Submarine Cable Branching Relay State Detection via Interlocking Relays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing submarine cable systems face difficulties in accurately monitoring the state of each high-voltage relay within a branching device, particularly when multiple resistance values are not designed to be monitored individually.
Innovation Solution
A branching device is configured with interlocking relays associated with high-voltage relays, a drive unit to supply drive electric current, a state detection unit to monitor the interlocking relays, and a response unit to transmit the operation state of the high-voltage relays, allowing for the acquisition of each relay's state through a simple configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a branching device monitors the total of multiple resistance values connected in series, then power supply state information can be acquired, but it becomes difficult to acquire the state of each individual high-voltage relay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring system into segmented units by associating each high-voltage relay with a dedicated interlocking relay. Instead of monitoring the total resistance of all relays together, each relay's state is monitored individually through its own interlocking relay, enabling precise acquisition of each relay's operational state while maintaining system-wide monitoring capability.
2Measurement precision
If individual monitoring of each high-voltage relay is implemented, then accurate relay state information can be acquired, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces interlocking relays as intermediary elements between the high-voltage relays and the monitoring system. Each interlocking relay is electrically connected in parallel with its corresponding high-voltage relay and shares the same drive electric current. This intermediary structure allows the monitoring device to acquire accurate state information of each high-voltage relay through the interlocking relays without directly complicating the high-voltage relay circuitry, thus maintaining relative system simplicity while achieving precise individual monitoring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables the accurate and straightforward acquisition of the state of each high-voltage relay, improving the monitoring and control of the submarine cable system.
Implementation Method 1
a drive unit for supplying drive electric current supplied to a plurality of high-voltage relays to the plurality of associated interlocking relays
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are: a submarine cable system with which it is possible, with a simple configuration, to acquire the state of each of a plurality of high-voltage relays in a branching device; the branching device; and a state response method therefor. The branching device 13 comprises: a plurality of interlocking relays 132a, 132b, 132c respectively corresponding to a plurality of high-voltage relays 131a, 131b, 131c for switching feeding paths; a drive unit 133 which supplies drive electric currents supplied to the plurality of high-voltage relays 131a, 131b, 131c to the plurality of corresponding interlocking relays 132a, 132b, 132c, respectively; a state detection unit 134 which detects operation states of the plurality of interlocking relays 132a, 132b, 132c as the operation states of the plurality of high-voltage relays 131a, 131b, 131c; and a response unit 135 which, on the basis of the result of detection of the operation states of the plurality of interlocking relays 132a, 132b, 132c, transmits the operation states of the plurality of high-voltage relays 131a, 131b, 131c.