Infrared Sensor Monitoring for Electrical Supply Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical supply systems cannot be continuously monitored for temperature and current fluctuations, leading to potential failures due to the need for physical presence of a technician with a handheld scanner, which results in undetected issues between inspection periods.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system comprising infrared, temperature, and current sensors positioned to continuously monitor electrical supply systems and components, alerting for threshold deviations to prevent failures, integrated with existing monitoring systems like the STARLINE Critical Power Monitor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a technician uses a handheld scanner to monitor current and temperature, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to the need for physical presence and periodic manual inspection
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical supply system performs self-monitoring through integrated sensors that automatically detect temperature and current levels without requiring external technician intervention. The system serves itself by continuously collecting data and generating alerts when thresholds are exceeded.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical inspection process using handheld scanners is replaced with an automated electronic sensor-based monitoring system. Infrared sensors, temperature sensors, and current sensors substitute the technician's physical actions, enabling continuous automated monitoring.
2Device complexity
If periodic manual inspection is used to monitor electrical supply systems, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to undetected failures between inspection periods
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system operates continuously without interruption, constantly measuring temperature and current levels. This continuous surveillance ensures that any anomalies are detected immediately, eliminating the gaps between periodic manual inspections and thereby improving system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor parameters and automatically generate alerts when threshold deviations occur. This closed-loop feedback ensures that reliability issues are detected and communicated in real-time, enabling prompt corrective action.
3Reliability
If integrated sensor systems are deployed for continuous monitoring, then reliability is improved through real-time detection, but device complexity increases due to multiple sensors and integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensing functions (infrared temperature sensing, contact temperature sensing, and current monitoring) are merged into a single integrated monitoring system. The sensors are positioned to monitor the same electrical connection points, combining their data streams into a unified alerting mechanism that improves reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system is designed with multi-functionality, where a single integrated system performs temperature monitoring via multiple methods and current monitoring. The system can detect various failure modes (overheating, loose connections, overcurrent) using the same sensor array and processing unit, reducing the need for separate specialized systems.
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
Enables immediate detection and corrective action for temperature and current anomalies, reducing the risk of component failure and ensuring continuous operation of critical equipment by providing real-time monitoring and alerts.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared (IR) sensor...sense a temperature of particular components
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor...sense a temperature of particular components
Implementation Method 3
a current sensor...sense...a current passing through such particular components
Implementation Method 4
When a terminal lug becomes loose, a resistance may increase within the terminal lug, which results a generation of thermal energy
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for monitoring one or more target components of an electrical supply system are disclosed. A metering system includes one or more infrared sensors positioned to detect an amount of thermal energy emitted from the one or more target components of the electrical supply system. The one or more infrared sensors transmit temperature data representative of the amount of thermal energy. The metering system also includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and the one or more infrared sensors. The one or more processors store machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to receive the temperature data generated by the one or more infrared sensors and control the one or more infrared sensors based on the temperature data.