Distributed Grid Sensing for Location-Resolved Power Network Fault Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods fail to reliably identify and prevent disruptions in power supply networks due to overlapping location-, time-, and frequency-dependent electrical parameters, leading to voltage quality reduction and grid instabilities, particularly in electrical railway systems, where starting and braking of electric locomotives generate unpredictable location-dependent currents, resulting in network shutdowns and inability to distinguish between normal and error operations.

Innovation Solution

A system with a distributed sensor network and excitation system that feeds electrical excitation signals into the network to determine location-, time-, and frequency-dependent electrical parameters, using stationary and movable sensors to record and evaluate these parameters, allowing for real-time, spatially and temporally resolved representations of network responses, enabling quick diagnosis and prevention of disruptions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate monitoring of time-dependent electrical parameters and frequency-dependent electrical parameters is performed independently, then the monitoring system is simple and cost-effective, but the system cannot reliably identify and prevent disruptions caused by superpositions of location-, time-, and frequency-dependent parameters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of disruption identificationVSAvoidcomplexity of monitoring system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines separate monitoring systems for time-dependent parameters (voltage, current) and frequency-dependent parameters (harmonics, spectral quantities) into a unified measurement system that simultaneously captures all parameters in a location-, time-, and frequency-dependent manner. This integration enables reliable identification of disruptions caused by parameter superpositions while maintaining cost-effectiveness through shared hardware infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds the location-dependent dimension to traditional time-dependent and frequency-dependent monitoring. By distributing sensors across multiple locations in the power supply network and correlating measurements with spatial positions, the system can identify the origin and propagation of disturbances, enabling selective protection and significantly improving disruption identification reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If no location-dependent sensors are deployed, then the system is simpler and less costly, but location-dependent electrical parameters cannot be determined, leading to inability to provide selective protection against interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveselective protection capabilityVSAvoidsensor network complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the power supply network into multiple measurement sections with sensors distributed at different locations. Each sensor or sensor group monitors its local section, and measurements are correlated with spatial positions. This segmentation enables identification of location-dependent parameters and allows selective protection to be applied only to affected sections, improving reliability while managing complexity through modular deployment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If traditional current measurement and evaluation methods are used, then the system is simple and cost-effective, but location-dependent starting and braking currents of electric traction vehicles cannot be calculated online

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveonline calculation capabilityVSAvoidprecision of current measurement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements online calculation of location-dependent starting and braking currents by continuously feeding measurement data from distributed sensors into evaluation algorithms that process the information in real-time. The system correlates current measurements with sensor locations and time stamps, enabling dynamic calculation of traction vehicle currents and providing feedback for immediate protective action when abnormal patterns are detected.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3982131B1System for the combined location, time and frequency-dependent determination of electrical parameters in a power supply network
Publication Date: 2024.09.11 HELMUT SCHMIDT UNIV UNIV DER BUNDESWEHR HAMBURG
  • EP3982131B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3982131B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3982131B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a system for the combined location-, time-, and frequency-dependent determination of electrical parameters in a power supply network (3) with the following features: a) The system comprises an excitation system (1) configured to arbitrarily inject at least one electrical excitation signal into the power supply network (3), b) the system comprises a measuring system (2) configured to determine electrical parameters occurring in the power supply network (3) as a result of the electrical excitation signal in a location-, time-, and frequency-dependent manner, c) wherein the measuring system comprises a sensor system (5) that has a plurality of sensors distributed geographically throughout the power supply network and/or location-variable sensors, by means of which electrical parameters in the power supply network (3) can be determined at different locations and accordingly in a location-dependent manner.