Cellular Power Grid Autonomous Fault Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power distribution grid systems require excessive time, effort, and resources to resolve undesired events like power outages, and they often result in prolonged disruptions as they struggle to quickly isolate issues and restore power efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A power distribution grid comprising a plurality of cells with independent power management systems, monitoring, and control systems that allow for real-time monitoring and autonomous control of electrical energy distribution, enabling quick isolation of faults and restoration of power without affecting other areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a centralized power distribution system is used, then coordination and control are simplified, but response time to faults increases and isolation capability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The power distribution system is divided into multiple independently controllable cells, each capable of autonomous fault detection and isolation. This segmentation enables parallel fault handling across different regions, significantly reducing overall response time while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional radial one-dimensional power flow to a meshed multi-dimensional network topology. This allows power to flow through multiple paths and enables faster fault isolation by rerouting power through alternative routes, reducing downtime without requiring complete system reconfiguration.
2Productivity
If manual fault detection and isolation methods are used, then system complexity is reduced, but downtime increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Each cell in the power distribution system is equipped with automated monitoring and control capabilities that enable self-diagnosis and self-isolation when faults occur. This eliminates the need for manual intervention in fault detection and initial isolation, dramatically accelerating restoration time while keeping automation levels practical and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time monitoring of electrical parameters with automated feedback loops that detect anomalies and trigger isolation protocols immediately. This continuous feedback mechanism enables rapid response to faults, restoring power to unaffected areas within minutes rather than hours, while maintaining automation at a level that can be supervised by human operators.
3Reliability
If fault isolation is delayed, then system simplicity is maintained, but the impact of undesired events increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution system is partitioned into electrically isolated cells with dedicated monitoring and control for each segment. This segmentation contains faults to specific cells, preventing cascading failures and maintaining reliability across the broader system. The modular approach manages complexity by localizing monitoring functions to individual cells rather than requiring system-wide complex coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures multiple power flow paths and isolation points before faults occur. When a fault is detected, pre-planned isolation sequences are executed immediately, eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making. This preliminary preparation enhances reliability by ensuring rapid fault containment while keeping the control logic relatively simple through predetermined response protocols.
Data Source
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AI summary
A power distribution grid comprising a plurality of cells configured to be electrically connected to each other and a power management system. A cell in the plurality of cells is configured to distribute electrical energy to an area corresponding to the cell. The cell has a plurality of entry nodes configured to allow the electrical energy to flow into the cell. The power management system is configured to manage a distribution of the electrical energy to the area by the cell independently of the distribution of the electrical energy to other areas by other cells in the plurality of cells.