Patent ID: 8260579
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: G01D,H02J,H04Q,Y02B,Y02E,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A method of automatically identifying a plurality of independent electrical grids in a utility system that includes a plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) communicatively linked to a master controller in the utility system, comprising: communicating from the master controller an instruction to each of the IEDs in a sequential order at a predetermined time interval (a) to begin storing variation data indicative of variations of an electrical characteristic in a corresponding monitored current or voltage signal being monitored by respective ones of the IEDs, and (b) to store a point on the signal as a periodic indicator value; receiving by the master controller from each of the IEDs the variation data and the corresponding periodic indicator value; for a plurality of pair combinations of the IEDs, automatically correlating, via the master controller, the respective variation data from each of the pair combinations to produce a plurality of first correlation values and determining, responsive to the automatically correlating, via the master controller, whether a correlation criterion is satisfied for each of the pair combinations, wherein each of the first correlation values is associated with a corresponding first periodic indicator offset value, wherein the first periodic indicator offset value corresponds to a difference between the respective periodic indicator values for the pair combination; and responsive to the correlation criterion not being satisfied for a flagged one of the pair combinations, storing an indication that the IEDs corresponding to the flagged pair combination are in different electrical grids.