SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PHASE IDENTIFICATION BY RELATIVE PHASE ANGLE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract

Systems for determining the phase of a device connected to a power distribution system. The system includes several gateway devices configured to transmit a synchronization signal. The gateway device receives a node response message from a first node device that includes a duration value indicating the time between the reception of the transmitted synchronization signal and a detected zero crossing. The gateway device compares this duration value with the duration values ​​received from node devices with a known phase connection and determines the phase of the first node device based on this comparison.

Description

This application claims priority and benefit from Provisional Patent Application US No. 63 / 047.442; filed on July 2, 2020, the full content of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD The achievements disclosed herein relate to the determination of phases in energy distribution networks. BACKGROUND In power distribution networks that supply multiphase power to multiple distribution locations, accurately determining the phase associated with each location can be challenging. Knowing the phase associated with each location can be beneficial for improving maintenance, ensuring load balancing, reducing outage times, and more. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to one embodiment of the present description, a system is provided for determining the phase of a device. The system includes a number of gateway devices. Each gateway device is in electronic communication with one or more node devices connected to a power distribution network and has memory and one or more electronic processors. The electronic processors are configured to transmit a synchronization signal and receive a node response message from one or more node devices. The node response message includes a duration value indicating the time between the reception of the transmitted synchronization signal and a detected zero crossing.The electronic processors are further configured to compare the duration value with the duration values ​​received from at least one second node device with a known phase connection, determine a phase of the first node device based on the comparison, and store the phase of the first node device in memory. In one aspect, the one or more node devices are electrically coupled to a power distribution system and include a memory and one or more electronic processors. The one or more electronic processors are configured to receive the synchronization message and determine a zero crossing of an AC waveform from the power distribution system that occurs after receiving the synchronization message. The one or more electronic processors are further configured to calculate the duration value between the reception of the synchronization message and the determined zero crossing, generate the node response message comprising the duration value, and transmit the node response message. In another aspect, the node response message also includes a node identification value and a synchronization ID value. The synchronization ID value is associated with the received synchronization message. In another aspect, the synchronization message is transmitted using a wireless communication protocol. In another aspect, the wireless communication protocol is an RF communication protocol. In another aspect, the one or more node devices are selected from a group consisting of electronic measuring devices, sensors, and distribution automation devices. In another aspect, the one or more electronic processors of the gateway device are also configured to transmit the determined phase at the first node. In another embodiment of the present description, a method is provided for determining the phase of a node device connected to a power distribution network. The method includes transmitting a first synchronization signal to one or more node devices. The method also includes receiving a data message from a first node device, where the data message includes a duration value. The method includes comparing the duration value received from the first node device with the duration values ​​received from at least one second node device with a known phase connection, determining the phase of the first node device based on the comparison, and storing the phase of the first node device in a memory of the gateway device. In another aspect, the method is carried out using a central computing device. In another aspect, the method is carried out by means of a plurality of gateway devices in electronic communication with one or more nodes. In another aspect, determining the phase of the first node device involves establishing a relationship between the duration value of the first node device and the duration values ​​received from one or more node devices with a known phase connection. The phase of the first node device is then determined to be either the same phase, a phase shift of +120°, or a phase shift of -120° based on this established relationship. In another aspect, the method also includes receiving the first synchronization message at the first node device and determining, at the first node device, a zero crossing of an AC waveform from the power distribution system that occurs immediately after receiving the first synchronization message. The method also includes calculating, at the first node device, the duration value between receiving the first synchronization message and the determined zero crossing, which generates, at the first node device, a data message comprising the duration value, a node identification value, and a synchronization ID value. The method also includes transmitting the data message via the first node device. In another aspect, the synchronization ID value is associated with the received synchronization message. In another aspect, the method also includes receiving the determined phase on the first node device and storing the determined phase in a memory of the first node device. In another aspect, the duration values ​​received from at least one node device with a known phase connection are determined on the basis of the first synchronization message. In another embodiment of the present description, a method is provided for determining an electrical phase for one or more devices within a power distribution network. The method includes receiving, at one or more devices, an initial synchronization signal and determining a zero crossing of an AC waveform from the power distribution system that occurs immediately after receiving the initial synchronization signal. The method also includes calculating a duration value between the reception of the initial synchronization signal and the determined zero crossing, and generating a data message comprising the duration value, a node identification value, and a synchronization ID value. The method further includes transmitting the data message to one or more gateway devices using a wireless communication protocol. In another aspect, the external devices are configured to transmit the first synchronization message. In another aspect, the method also includes receiving, on one or more external devices, the data message from a first device or one or more devices and transmitting the received data message to a central computing device. In another aspect, the method also includes comparing, at the central computing device, the duration value received from the first device with the time difference values ​​received from devices with a known phase connection. The method also includes determining, at the central computing device, a power phase for auxiliary services connected to the first device based on this comparison, and transmitting the determined phase to one or more external devices. In another aspect, determining the phase of the first node device comprises determining a phase difference based on comparing the duration value of the first node device and the duration values ​​received from node devices with a known phase connection, and where the phase of the first node device is determined based on the determined phase. Other aspects of the technology will become evident when considering the detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an implementation of a phase determination system, according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the implementation of the gateway device of FIG. 1, according to some implementations. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the implementation of the node devices in FIG. 1, according to some implementations. FIG. 4 is a network diagram illustrating an example of the implementation of the phase determination system, according to some implementations. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an implementation of a method for processing synchronization signals, according to some implementations. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an implementation of a method for processing node response messages, according to some implementations. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an implementation of a method for determining a phase of a node in a power distribution system, according to some implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before explaining in detail any embodiment of the application, it should be understood that the application is not limited in its application to the construction details and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The application is susceptible to other embodiments and may be implemented or carried out in various ways. Figure 1 illustrates an example of the phase determination system 100, according to one embodiment of the description. The phase determination system 100 includes a power distribution network 104 and one or more node devices. 106. In one embodiment, node devices 106 may be a measuring device, such as electrical metering devices (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, etc.). In other embodiments, node devices 106 are coupled to measuring devices, for example, by means of an electrical coupling. Node devices 106 may be mechanically, electrically, and / or communicatively connected to aspects of the power distribution network 104. In other examples, node devices 106 may be sensors, distribution automation devices, energy monitors, switches, and the like. System 100 may further include one or more gateway devices 108. In some examples, gateway devices 108 may be data collection units (DCUs). As illustrated in FIG. 1, node devices 106 can be connected to transformers 109 (e.g., distribution transformers that step down the medium voltage to the low voltage). Gateways 108 can be wirelessly connected to node devices 106 to facilitate communication between the gateways 108 and the node device 106. For example, a gateway 108 can be connected to one or more node devices 106 using one or more wireless protocols, such as cellular (e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE, CDMA, etc.), RF, or other applicable wireless protocols. Gateways 108 can also communicate with a central controller 110. Gateways 108 can communicate with the central controller 110 via a wireless communication protocol, such as those described above.In some examples, gateways 108 can communicate with the central controller 110 via a wired connection, such as a wired internet connection. However, other wired connections are also supported. The central controller 110 can be a server-based controller, a cloud-based controller, or another centralized computing system. In some examples, one of the gateways 108 can be configured to act as the central controller 110. In one embodiment, the power distribution network 104 comprises distribution lines, each of which is adapted to carry electrical power having different wiring phases. For example, the power distribution network 104 may be a three-phase power distribution network (e.g., including phases A, B, and C). In other embodiments, the power distribution network may include more than three phases, such as phases A, AB, B, BC, C, and CA. In one embodiment, a distribution line 104-A may be adapted to carry electrical power in Phase A to one or more node devices 106-A, a distribution line 104-B may be adapted to carry electrical power in Phase B to one or more node devices 106-B, and a distribution line 104-C may be adapted to carry electrical power having Phase C to one or more node devices 106-C.In one embodiment, the distribution lines of the power distribution network 104 can carry electrical power that has a combination of Phase A, Phase B and / or Phase C to the node devices 106. For example, when system 100 includes delta-Y and / or Y-delta transformers, the phases of the outputs of these transformers will not be pure Phase A, Phase B or Phase C, but may be a combination of Phase A, Phase B and / or Phase C. Node devices 106 can be placed in the power distribution network 104 at an endpoint within the distribution network 104. Example endpoints might include residential or commercial locations. In other embodiments, node devices 106A-C can be placed at intermediate locations within the distribution network 104, such as light industrial or commercial substations. In some embodiments, node devices 106 may include a communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with one or more gateways 108. In some embodiments, gateways 108 are placed in multiple locations within the system 100 to facilitate communication with node devices 106 as needed.For example, in some implementations, 108 gateways can be located within 5-10 miles of 106 node devices to ensure communication with the 106 node devices. In some implementations, 108 gateways can be mounted on utility poles at specific intervals or geographic locations to ensure adequate coverage. Returning now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a gateway 108 is shown, according to some embodiments. The gateway 108 can be a standalone device or it can be part of one or more devices, such as power meters, switches, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, the gateway 108 includes a processing circuit 202, a communication interface 204, and an input / output (I / O) interface 206. The processing circuit 202 includes an electronic processor 208 and a memory 210. The processing circuit 202 can be communicatively connected to one or more of the communication interface 204 and the I / O interface 206.The 208 electronic processor can be implemented as a programmable microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of processing components, or with other suitable electronic processing components. Memory 210 (e.g., a non-transient, computer-readable medium) includes one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the various processes, layers, and modules described herein. Memory 210 may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of code and information to support the various activities and information structure described herein. By way of example, memory 210 is communicatively connected to electronic processor 208 through processing circuit 202 and may include computer code to execute (e.g., by processing circuit 202 and / or electronic processor 208) one or more processes described herein. The communication interface 204 is configured to facilitate communication between gateway 108 and one or more external devices or systems, such as a node device 106, the central controller 110, and / or one or more gateways 108. The communication interface 204 may be, or include, wireless communication interfaces (e.g., antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, etc.) to perform data communications between gateway 108 and one or more external devices, such as node devices 106, the central controller 110, and / or one or more gateways 108. In some embodiments, the communication interface 204 uses a proprietary protocol to communicate with node devices 106, the central controller 110, and / or one or more gateways 108.For example, the proprietary protocol could be an RE-based protocol configured to provide efficient and effective communication between gateway 108 and other devices. In other implementations, alternative wireless communication protocols can also be used, such as cellular (3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, CDMA, etc.), Wi-Fi, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Z-Wave, Thread, and / or any other applicable wireless communication protocol. The I / O 206 interface can be configured to interface directly with one or more devices, such as a power supply, a power monitor, etc. In one embodiment, the I / O 206 interface can utilize general-purpose I / O (GPIO) ports, analog inputs, digital inputs, etc. As described above, memory 210 can be configured to store various processes, layers, and modules, which can be executed by the electronic processor 208 and / or the processing circuit 202. In one embodiment, memory 210 includes a synchronization message generation circuit 212. The synchronization message generation circuit 212 is adapted to generate a synchronization message to establish a common duration reference between the gateway 108 and one or more node devices 106. In one embodiment, the synchronization message is transmitted through the communication interface 204, such as through the wireless communication protocols described above. In one embodiment, the synchronization message is a time synchronization message.In other embodiments, the synchronization message may be a counter signal, a pulse, a synchronization beacon, or another unique signal transmitted to all devices within range of the gateway device 108. A time synchronization message may include a time value, such as that provided by a real-time clock or other synchronized clock signal, used to identify the time at which the synchronization message was transmitted. A synchronization beacon may include a unique ID value based, at least in part, on one or more parameters associated with the transmission of the synchronization message. Returning now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a node 106 device is shown, according to some implementations. The node 106 device can be a standalone device or it can be part of one or more devices, such as a power meter. As shown in FIG. 3, node 106 includes a processing circuit. 302, a communication interface 304, and an input / output (I / O) interface 306. The processing circuit 302 includes an electronic processor 308 and a memory 310. The processing circuit 302 can be communicatively connected to one or more of the communication interface 304 and the I / O interface 306. The electronic processor 308 can be implemented as a programmable microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of processing components, or with other suitable electronic processing components. Memory 310 (e.g., a non-transient, computer-readable medium) includes one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the various processes, layers, and modules described herein. Memory 310 may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of code and information to support the various activities and information structure described herein. For example, Memory 310 is communicatively connected to the electronic processor 308 via processing circuit 302 and may include computer code for execution (e.g., by means of the processing circuit). 302 and / or the electronic processor 308) one or more processes described herein. The communication interface 304 is configured to facilitate communication between gateway 106 and one or more external devices or systems, such as gateway 108. Communication interface 304 may be, or include, wireless communication interfaces (e.g., antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, etc.) to perform data communications between node 106 and one or more external devices, such as gateway 108, other node 106 devices, and / or the central controller. In some embodiments, communication interface 304 uses a proprietary protocol to communicate with gateway 108, other node 106 devices, and / or the central controller 110. For example, the proprietary protocol may be an RE-based protocol configured to provide efficient and effective communication between gateway 108, other node 106 devices, the central controller 12, and / or other devices.In other implementations, alternative wireless communication protocols can also be used, such as cellular (3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, CDMA, etc.), Wi-Fi, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Z-wave, Thread and / or any other applicable wireless communication protocol. The I / O 306 interface can be configured to interface directly with one or more devices, such as a power supply, a meter, etc. In one embodiment, the I / O 306 interface can utilize ports, analog inputs, digital inputs, etc., and general-purpose I / O (GPIO). The I / O 306 interface can also be configured to receive data information, such as energy usage, historical data, etc. As described above, memory 310 can be configured to store various processes, layers, and modules, which can be executed by the electronic processor 308 and / or the processing circuit 302. Memory 310 can include a synchronization circuit 312. The synchronization circuit 312 can be configured to receive the synchronization message from gateway 108, detect a zero crossing on a power line connected to node 106, and determine a duration between the reception of the synchronization message and the detected zero crossing, as described in more detail below. For example, the duration can be a time difference between the reception of the synchronization message and the detected zero crossing. In other examples, the duration can be based on a count value difference between the reception of the synchronization message and the detected zero crossing. Other durations are also contemplated herein. Returning now to FIG. 4, a network diagram shows a 400 network of gateways and node devices, according to several embodiments. In one embodiment, the gateways can be similar to the 108 gateways, and the node devices can be similar to the 106 node devices described earlier. As shown in FIG. 4, the 400 network includes several gateways 402, 404, 406, and 408, and several node devices 410, 412, and 414. Each of the gateways 402, 404, 406, and 408 can have an associated wireless coverage area, as described earlier. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, gateway 402 has a coverage area of ​​416, gateway 404 has a coverage area of ​​418, gateway 406 has a coverage area of ​​420, and gateway 408 has a coverage area of ​​422. As shown in FIG. 4, the different coverage areas 416, 418, 420, 422 may have several overlapping areas. One or more node devices (410, 412, 414) may be within the coverage area of ​​one or more gateways (402, 404, 406, 408). For example, node device 410 and node device 412 are located within the coverage area (416) of gateway 402. Node device 412 is also within the coverage area (418) of gateway 404. Node device 414 is located within the coverage area (418) of gateway 404, the coverage area (420) of gateway 406, and the coverage area (422) of gateway 408. Therefore, different gateways may communicate with different node devices depending on various conditions that affect the RF signal, such as distance, weather, obstructions, atmospheric conditions, etc. As described in more detail below with respect to Figures 5 and 6, gateways 402, 404, 406, and 408 can be configured to send one or more synchronization messages to determine a phase associated with one or more of node devices 410, 412, and 414. These synchronization messages can use the synchronization messages described earlier. For example, gateway 402 can send a synchronization message to all node devices within the coverage area of ​​416 (e.g., node 410 and node 412). Node device 410 and node device 412 receive the message and capture a unique ID associated with it. Node device 410 and node device 412 then determine a duration between the reception of the synchronization message and the next zero crossing of the AC power signal associated with each node device 410, 412. Once node devices 410 and 412 determine the time between message reception and zero crossing, they can transmit the information to a central computer, such as the central controller 110 described earlier. In some embodiments, the central computer can be one or more of gateways 402, 404, 406, and 408. In one embodiment, node devices 410 and 412 transmit the information to one or more gateways, such as gateway 402, which can then process the information or forward it to a central controller, such as central controller 110. Gateways 404, 406, and 408 can then send their respective synchronization messages, resulting in four different node device groupings (i.e., nodes 410, 412, and 414) with relative phases between the node devices. In the example in Figure 4, the phase of node device 410 can be known. For example, node device 410 can be configured to have a set phase, such as phase A. In other examples, gateways 402, 404, 406, 408, and a central controller can know the phase associated with node device 410. Using the known phase of node device 410, the remaining node devices within coverage area 416 can be determined based on their measured duration. Since only those node devices within coverage area 416 received the same synchronization message, only they can be compared to the known phase of node 410. Since node device 412 is within coverage area 416, its phase can be determined as described above. With the phase of node device 412 known, subsequent synchronization messages sent through gateway 404 can be used to determine the phase of other node devices within coverage area 418, as node device 412 is also located within the coverage area 418 associated with gateway 404. This process can be repeated for other gateways with overlapping coverage areas, allowing the phase of additional node devices to be determined. Returning now to FIG. 5, a process 500 for processing a received synchronization message is described, according to several embodiments. In one embodiment, process 500 is performed by a node, such as the node device 106 described earlier, and is described with respect to the system 100 described earlier. In process block 502, node 106 receives a synchronization message from a gateway, such as the gateway 108 described earlier. In one embodiment, the synchronization message is transmitted by a gateway 108. The synchronization message may include various information, such as a unique identifier, a timestamp, a sender ID (e.g., gateway ID), and the like. This information can be used by the node device 106 to discriminate between different synchronization signals received from multiple gateways 108. In process block 504, node device 106 detects the first zero-crossing event following the reception of the synchronization message. In process block 506, node 106 calculates a duration (delta) between the reception of the synchronization message and the detected zero-crossing. In one embodiment, the duration is a time difference in degrees between a phase value at the time of the synchronization message transmission and the subsequent zero-crossing detected by a receiving node device 106. In other embodiments, the duration is a time difference in degrees between a phase value at the time of receiving the synchronization message and the subsequent zero-crossing detected by a receiving node device 106. The determined duration is then transmitted in process block 508.In one embodiment, node device 106 transmits the determined duration to a gateway 108, such as the gateway 108 that transmitted the synchronization message. In other embodiments, node device 106 may transmit the duration to a central controller, such as the central controller 110 described earlier. In some examples, node device 106 may generate a message containing the determined duration between the received synchronization message and the detected zero crossing. The synchronization message may further include information such as a node device identifier, a timestamp, the identifier of the gateway 108 that transmitted the synchronization message, and so on. In some embodiments, the synchronization message may include a known phase associated with the node device, where known. Returning now to FIG. 6, a process 600 for processing node response messages is shown, according to some embodiments. Process 600 is described with respect to the system 100 described earlier, but it can be implemented using other systems or devices as described herein. In process block 602, a synchronization message is transmitted. As described earlier, the synchronization message can be transmitted by one or more gateways, such as gateway 108, described earlier. In some embodiments, a central controller, such as central controller 110, can instruct one or more of the gateways 108 to transmit the synchronization messages to the node devices, such as node devices 106.As described above, synchronization messages can be transmitted wirelessly via gateways 108 and can be received by any node device 106 within the wireless coverage area of ​​gateway 108. In some implementations, synchronization messages are sent at predetermined times. In other implementations, synchronization messages can be sent based on a command issued by a user, such as through the central controller 110. As described above, the synchronization message can include various information, such as a unique identifier, a timestamp, a sender ID (e.g., gateway ID), or other information required for a particular application. In process block 604, one or more gateways 108 receive a node response message. As described earlier, node devices 106 can wirelessly transmit the response message using one or more wireless communication protocols, and the message can be received by any gateway 108 that has a wireless coverage area that includes the node device 106. As described earlier, the node response message can include the time between the received synchronization message and a subsequently detected zero crossing, as well as information such as a node device identifier, a timestamp, the identifier of the gateway 108 that transmitted the synchronization message, the synchronization message ID, and so on. In process block 606, gateway 108 determines whether the received node response message corresponds to the synchronization message transmitted by the gateway. For example, gateway 108 can determine whether the received node response message corresponds to the synchronization message based on the gateway identification information within the node response message. For instance, when the gateway identification information within the node response message indicates that node device 106 is responding to a synchronization message sent through gateway 108, gateway 108 determines that the node response message is associated with the previously transmitted synchronization message.In other examples, gateway 108 can determine whether the received node's reply message responds to the synchronization message based on the synchronization message ID matching a transmitted synchronization message that has the same synchronization message ID. In response to the determination that the node's reply message is not associated with a previously transmitted synchronization message, gateway 108 ignores the node's reply message received in process block 608. In response to the determination that the node's reply message is associated with a previously transmitted synchronization message, gateway 108 forwards the node's reply message to a central controller, such as central controller 110, in process block 610. In some implementations, gateway 108 can add additional information to the forwarded node's reply message, such as whether the associated node has a defined phase, historical information, etc. In some implementations, gateway 108 communicates with central controller 110 via a wireless connection.In other embodiments, gateway 108 communicates with central controller 110 via a wired connection. In some embodiments, gateway 108 can be configured to forward all received node response messages to central controller 110, regardless of whether the node response message is a reply to a synchronization message transmitted by gateway 108. This can prevent the loss of node response messages due to changes in the radio range of a given node device 106 and / or gateway device 108. Therefore, by forwarding all node response messages to central controller 110, the number of node response messages received by central controller 110 can be maximized. Returning now to FIG. 7, a flowchart is shown illustrating process 700 for determining the phase of a node device 106 in a power distribution network such as a power distribution network 104, according to several embodiments. In one embodiment, process 700 is executed through a central controller, such as the central controller 110 described above. In one example, the central controller 110 may be a gateway 108, as described above. In still other embodiments, individual gateways 108 may perform process 700. In process block 702, a processed node response message sent by a gateway 108 is received.As described above, the processed node response message can include information such as the duration between the received synchronization message and a subsequently detected zero crossing, as well as information such as a node identifier, a timestamp, the gateway ID that transmitted the synchronization message, the synchronization message ID, the known phase of node device 106, etc. Multiple processed node response messages can be received from multiple gateways 108 at the central controller 110. In process block 704, the central controller 110 groups received node response messages based on the reported durations between received synchronization messages and a subsequently detected zero crossing. In some implementations, received node response messages are grouped for each specific synchronization message. For example, received node response messages can be grouped first by a synchronization message ID and then by the duration between the received synchronization message and the subsequently detected zero crossing. In process block 706, the durations between the received synchronization message and the subsequently detected zero crossing for node devices with unknown phases are compared to the received synchronization message and the subsequently detected zero crossing for node devices with known phases. For example, when a group of node devices has a duration value of 100 ms, and a node device with a known phase also reports a duration value of 100 ms, the node devices 106 with an unknown phase can be grouped with the node devices with a known phase. Specifically, in response to central controller 110 determining that node devices 106 with unknown phases have substantially the same duration as the node device 106 with the known phase, central controller 110 determines that the nodes with the same durations are coupled to the same phase.In one embodiment, a difference of approximately ±15° is considered. However, segmentation values ​​greater than ±15° or less than ±15° are also considered. For example, when the duration value of a first group of node 106 devices is 100ms for a given synchronization message, and the duration of a node 106 device with a known Phase A is the same for a given synchronization message, the central controller 110 can determine that the first group of node 106 devices is also coupled to Phase A. By grouping durations into known categories, it is possible to relate not only similar node devices 106 to each other, but also different node devices. When the duration delay of a first node device 106 is 120° ± 15° later than a reference node device, and the reference node device 106 is in phase A, the central controller 110 can determine that the first node device 106 is in phase B. When the duration of a second node device is 240° ± 15° later than the reference node device, and the reference node device 106 is in phase A, the central controller 110 can determine that the second node device 106 is in phase C. This segmentation process (with a resolution of ±15°) allows for support of up to 12 phases. Other implementations may follow 6 or even 3 phases.In some examples, the segmentation process can be used with a tighter resolution, such as ±5%. When a duration falls outside ±5%, the central controller 110 can provide an indication that the phase of node device 106 is unknown. This can improve the likelihood that all identified node phases are correctly determined. The preceding examples describe duration increments of 120°; however, duration increments of 30°, 60°, or other increments can also be used to determine a given phase of node device 106. For example, using 60° increments allows for the determination of up to 6 phases, while using 30° increments allows for the determination of up to 12 phases, thus increasing the available phase resolution. Furthermore, resolutions of ±15° to ±5° can be used as previously described. Upon determining the phases of one or more node 106 devices, the central controller 110 transmits the known phase information for the node 106 devices to the associated gateways in process block 708. For example, the central controller 110 can transmit the phase information associated with a specific node device ID to multiple gateways 108 in the system. In some implementations, the central controller 110 can only communicate node device phases to those gateways 108 within a specific geographic range of associated nodes to reduce the number and / or range of required transmissions. In other examples, the central controller 110 can only transmit node 106 device phase information to gateways 108 that transmitted node response data from a given node 106 device.Gateway 108 can store the node ID and phase data in memory. In other implementations, the phase information of node device 106 is also provided to the associated node device 106. Node devices 106 can then provide their known phase in subsequent node response messages. In other embodiments, the determined phase information is not transmitted by the central controller 110, but stored in a memory of the central controller 110 for access by one or more users who access the central controller 110 through a user interface. The 700 process described above can be iterative in nature. For example, in some cases, for a given set of node response messages associated with a synchronization message, there may not be enough known nodes to determine all possible phases (e.g., A, B, C, and / or Neutral (N)) and phase combinations (e.g., for connected two-phase devices). For example, the process may determine the phase connections for devices, including phase connections AN, BN, CN, AB, BC, VA, NA (i.e., -AN), NB, NC, BA, CB, and AC. However, due to the overlapping nature of the wireless coverage areas described above, as more node phases are determined, further phase determinations can be made. For example, returning to the 400 network described earlier in FIG. 4, initially only the phase of node 410 can be known, meaning that synchronization messages transmitted by gateways 404, 406, and 408 will not produce any results since none of the nodes within their respective coverage areas have a known phase.However, assuming the determined duration of node 412 falls within a specified range (e.g., ±15%) of the duration of node 410 for a given synchronization message, the phase of node 412 can be determined and provided to other gateways, such as gateways 404, 406, and 408, or to a central controller, such as the central controller 110 described earlier. Therefore, the next time gateway 404 issues a synchronization message, the phase of node 412 (located within coverage area 418) will be known and can be used to determine the phase of other nodes within the coverage area, such as node 414. This process can be used iteratively, since once the phase of node 414 is determined, gateways 406 and 408 will each have at least one node with a known phase within their respective coverage areas.Since each gateway is likely to be in communication with multiple nodes, by iteratively identifying the phases of nodes within overlapping coverage areas, the determination of node phases can continue to increase as more node phases are determined. It is understood that the above example is for illustrative purposes only, and that the phase of node 412 can be determined based on comparison with other nodes with known phases, and / or against the known phase database on one or more of the gateway devices and / or the central controller.

Claims

1. A system for determining the phase of one or more nodes coupled to an electrical distribution system, the system comprising: a plurality of gateway devices, each gateway device being in electronic communication with one or more node devices connected to a power distribution network and having a memory and one or more electronic processors configured to: transmit a synchronization message; receive a node response message from a first node device or one or more node devices, wherein the node response message includes a duration value indicating a duration between the reception of the transmitted synchronization message and a detected zero crossing; compare the duration value with previous duration values ​​received from at least a second node device with a known phase connection; and determine the phase of the first node device on the basis of the comparison.and store the phase of the first node device in memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more node devices are electrically connected to a power distribution system and comprise a memory and one or more electronic processors configured to: receive the synchronization message; determine a zero crossing of an AC waveform from the power distribution system that occurs after the reception of the synchronization message; calculate the duration value between the reception of the synchronization message and the determined zero crossing; generate the node response message comprising the duration value; and transmit the node response message.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the node response message further comprises a node identification value, and a synchronization ID value; and wherein the synchronization ID value is associated with the received synchronization message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronization message is transmitted using a wireless communication protocol.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication protocol is an RE communication protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more node devices are selected from a group consisting of electronic measuring devices, sensors, and 37 distribution automation devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronic processors of the gateway device are also configured to transmit the determined phase at the first node.

8. A method for determining a phase in a node device connected to a power distribution network, the method comprising: transmitting a first synchronization message to one or more node devices; receiving a data message from a first node device from one or more node devices, wherein the data message includes a duration value; comparing the duration value received from the first node device with the duration values ​​received from at least a second node device with a known phase connection; determining a phase of the first node device on the basis of the comparison; and storing the phase of the first node device in a memory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is performed by means of a central computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is carried out by a plurality of gateway devices in electronic communication with one or more nodes.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the phase of the first node device comprises determining a ratio of the duration value of the first node device to the duration values ​​received from one or more node devices with a known phase connection, and wherein the phase of the first node device is determined to be one of the same phase, a phase shifted by +120° and a phase shifted by -120° based on the determined ratio.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving, at the first node device, the first synchronization message; determining, at the first node device, a zero crossing of an AC waveform of the power distribution system that occurs immediately after receiving the first synchronization message; calculating, at the first node device, the duration value between the reception of the first synchronization message and the determined zero crossing; generating, at the first node device, the data message comprising the duration value, a node identification value, and a synchronization ID value; and transmitting, by means of the first node device, the data message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the synchronization ID value is associated with the received synchronization message.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving the determined phase from the first node device; and storing the determined phase in a memory of the first node device.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the duration values ​​received from at least one node device with a known phase connection are determined on the basis of the first synchronization message.

16. A method for determining an electrical phase for one or more devices within a power distribution network, the method comprising: receiving, in one or more devices, a first synchronization message; determining, in one or more devices, a zero crossing of an AC waveform of the power distribution system that occurs after receiving the first synchronization message; calculating, in one or more devices, a duration value between the reception of the first synchronization message and the determined zero crossing; generating, in one or more devices, a data message comprising the duration value, a device identification value, and a synchronization ID value; and transmitting, by one or more devices, the data message to an external device using a wireless communication protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the external devices are configured to transmit the first synchronization message.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: receiving, in one or more external devices, the data message from a first device of one or more devices; and transmitting the received data message to a central computing device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: comparing, in the central computing device, the duration value received from the first device with the time difference values ​​received from devices with a known phase connection; determining, in the central computing device, a power phase for auxiliary services coupled to the first device on the basis of the comparison; and transmitting the determined phase to one or more external devices.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determination of the phase of the first node device comprises determining a phase difference based on comparing the duration value of the first node device and the duration values ​​received from node devices with a known phase connection, and wherein the phase of the first node device is determined on the basis of the determined phase.

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