Switchgear Monitoring via Temperature Rate of Change Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current monitoring techniques for switchgear do not provide early warnings of overheating issues or details on the cause of problems, relying on temperature sensors that only detect hot spots after they develop, failing to address the underlying faults.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising temperature sensors, current sensors, and a processing unit that acquires and analyzes temperature and current data over time to determine rates of change, using machine learning algorithms to identify abnormal operation patterns and differentiate between overheating caused by current flow or resistance issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature threshold monitoring is used to detect hot spots, then overheating detection capability is improved, but early warning capability and problem cause identification are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-dimensional temperature threshold monitoring to multi-dimensional analysis by incorporating rate of change of temperature, electrical current data, and environmental temperature. This dimensional expansion enables early detection of abnormal heating patterns before thresholds are exceeded and provides information about the cause through current-correlated analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors temperature, current, and rate of change parameters, comparing real-time data against historical patterns and thresholds. This feedback mechanism enables early warning by detecting deviations from normal operation patterns before catastrophic failure occurs, and identifies causes through correlation analysis of current and temperature trends.
2Device complexity
If single temperature value monitoring is used, then system simplicity is improved, but diagnostic capability and early warning are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the rate of change of temperature in advance, before threshold exceedance occurs. This preliminary action on the derivative parameter enables early warning by detecting accelerating heating trends even when absolute temperature remains within normal ranges, providing advance notice of developing faults.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent monitors multiple parameters (temperature, rate of change of temperature, electrical current) instead of single temperature values. This parameter expansion provides diagnostic capability by revealing relationships between current and heating rates, enabling identification of resistive faults versus normal operational heating.
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
This system provides early detection of overheating issues and identifies their causes, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing the risk of catastrophic failures by analyzing temperature and current data to determine if overheating is due to faults or normal operation.
Implementation Method 1
The most commonly available sensors are thermal point sensors that measure the temperature at a specific position
Implementation Method 2
Electrical equipment such as switchgear can suffer from small faults that change the electrical resistance of the system. These faults manifest as hot spots
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (10) for monitoring a switchgear, the system comprising: - at least one temperature sensor (20); - at least one current sensor (30); - a processing unit (40); and - an output unit (50). The at least one temperature sensor is configured to acquire temperature data for each location of at least one location of a switchgear (60) at n time points. The at least one temperature sensor is configured to provide the temperature data to the processing unit. The at least one current sensor is configured to acquire electrical current data for at least one location of the switchgear at the n time points. The at least one current sensor is configured to provide the electrical current data to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to determine n-1 rates of change of temperature for one or more locations of the at least one location with respect to the temperature data for the one or more locations at the n time points. The processing unit is configured to determine a state of the switchgear, wherein the determination of the state of the switchgear comprises utilization of the n-1 rates of change of temperature for the one or more locations and at least n-1 of the n temperature data for the one or more locations and at least n-1 of the n electrical current data for the one or more locations. The output unit is configured to output the determined state of the switchgear when the determined state of the switchgear is determined not to be normal or not to be healthy.