Patent ID: 9557720
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: G01R,G05B,H02J,H02M,Y02B,Y04S

Claim:
1. An electrical power distribution system for distributing electrical power through power transmission lines, the system comprising: a power line distribution section comprising first and second power lines supported along their length by a plurality of spaced apart power poles, a plurality of such power poles carrying transformers that are coupled to the power lines to provide secondary power to end users of power, the distribution section comprising a plurality of reclosers in each of the first and second power lines carried by respective power poles, the reclosers being positioned at plural locations along the length of the first and second power lines, an upstream recloser being a recloser that is closer to a source of power for a specific location in the distribution system where voltage is being monitored and a downstream recloser being a recloser that is further from the source of power for the specific location at which voltage is being monitored, the reclosers being operable to shift between a closed state in which electric current flows through the recloser and an open state in which electric current does not flow through the recloser; a plurality of recloser status monitors for each of the first and second power lines and carried by respective power poles, the recloser status monitors each comprising a voltage monitoring circuit comprising a first input coupled to the first power line and a first voltage output at which a first voltage output signal is provided that corresponds to the voltage at the first power line and thereby to the open and closed status of a recloser through which current flows to the location where voltage of the first power line is being monitored by the voltage monitoring circuit, the voltage monitoring circuit comprising a second input coupled to the second power line and a second voltage output at which a second voltage output signal is provided that corresponds to the voltage at the second power line and thereby to the open and closed status of a recloser through which current flows to the location where voltage of the second power line is being monitored by the voltage monitoring circuit, wherein the voltage monitoring circuit comprises an RMS voltage circuit and wherein the first and second voltage outputs correspond to the RMS voltage over time at the respective first and second power lines, the recloser status monitor comprising a microcontroller comprising a first voltage receiving input coupled to the first voltage output and a second voltage receiving input coupled to the second voltage output, the microcontroller providing voltage data signals corresponding to the first and second voltage output signals over time and time data associated with the voltage output signals, the voltage output signals indicating the open or closed status of the reclosers that are upstream from the location at which voltage is being monitored by the voltage monitoring circuit, the voltage data signals including voltage data signals corresponding to momentary opening and reclosing of the reclosers, and the recloser status monitor also comprising a cellphone circuit having an input coupled to the microcontroller and to the direct current voltage output, the cellphone circuit being operable in response to the control signal from the microcontroller to place a cellphone call to a recipient location and to transmit the voltage data signals and the time data to the recipient location including the voltage data signals corresponding to the momentary opening and reclosing of the reclosers.