Monitoring Device for Creeping Line Break Detection in Reporting Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional monitoring systems for reporting systems, such as fire alarm systems, face challenges in detecting 'creeping line breaks' due to incomplete cable breaks or increasing contact resistance, which can lead to undetected failures and reduced operating voltage, making it difficult to distinguish between gradual line interruptions and real reporting events.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring device with a test signal device that temporarily connects a reference resistor in parallel to the supply lines, simulating a reporting event to detect changes in current flow and voltage, allowing for the differentiation between system responses and faults, and an evaluation device to assess these changes, ensuring timely detection of creeping line interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional monitoring system continuously monitors current flow in supply lines, then it can detect complete line breaks, but it cannot distinguish creeping line interruptions from real reporting events
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of the baseline current flow through the terminal resistor before a reporting event occurs. By establishing this reference state and comparing it with the state during a reporting event, the system can detect creeping line breaks that gradually change the current flow characteristics without triggering false alarms.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring complete line break detection, the system monitors partial changes in current flow through the terminal resistor. By detecting even small deviations from the expected current range during normal operation and during reporting events, the system can identify creeping line interruptions before they cause complete system failure.
2Measurement precision
If the monitoring system increases sensitivity to detect creeping line breaks, then detection capability improves, but false alarms increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by comparing the current flow through the terminal resistor during normal operation with the current flow during a reporting event. This comparative feedback mechanism allows the system to learn the normal variation range and distinguish genuine creeping line breaks from normal operational fluctuations, reducing false alarms while maintaining high detection precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a reference current flow value through preliminary monitoring during normal operation. This preliminary action creates a baseline that is used to evaluate subsequent measurements, enabling the system to detect deviations caused by creeping line breaks without triggering false alarms during normal current variations.
3Reliability
If a terminal resistor is used to monitor current flow changes, then complete line breaks can be detected, but creeping line interruptions remain undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors partial changes in current flow through the terminal resistor rather than waiting for complete line break conditions. By detecting small incremental changes in current flow that exceed the expected range during normal operation, the system can identify creeping line interruptions early, before they develop into complete failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical or threshold-based detection methods with an electronic monitoring approach that continuously measures current flow through the terminal resistor. This substitution enables the detection of gradual, incremental changes in current flow that characterize creeping line breaks, which would be undetectable with conventional threshold-based 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
The solution effectively detects creeping line interruptions by simulating a reporting event and evaluating the system's response, providing early detection of faults and preventing false alarms, thus ensuring the reporting system's reliability and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The test signal device (6) is designed to connect a reference resistor (R) into the supply lines (3) in parallel with the signaling devices (4)
Implementation Method 2
with the change in the current flow or the voltage in the two-wire line being monitored and a message being generated in the control center in the event of changes
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Reporting systems, such as fire alarm systems, alarm systems or the like, are usually used for communications equipment in large plants, wherein automatic or manual reports are produced at decentralized locations and are forwarded to a central control system. To this end, the reporting systems comprise a plurality of reporting units connected to one another and to the central control system by way of signal lines and/or power supply lines. In a distributed embodiment, the power supply and signal lines are combined in a two-wire line, wherein the change in current flow and voltage in the two-wire line is monitored and a report is produced in the central control system when changes occur. A monitoring device (6,10) is proposed for functionally monitoring a reporting system (1), wherein the reporting system comprises a plurality of reporting units (4) or signaling units, power supply lines (3) and a voltage source, wherein the reporting units (4) or signaling units are connected to the voltage source by way of the power supply lines (3) and wherein the reporting units (4) or signaling units are connected in parallel to one another and to the voltage source, wherein a test signal unit (6) is adapted for connecting a reference resistance R in the power supply lines (3) parallel to the reporting units (4) and/or for connecting a or the reference resistance as a termination of the power supply lines (3), and with an evaluation unit (10) for detecting and evaluating the system answer of the reporting system (1) to the connecting of the reference resistance R.