Electric Fence Energizer Control for Human Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric fence energizers fail to simultaneously maximize containment security and human safety, as they either emit potentially dangerous pulses or insufficient pulses due to inadequate control mechanisms, particularly in scenarios where the equivalent resistance across the terminals changes, leading to risks of fatal accidents or unconsciousness.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling an electric fence energizer that determines the risk of human presence using various surveillance systems and calculates the proportion of the pulse capable of passing through a human body, limiting the pulse to ensure the proportion remains below a danger threshold, thereby ensuring safety while maintaining containment security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the second storage capacitor is oversized to increase containment security, then the energizer can compensate for lack of maintenance and connect extensive networks, but the output pulse becomes unlimited when connected to very low impedance, creating danger for persons contacting the fence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the capacitor discharge behavior adaptive rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically determines whether to discharge the second capacitor based on real-time monitoring of equivalent resistance and detection of human contact. When human contact is detected (indicated by equivalent resistance below threshold), the system dynamically prevents discharge of the second capacitor, thereby adapting the output pulse characteristics to the current situation and eliminating the danger while maintaining containment security during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the equivalent resistance across the energizer terminals and using this information to control the discharge behavior of the second capacitor. The control unit receives feedback about the electrical conditions and adjusts the discharge decision accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the system responds appropriately to changing conditions, preventing dangerous pulses when humans are present while maintaining effective containment when no humans are contacted.
2Reliability
If the charge level is modified to increase chances of animal escape, then the variation ratio of equivalent resistance triggers modification, but the current pulse cannot be instantaneously modified and can only be applied during following cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-charging the second capacitor during intervals when no human contact is detected. The control unit monitors the equivalent resistance and, when it remains above the threshold indicating no human presence, the second capacitor is charged in advance. This preliminary charging ensures that when an animal contact occurs (detected as equivalent resistance below threshold but above a lower animal-specific threshold), the system can immediately discharge the pre-charged second capacitor to deliver a high-energy pulse that can help the animal escape, eliminating the delay of having to wait for the next charging cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between charging and discharging modes for the second capacitor based on real-time detection of contact type. When no contact or animal contact is detected, the system dynamically transitions to charging mode to prepare energy in advance. When human contact is detected, it switches to preventing discharge. This dynamic behavior allows the system to optimize between preparing for animal rescue and preventing human harm, achieving both goals through adaptive real-time control.
3Power
If the energizer delivers high energy pulses to maintain containment security through dense vegetation, then the parallel losses are compensated, but the remaining pulse energy can be large enough to be dangerous for persons contacting the fence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different types of electrical loads on the fence. The system monitors equivalent resistance to identify whether the load is vegetation (high resistance, acceptable to compensate) or human body (low resistance, must protect). When human contact is detected through equivalent resistance measurement, the control unit locally modifies the discharge behavior specifically for that situation, preventing the second capacitor discharge that would otherwise deliver dangerous energy. This localized differentiation allows high power delivery for vegetation management while simultaneously protecting humans.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the second capacitor based on detected conditions. During normal operation with vegetation loads, the second capacitor is charged and can be discharged to provide high energy pulses for maintaining containment security. When human contact is detected (parameter change in equivalent resistance), the system changes the parameter by preventing discharge of the second capacitor, thereby reducing the pulse energy to safe levels. This parameter-based control allows the same hardware to safely operate in different conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Method for the control of an electric fence energizer of any given power, guaranteeing that, during each pulse emitted by the energizer, any human body that might have come into contact with the electric fence since a recent pulse does not run the risk of receiving a dangerous electric shock by reason of the pulse in progress.