Systems and methods for harvesting energy from power cables

Abstract

An energy harvesting system comprising a power cable and an energy harvesting device as shown in FIG. 18. This patent also protects the energy harvesting device. This development also comprises the manufacturing method of the System and the Device and at the same time protects the repair method of the system by means of a repair kit of the system. Finally this system has a broad range of uses within which the fields of localizing, illuminating, identifying, monitoring, sounds generating, electromagnetic fields capturing and accumulating energy in power cables are covered.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic energy harvesting system for use in a power cable having one or more phases, comprising: at least one electromagnetic energy harvesting device provided within the power cable and without direct electrical contact to a main conductor of the cable, wherein the electromagnetic energy harvesting device comprises: a ferrous wire configured to capture and concentrate an alternating electromagnetic field produced by an alternating current flowing through the main conductor, wherein the ferrous wire includes: a ferrous core that is continuous and open and configured to harvest an amount of energy from the main conductor, a conductive, insulated wire wound over the ferrous core, thereby forming a coil, and wherein the ferrous wire is wound helically and individually around the main conductor of the power cable; and wherein the energy harvesting device is connected to one or more load devices configured to consume energy extracted by the electromagnetic energy harvesting device, and wherein electric current flows through the main conductor about which the at least one electromagnetic energy harvesting device is wound and whereby the electromagnetic harvesting device is a power source for the one or more load devices connected to the coil.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is circumscribed to the cable's diameter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable has a polymeric jacket.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable used is three-phase.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the cable has a transparent polymeric jacket.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable used is single-phase.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, the cable has a transparent polymeric jacket.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable is one or more of: bare, protected and insulated.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises one of: low, medium and high voltage cable.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction device comprises a continuous helicoidal ferrous core and multiple coils of conductive insulated wire wound around the ferrous core; and wherein the system further comprises: load devices connected to respective coils, wherein a load device is one or more of: a device consumes the energy extracted by the system and an energy accumulator.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the continuous helicoidal ferrous core is manufactured of a ferromagnetic material.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the ferrous core is helicoidal and having an open core that has ends that are spaced apart.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein each coil is manufactured of an electrically conductive material that is insulated electrically including annealed enameled copper.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the load devices consume the power delivered by respective coils.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the load devices that consume the energy delivered by the respective coils comprise different devices including an LED.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the accumulators are configured to store the energy delivered by the coil and are capable of liberating it whether or not current exists in the conductor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the accumulators that store the energy delivered by the coil comprise capacitors, supercapacitors and/or batteries.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction device is provided in one or more modules, and wherein the number of modules determined by an extent of the electromagnetic energy extraction system to be placed.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used under adverse weather conditions because as it is comprised within the cable's diameter, exposing a smaller surface area to be affected by environmental conditions.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used in the localization of the system's position.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction is used in the localization of one or more of: submarine cables, high voltage lines, and overhead cables.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction is used in the illumination and identification of the system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used in one or more of: the illumination and identification of underground tunnels, urban and rural illumination, identification of specific cables or phases, and identification of the presence of current.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used in the monitoring of the system's variables.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used in the monitoring of one or more of: operation variables, variables of electric parameters, physical variables in the transmission networks and substations, and environmental variables.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used in the emission of sounds.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used in the emission of sounds as deterrent of one or more of: birds, rodents or insects.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used as a storage battery.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used to capture an electromagnetic field.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is used to capture an electromagnetic field produced in the power cables, because the entire magnetic field generated is consumed through the charges.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy extraction system is configured to extract electric power from the power cable, using the electromagnetic energy generated by the circulation of current within the power cable.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1

(2) This figure shows a conductor (101) carrying current (103) which generates a magnetic field (104)

(3) Number 101 represents the electrical conductor.

(4) Number 102 represents the electrical conductor cross-section area.

(5) Number 103 shows the direction of the current flow through the cross section of the electrical conductor.

(6) Number 104 represents the perimetral magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the conductor cross-section area, by following the right-hand convention.

(7) FIG. 2 illustrates the design usually applied to extract energy from a conductor.

(8) Number 201 represents a ferrous toroid or ring.

(9) Number 202 shows the coil, an insulated wire winding.

(10) Number 203 represents a determined load or charge.

(11) FIG. 3 depicts the cross-section area of two power cables comprising two and three conductors

(12) Number 301 illustrates a power cable comprising two conductors.

(13) Number 302 represents a power cable comprising three conductors.

(14) Number 303 shows the outer jacket of each cable. Number 102 represents the electrical conductor cross-section area.

(15) FIG. 4 displays the simplest existent multipole power cable: two conductors comprised in one cable.

(16) Numbers 101A and 101B represent the cable electrical conductors.

(17) Number 102 represents the electrical conductor cross sectional area.

(18) Numbers 103A and 103B show the direction of a current flowing through the electrical wire cross-sectional area.

(19) Number 301 shows a power cable comprising two conductors.

(20) FIG. 5 shows the same two conductors shown in FIG. 4 (belonging to a same cable), but with the oppositely directed flowing currents. The oppositely directed magnetic fields can also be seen (104A and 104B)

(21) Numbers 101A and 101B represent the power cable electrical conductors.

(22) Numbers 102A and 102B represent the electrical conductor cross-section area.

(23) Numbers 103A and 103B represent the direction of the current flowing through the electrical conductor cross-section area.

(24) Numbers 104A and 104B represent the perimetral magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the electrical conductor cross-section area, by following the right-hand convention.

(25) FIG. 6 depicts a medium-voltage cable with three-phases.

(26) Number 601A depicts the complete phase A of the power cable.

(27) Number 601B depicts the complete phase B of the power cable.

(28) Number 601C depicts the complete phase C of the power cable.

(29) Number 602 depicts the power electrical conductor of each of the power cable phases.

(30) Number 603 depicts a first inner semiconducting layer of each of the power cables phases.

(31) Number 604 depicts the electrical insulation of each of the power cable phases.

(32) Number 605 depicts the external semiconducting layer of each of the power cable phases.

(33) Number 606 depicts the electrostatic screen of each of the power cable phases.

(34) Number 607 depicts the ground check wire of the medium-voltage cable.

(35) Number 608 represents the two ground conductors of the medium-voltage cable.

(36) Number 609 is the outer jacket covering all the medium-voltage cable components above mentioned.

(37) FIG. 7 displays a generic representation of a three-phase system (the most common polyphase system)

(38) Number 601A depicts the complete phase A of the power cable.

(39) Number 601B depicts the complete phase B of the power cable.

(40) Number 601C depicts the complete phase C of the power cable

(41) Number 701 shows a three-phase generator.

(42) Number 702 depicts a three-phase load (for example, the equipment fed through the cable).

(43) Number 703 is a representation of one of the possible Delta connections.

(44) Number 704 is a representation of one of the possible Star connections.

(45) FIG. 8 shows one phase of the power cable with the built-in energy harvesting device.

(46) Number 601 shows the power cable phase.

(47) Number 802 shows the ferromagnetic core.

(48) Number 803 displays a diagram of the coil.

(49) Number 804 shows the load. This specific drawing shows a LED, but it may be any load fed with the energy extracted from the power cable through the core and coil.

(50) FIG. 9 is a diagram of the different cable manufacturing processes. The energy harvesting system may be implemented in every of these manufacturing processes. The figures enumerated are:

(51) Number 1 represents the Copper Wire Rod.

(52) Number 2 represents the Working Process and Annealing.

(53) Number 3 represents the Insulating Process with PVC.

(54) Number 4a is Manufactured Single Cable.

(55) Number 4b represents the Manufactured Multi-Wire Cable.

(56) Number 4c is Manufactured Flexible Cable

(57) Number 4d illustrates the Manufactured Flat Cable with two Wires.

(58) Number 4c is showing the Manufactured Power Cable.

(59) Number 4f is showing the Manufactured Shielded Cable.

(60) Number 5 shows PVC.

(61) Number 6 shows the Braiding and Twisting Process.

(62) Number 7 shows the Outer Cover Layer Process.

(63) Number 8 represents 7 to 61 Stranded Wires

(64) Number 9 shows the Braiding and Configured Process.

(65) Number 10 shows the Design of Cores

(66) Number 11 shows a Steel Cable.

(67) Number 12 shows a Shielded Steel Wire.

(68) Number 13 is XLPE (Cross-Linked Polyethylene).

(69) Number 14 is a Line CCV.

(70) FIG. 10 depicts one of the phases of a tripolar medium-voltage cable with its layers shown schematically.

(71) This figure corresponds to a particular case which can be applied together with the energy harvesting device.

(72) FIG. 11 shows a set of the energy harvesting device (802), (803), (804). The load (shown in this figure) to be connected to the coils is a light-emitting load (LED). The new elements in this representation are:

(73) Number 1101A corresponding to one of the two terminals of the coil.

(74) Number 1101B is the other terminal of the coil.

(75) Number 1102A is one of the two terminals of the load (LED).

(76) Number 1102 B is the other terminal of the load (LED).

(77) This figure represents an application example and this is a special case of the energy harvesting device application.

(78) FIG. 12 represents an energy harvesting device scheme (802), (803) and (804) already installed in one of the phases of a three-phase power cable. The load connected to the coil is a particular one: a light-emitter (LED). This figure corresponds to the application example and is a particular case of the energy harvesting device application.

(79) FIG. 13 illustrates a diagram of the energy harvesting device, numbers (802), (803) and (804) already installed in one of the phases (601A) of a three-phase power cable, which in turn, is already accompanied by the other two phases (601B) and (601C) of the three-phase power cable without the energy harvesting device. The load (804) connected to the coil (803) is a particular one: a light-emitter (LED). This figure corresponds to the application example and is a particular case of the energy harvesting device application.

(80) FIG. 14 represents a diagram of a three-phase power cable with all its components with the outer jacket of the energy harvesting system inside the cable (number 609) and with the energy harvesting device (802), (803) and (804), already assembled in one of the phases (601) of a three-phase power cable. The load seen connected to the coil is a particular load: a light-emitter LED. This figure corresponds to the application example and is a particular case of the energy harvesting device application. The new element in this representation is:

(81) The outer jacket (609) of the energy harvesting system inside the cable. For this particular application in which the load (804) connected to the coil (803) is a light-emitter LED, the jacket is translucent such that the light emitted from inside the cable may be seen from outside the cable.

(82) FIG. 15 depicts a diagram of a medium-voltage three-phase cable being repaired. The figure shows each of the constituent layers of the cable that has to be reconstituted in order to perform the repair.

(83) FIG. 16 shows a diagram of a medium-voltage three-phase cable being repaired. The figure shows each of the constituent layers of the cable that has to be reconstituted in order to perform the repair. It is particularly seen the reconstitution of the innermost semiconducting layer (604) of the cable by using semiconducting tape.

(84) The FIG. 17 shows a wire diagram of a medium-voltage three-phase cable in repair. The figure shows each of the constituent layers of the cable that has to be reconstituted in order to perform the repair. It is particularly seen the stage when the energy harvesting device is embodied together with all its components (iron wire (802), copper coils (803) and loads (804).

(85) FIG. 18 shows a diagram of the energy harvesting device (802), (803) and (804) already installed in two of the phases of a three-phase power cable. The load seen connected to the coil is a particular load: light-emitter LED.

(86) TABLE-US-00001 Solution Cable Electromagnetic Electromagnetic Energy of the Cable Characteristic Photoluminescent Reflective Energy With Accumulator Patent CL 1705-2009 This patent This patent application PCT/IB2009/056024 application US2010/0282491 A1 Duration of the Less than one hour Indefinite as long Indefinite while Indefinite as long as light as a light ray current circulates current circulates through incides in a certain through the cable the cable and/or there is angle charge in the accumulator Intensity of the Low High High High light -Dependence of Sun light Incident light Current circulation Current circulation the energy through the cable through the cable and source charge of the accumulator Operation in Not possible Possible Possible. Can serve Possible. Can serve as tunnel as guide for the guide for the emergency emergency exit exit even when there is no current in the cable Emission of Not possible Not possible Possible. Possible. other signals Telecommunications Telecommunications (radiofrequency, (radiofrequency, GPS, etc.) GPS, etc.) sound, sound, etc. etc.