Wireless Tracking Device for Power Line Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to detect electrical power line failures in a timely and efficient manner, which can lead to service losses or hazardous situations such as fires.
Innovation Solution
A wireless tracking device, comprising sensors and communication systems, is attached to electrical power lines to detect failure states and report them wirelessly with low latency, forming part of a network that includes multiple devices on power lines, towers, and transformers, enabling continuous monitoring and rapid alert systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless tracking devices are attached to electrical power lines to detect failure states, then detection capability and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (accelerometer for fall detection, GPS for location tracking, wireless communication for data transmission) into a single integrated tracking device that attaches to the power line. This merging approach improves detection capability while managing complexity through functional integration rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a detection sensor (accelerometer), location tracker (GPS), and communication node (wireless transmitter). This universal design allows one device to perform multiple roles, improving overall system reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Loss of time
If real-time monitoring is implemented across the electrical grid, then response time to failures is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into independent tracking devices distributed along the power line infrastructure. Each device operates autonomously with its own sensor, processor, and communication capabilities. This segmentation allows real-time monitoring coverage without requiring a centralized complex system, as each segment functions independently to detect and report failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking devices serve as intermediary nodes between the power line infrastructure and the central monitoring system. They collect sensor data locally, process it through onboard logic, and transmit only relevant failure information wirelessly. This intermediary approach reduces the complexity of direct continuous monitoring by filtering and relaying only critical data.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are integrated into the tracking device to detect various failure modes, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking device uses an accelerometer positioned to detect local mechanical changes specific to power line failures (such as falling or snapping). The sensor is strategically placed and configured to measure only the critical parameters relevant to power line integrity, achieving high measurement precision for failure detection without requiring a comprehensive array of sensors for all possible failure modes.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless tracking device includes circuit components, a battery, and a circuit connecting the circuit components and the battery. The circuit components include a first wireless communication system, a processor, a memory or storage, and a first sensor operable to measure conditions of the wireless tracking device. The wireless tracking device is configured to attach to an overhead electrical line and detect failure events that are experienced by the overhead electrical line based on sensor data monitored by the wireless tracking device.