Smart Meter Fault Distance Detection for Faster Outage Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing utility grid systems face challenges in efficiently and accurately locating and repairing power outages, as they often rely on customer reports or basic advance metering infrastructure, which can delay the identification of the epicenter of the outage.
Innovation Solution
A data processing system that utilizes information from metering devices to determine the location of electrical faults by analyzing the rate of change of electrical characteristics, such as voltage or current, and comparing these patterns to historical data to identify the relative distance of metering devices to the fault.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If utility grids use customer reports or basic AMI to detect outages, then outage detection is achieved, but the time to locate the epicenter of the outage is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having metering devices continuously monitor electrical characteristics and pre-compute rates of change before outages occur. When an outage happens, the data processing system already has pre-processed information ready, eliminating the need for initial detection and location computation during the critical response window.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual customer reporting and basic AMI systems with an automated data processing system that uses computational analysis of electrical characteristic patterns. This substitution of mechanical/manual processes with automated computational methods enables rapid epicenter location without human intervention or basic infrastructure limitations.
2Loss of information
If utility grids wait for customer reports via web portal or phone calls, then outage information is obtained, but the response time is significantly delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The metering devices perform self-service by automatically detecting outages, computing rates of change of electrical characteristics, and transmitting this information to the data processing system without requiring customer action. This eliminates the need for customers to manually report outages through web portals or phone calls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where metering devices continuously monitor electrical characteristics and automatically communicate outage information to the data processing system. This automated feedback mechanism ensures timely outage information acquisition without relying on customer initiation.
3Reliability
If basic AMI dying gasp messaging is used to receive outage reports, then outage detection is achieved, but accurate epicenter location cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter being measured from simple voltage threshold detection to the rate of change of electrical characteristics. By analyzing how electrical parameters change over time rather than just their absolute values, the system can determine relative distances to the fault and accurately locate the epicenter.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal dimension to outage detection by analyzing the rate of change of electrical characteristics over time. This transforms the problem from a static voltage threshold check to a dynamic temporal analysis, enabling epicenter location through pattern recognition in time-series data.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods comprising a metering device located on an electricity distribution grid, the metering device comprising one or more processors and memory. The metering device can detect a drop in characteristic of electricity below a threshold indicating a fault on the electricity distribution grid. The metering device can generate, responsive to the drop in the characteristic of electricity below the threshold, a time series of a rate of change of the characteristic of electricity for a predetermined number of cycles subsequent to the detection of the drop. The metering device can determine, based on a comparison of the time series of the rate of change with a predetermined pattern, a location of the metering device on the electricity distribution grid relative to a location of the fault on the electricity distribution grid.