Battery-Powered Mesh Nodes for Utility Outage Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electric utility networks face challenges in accurately pinpointing and assessing the extent of outages due to the limited ability of monitoring meters to communicate outage information effectively, especially since they are powered by the utility network and may lose power during an outage.

Innovation Solution

A mesh network system where nodes generate and output messages with initial information items, and subsequent nodes on the communication path add additional information items, allowing the message to be relayed to the network head, providing enhanced outage reporting by including status updates from multiple nodes, thereby improving localization and situational awareness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If meters are powered by the utility network, then the monitoring system can operate continuously, but the meters cannot communicate during power outages

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutage reporting reliabilityVSAvoidoutage information loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces battery-powered mesh network nodes as intermediary devices that can independently detect and report outages. These nodes serve as mediators between the utility network and the central management system, capable of communicating outage information even when the primary power supply is interrupted, thus resolving the contradiction between continuous operation and outage reporting capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the power source parameter from utility-dependent to battery-powered for the monitoring nodes. This parameter change enables the nodes to operate independently during outages, maintaining communication capability when traditionally powered meters would fail, thereby improving outage reporting reliability without information loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If a single meter reports outage, then the system is simple, but the location and extent of outage cannot be pinpointed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutage location precisionVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the utility network into multiple zones monitored by distributed battery-powered nodes. Each node independently reports its local status, creating segmented monitoring coverage. This segmentation enables precise localization of outages by identifying which specific node or group of nodes detected the interruption, significantly improving measurement precision while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from single-point monitoring to multi-dimensional spatial monitoring by deploying nodes throughout the network. This dimensional expansion allows the system to pinpoint outage locations by triangulating which spatial nodes are affected, transforming a one-dimensional simple report into rich multi-dimensional location data without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If mesh network uses multiple nodes, then redundancy and reliability improve, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidnode energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic status reporting where battery-powered nodes transmit outage information only when changes are detected rather than continuously. This periodic action significantly reduces energy consumption compared to constant communication while maintaining high reliability for outage detection, as nodes conserve power during normal operation and activate transmission only when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs disposable or replaceable battery packs in the mesh network nodes. These batteries are designed for extended life but can be replaced when depleted, allowing the nodes themselves to be permanent infrastructure while the energy source is a consumable component. This approach enables reliable multi-node operation without the complexity of rechargeable systems or external power connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS11651453B2Enhanced status notification and outage detection systems and methods for electric utility networks

Publication Date: 2023.05.16 EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LTD

AI summary

A mesh network includes a plurality of nodes and a network head. The plurality of nodes includes a first node structured to generate and output a message to the network head in response to an event. The message includes at least one first information item associated with the first node, the electrical device monitored by the first node, or the section of the electrical distribution system monitored by the first node. The plurality of nodes includes a second node disposed on a communication path between the first node and the network head and being structured to add at least one second information item associated with the second node, the electrical device monitored by the second node, or the section of the electrical distribution system monitored by the second node to the message and to output the message to the network head.