MONITORING OF HIGH-VOLTAGE OR MEDIUM-VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT

Abstract

A device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology includes at least one connection configured for connection to a high-voltage or medium-voltage conductor; a sensor system configured to determine a plurality of different physical and/or chemical measurement values relating to the device and/or the conductor and/or the surroundings; and a communication system, in particular a wireless system, configured to receive the measurement values from the sensor system and to transmit them to an entity in a network. A method for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology is also provided.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology, the device comprising: at least one connection configured to be connected to a high-voltage or medium-voltage conductor; a sensor system configured to determine a plurality of at least one of different physical or chemical measurement values relating to at least one of the device or the conductor or the surroundings; and a communication system configured to receive the measurement values from said sensor system and to transmit the measurement values to an entity in a network.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the high-voltage or medium-voltage conductor is at least one of a cable or a gas-insulated conductor or an overhead line conductor.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein said communication system operates wirelessly.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein said communication system is configured to allow bidirectional communication in order to at least one of: obtain sensor configuration data and communicate the sensor configuration data to said sensor system, or obtain control data and transmit the control data to components of the device in order to control operation of the device, or transmit protection control data to components of the device in order to control protection functions of the device.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the sensor configuration data configures said sensor system with regard to at least one of a protection function or a measurement function or a sensitivity or a sampling rate.

16. The device according to claim 11, which further comprises a preprocessing system for preparing the measurement values for transmission.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein said preprocessing system at least one of digitizes the measurement values or provides the measurement values with at least one of identification data or a time stamp or converts the measurement values into at least one transmission data packet.

18. The device according to claim 11, wherein the measurement values at least one of: relate to at least one of: location data or acceleration or temperature or torque or compressive stress or residence duration of the device; or relate to at least one of: current or voltage or temperature or pressure or acceleration or vibration or moisture of the conductor connected to the device.

19. The device according to claim 11, wherein said communication system is configured to at least one of autonomously make itself known or log on to at least one of the entity or the network.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the entity is a database.

21. The device according to claim 11, wherein said sensor system is configured to operate autonomously by wirelessly obtaining energy required for operation.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein said sensor system obtains the energy required for operation by at least one of inductive transmission or converting waste heat.

23. The device according to claim 11, wherein the entity is configured to at least one of: monitor a manufacturing process or monitor a transport or monitor an assembly or optimize at least one of an operation or a product or carry out quality assurance.

24. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device includes a switchgear apparatus.

25. A method for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology, the method comprising: providing a device having a connection configured to be connected to a high-voltage or medium-voltage conductor; determining a plurality of at least one of different physical or chemical measurement values relating to at least one of the device or the conductor or the surroundings; and transmitting the measurement values to an entity in a network.

26. The method according to claim 25, which further comprises transmitting the measurement values to the entity wirelessly.

27. The method according to claim 19, which further comprises carrying out the method during at least one of: production or transport or assembly or operation or maintenance of the device.

Description

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not restricted to the embodiments illustrated or described.

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention (also referred to as sensor system);

[0031] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a system (comprising network, database, server) for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology, which system comprises a device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0032] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a system for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology, which system comprises a device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Similar or identical structures or features are designated by reference signs that differ only in the first digit. Features of different embodiments can be combined.

[0034] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a device comprises multi-functional sensor technology. The multi-functional sensor technology (also referred to hereinafter as sensor system) continuously collects all relevant information, processes it and can store it autonomously in a database (cloud) (e.g. an entity, in particular a computer server). Since GPS data, acceleration values and temperature profiles are stored, inter alia, the entire process for producing the device can be checked for deviations. By way of example, in the manufacturing process, vibrations of manufacturing machines can be detected by means of an acceleration-time profile. Furthermore, sequences in the transport process can be detected, wherein transport loadings can be signaled by autonomous systems. In this case, excessive stresses can be detected promptly and measures can immediately be initiated to counteract the excessive stresses.

[0035] Furthermore, during assembly and/or start-up, information can be collected by means of the sensor system. Generally, sensors of the sensor system can independently log on or make themselves known in the local network. Furthermore, sensors of the sensor system which are assigned to individual devices can communicate and exchange relevant information with one another. Furthermore, it is possible to effect monitoring during operation and/or maintenance by means of the sensor system and the communication system, wherein the operational management can be optimized on the basis of the operating state of the individual components.

[0036] In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to carry out continuous monitoring of the product life cycle of the components of the device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology. The product-relevant data can be stored by an autonomous sensor unit in a superordinate database (cloud) and can be processed further by diverse evaluation applications. In this case, manufacturing processes can be monitored, transport and assembly monitoring can be carried out, operational optimization can be carried out, product optimization can be carried out and quality assurance can be carried out.

[0037] The sensors of the sensor system can be able to detect not only operationally governed variables (e.g. temperature, voltage, current, gas density) but also data relevant to the life cycle (e.g. acceleration, vibration, moisture, GPS data). The sensor unit can operate continuously and autonomously and can be able to transmit relevant data for further use into a database, for which purpose the communication system can be used. The sensor unit (e.g. via the communication system of distributed or central design) can independently log on to the local network at the construction site and exchange the relevant data during assembly/start-up in order to document quality assurance.

[0038] The entire life cycle of the product can be monitored continuously. As a result, improvements in production can be achieved, costs of mistakes can be reduced and operational management can be optimized.

[0039] In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, the sensor system is used for monitoring operation of the device for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology. In this case, the autonomously functioning sensor unit can continuously collect all relevant measurement values, process (e.g. digitize) them and autonomously and wirelessly transmit them or process them further (e.g. convert them into derived values, use them for internal processing algorithms . . . ). The data flow can also be effected bidirectionally and thus enables the sensor parameters of the sensors of the sensor system to be changed. For example, a switchover from a protection function to a measurement function during current measurement can be effected, an accuracy class adaptation can be effected, a data sampling rate can be set, etc.

[0040] A sensor can be assigned to a component of the device and (e.g. via the communication system or a module thereof assigned to the sensor) can autonomously log on to an apparatus database (plug+play). Required information can be stored directly in the database. The data can be preprocessed (in particular by means of a preprocessing system) in the sensor to an extent such that the algorithms in the database can implement higher-level functions (e.g. protection and monitoring). Additional hardware can be dispensed with, by virtue of protection in the cloud. Individual functions (e.g. backup protection, comparison value detection, . . . ) are implemented autonomously in the sensor or else by communication (via cloud) directly with one or more component sensors. The signaling or the control command can be issued directly to the relevant component.

[0041] Various advantages can be achieved by embodiments of the present invention. For example, cabling can be simplified and/or the laying of cables can be entirely obviated. A saving of devices and reduction of the control and protection cabinets required can be achieved, whereby a space requirement can be reduced. Furthermore, an engineering outlay can be reduced.

[0042] The sensor unit can operate continuously and autonomously and be able to transmit relevant data for further use into a database or to exchange them with other sensors. In this case, data can be transmitted by means of wireless plug+play. The sensor can be adapted to existing components and new components can have the sensor unit integrated directly from the factory. In alternative embodiments, the data acquisition can be carried out in a decentralized manner without continuous transparency.

[0043] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a device 100 for high-voltage or medium-voltage technology in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The device 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises at least one connection 101 designed for being connected to a high-voltage or medium-voltage conductor 102 in order thus to implement a branch junction. The device 100 furthermore comprises a sensor system consisting of a plurality of sensors 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 115, which is designed to determine a plurality of different physical and/or chemical measurement values relating to the device 100 and/or to determine physical and/or chemical measurement values relating to an electrical conductor connected to the connection 101, e.g. cable or gas-insulated conductor or overhead line conductor, and/or to determine physical and/or chemical measurement values relating to the surroundings. In particular, the sensor 103 is designed for determining accelerations, the sensor 105 is designed for determining a position (via GPS), the sensor 107 is designed for determining a moisture, and the sensor 109 is designed for determining the temperature. The sensor 111 can be designed for determining current and voltage and the sensor 115 can be designed for determining magnetic fluxes which are present on a cable connected to the connection 101.

[0044] The device can comprise various components 117, 119 that are used for evaluating/detecting/controlling measurement values and enable normal operation of the device, which can be designed e.g. as a switchgear apparatus. The sensors can respectively be assigned to one or more components 117, 119.

[0045] The device 100 furthermore has a wireless communication system 121 designed to obtain the measurement values from the sensors 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 115 and to transmit them in particular wirelessly to an entity 135 in a network 130, in particular after conditioning by a preprocessing system 120. The measurement values can thus be transmitted to the entity 135 by way of radio waves 123.

[0046] Consequently, the data can be acquired and sent wirelessly to a superordinate system. In this case, the communication system 121 can itself autonomously log on in a cloud (e.g. network 130) (e.g. WLAN plug+play). Furthermore, the sensor system and/or the communication system 121 can have an autonomous supply, in particular energy supply. Furthermore, the sensor system and/or the communication system can preprocess the measurement values, in particular the measurement data, to an extent such that the data can be used in the cloud (in particular by the entity, e.g. a computer server, 135). A simple basic configuration (component addressing, . . . ) can be realized by means of MLFB (e.g. with a DIP switch). A bidirectional data flow can be effected between the communication system 121 and the entity 135 and/or the sensors in order e.g. to enable a switchover from protection function to measurement function during current measurement, to enable an accuracy class adaptation, to set a data sampling rate, etc. The sensor system can autonomously implement individual functions (e.g. backup protection, comparison value detection, . . . ) or else carry them out by communication directly with one or more component sensors. The device can furthermore perform signaling and control of its associated components.

[0047] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a device 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, which is connected to a network 230 (e.g. connected to a cloud). The device 200 comprises a communication system 231 having a number of branches 233 enabling connection to equipment components 239. Furthermore, the equipment components 239 comprise sensors that can be monitored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention by means of a sensor system, not illustrated in detail. The measurement values of the sensor system are communicated as measurement signals 237 to a control and monitoring unit 235 (corresponds to the entity 135 in a network in FIG. 1), which is equipped with or connected to a communication system, not illustrated in detail. The control and monitoring unit 235 is connected to the network 230 (e.g. the Internet or a data lake) via a communication link 241 (wireless or wired). The communication system is designed to receive the measurement values from the sensor system and to transmit them to the entity 235 in the network 230.

[0048] The sensors of the sensor system can obtain energy from their environment as supply energy (e.g. induction in the HV devices, converted waste heat, etc.). The sensors of the sensor system can independently make themselves known to a surrounding network (e.g. wireless network) and can signal e.g. which components is being monitored and what type of data is being sent. In a superordinate cloud, the measurement data or measurement values obtained from the sensors can be processed by algorithms being executed which the sensor itself can no longer handle or which are acquired from other stations. Time-critical functions can/ought to be transmitted directly from the detecting sensor to the implementing sensor.

[0049] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a further device 300 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, which is connected to a network 330. The device 300 can be designed as a switchgear apparatus, for example, and comprises a sensor system and also a communication system, which can be connected to the network 330 communicatively by way of encryption functions. An entity 335 is arranged within the network 330, which entity can contain a database, for example, to which the measurement values obtained in the device 300 are transmitted.