A system for autonomously validating the topology information of an electrical power distribution system is provided. For example, the system includes a group of meters previously determined to be connected to the same transformer of an electrical power distribution system. The group of meters is configured to perform family check periodically or upon request and to identify orphan meters in the group. The identified orphan meter can contact a community device communicatively connected to meters in more than one group to request a community check. The community device performs the community check by contacting meters in other groups of meters and obtain their family signature data. The community device further determines whether the orphan meter belongs to a new family based on the voltage data of the orphan meter and the family signature data of other groups. The orphan meter can report the community check results to a headend system.

A method for reducing and/or managing energy-related stress in an electrical system includes processing electrical measurement data from or derived from energy-related signals captured by at least one intelligent electronic device (IED) in the electrical system to identify and track at least one energy-related transient in the electrical system. An impact of the at least one energy-related transient on equipment in the electrical system is quantified, and one or more transient-related alarms are generated in response to the impact of the at least one energy-related transient being near, within or above a predetermined range of the stress tolerance of the equipment. The transient-related alarms are prioritized based in part on at least one of the stress tolerance of the equipment, the stress associated with one or more transient events, and accumulated energy-related stress on the equipment. One or more actions are taken in the electrical system in response to the transient-related alarms to reduce energy-related stress on the equipment in the electrical system.

Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed for electrical power grid visualization. A computer-implemented method includes: obtaining power grid data including different temporal and spatially dependent characteristics of a power grid, the characteristics including a first characteristic, a second characteristic, and a third characteristic; and generating a graphical user interface (GUI) representing a visualization of the power grid data. The GUI includes a line-diagram representation of power lines in the power grid overlaid on a map of a geographic region in which the power grid is located, the line-diagram including a plurality of line segments, wherein attributes of each line segment represent the power grid data at a particular spatial location of the power grid. The attributes include a time-changing thickness of the line segment representing the first characteristic; a plurality of time-changing directional arrows on the line segment representing the second characteristic; and a color shading representing the third characteristic.

A power distribution monitoring system (100) is provided that can include a number of features. The system can include a plurality of monitoring devices configured to attach to conductor(s) on a power grid distribution network. In some embodiments, a monitoring device is disposed on each conductor of a three-phase network and utilizes a complex platform of software and hardware to detect faults and disturbances that can be analyzed to determine or predict the risk of wildfires.

A system architecture and method for enabling hierarchical intelligent control with appropriate-speed communication and coordination of control using intelligent distributed impedance/voltage injection modules, local intelligence centers, other actuator devices and miscellaneous FACTS coupled actuator devices is disclosed. Information transfer to a supervisory utility control is enabled for responding to integral power system disturbances, system modelling and optimization. By extending the control and communication capability to the edge of the HV power grid, control of the distribution network through FACTS based Demand response units is also enabled. Hence an integrated and hierarchical total power system control is established with distributed impedance/voltage injection modules, local intelligence centers, connected other actuator devices, miscellaneous FACTS coupled devices and utility supervisory all networked at appropriate speeds allowing optimization of the total power system from generation to distribution.

A power monitoring and signal unit provided with projecting connectors at a first face and sockets for receiving like connectors in a second opposite face, and circuitry for monitoring power flow through said unit when projecting connectors are plugged into a mains power outlet; and unit further provided with transceiver circuitry for the transmission and reception of data including command and control data. The power monitoring and signal unit may be in communication with a programmable sensor device comprising an individual signal and registered by an owner of individual signal unit with a central control facility. The individual signal unit communicates with central control facility when an event sensor activates said individual signal unit; central control facility executing a user-assembled schedule of predefined steps on receipt of a communication from individual signal unit, predefined steps configured or reconfigurable by an owner of said individual signal unit from a web site.

A power identification device at least includes a measurement information acquisition unit for acquiring the amount of power generation by a power producer and the amount of power consumption by a consumer respectively as measurement information, a rule management unit for managing a generation rule for generating attribute information, a distribution rule and a loss rule for distributing the attribute information to the consumer, the attribute information containing a primary attribute related to each of the amount of power generation and the amount of power consumption and an additive attribute related to the amount of power generation, an attribute computation unit for generating the attribute information from the measurement information based on the generation rule and distributing the attribute information from the power producer to the consumer based on the distribution rule and the loss rule, and an attribute output (visualization) unit for outputting the attribute information to the outside.

The present invention relates to a dual controller system for analyzing a control signal received from two dual controllers, both of which operate in an active state, to check whether an error occurs in the controllers and to perform operation with a controller in a normal state. A dual controller system according to the present invention includes a plurality of lower-layer modules performing respective functions, and first and second controllers for controlling each of the plurality of lower-layer modules, wherein the first and second controllers transmit control signals to the plurality of lower-layer modules, and the lower-layer modules determine whether an error occurs in the two received control signals, remove an erroneous control signal and perform a function according to a normal control signal.

A method and controller for controlling electrical activation of elements in a system. A method includes identifying (710) a first element (102) of a system (100) by a control system (600), among a plurality of elements (102, 110, 122) of the system (100), that is to be powered. The method includes determining (712) connected elements (110, 122) of the system (100) by the control system (600). The connected elements (110, 122) are connected to deliver power to the first element (102) directly or indirectly, based on an adjacency matrix (400), and the adjacency matrix (400) identifies connections between each of plurality of elements of the system (100). The method includes identifying (714) at least one of the connected elements (110, 122) to activate by the control system (600), based on the adjacency matrix (400), a health table (500), and the connected elements (110, 122), to deliver power to the first element (102). The method includes activating (716) the at least one of the connected elements (110, 122) by the control system (600), thereby delivering power to the first element (102).

A method of detecting self-clearing, sub-cycle faults comprises sensing a current condition and a voltage condition at a location along a power cable. The sensed conditions are relayed to an analyzing device, the analyzing device including a current peak detector. The presence of a measured current value is determined. If the measured current value is greater than a current threshold value, a faulted circuit indicator (FCI) analysis is performed to determine the presence or absence of an FCI fault. If an FCI fault is absent, an incipient fault analysis is performed, wherein the RMS current values before and after a threshold event are compared and the voltage total harmonic distortion (THD) before and after the event are compared. If the two current values are within a first predetermined percentage and the THD values differ by a second predetermined percentage, then an incipient fault is reported. If either the two current values are not within the first predetermined percentage or the THD values do not differ by at least the second predetermined percentage,