Patent ID: 9136692
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: G01R,H01H,H01R,H02H,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
1. For use in an electric power distribution network having an overcurrent protection arrangement and including a main feeder line and a branch tap coupled to said main feeder line, and having plural distribution transformers each coupled to a respective customer for providing electric power to the customers, a system for detecting and isolating a low current high impedance fault in said branch tap comprising: a two-way communications network including a cell tower for receiving and transmitting two-way RF communications signals; plural smart meters each coupled to a source side and to a load side of a respective distribution transformer for monitoring the voltage across the distribution transformer, and including a father smart meter in direct two-way communication with each of the remaining smart meters in said at least one branch tap; a server/sorter in communication with said cell tower for processing and routing the two-way RF communications signals; a host computer in communication with said server/sorter for receiving and processing communications from said father smart meter representing the voltage across each of said distribution transformers; and a fault isolator disposed in the branch tap between the main feeder line and said distribution transformers and in communication with said host computer, wherein said fault isolator is responsive to a shut down signal received from said host computer when a secondary voltage across at least one of said distribution transformers meets a predetermined voltage level and the secondary voltage across at least one of said distribution transformers is less than a predetermined voltage level indicating a low current high impedance fault whereupon said host computer provides a trip signal to said fault isolator for isolating the high impedance, low current fault without shutting down unaffected portions of the electric power distribution network.