Patent Publication Number: US-2015069993-A1

Title: Apparatus for monitoring and diagnosing power transmission line

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0109809 filed on Sep. 12, 2013, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for monitoring power transmission lines and, more particularly, to a power transmission line monitoring apparatus installed on power transmission lines to monitor geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) flowing in power transmission lines. 
     Space weather is defined as physical phenomena occurring in space, caused due to solar activity or cosmic radiation, for example, and which affects human activities in space and on the ground. Such phenomena have so far been reported to affect various fields, and among such phenomena is a space weather phenomenon affecting power grids. 
     Typical space weather phenomena include geomagnetic storms, solar flares, and radiation storms, for example, and, among these, geomagnetic storms have been known to affect power grids. 
     A phenomenon in which the strength of the earth&#39;s magnetic field is rapidly reduced due to solar activity is known as a geomagnetic storm or a geomagnetic disturbance (GMD). GMDs can cause geomagnetically induced currents to circulate in terrestrial power grids, resulting in power grid disturbances. 
     Thus, a technique of sensing an induced current flowing along power grids, in real time, is required. 
     SUMMARY 
     An aspect of the present disclosure may provide a power transmission line monitoring apparatus capable of sensing a geomagnetically induced current (GIC) circulating in a power transmission line and providing corresponding information for a user. 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a power transmission line monitoring apparatus may include: a main body installed on a power transmission line; a sensing unit embedded in the main body to sense a geomagnetically induced current flowing in the power transmission line; a data collecting and processing unit embedded in the main body and connected to the sensing unit to collect geomagnetically induced current data sensed by the sensing unit and process the collected geomagnetically induced current data; and a wireless communication modem embedded in the main body and connected to the data collecting and processing unit to transmit the data processed by the data collecting and processing unit to a remote data collecting device. 
     The data collecting and processing unit may be configured as a fast Fourier transform (FFT) device performing discrete Fourier transforms (DFT) on the data sensed by the sensing unit. 
     The wireless communication modem may be configured to transmit data using wireless mobile or Wi-Fi communication. 
     The main body may include an antenna for wireless mobile communications and an antenna for a Wi-Fi communication both connected to the wireless communication modem. 
     The sensing unit, the data collecting and processing unit and the wireless communication modem may be configured to harvest operating energy through a current flowing along the power transmission line on which the main body is installed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a state in which a power transmission line monitoring apparatus is installed on a power transmission line according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the power transmission line monitoring apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram schematically illustrating components included in the power transmission line monitoring apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The disclosure may, however, be exemplified in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein. 
     Rather, these embodiments are embedded so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. 
     In the drawings, the shapes and dimensions of elements may be exaggerated for clarity, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or like elements. 
     A power transmission line monitoring apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 3 .  FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a state in which a power transmission line monitoring apparatus is installed on a power transmission line according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the power transmission line monitoring apparatus of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  is a block diagram schematically illustrating components included in the power transmission line monitoring apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a power transmission line monitoring apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a main body  110 , a sensing unit  120 , a data collecting and processing unit  130 , and a wireless communication modem  140 . The power transmission line monitoring apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include an antenna  150  for wireless mobile communications and an antenna  160  for a Wi-Fi communication. 
     The main body  110  may form an outer casing of the power transmission line monitoring apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and may be installed on a power transmission line  10 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the main body  110  may be configured as a cylindrical structure installed on the power transmission line  10  such that the power transmission line  10  passes through a hollow thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. 
     Also, in an exemplary embodiment, the main body  110  may be installed on the power transmission line about 2 to 3 meters away from an insulator  20 . 
     The sensing unit  120  may be embedded in the main body  110  and sense a geomagnetically induced current flowing along the power transmission line  10 . The sensing unit  120  is not particularly limited and may be configured as a current sensor able to measure a magnitude of a current flowing along the power transmission line  10 . 
     The data collecting and processing unit  130  is also embedded in the main body  110 , like the sensing unit  120 . The data collecting and processing unit  130  may be connected to the sensing unit  120  to collect geomagnetically induced current data sensed by the sensing unit  120  and process the same. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the data collecting and processing unit  130  may process a magnitude of a geomagnetically induced current sensed by the sensing unit  120  each time the geomagnetically induced current is detected and record the same to create data with which a user may recognize points in time at which a geomagnetically induced current circulates in the power transmission line  10  and magnitudes of geomagnetically induced currents over time. 
     For example, the data collecting and processing unit  130  may be configured as a fast Fourier transform (FFT) device performing discrete Fourier transforms (DFT) on the data of a geomagnetically induced current sensed by the sensing unit  120 . 
     In this manner, the data collecting and processing unit  130  configured as an FFT device may create a time-current magnitude graph by aligning magnitude data of geomagnetically induced currents sensed by the sensing unit  120  based on a time axis. 
     The wireless communication modem  140  may be embedded in the main body  110 . The wireless communication modem  140  may be connected to the data collecting and processing unit  130  to transmit data processed by the data collecting and processing unit  130  to the remote data collecting device  200 . 
     The remote data collecting device  200  may be configured as a terminal with which a user may check the data generated by the data collecting and processing unit  130 . 
     The remote data collecting device  200  may analyze the data generated by the data collecting and processing unit  130  through a program to monitor the power transmission line  10  and determine a state of the power transmission line  10 . 
     In addition, the remote data collecting device  200  may be disposed in or configured as a portable wireless terminal that may be carried by a user. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication modem  140  may be configured to transmit data using wireless mobile or Wi-Fi communication. 
     To this end, in an exemplary embodiment, the main body  110  may include the antenna  150  for wireless mobile communications and the antenna  160  for a Wi-Fi communication. 
     In the power transmission line monitoring apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensing unit  120 , the data collecting and processing unit  130 , and the wireless communication modem  140  may be configured to harvest operating energy through a current flowing along the power transmission line  10  in which the main body  110  is installed. 
     Namely, power for operating the sensing unit  120 , the data collecting and processing unit  130 , and the wireless communication modem  140  may be supplied from the power transmission line  10  on which the power transmission line monitoring apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is installed. 
     The power transmission line monitoring apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may sense, in real time, a geomagnetically induced current circulating in the power transmission line  10 , caused due to geomagnetic disturbance, by means of the sensing unit  120  and provide data regarding the geomagnetically induced current for a remote user, thereby preventing malfunction of an electric power device and a power grid hindrance due to the geomagnet disturbance and creating data required for recognizing or detecting a cause of a power grid hindrance. 
     As set forth above, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a geomagnetically induced current circulating in the power transmission line  10 , caused due to geomagnetic disturbance, may be sensed, in real time, through the sensing unit and data regarding the geomagnetically induced current is embedded for a remote user, thereby preventing malfunction of an electric power device and a power grid hindrance due to the geomagnet disturbance and creating data required for recognizing or detecting a cause of a power grid hindrance. 
     While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.