Patent ID: 8436625
Filing Date: 2013-05-07
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting primary arcs on an electric power system, the method comprising: receiving, using an antenna, a radio frequency sensor signal generated by overhead power transmission or distribution lines; analyzing the sensor signal to detect noise pulses within the sensor signal produced by any nearby electrical discharge, the noise pulses comprising noise pulses caused by primary arcs and noise pulses caused by induced sparks, wherein primary arcs comprise electrical discharges occurring on a primary conductor or a secondary conductor, and wherein induced sparks comprise electrical discharges occurring on a structure that is physically common to, but electrically decoupled from, the primary conductor and the secondary conductor; counting the noise pulses for at least one time duration, wherein each said duration is less than one half cycle of the electric power system, and wherein said counting comprises counting noise pulses in a plurality of windows over a period of time; determining a measurement related to noise pulse density based on said counting, the measurement distinguishing primary arcs from induced sparks in the overhead power transmission or distribution lines, wherein said determining comprises determining a maximum of the counts of noise pulses in any of the windows over the period of time; repeating a plurality of iterations of said counting noise pulses in a plurality of windows over a period of time, wherein said determining comprises determining a statistical measure of the maximum of the counts of noise pulses in any of the windows over the period of time for the plural iterations; determining whether the measurement is in a range characteristic of primary arcs or in a range characteristic of induced sparks; and producing an output result based on the measurement, wherein producing an output comprises displaying an indication that a primary arc is detected when the measurement is determined to be in the range characteristic of primary arcs.