Outlet Power Quality Sensors for Real-Time Outage Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for detecting power outages and power quality issues in electrical systems are inefficient, costly, and fail to provide real-time notification, leading to potential hazards and significant economic and safety risks, particularly in residential and commercial settings.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sensor device coupled to a circuit that monitors electrical activity, generates output signals, and transmits keepalive and fault packets to a server computing device for real-time detection and notification of power outages and power quality events, using a single monitoring device that plugs into an electrical outlet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a backup battery is used to detect power outages, then the detection device can operate during outages, but the battery has limited lifetime and adds ongoing maintenance burden
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the electrical infrastructure itself to power the monitoring device during outages. The monitoring device detects outages by monitoring the presence or absence of electrical signal characteristics, and can communicate outage information using the existing electrical lines as a communication medium, eliminating the need for separate battery power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical infrastructure serves multiple functions: it provides power to loads, enables monitoring of power quality through signal characteristic analysis, and acts as a communication medium for transmitting outage information. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated backup power systems.
2Reliability
If a backup battery is used to detect power outages, then the detection device can operate during outages, but replacement of batteries creates ongoing maintenance burden
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is powered and communicates through the electrical infrastructure itself, requiring no external battery replacement or maintenance. The system automatically detects outages and transmits information through the existing electrical lines.
3Reliability
If activation of battery backup is used, then the detection device can operate during outages, but there is undesirable delay between outage beginning and backup activation
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring device continuously monitors electrical signal characteristics before outages occur, maintaining readiness to detect outages immediately when they begin. The device is already powered and operational, eliminating any activation delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system operates continuously without interruption, using the electrical infrastructure for both power and communication. This continuous operation ensures immediate detection and notification of outages without any delay.
4Measurement precision
If multiple sensor devices are deployed to monitor power quality, then detection coverage is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into distributed sensor devices that each independently monitor local power quality conditions. Each device analyzes local electrical characteristics and communicates findings through the electrical infrastructure, providing comprehensive coverage without centralized complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are methods and systems for estimating an originating location of a power quality event in an electrical grid. Each of a plurality of sensor devices connected to the electrical grid detects an input signal generated by electrical activity on the electrical grid, generates an output signal based upon the detected input signal, and transmits power quality data to a computing device via a communications network, where the power quality data is based upon the output signal. The computing device is configured to analyze the power quality data from at least a subset of the sensor devices to determine a power quality event occurring in the electrical grid, estimate an originating location of the power quality event based upon the power quality data, and transmit a notification to one or more remote computing devices based upon the estimated originating location of the power quality event.