A ground fault detection module for multimode communication

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of power system automation technology and discloses a multi-mode communication ground fault detection module, including a main control unit; a multi-mode communication unit, which includes a network interface circuit, a 4G communication module, and a Bluetooth module; and an analog signal acquisition unit for directly acquiring ground fault characteristic signals of the line. The main control unit is electrically connected to each module of the multi-mode communication unit and the analog signal acquisition unit. This utility model integrates both a network interface circuit for connecting to an FTU and an analog signal acquisition unit for direct sampling. The module does not solely rely on data forwarded by the FTU; even in cases of FTU communication interruption or data anomalies, it can still independently acquire the original characteristic signals of the line through the analog signal acquisition unit, ensuring uninterrupted ground fault detection. Therefore, this module has stronger adaptability to field installation conditions, and its overall operational reliability is significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of power system automation technology, and in particular to a ground fault detection module with multi-mode communication. Background Technology

[0002] In modern power distribution networks, single-phase grounding faults are the most common type of fault. If these faults are not detected and located in a timely and accurate manner, they can lead to equipment damage, electric shock risks, and even develop into more serious phase-to-phase short circuits, posing a serious threat to the safe and stable operation of the power grid. Therefore, real-time and reliable grounding fault monitoring of distribution network lines is a crucial component of distribution automation systems.

[0003] Currently, conventional technical solutions for ground fault detection typically rely on feeder terminal units (FTUs) installed in switchgear and other locations. The FTU is responsible for collecting electrical quantities such as voltage and current of the line and uploading the data to the distribution automation master station via communication networks such as fiber optic cables or industrial Ethernet. The master station system then performs centralized analysis, or a collaborative detection device makes a judgment.

[0004] However, existing technologies still have several shortcomings in practical applications. First, in terms of data acquisition, existing ground fault detection devices typically rely heavily on data forwarded by the FTU. In this structure, the function of the detection device is strongly coupled with the function of the FTU. Once the FTU itself or its communication link with the master station fails, is interrupted, or experiences abnormal data transmission, the detection device cannot acquire valid data, leading to functional failure. This dependence on a single data source significantly reduces the overall reliability and environmental adaptability of the fault detection system.

[0005] Secondly, in terms of communication methods, existing devices mostly use a single wired or wireless communication method to connect to the main station system, which lacks flexibility. For example, when on-site equipment debugging or data reading is required, it is usually still necessary to connect dedicated equipment through a wired interface, which is inconvenient to operate and cannot meet the growing demand for a combination of remote wireless monitoring and near-field wireless maintenance.

[0006] Secondly, regarding power consumption, to ensure real-time fault monitoring, the functional units of traditional detection devices are typically in a state of continuous operation, resulting in high overall power consumption. This limits their application in some power-constrained situations, such as installation points that can only draw power from current transformers (CTs) or solar power, and also increases the long-term operating costs of the system. Utility Model Content

[0007] To overcome the above shortcomings, this utility model provides a multi-mode communication ground fault detection module, which aims to improve the problems of existing ground fault detection modules, such as low reliability due to over-reliance on a single data source, single communication mode which is not conducive to remote and local maintenance, and high power consumption which makes it difficult to deploy in power-constrained situations for a long time.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model adopts the following technical solution: a ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication, comprising: Main control unit; A multi-mode communication unit, comprising a network interface circuit, a 4G communication module, and a Bluetooth module; Analog signal acquisition unit, used to directly acquire ground fault characteristic signals of the line; The main control unit is electrically connected to each module of the multi-mode communication unit and the analog quantity acquisition unit.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: Furthermore, it also includes: an intelligent power management unit, which is electrically connected to the main control unit and supplies power to each unit within the module.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: The analog signal acquisition unit internally consists of: At least one signal input terminal for connecting to an external voltage or current transformer; A signal conditioning circuit, electrically connected to the signal input terminal, is used to filter and amplify the acquired analog signal before transmitting it to the main control unit.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: The main control unit is a microcontroller chip, and the microcontroller chip integrates the following in its system-on-a-chip: At least one analog-to-digital converter module, the signal input terminal of which is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the analog quantity acquisition unit; Multiple serial or parallel communication interface circuits, whose data ports are electrically connected to the data interfaces of the network interface circuit, the 4G communication module, and the Bluetooth module, respectively; The real-time clock circuit has an independent timer inside, which is used to maintain the timing function when the microcontroller chip core is in sleep mode.

[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution: It also includes: a wake-up trigger circuit; The signal input stage of the wake-up trigger circuit is electrically connected to the physical layer signal output terminal of the network interface circuit or the signal conditioning circuit output terminal of the analog acquisition unit. The signal output stage of the wake-up trigger circuit is electrically connected to a hardware interrupt pin of the main control unit.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution: The main body of the wake-up trigger circuit is a voltage comparator circuit. When the amplitude of its input stage signal exceeds the internal reference voltage, its output stage level flips to generate the hardware interrupt signal required by the main control unit.

[0014] As a further description of the above technical solution: The intelligent power management unit includes: A high-efficiency DC-DC power conversion circuit is used to convert external input power into the operating voltage required by the module. The multi-channel power switch circuit has its control terminal array electrically connected to multiple general-purpose input / output pins of the main control unit, and each channel output terminal is electrically connected to the power pins of the 4G communication module and the Bluetooth module, respectively.

[0015] As a further description of the above technical solution: The microcontroller chip is further electrically connected to a non-volatile memory chip, and the storage array of the non-volatile memory chip contains the data structure of an artificial intelligence diagnostic model for grounding faults.

[0016] As a further description of the above technical solution: The main control unit, multi-mode communication unit, analog signal acquisition unit, and intelligent power management unit are all integrated on the same printed circuit board.

[0017] As a further description of the above technical solution: The physical interface structure of the multi-mode communication unit includes: The network interface circuit is equipped with an RJ45 physical connector. The 4G communication module is equipped with an SMA radio frequency antenna interface.

[0018] This utility model has the following beneficial effects: 1. In this invention, the module integrates both a network interface circuit for connecting to the FTU and an analog signal acquisition unit for direct sampling. The module does not solely rely on data forwarded by the FTU; even in cases of FTU communication interruption or data anomalies, it can independently acquire the original characteristic signals of the line through the analog signal acquisition unit, ensuring uninterrupted ground fault detection. Therefore, this module is more adaptable to field installation conditions, and its overall operational reliability is significantly improved.

[0019] 2. In this invention, the module integrates both a network interface circuit for connecting to the FTU and an analog signal acquisition unit for direct sampling. The module does not solely rely on data forwarded by the FTU; even in cases of FTU communication interruption or data anomalies, it can independently acquire the original characteristic signals of the line through the analog signal acquisition unit, ensuring uninterrupted ground fault detection. This module offers greater adaptability to field installation conditions, significantly improving overall operational reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a system diagram of a ground fault detection module for multimode communication proposed in this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between a ground fault detection module for multimode communication and an FTU proposed in this utility model. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the network port circuit of a grounding fault detection module for multi-mode communication proposed in this utility model. Figure 4 A multi-communication collaborative flowchart of a multi-mode communication grounding fault detection module proposed in this utility model. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the extension of a multi-mode communication ground fault detection module system proposed in this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0022] Reference Figures 1-5One embodiment of this utility model is a multi-mode communication ground fault detection module, in which all its functional units, including the main control unit, multi-mode communication unit, analog quantity acquisition unit and intelligent power management unit, are highly integrated on the same printed circuit board and electrically connected to each other through conductive traces on the PCB, thus forming a compact whole.

[0023] The main control unit is used for module control and data processing, and its core is a high-performance microcontroller chip. This microcontroller chip is a system-on-a-chip, which physically integrates multiple hardware circuit modules necessary to implement the complex functions of this module. The integrated circuit modules include: At least one analog-to-digital converter module has multiple analog signal input channels for receiving analog signals processed by the analog acquisition unit and converting them from the analog domain to the digital domain; multiple serial or parallel communication interface circuits, such as hardware implementation circuits of universal asynchronous transceivers or serial peripheral interfaces, whose data ports establish physical electrical connections with each module in the multimode communication unit, providing hardware channels for efficient data exchange; The real-time clock circuit has an internal independent timer and crystal oscillator, which can maintain accurate timing function with independent weak power supply when the main processor core of the microcontroller chip enters a low-power state.

[0024] In addition, the main control unit also includes a non-volatile memory chip electrically connected to the microcontroller chip. The algorithm logic, structural parameters, and weight coefficients of the artificial intelligence model used for ground fault diagnosis are pre-programmed and solidified in the physical storage array of this non-volatile memory chip in a specific data structure form.

[0025] The multi-mode communication unit is responsible for enabling data interaction between the module and external devices and the cloud platform. Its internal structure includes a network interface circuit, a 4G communication module, and a Bluetooth module.

[0026] The network interface circuit contains an Ethernet physical layer chip and has an external RJ45 physical connector. This circuit is used to connect to the feeder terminal unit via a wired network to obtain high-frequency fault waveform data.

[0027] The 4G communication module is an independent wide-area wireless communication module. It connects to an external antenna through the SMA radio frequency antenna interface and exchanges data with the main control unit through the UART interface to report fault alarm information to the remote cloud platform.

[0028] The Bluetooth module is a low-power Bluetooth module with an onboard integrated antenna. This module is also connected to the main control unit through a UART interface, which is used by field maintenance personnel to perform short-range parameter configuration or read diagnostic logs through portable devices.

[0029] The analog signal acquisition unit, acting as a data source independent of the network interface circuit, is responsible for directly acquiring the original ground fault characteristic signals of the line. Its internal physical structure includes signal input terminals for physically connecting external sensors, and a signal conditioning circuit. This signal conditioning circuit consists of discrete components such as filters made of high-precision resistors and capacitors, and operational amplifiers. Its circuit input is electrically connected to the signal input terminals, and is used to perform hardware-level filtering, isolation, and amplitude scaling on the weak, noisy analog input signal. The resulting analog signal, more suitable for digitization, is then transmitted to the input of the ADC module inside the main control unit.

[0030] The intelligent power management unit (MMU) is responsible for the power supply and power consumption regulation of the entire module. Its internal structure includes a high-efficiency DC-DC power conversion circuit and a multi-channel power switching circuit. The DC-DC power conversion circuit efficiently converts external input power (e.g., 12V DC from the FTU) into stable operating voltages of 3.3V or 5V required by the various chips within the module. The multi-channel power switching circuit consists of multiple MOSFET switches. Its control array is electrically connected to multiple general-purpose input / output pins of the main control unit. The output of each channel is electrically connected to the power input pins of the 4G communication module and the Bluetooth module, respectively. This allows the main control unit to precisely and independently control the power supply of the high-power communication module by changing the output level of its GPIO pins.

[0031] To achieve ultra-low power standby and rapid fault response for the module, this embodiment also includes an independent wake-up trigger circuit. The signal input stage of this circuit is electrically connected to the output of the signal conditioning circuit in the analog acquisition unit, while its signal output stage is electrically connected to the hardware interrupt pin of the microcontroller chip in the main control unit. The main structure of this wake-up trigger circuit is a voltage comparator circuit.

[0032] When a ground fault occurs on the line, the abnormal signal captured by the analog acquisition unit is conditioned and sent to the input stage of the voltage comparator. If the amplitude of the signal exceeds the threshold set by a reference voltage source inside the comparator, the level state of its output stage will flip. This level change constitutes an effective hardware interrupt signal and is directly applied to the interrupt pin of the main control unit, thereby waking up the main control unit from deep sleep mode and enabling it to immediately restore its full-speed computing capability to perform fault diagnosis and reporting procedures.

[0033] Working Principle: During most of the time when the power grid is operating normally and there are no grounding faults, the module is in a low-power standby state. This is achieved by the microcontroller chip in the main control unit sending control signals to the multi-channel power switch circuit in the intelligent power management unit via its general-purpose input / output pins. This physically cuts off the power supply to high-power peripherals such as the 4G communication module. The microcontroller chip then enters a deep sleep mode, with only the internal real-time clock circuit and a few necessary I / O state maintenance circuits continuing to operate with a small current. When a grounding fault occurs, the abnormal analog signal is captured by the analog signal acquisition unit and processed by the signal conditioning circuit before being sent to an independent wake-up trigger circuit. Inside this circuit, a voltage comparator compares the amplitude of this signal with an internally set reference voltage. Once the signal amplitude exceeds this threshold, the output level of the voltage comparator flips, generating a valid hardware interrupt signal. This interrupt signal is directly applied to the dedicated hardware interrupt pin of the microcontroller chip in the main control unit, forcing it to recover from deep sleep. Upon activation, the main control unit immediately initiates the fault diagnosis and reporting process. First, it controls the power switch circuit of the intelligent power management unit via GPIO pins to restore power to the 4G communication module. Simultaneously, the analog-to-digital converter module within the main control unit begins high-speed, continuous sampling of fault characteristic signals and analyzes the data structure of the artificial intelligence diagnostic model stored in the non-volatile memory chip. After diagnosis, the results are formatted into data packets conforming to the communication protocol and sent to the ready 4G communication module via the serial communication interface circuit. The 4G module then reports the data to the remote monitoring cloud platform via the cellular network. Furthermore, in on-site debugging or maintenance scenarios, the main control unit can activate and control the Bluetooth module to establish a two-way data path with the maintenance personnel's portable device, enabling short-range device status reading, historical fault log querying, or internal configuration parameter updates.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication, characterized by, include: Main control unit; A multi-mode communication unit, comprising a network interface circuit, a 4G communication module, and a Bluetooth module; Analog signal acquisition unit, used to directly acquire ground fault characteristic signals of the line; The main control unit is electrically connected to each module of the multi-mode communication unit and the analog quantity acquisition unit.

2. A ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication as claimed in claim 1, wherein: Furthermore, it also includes: An intelligent power management unit is electrically connected to the main control unit and supplies power to each unit within the module.

3. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 1, wherein: The analog signal acquisition unit internally consists of: At least one signal input terminal for connecting to an external voltage or current transformer; A signal conditioning circuit, electrically connected to the signal input terminal, is used to filter and amplify the acquired analog signal before transmitting it to the main control unit.

4. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 1, wherein: The main control unit is a microcontroller chip, and the microcontroller chip integrates the following in its system-on-a-chip: At least one analog-to-digital converter module, the signal input terminal of which is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the analog quantity acquisition unit; Multiple serial or parallel communication interface circuits, whose data ports are electrically connected to the data interfaces of the network interface circuit, the 4G communication module, and the Bluetooth module, respectively; The real-time clock circuit has an independent timer inside, which is used to maintain the timing function when the microcontroller chip core is in sleep mode.

5. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 1, wherein: It also includes: a wake-up trigger circuit; The signal input stage of the wake-up trigger circuit is electrically connected to the physical layer signal output terminal of the network interface circuit or the signal conditioning circuit output terminal of the analog acquisition unit. The signal output stage of the wake-up trigger circuit is electrically connected to a hardware interrupt pin of the main control unit.

6. A ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication as claimed in claim 5, wherein: The main body of the wake-up trigger circuit is a voltage comparator circuit. When the amplitude of its input stage signal exceeds the internal reference voltage, its output stage level flips to generate the hardware interrupt signal required by the main control unit.

7. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 2, wherein: The intelligent power management unit includes: A high-efficiency DC-DC power conversion circuit is used to convert external input power into the operating voltage required by the module. The multi-channel power switch circuit has its control terminal array electrically connected to multiple general-purpose input / output pins of the main control unit, and each channel output terminal is electrically connected to the power pins of the 4G communication module and the Bluetooth module, respectively.

8. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 4, wherein: The microcontroller chip is further electrically connected to a non-volatile memory chip, and the storage array of the non-volatile memory chip contains the data structure of an artificial intelligence diagnostic model for grounding faults.

9. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 1, wherein: The main control unit, multi-mode communication unit, analog signal acquisition unit, and intelligent power management unit are all integrated on the same printed circuit board.

10. The ground fault detection module for multi-mode communication of claim 1, wherein: The physical interface structure of the multi-mode communication unit includes: The network interface circuit is equipped with an RJ45 physical connector. The 4G communication module is equipped with an SMA radio frequency antenna interface.

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