Composite Fault Mapping for Power Line Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical power distribution systems face challenges in accurately locating line faults due to the uncertainty in identifying the exact location of excessive electrical current flow, leading to extensive physical inspections and inefficiencies in fault detection and repair.
Innovation Solution
An automated process that receives event reports from various monitoring systems, identifies associated events based on location and time, and combines probability distributions to create a composite fault map, reducing the area of inspection and improving fault localization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different monitoring systems process electrical current measurements to estimate fault locations, then fault detection capability is improved, but the uncertainty in fault location increases leading to larger inspection areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines probability distributions from multiple monitoring systems to create a composite fault map. By merging the location estimates and probability data from different systems, the composite map consolidates multiple data sources to reduce overall uncertainty and provide a more precise fault location indication than any single system could achieve alone.
2Measurement precision
If physical inspection is performed over the entire portion of conductors where fault probability exists, then the exact fault location can be found, but time and effort for inspection increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The composite fault map divides the conductor into segments with different probability levels, allowing inspection crews to focus on high-probability segments first. This segmentation approach transforms a blanket inspection of the entire probable fault area into a targeted inspection of specific high-risk zones, dramatically reducing inspection time while maintaining high probability of finding the actual fault.
3Reliability
If multiple monitoring systems are used to detect line faults, then detection reliability is improved, but the complexity of processing and integrating data from different systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms complex multi-source probability distributions into a unified composite probability map by standardizing parameters across different monitoring systems. This parameter transformation approach converts heterogeneous data from various systems into a common format that can be easily integrated and visualized, reducing processing complexity while maintaining the benefits of multiple detection sources.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods to combine line fault location probabilities. A first and second location probability distribution are received for a location of an line fault along an electrical line based upon at least electrical current measurements reported by a first electrical current monitor at a first location and at least a second electrical current measurements reported by a second electrical current monitor at a second location. The second electrical current measurements being made within a time interval of the first electrical current measurements. A composite location probability distribution is determined for the location of the line fault along the electrical line based on an algorithm processing the first location probability distribution and the second location probability distribution. The composite location probability distribution is provided.