Integrated power and communication device

A power distribution system sensor and/or control device is integrated with a wireless communication device in an encapsulating weather resistant housing. The device includes a power supply that is adapted to couple to a conductor of the power distribution network to provide rectified and conditioned power as necessary to operate the distribution and/or control device and the wireless transceiver. The wireless communication device may be a low power packet data radio transceiver operating in accordance with any suitable communication standard.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent relates to power distribution system sensor or control devices, and more particularly, this patent relates to a power distribution system sensor and/or control device integrated with a communication device, such as a wireless communication device.

BACKGROUND

Detection and reporting of power distribution system conditions has traditionally required on-site visual inspection and reporting by the inspecting employee. Wired or wireless communication capability with remote sensing and data collection can eliminate or at least alleviate the requirement for visual inspection and provide real time system condition data. The remote sensing and data collection devices with wireless communication capability can be arranged such that the wireless communication components act as repeaters. This arrangement permits the wireless transceiver components to operate over large distances as a distributed radio network using relatively low transmit power.

Remote data collection and wireless reporting devices require a weather resistant and electrically insulated (e.g., to isolate electromagnetic interference) enclosure for the sensing and communication components, which add considerably to the cost of the device. Additionally, there is required a power source, e.g., a 120 volt alternating current (120 vac) power source, to supply power to the components disposed within the enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A power distribution system sensor and/or control device is integrated with a wireless communication device in an enclosing weather resistant housing. The device includes a power supply that is adapted to couple to a conductor of the power distribution network to provide rectified and conditioned power as necessary to operate the distribution and/or control device and the wireless transceiver. The wireless communication device may be a low power packet data radio transceiver operating in accordance with any suitable communication standard, including asynchronous packet data communication in the 902-928 MHz band, IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11n compliant communications in the 2.4 GHz band, or any other suitable wireless data communication standard. As will be appreciated, the wireless communication device may further act as a repeater, receiving and retransmitting signals received from other wireless communication devices, and as such, operate as part of a distributed radio network. The wireless communication device itself, or by coupling via the distributed radio network, can act as an Internet access point.

The sensor and/or control device may be any device that provides data indicative of its own operation, an operating characteristic of the power distribution system or both. For example, the sensor and/or control device may be a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a voltage and current sensor or a fault detector each of which provide an indication of one or more operating characteristics of the power distribution system. The sensor and/or control device may also be a switch, a switch control, a fuse and an interrupter each of which includes a data output indicative of the state of the device. The sensor and/or control device may be a combination of such sensor and operating devices. It will be appreciated that the foregoing list of devices is exemplary and virtually any sensor and/or control device may be incorporated into the device.

Referring toFIG. 1, in a power distribution system10a current carrying conductor or line12is suspended between a plurality of poles14. A power distribution system sensor and/or control device16(the device16) is supported on the poles14by a suitable bracket18. The device16is coupled to the line12by a conductor20. It will be appreciated that the line12need not be suspended by poles, but could be a buried conductor. The device16may then be suitably mounted and coupled to the buried line.

Typical installations will see several devices16secured to poles14and coupled to the line12. Although illustrated installed on adjacent poles14for purposes of illustrating the embodiments of the invention, the devices16need not be installed on adjacent poles or to the single line12, but may be instead installed as necessary in a distributed manner throughout the power distribution system10. The devices16may communicate with each other and/or with a base station22by radio transmissions21. The base station22may be part of a centralized control/monitoring facility for the power distribution system10. Alternatively, the base station22may be coupled to a communication network24, such as the Internet, to which a control/monitoring facility for the power distribution system may be coupled. In this regard, each of the devices16may act as an Internet access point such that a field technician may utilize the device16to access either the Internet generally or to link particularly to the power distribution system centralized control/monitoring facility via the Internet.

FIG. 2illustrates the device16in functional block diagram form. The device16includes a weather resistant housing24that may be formed to include shielding26for shielding the electrical components of the device16disposed within the housing24from electromagnetic and other forms of noise and interference. The housing24is preferably molded from a weather resistant, electrically insulating epoxy material, such as the Cypoxy® material available from S & C Electric Co., Chicago, Ill. As will be explained in connection with additional embodiments of the invention, the electrical components of the device16may be molded into and/or encapsulated within the Cypoxy material providing a secure, weather resistant yet low cost enclosure.

The electrical components include a power supply28. The power supply28may capacitively couple to the line12or may otherwise couple to the line12to extract power from the line12. The power supply28may therefore includes a current transformer30. The current transformer30is coupled to ground34as is the shielding26. The transformer30is coupled to rectifying and conditioning circuitry32that is further coupled to a storage device36that is therefore coupled to and charged by the power supply28. The storage device36may be a battery, such as a wet or gel cell battery. Alternatively, the storage device36may be a capacitor or capacitor bank (FIG. 2illustrates a capacitor bank including three capacitors38, although fewer or more capacitors may be used). The storage device36is configured to store sufficient power to allow the device16to operate through an extended outage period wherein electrical current is not conducted on the line12.

As described, the device16includes a processor34including a memory (not depicted) containing a control program that directs the operation of the processor34for controlling the operation of the device16. A data producing/collecting sensor and/or control device38that provides data indicative of its own operation, an operating characteristic of the power distribution system or both or alternatively collects data, e.g. a memory or buffer, from sensors, actuators or such devices (not separately depicted) is communicatively coupled to the processor34, for example by a bus35. For example, the sensor and/or control device38may be a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a voltage and current sensor or a fault detector each of which provide an indication of one or more operating characteristics of the power distribution system. The sensor and/or control device38may also be a switch, a switch control, a fuse and an interrupter each of which includes a data output indicative of the state of the device. It will be appreciated that the list of devices is exemplary and virtually any sensor and/or control device may be incorporated into the device16.

The sensor and/or control device38communicates its data and/or the collected data to a wireless transceiver40, which is also communicatively coupled to the processor34. The wireless transceiver40is coupled to an antenna42. The antenna42is shown external to the housing24; however, it will be appreciated that the antenna42may be internal to the housing24or incorporated into the housing24. For example, the antenna42may be molded into the housing24.

The wireless transceiver40may be a packet radio, i.e., a transceiver capable of communicating discrete data packets in accordance with a suitable communication protocol. For example, the transceiver40may communicate using an asynchronous, spread spectrum communication protocol, such as that employed by the Utilinet® radios and networks of radios available from S & C. Other standards, such as the IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and/or 802.11n standards, or any other suitable, low power data communication standard may be employed, however.

The device16may be configured and hard coded with an identification by which it identified to the base station22and within the distributed radio network so that communications are directed to it and its communications are identified when transmitted. Alternatively, upon initial powering of the device, the processor34may perform an initialization routine whereby the device16requests and is assigned an identification, such as a dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) address assignment. The identification is then used to send and receive data from the device.

After initialization, and in operation of the embodiment of the invention illustrated inFIG. 2, power is capacitively coupled from the line12to the power supply28, which operates to rectify and condition the power such that it is suitable to power the processor34, the sensor and/or control device38and the wireless transceiver40. As data is collected by the device38it is communicated to the transceiver40for transmission to adjacent devices16and/or to the base station22. The device16is advantageously self-powered and thus does not require a separate power supply. Furthermore, the electrical components of the device16may be encapsulated in the housing24. In this regard, the device16is made secure and weather resistant yet remains low cost.

FIG. 3illustrates an alternate embodiment of the integrated power and control device of the present invention. Like elements to the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 1 and 2are indicated with like reference numerals. The integrated power and control device50is formed as a pole-line insulator. That is, the device50includes an insulating body/housing52configured as a pole-line insulator having a configuration for such purpose as is well known in the art. The electrical components of the integrated power and control device50are encapsulated within the housing52. The components may be preassembled and cast into the housing52. Alternatively, the housing52may be formed to include a cavity into which the electrical components are disposed. The components may be then secured and sealed within the housing52using silicone potting compound or any other suitable material.

The line12is disposed on a top surface54of the housing52adjacent a coil56encircling a permeable core58for coupling power from the line12into the device50. The coil56thereby acts as the secondary coil of a transformer, such as the transformer30. While not required, the device50may further include a yoke60encircling and securing the line12to the housing52. The yoke60itself may be made of a permeable material and may be coupled to the permeable core58such that the core58and the yoke60fully encircle the line12. An insulator62may be provided between the line12and the yoke60to both insulate the line12from the yoke60as well as to facilitate dielectric stress relief. Such an arrangement of the core58and yoke60is fully disclosed and described in the commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/656,260 filed Feb. 28, 2005 and Ser. No. 11/345,934, entitled “Current Sensor,” filed Feb. 1, 2006, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, including a number of features and functions. Not all features and functions are required for every embodiment of the invention, and in this manner the invention provides a flexible, easily installed without breaking the conductor current sensor that has better noise immunity. The features discussed herein are intended to be illustrative of those features that may be implemented; however, such features should not be considered exhaustive of all possible features that may be implemented in a device configured in accordance with the embodiments of the invention. Moreover, the herein described embodiments are illustrative, not limiting of the invention. The invention is defined and limited only by the following claims.