Configuration, system and method for monitoring gas-filled containers

Abstract

A configuration for monitoring gas-filled containers includes at least one measuring device for measuring at least one parameter of the gas in the container, a communication device which is suitable for transmitting information about the gas to an evaluation device, and an energy supply device which is suitable for acquiring electrical energy from the surrounding electromagnetic radiation. In addition, a system having the configuration and a corresponding method are provided.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring gas-filled containers, the system comprising: an existing gas-filling device having a chamber to be filled with a gas; and a configuration retrofitted onto said gas-filling device for allowing the gas to pass through said configuration, said configuration including: a central part disposed at said chamber; at least one measuring device disposed in said central part for measuring at least one parameter of the gas in the container, said at least one measuring device including a gas pressure measuring device measuring gas pressure and a temperature measuring device measuring temperature parameters; an evaluation device being configured to calculate a density of the gas from the measured parameters of the gas pressure and temperature; a communication device configured to transmit information about the gas to said evaluation device; and an energy supply device configured to acquire electrical energy from surrounding electromagnetic radiation, said energy supply device being configured to operate without an additional external source of energy except for electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the radio frequency band or the frequency band for TV signals or the frequency band for mobile radio for the acquisition of energy.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communication device is configured to establish a radio link to said evaluation device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said energy supply device is configured to use light and solar cells for the acquisition of energy.

4. The system according to claim 1, which further comprises an energy accumulator for buffering electrical energy generated by said energy supply device.

5. The system according to claim 1, which further comprises a connecting apparatus configured to connect to a container, said at least one measuring device being associated with said connecting apparatus.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said container is an electrical installation being filled with a protective gas.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said protective gas includes sulfur hexafluoride.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said configuration is configured for retrofitting a container to its existing gas filling apparatus.

9. A method for monitoring gas-filled containers, the method comprising the following steps: providing an existing gas-filling device having a chamber to be filled with a gas; retrofitting a configuration onto the gas-filling device for allowing the gas to pass through the configuration, the configuration having a central part disposed at the chamber; and operating the configuration by: acquiring electrical energy from electromagnetic radiation surrounding the gas-filled container for supplying energy to at least one measuring device disposed in said central part and one communication device without using an additional external source of energy; using the at least one measuring device to measure at least one parameter including pressure and temperature of the gas in the container; using the communication device to transmit information about the gas to an evaluation device; and calculating a density of the gas from the measured parameters.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view illustrating an application example of the system according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a known closure device for a gas filling device for a container;

(3) FIG. 3 is a longitudinal-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention; and

(4) FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a configuration according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a diagrammatic illustration of a switching installation 1. Three containers 2, 3, 4, which in this case are gas-insulated, high-voltage switching installations that are filled with the protective gas SF.sub.6, each have an analog measuring device 5, 6, 7 which indicates the gas density. In this context the arrows in the measuring devices 5, 6, 7 indicate the display of the gas density on an analog scale.

(6) Each of the containers 2, 3, 4 has, on its gas filling device, a configuration 8, 10, 12 according to the invention which utilizes the surrounding electromagnetic radiation 19 of a radiation source 18, which is a TV transmission mast or tower, for acquiring energy.

(7) The configurations 8, 10, 12 transmit the measured parameters of the gas, in this case the temperature and the gas pressure, to an evaluation device 17 over radio links 9, 11, 13 such as, for example, W-LAN. The digital transmission of the data is indicated by an arrow 14 and a signal 101101001.

(8) The evaluation device 17 has an antenna 16 for receiving and/or transmitting radio signals 15 and is configured to calculate the density of the gas from the measured parameters of the gas pressure and temperature. Therefore, the rate at which gas loss occurs within the container can be determined precisely by using the chronological profile of a plurality of measurements. In addition to the radiation source 18 or even instead of the radiation source 18, the evaluation device 17 can, by using its transmission function, make available electromagnetic radiation for the energy supply of the energy supply devices of the configurations.

(9) The evaluation device 17 in this example is disposed close to the individual containers, but it could also be disposed at any desired location throughout the world given corresponding wider-ranging communication devices such as, for example, an Internet link.

(10) It is an advantage of the system according to the invention that a power supply or an energy grid connection for the configurations 8, 10, 12 does not have to be specially configured on any of the containers.

(11) Instead, an existing container can be retrofitted with the configuration 8, 10, 12 according to the invention on its gas filling device which is usually already present.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a known closure device 21 for a gas filling device 20 of a container, wherein the gas filling device 20 has a rear side 22 and a front side 23 with a valve. If the configuration according to the invention is to be used instead of the closure device 21 shown in order to retrofit an existing container, the configuration according to the invention must be suitable for use with the gas filling device 20.

(13) FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a system 30 according to the invention. A container which is filled with the protective gas SF.sub.6 is located in a region 31.

(14) A customary gas filling device 20 is attached to the container in a region 32. The gas filling device 20 has a base 34 with a recess 35 in which a chamber 37 and a through-opening 36 are located. The chamber 37 and through-opening 36 form a fluid-conducting connection to the container and therefore contain the gas. The chamber is open toward the left-hand side.

(15) A configuration according to the invention, which is shown in a region 33, has not yet been completely fitted (in the direction of an arrow) onto the gas filling device 20 for the sake of better clarity. The configuration has a sleeve 38 and a bushing 39 with sealing devices (indicated by circles). A central part 40 is located at a base of the bushing 39.

(16) If the configuration is completely fitted onto the gas filling device 20, the sleeve 38 engages around the left-hand part of the base 34, and the bushing 39 encloses the recess 35, with the result that the chamber 37 bears against the central part 40. In this way, the gas SF.sub.6 is present at the central part of the configuration during the operation of the system.

(17) The central part 40 of the configuration has a gas pressure measuring device and a temperature measuring device with which the gas pressure and temperature of the SF.sub.6 can be determined.

(18) In one development of the configuration, a computer device for controlling the configuration and processing the measured parameters, as well as an energy accumulator, can additionally be provided in the central part.

(19) The central part 40 is adjoined by an outer part 43 which, on one hand, has an energy supply device 41 that is suitable for acquiring electrical energy from the surrounding electromagnetic radiation. On the other hand, the outer part 43 has a communication device 42 which is suitable for transmitting the measured parameters to an evaluation device.

(20) FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a configuration according to the invention with an energy supply device 50 which is suitable for acquiring electrical energy from the surrounding electromagnetic radiation. In this context, a first energy acquisition device 51 is used to acquire electrical energy from surrounding radio waves such as, for example, TV signals and/or radio signals and/or a second energy acquisition device 52 is used to acquire electrical energy from light.

(21) The acquired electrical energy is buffered in an energy accumulator 53 and used when necessary, for example periodically once per day, in order to determine the gas pressure and temperature by using a measuring device 54 and to transmit these to a computer device 55. The computer device 55 processes the measured parameters and can calculate the density of the protective gas in the container from the gas pressure and the temperature by using a calculation rule which is adapted to the protective gas SF.sub.6.

(22) Finally, the calculated density value and, if appropriate, the measured parameters are transmitted by radio through a communication device 56 with an antenna 57 for further processing. In this context, the communication device 56 is also supplied by the energy accumulator 53.