Monitoring systems for power transmission and / or distribution networks

Abstract

A monitoring system for an electric power transmission and / or distribution network is disclosed. The system comprises a short-range wireless transceiver (110) arranged at a predetermined location relative to an equipment device (120) and configured to receive a signal (S1) from a portable device (130), and a controller (140) configured to determine a location of the portable device based at least in part on the received signal. The controller is further configured to verify whether the determined location is within a predetermined warning zone (150) at least partially surrounding the equipment device, and to generate a warning signal (S2) if the determined location is verified to be within the warning zone.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Technical Field The present invention relates generally to the field of power transmission and / or distribution networks, and more particularly to safety systems for personnel working in such networks, particularly in substations. [Background technology]

[0002] background Workplace safety is important for engineers and field workers working around high-voltage equipment in the transmission and / or distribution network. Therefore, safety precautions may be taken to protect employees from accidental exposure to energized components. Safety precautions may include safety equipment installed at the facility, such as physical barriers, warning signs, and clearly marked escape routes, as well as personal protective accessories such as gloves, face masks, etc. Training, authorization, and good practice are also important to prevent accidents and fatalities.

[0003] Adherence to the above precautions and practices can reduce the risk of employee exposure to energized parts of high voltage equipment. However, there remains a need for techniques to improve workplace safety in the electricity transmission and / or distribution network. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] overview It is an object of at least some of the embodiments of the inventive concept to provide an improved alternative to the above-mentioned prior art. This and other objects can be achieved by a monitoring system and method having the features defined in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the inventive concept are defined by the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Thus, according to a first aspect, there is provided a monitoring system for an electric power transmission and / or distribution network, comprising a short-range wireless transceiver and a controller. The transceiver is disposed at a predetermined position relative to an equipment device of the electric power transmission and / or distribution network and is configured to receive signals from a portable device. The controller is configured to determine a location of the portable device based at least in part on the received signals and to verify whether the determined location is within a predetermined warning zone at least partially surrounding the equipment device. Furthermore, the controller may be configured to generate a warning signal if the determined location is verified to be within the warning zone.

[0006] According to a second aspect, there is provided a monitoring method including receiving a signal from a portable device and determining a location of the portable device relative to a warning zone at least partially surrounding an equipment device of an electric power transmission and / or distribution network. The location is determined at least in part based on the received signal and a predetermined position of a transceiver relative to the equipment device. The method further includes verifying whether the determined location is within the warning zone and generating a warning signal if the determined location is within the warning zone.

[0007] The concept of the present invention is based on the technical insight that one or several short-range wireless transceivers can be used to detect whether a mobile device is located within a predetermined warning zone around an equipment device. The mobile device may be preferably carried by a person moving around an environment where the equipment device is located, such as a substation, and a warning signal can be generated if the person gets too close to the equipment device, i.e., enters the predetermined warning zone. It should be noted that by determining the location of the transceiver and thus the mobile device relative to the equipment device, information can be obtained not only about the distance between the person and the equipment device, but also about the direction in which the person approaches the equipment device. This allows the shape of the warning zone to be irregular or asymmetrical, and thus more precisely defined around the equipment device. Therefore, the extension of the warning zone can vary between different sides of the equipment device. Therefore, the warning zone can be manually adjusted or adjusted to meet the specific needs of the actual environment, or it can be predetermined, for example, based on a specified general clearance distance (plus a possible safety margin).

[0008] If a portable device is detected to be located within a warning zone, a warning signal may be generated to notify or alert the person carrying the portable device of this fact. Alternatively or additionally, a safety block mechanism may be activated, thereby de-energizing the equipment device. These operations are described in more detail below.

[0009] The monitoring system can be based on local decisions and does not require communication between different transceivers or between the transceivers and any central control or monitoring system. Furthermore, the inventive concept is advantageous over techniques based on, for example, global navigation satellite systems, because the monitoring system operates in environments shielded from satellite signals.

[0010] The warning signal may be transmitted by the transceiver to the portable device, allowing the portable device to notify the person carrying the portable device that they have entered a warning zone and that they are approaching a potentially dangerous facility device. The warning signal may therefore trigger an alarm mechanism on the portable device, which may, for example, vibrate or emit an audio or light signal to attract the attention of the carrier. In some examples, the portable device may further indicate when it has exited the warning zone, i.e., when the person carrying the portable device has again left the warning zone. The indication may be based, for example, on the transceiver ceasing to transmit the warning signal or sending a further signal to the portable device indicating that it is no longer in the warning zone.

[0011] Alternatively or additionally, the warning signal may be transmitted to a safety block mechanism. The safety block mechanism may, for example, be configured to cause the equipment device to enter a safety mode in response to receiving the warning signal. The safety mode may, for example, be characterized by the equipment device being de-energized. Thus, a monitoring system according to the inventive concept may be able to monitor the movements of a person carrying a mobile device and de-energize dangerous equipment if the person is getting too close, i.e., within a predetermined warning zone around the equipment.

[0012] In one example, the safety block mechanism may be configured to prevent the equipment device from being energized if a warning signal is received. In other words, the monitoring system may verify that the portable device is not within the warning zone before energizing the equipment device. If it is verified that the portable device is indeed located within the warning zone, the monitoring system may act to ensure that the equipment device is not energized.

[0013] The controller may be configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on the determined distance between the mobile device and the short-range wireless transceiver and further based on the determined direction information of the signal from the mobile device. Thus, determining the location may include determining the propagation direction of a signal transmitted by the mobile device and incident on the transceiver's antenna. The direction information may be achieved, for example, by determining the maximum signal strength during an antenna rotation or by measuring the time difference of arrival between individual elements of the transceiver's antenna array. The transceiver may include, for example, an array of antenna elements that enables determination of the angle of arrival (AoA) or received signal. The AoA may be determined by measuring the phase difference of signals received at individual antenna elements in the array, and the determined AoA may indicate the angular direction in which the mobile device is located relative to the transceiver. Preferably, the AoA determination may be combined with a distance determination based on received signal strength to obtain a measure of the actual location of the mobile device relative to the transceiver and, therefore, the equipment device.

[0014] The inventive concept is advantageous in that it allows for determining the location of a mobile device using signals from the mobile device received by a single transceiver. However, several transceivers may be used to verify the location of the mobile device, although unlike, for example, triangulation-based techniques, this is not a requirement in the context of the present disclosure.

[0015] It will be appreciated that the determined location of the mobile device may not be limited to the warning zone, but may be limited to the coverage area of ​​the transceiver, allowing the movements of a person carrying a mobile device to be monitored and tracked even outside the warning zone.

[0016] The controller may be configured to receive information indicating whether the equipment device is energized or de-energized. This information may be used to determine whether to generate a warning signal when the mobile device is determined to be within a warning zone. Preferably, the warning signal may only be generated if the equipment device is energized and therefore dangerous to approach. Thus, the monitoring system may provide warning functionality to warn persons approaching energized equipment.

[0017] Information indicating the status of the equipment devices, such as whether they are energized or de-energized, may be received from the equipment devices themselves, for example, via a serial interface or wired communication channel between the equipment devices and the controller and / or transceivers. This allows the monitoring system to operate and make decisions locally without involving any central controller or central intelligence. Alternatively or additionally, the information may be received from a central node, such as a central controller configured to control and coordinate multiple transceivers installed in various locations, such as throughout a substation.

[0018] The controller may be integrated into the transceiver such that the transceiver and controller form a common unit, making it possible to provide the functionality and intelligence of the inventive concept in a single unit that is relatively easy to move and install in a desired location, either permanently or temporarily, depending on the safety requirements in place.

[0019] In some further examples, the controller may be located within the mobile device. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the controller, or the functionality of the controller as outlined above, may also be distributed across two or more different entities, such as a central station control system, individual transceivers, the mobile device, and a remote cloud-based server.

[0020] As previously mentioned, a monitoring system may include a central controller or node and multiple transceivers communicatively connected to the central node. The central controller may, for example, form part of a station control system. The connection may be achieved, for example, via a local network or backbone, which may be wired or wireless. The central controller may be configured to receive signals from the mobile devices from one or several transceivers, process information from the transceivers to determine the location of the mobile devices, track the movements of the person over time, monitor the status of the equipment devices (e.g., track whether the equipment devices are powered, as described above), and generate or cause the transceivers to generate a warning signal in response to determining that the person is within a warning zone, which is transmitted via the transceivers. The local network or backbone may further be used to transmit the warning signal to a safety block mechanism.

[0021] The central controller, in one example, may be configured to receive one or more signals from one or more mobile devices via multiple transceivers and use that information to determine the location of the mobile device(s). Determining the location may include, for example, triangulation between two or more transceivers.

[0022] The controller may be configured to track the movement of the mobile device relative to the one or more transceivers and store the tracked movement in a database, thereby enabling tracking of personnel working in proximity to the facility device and, further, for example, in the event of an incident, allowing the personnel movement to be analyzed at a later time to better understand the sequence of events leading up to the incident.

[0023] The controller may be configured to share the location information with other controllers, for example, located in other geographic locations. The location information may be shared, for example, over a wide area network. The transceiver may be located, for example, in a remote or unmanned station, and the location information may be sent to a central control facility, from which the station can be monitored and operated. If the equipment device forms part of a first substation of an electric power transmission and / or distribution network, the controller may be configured to share the determined location with a control system of a second substation. This may enable the second substation to prevent a person from energizing a feeder if it is determined that a person is too close to the feeder termination of the first substation.

[0024] For the sake of brevity, short-range wireless transceivers, also referred to as "transceivers" in this application, generally refer to wireless transceivers that are used in communication with Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, short-range wireless communications, ultra-wideband, and IEE E It refers to a radio frequency transmitter device that utilizes technologies such as 802.15.4. Short-range transceivers may be low-power transmitters, typically limited to 25-100 mW of effective radiated power, limiting their effective range to a few hundred meters. Transceivers are sometimes called anchors or beacons.

[0025] The equipment device may form part of a substation installation. A substation may act as a connection point between different lines of an electrical system, may further convert voltage from high to low or vice versa, or may perform any of several other important functions in an electrical transmission or distribution network. Substations and various substation installations are often designed differently. The inventive concept is advantageous in that it makes it easier for field workers or engineers to safely navigate a substation and aids in the tasks of accessing, inspecting, and performing actions on the equipment.

[0026] The mobile device may be a handheld device such as a mobile phone or tablet, or integrated into clothing or personal protective accessories, such as a safety vest or protective helmet, which may preferably be mandatory for personnel to wear. The mobile device may be configured to broadcast a signal whenever it is carried within the facility housing the equipment device.

[0027] It will be appreciated that other embodiments besides those described above are possible. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, for example, a monitoring system may be capable of handling multiple mobile devices carried by different people within a facility, i.e., determining their locations and sending warning signals to them. Thus, the system may be capable of identifying a specific mobile device from multiple mobile devices located within a warning zone and generating a warning signal targeted to that specific mobile device. This may be achieved, for example, by each mobile device adding a unique identifier to its signal, which can be used by the controller to generate a warning signal addressed to the specific mobile device. It will also be appreciated that any of the features and advantages of the embodiments described above for the monitoring system according to the first aspect may be combined with the method according to the second aspect.

[0028] Other objects, features, and advantages of the accompanying embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description, the appended dependent claims, and the drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that different features of the invention, even if recited in different claims, can be combined in embodiments other than those described below.

[0029] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Exemplary embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to another embodiment. [Figure 3a] 1 illustrates an example of a transceiver and a mobile device according to some embodiments. [Figure 3b] 1 illustrates an example of a transceiver and a mobile device according to some embodiments. [Figure 4a] 1A-1C illustrate examples of transceivers located in handheld devices and personal protection accessories, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4b] 1A-1C illustrate examples of transceivers located in handheld devices and personal protection accessories, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the method of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] As shown in the figures, the sizes of elements and regions may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes, and as such, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that they are provided to illustrate the general structure of the embodiments. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0032] Detailed Description Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments are shown. However, the inventive concept may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0033] 1, a monitoring system for an electric power transmission and / or distribution network is outlined. The system may include a short-range wireless transceiver 110, hereinafter also referred to as a “receiver,” located at a predetermined position relative to an equipment device 120 of the electric power transmission and / or distribution network. The transceiver 110 may be configured to receive a signal S1 from a mobile device 130 and to send a warning signal if a determined location of the mobile device 130 is within a warning zone 150 of the equipment device 120.

[0034] The equipment devices 120 may form part of the substation 10 and may be (or form part of) for example, lightning arresters, power transformers, bus bars, circuit breakers, relays, etc. The equipment devices 120 may be energized, for example, with high voltage power and may generate electromagnetic fields that may be harmful in close proximity to the equipment. Additionally, the equipment devices 120 may include components or parts that are normally de-energized or may be temporarily de-energized and may become energized unexpectedly or accidentally.

[0035] The equipment device 120 may be associated with a warning zone 150, which may be defined as a clearance that must be observed to avoid accidental contact with the equipment device 120 or a dangerous portion of the equipment device 120. In some examples, the warning zone 150 may be larger than a recommended or prescribed minimum clearance to allow a warning signal to be generated with a certain safety margin before the portable device 130 gets too close to the equipment device 120. The warning zone 150 may have a shape that varies in different directions from the equipment device 120. As shown in FIG. 1 , the warning zone 150 may be defined by a specific radius measured from a point on the equipment device 120, such as an exposed, live component, to which access should be avoided. The warning zone 150 may extend to a second side of the equipment device 120 rather than a first side, depending on, for example, the location and accessibility of the dangerous portion of the equipment. The warning zone 150 may correspond to a two-dimensional area, such as that shown by the dashed line in this figure, or a three-dimensional volume in space.

[0036] The transceiver 110 may be located at a predetermined or known position relative to the equipment device 120 and / or the warning zone 150. Thus, the transceiver may be located a known distance from or co-located with the equipment device 120. In some examples, the transceiver 110 may be part of or integrated with the equipment device 120. In further examples, the transceiver 110 may be removably or permanently attached to the equipment device 120. A signal incident on the transceiver 110 can be used to determine the location of the portable device 130 relative to the warning zone 150. The location can be determined based on the distance and direction between the transceiver 110 and the portable device 130, as described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b, in combination with a known positional relationship between the transceiver 110 and the equipment device 120 and / or the warning zone 150.

[0037] In the example of FIG. 1 , mobile device 130 is located outside warning zone 150. Mobile device 130 may be configured to broadcast a radio frequency signal S1, which may be configured to support, for example, Bluetooth 5.1 direction finding functionality. The broadcast signal S1 may be received by transceiver 110 and analyzed by a controller (not shown) to determine the location of mobile device 130. If mobile device 130 is determined to be located within warning zone 150, a warning signal may be generated by the controller and sent via transceiver 110. The warning signal may be transmitted, for example, to mobile device 130, which may be configured to act on the signal to notify a person carrying or at least near the mobile device that the person is within or at least near warning zone 150. Mobile device 130 may be configured to notify the person, for example, by an acoustic, visual, or tactile signal. Alternatively or additionally, the controller may send the warning signal to a dedicated warning device, such as a siren or beacon light, which may be configured to generate a warning signal based on the warning signal and thus notify any person approaching the equipment device.

[0038] In a further example, the warning signal may be transmitted to a safety block mechanism (not shown in FIG. 1 ) that may be configured to cause the facility device 120 to enter a safety mode in response to receiving the warning signal. As a result of entering the safety mode, for example, the facility device 120 may be de-energized.

[0039] In some examples, the warning signal may be generated only if the equipment device is not already in a safe mode. In other words, the monitoring system may be configured to check whether the equipment device 120 is energized before any warning signal is generated. The warning signal may be generated in response to the equipment device 120 being dangerous to contact, i.e., being energized. Consequently, if the equipment device 120 is already in a safe mode, i.e., de-energized and thus can be approached and touched without danger, no warning signal will be generated.

[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates a monitoring system including multiple transceivers 120a, 120b, and 120c (collectively referred to as 120) that may be located in respective equipment devices 110a, 110b, and 110c (collectively referred to as 110). The monitoring system and transceivers 120 may be configured similarly to the embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 1. Preferably, the monitoring system may be implemented in an environment including multiple equipment devices 110, such as the six exemplary equipment devices 120a-120f shown in FIG. 2. One or several warning zones 150 may be defined, such as one surrounding equipment device 120e. The warning zone 150 in equipment device 120f may be monitored by transceiver 110b, which in this example is located in adjacent equipment device 120b and at a predetermined location relative to equipment device 120e. If a mobile device 130 enters the warning zone 150, transceiver 110b may generate the warning signal S2 described above.

[0041] The transceivers 110 may be communicatively connected to a controller 140, which in this example may be a central controller 140 that may be common to all three transceivers 110. The controller may be configured to determine the location of the portable device 130 based on signals from the portable device 130 received at one of the transceivers 110 and / or by triangulation between two or more of the transceivers 110. The controller 140 may further be configured to track the movement of the portable device 130 through an environment including the equipment device 120 and store the path P1 of the portable device 130 in a database for future reference and analysis. The tracking may be based on input from one or some of the transceivers 110. In this example, the portable device is shown moving along path P1 into the warning zone 150 of facility device 120e, receiving warning signal S2 from transceiver 110b, leaving warning zone 150 in response to receiving warning signal S2, continuing to facility device 120c, and then leaving the environment. The illustrated path P2 is the result of monitoring the movement of portable device 130 performed by transceiver 110, which may be configured to receive signal S1 broadcast by portable device 130 as it moves through the environment.

[0042] The transceivers 110 may communicate with the central controller 140 via a wired or wireless network. The network may, in some examples, comprise one or several relay nodes configured to transmit communication signals from the transceivers 110 to the central controller 140. Such a network may be referred to as a backbone network and may be provided to ensure that short-range signals from the transceivers 110 are correctly transmitted to the central controller 140. The central controller 140 may, for example, form part of a station control system.

[0043] Thus, the controller 140, which may be central and therefore common to several transceivers 110, or which may be local to each transceiver 110, may be configured to receive (or track) the status of the equipment devices associated with the warning zone 150. The controller 140 may thus have access to information indicating whether the equipment devices are dangerous to approach, such as whether they are energized or not, and can act accordingly.

[0044] 3a and 3b, an example of transmitting and receiving signals from a mobile device 130 is shown.

[0045] 3a and 3b illustrate a transceiver 110 and a portable device 130 according to some embodiments, which may be configured similarly to those disclosed in connection with Figures 1 and 2. The transceiver 110 may include a controller 140, which in this example may be integrated into the transceiver 140 and may be communicatively connected to a safety block mechanism 160 for causing the equipment device to enter a safety mode, as described above.

[0046] The transceiver 110 is configured to receive the signal S1 transmitted by the portable device 130. The transceiver 110 and the portable device 130 may be configured to support, for example, Bluetooth 5.1 direction finding functionality. As described above, the transceiver 110 may be located at a predetermined position relative to the warning zone, while the portable device 130 may be carried by a person moving through the environment in which the equipment device is located.

[0047] 3a shows a mobile device 130 with a single antenna 132 for transmitting a radio frequency signal and a transceiver 110 with an array of antenna elements 112 for determining the angle of arrival (AoA) α of signal S1. By using multiple antenna elements 112, the phase difference of the incident signals can be observed and used to determine the AoA and therefore the direction in which the mobile device 130 is located relative to the warning zone / facility device. In this example, the angle of arrival α is shown as the angle α between the plane defined by the array of antenna elements 112 (indicated by line 114 in FIG. 3a) and the line of sight between the array of antenna elements 112 and the antenna 132 of the mobile device 130.

[0048] An alternative configuration is shown in Figure 3b, in which the mobile device 130 includes an array of antenna elements 132 and the transceiver 110 includes a single antenna 112. As with the configuration of Figure 3a, the direction of the transmitted signal S1 can be determined by observing the phase. In Figure 3b, the direction can be defined as the angle of departure (AoD) β, which can be described by the angle β between the plane defined by the array of antenna elements 132 of the mobile device 130 (shown here by line 134) and the line of sight between the array of antenna elements 132 and the antenna 112 of the transceiver 110.

[0049] The portable device 130 may be configured to be carried by a person, such as a technician or field worker, who moves through an environment in which the equipment devices are located or at least has access to the equipment devices. The portable device 130 may be located, for example, within a handheld device 134, such as a smartphone, as shown in FIG. 4a. Alternatively, the portable device 130 may be located within a personal protective accessory, such as a safety vest 136, as shown in FIG. 4b. Preferably, it should be mandatory to carry the portable device 130 in the vicinity of the equipment devices, such as within the perimeter of a substation.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to one embodiment, which may be configured similarly to the monitoring system described with reference to FIGS. 1-4. The monitoring system may be located in an environment comprising equipment devices and warning zones, as previously described. An example of such an environment may include a substation of an electric power transmission and / or distribution network, such as the first substation 10 shown in FIG. 5. A controller 140, which may be communicatively coupled to one or several transceivers 110, may be configured to determine the current location of a person carrying a portable device (not shown) and, in particular, monitor whether the person is located within a warning zone. FIG. 5 illustrates that this information regarding the location of the person carrying the portable device may be transmitted to another substation 20 different from the first substation 10. Optionally, the second substation 20 may comprise a similar system, i.e., the controller 140 and one or several transceivers 110, for receiving signals from a person carrying a similar portable device at the second substation 20.

[0051] For example, by establishing communication between the first substation 10 and the second substation 20 via the wide area network 15, the location of personnel in the first substation 10 can be shared with the controller 140 of the second substation 20, so that the second substation 20 can be prevented from energizing the feeder if the personnel is located within a warning zone of the feeder termination at the first substation 10.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method in a monitoring system according to any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5. Accordingly, the method can include monitoring the movement of a person within an environment including an equipment device associated with a warning zone. More specifically, a signal S1 from a portable device 130 can be received 210 at a transceiver 110 positioned at a predetermined position relative to the warning zone 150. The received signal S1 is processed by a controller 140 to determine 220 the location of the portable device 130, followed by a verification step of verifying 230 whether the determined location is within the warning zone 150. If the determined location is verified to be within the warning zone 150, a warning signal S2 can be generated 240. The warning signal S2 can trigger notification 250 of a person carrying or wearing the portable device 120 to avoid accidental exposure to live parts of the equipment device 120. Alternatively or additionally, the warning signal S2 can trigger the equipment device 120 to enter a safety mode 260, in which the equipment device 120 can be de-energized.

[0053] In some examples, the method may include transmitting the determined location to another remotely located controller 270. The determined location may be shared with another substation, for example, to prevent the equipment from being energized by the other substation, as outlined above.

[0054] Alternatively, the location of the person carrying the mobile device 110 can be checked before powering on the equipment device to avoid powering on the equipment device if the person gets too close to the equipment device.

[0055] The inventive concept has been described above primarily with reference to certain embodiments, however, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, other embodiments besides those disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A monitoring system for an electricity transmission and / or distribution network, comprising: a short-range wireless transceiver (110) arranged at a predetermined position relative to an installation device (120) of said power transmission and / or distribution network and configured to receive a signal (S1) from a mobile device (130); a controller (140) of the short-range wireless transceiver (110) configured to determine a location of the mobile device based at least in part on the received signal and to verify whether the determined location is within a predetermined warning zone (150) of any shape that at least partially surrounds the equipment device; the short-range wireless transceiver is configured to be able to set a reception area that covers the warning zone; The monitoring system, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a warning signal (S2) if the determined location is confirmed to be within the warning zone.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the short-range wireless transceiver is configured to transmit the alert signal to the mobile device.

3. 3. The monitoring system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is configured to send the warning signal to a safety blocking mechanism (160) that de-energizes the facility device.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the safety block mechanism is configured to cause the equipment device to enter a de-energized safety mode in response to receiving the warning signal.

5. The monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the safety block mechanism is configured to prevent the equipment device from being energized when the warning signal is received.

6. 10. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on a determined distance between the mobile device and the short-range wireless transceiver and further based on determined directional information of the signal from the mobile device.

7. 7. The surveillance system of claim 6, wherein the short-range wireless transceiver comprises an array of antennas (112) that enables the direction information to be determined as an angle of arrival of the signal from the mobile device.

8. 2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive information indicating whether the equipment device is energized or de-energized and to generate the warning signal if the equipment device is energized.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the portable device is located within a garment or personal protective accessory.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is included in the short-range wireless transceiver.

11. The monitoring system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of short-range wireless transceivers, each configured to receive the signal from the mobile device and communicatively connected to the controller.

12. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the location of the mobile device by triangulation between two or more of the short-range wireless transceivers.

13. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to track movements of the mobile device and store the movements in a database.

14. 2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the equipment device forms part of a first substation (10) of the electricity transmission and / or distribution network, and the controller is configured to share the determined location with a control system of a second substation (20).

15. 1. A monitoring method comprising: A short-range wireless transceiver (110) Receiving a signal from a mobile device (210); determining (220) a location of the portable device relative to a warning zone at least partially surrounding an equipment device of an electric power transmission and / or distribution network, the location being determined at least in part based on the received signal and a predetermined position of the transceiver relative to the equipment device; verifying (230) whether the determined location is within the warning zone; generating (240) a warning signal if the determined location is within the warning zone.

16. 1. A monitoring system for an electricity transmission and / or distribution network, comprising: a short-range wireless transceiver (110) arranged at a predetermined position relative to an installation device (120) of the power transmission and / or distribution network and configured to receive a signal (S1) from a mobile device (130), the short-range wireless transceiver including an array of antenna elements (112) for measuring a phase difference of the received signal; a controller (140) of the short-range wireless transceiver (110) configured to determine a location of the mobile device based at least in part on the received signals and to verify whether the determined location is within a predetermined warning zone (150) at least partially surrounding the equipment device; the controller is further configured to generate a warning signal (S2) if the determined location is confirmed to be within the warning zone; the controller is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on a determined distance between the mobile device and the short-range wireless transceiver and further based on determined directional information of the signal from the mobile device.

17. the warning zone has a shape in which the distance measured from the equipment device changes in different directions; the warning zone comprises a two-dimensional area defined by a non-constant radius measured from above the equipment device, or a three-dimensional volume in space; the alert signal (S2) generates a notification on the mobile device; 17. The monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a further signal to notify the mobile device when the determined location is confirmed to be outside the warning zone.

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