring of the temperature fuse and the MCU. The three-level temperature protection system can predict aging failure in advance. Combined with temperature slope and leakage current increment detection, accurate fault codes are generated. When the temperature fuse blows, it triggers an MCU interrupt. Fault data is uploaded in real time via RS-485, which improves the response speed and realizes the leap from "passive maintenance" to "active defense".

[0034] In one specific embodiment, the RS-485 communication module adopts the standard MODBUS communication protocol and can be connected to an environmental monitoring platform or a backend computer to achieve remote monitoring. A single bus can support cascading of 256 nodes, with a communication distance of up to 1200 meters and a baud rate of 9600bps, meeting the needs of large-scale, long-distance networking.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, the intelligent signal surge protector integrates temperature threshold early warning, short-circuit fault code generation, and failure mode self-diagnosis algorithms, enabling accurate identification of typical faults such as TVS aging and breakdown. Through real-time temperature monitoring and analysis, it can issue early warnings before TVS failures occur, while simultaneously generating detailed fault codes and temperature history curves, providing strong support for fault diagnosis and repair.

[0036] The specific implementation method of the temperature threshold warning, short circuit fault code generation, and failure mode self-diagnosis algorithm is as follows: Extract the temperature of each TVS at each acquisition time point, and compare it with the first-order, second-order, and third-order temperature range thresholds stored in the database. If the temperature of a TVS at a certain acquisition time point is less than the first-order temperature range threshold, the temperature of that TVS at that acquisition time point is determined to be normal. If the temperature of a TVS at a certain acquisition time point is greater than the first-order temperature range threshold but less than the second-order temperature range threshold, a warning is issued for the temperature fuse of that TVS at that acquisition time point, i.e., a local LED light flashes for remote notification, and a first-order temperature threshold is generated. Error codes: If the temperature at a certain sampling time point of a TVS is greater than the second-order temperature range threshold but less than the third-order temperature range threshold, the temperature fuse of that TVS at that sampling time point will trip, and a second-order error code will be generated. If the temperature at a certain sampling time point of a TVS is greater than the third-order temperature range threshold, the temperature fuse of that TVS at that sampling time point will blow, and a third-order error code will be generated. The first-order, second-order, and third-order temperature range thresholds are set by professionals. For example, here the first-order temperature range threshold is 85 degrees Celsius, the second-order temperature range threshold is 105 degrees Celsius, and the third-order temperature range threshold is 125 degrees Celsius.

[0037] It should also be noted that by analyzing the slope of the temperature curve and detecting the increase in leakage current, the natural aging of the TVS and the instantaneous overload fault are distinguished. Because the TVS is subjected to small surge impacts over a long period, the leakage current gradually increases, causing a slow temperature rise. The temperature curve shows a low-slope linear increase, which is determined to be natural aging. Conversely, a sudden surge (such as a direct lightning strike) causes the TVS to carry a large current instantaneously, resulting in a sharp rise in junction temperature. The temperature curve shows a high-slope step increase, which is determined to be instantaneous overload. When the slope analysis determines that it is natural aging, the digital channel thermal fuse (125℃ threshold) is simultaneously triggered to blow, forming a double verification.

[0038] In one specific embodiment, the intelligent signal surge protector employs a dual-protection mechanism consisting of a built-in self-resetting fuse, an RS-485 communication port, and a local status display alarm. This enables automatic reporting and fault troubleshooting, eliminating the need for manual inspection and maintenance. The intelligent signal surge protector incorporates dynamic power management technology, with standby power consumption less than 50μA, meeting the GB4943.1 safety standard. It should be noted that the self-resetting fuse automatically disconnects the circuit in case of overcurrent or other abnormal conditions, providing protection. After the fault is cleared, it automatically returns to a conductive state, eliminating the need for manual fuse replacement and significantly improving equipment reliability and maintenance convenience. Combined with the dual-protection mechanism of the RS-485 communication port and local status display alarm, the self-resetting fuse can activate promptly upon fault occurrence, while simultaneously reporting fault information to the host computer via the communication port. The local status display alarm also allows on-site personnel to promptly identify problems, achieving automatic reporting and fault troubleshooting and reducing the workload of manual inspection and maintenance.

[0039] In this invention, an intelligent protection network is constructed to achieve full lifecycle management of equipment. The intelligent networking capability supports 256-node cascading, a communication distance of 1200 meters, and is compatible with SCADA / EMS systems. It is suitable for smart cities and industrial IoT. Furthermore, the dual protection mechanism of self-resetting fuse and RS-485 automatically reports faults and attempts self-healing, reducing operating costs.

[0040] The above content is merely an example and illustration of the concept of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described, or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not deviate from the concept of the invention or exceed the scope defined by the present invention, and all such modifications and additions should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent signal surge protector, characterized in that, include: Secondary signal surge protection circuit, RS-485 communication module, RS-485 communication module power protection circuit, signal protection circuit and thermal fuse; The secondary signal surge protection circuit is used for surge protection of the protected equipment and lines; The RS-485 communication module is used to realize remote communication function; The power protection circuit and signal protection circuit of the RS-485 communication module are used to protect the communication module and MCU from damage caused by lightning strikes. The temperature fuse is used to collect the temperature of the TVS in real time.

2. The intelligent signal surge protector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The secondary signal surge protection circuit consists of a discharge tube (GDT), a decoupling resistor (R), a transient voltage suppressor (TVS), and a thermal fuse. When a lightning strike enters from the surge side, the surge is discharged and limited in stages through the discharge tube (GDT), the decoupling resistor (R), and the transient voltage suppressor (TVS), ultimately protecting the equipment with low residual voltage.

3. The intelligent signal surge protector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature fuse is a normally closed structure with multiple fuses connected in series. When the TVS deteriorates or breaks down, causing overheating, it will burn out the temperature fuse attached to it, making the monitoring circuit open. This open circuit signal is provided to the MCU of the RS-485 communication module. After the MCU converts it into communication data, it sends the fault data to the host computer through the RS-485 port.

4. The intelligent signal surge protector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The RS-485 communication module adopts the standard MODBUS communication protocol and can be connected to the environmental monitoring platform or a back-end computer to realize remote monitoring of the host computer.

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