Electricity: measuring and testing – Conductor identification or location – Inaccessible
Patent
1984-07-10
1987-02-10
Strecker, Gerard R.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Conductor identification or location
Inaccessible
G01R 3102, G01R 19145
Patent
active
046425560
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to new and improved techniques for tracing electrical conductors of a power network which is conducting electrical power and is energized by an alternating or varying voltage. More specifically the present invention pertains to identifying circuit breakers, fuses, switches and other electrical current conducting or handling devices connected in the network.
It is oftentimes necessary to trace and identify particular circuits and electrical devices in a power distribution network, such as circuit breakers or fuses. Identification has typically been accomplished by practicing one or two manual techniques. One technique is to selectively disrupt power by opening the circuit breakers one at a time. When power is no longer present at the circuit, electrical device or feeder conductor in question, the opened circuit breaker identifies the item in question. The disadvantage to this technique is that electrical power is temporarily disconnected from each of the circuits and branch conductors in the course of the search, and it may be critical to maintain power to some of these circuits and branch conductors. Critical circuits include those which supply power to hospital equipment, computers, and many other types of sensitive electronic equipment. Another disadvantage is that a considerable amount of time is consumed in selectively and individually opening each of the circuit breakers. The second manual technique of identifying a circuit breaker is to introduce a sufficiently high electrical current load on the particular branch conductor to trip the circuit breaker or open the fuse. This technique is typically achieved by introducing an intentional short circuit to the branch conductor. The disadvantage of this technique is that the power will then be totally disrupted, creating the detrimental consequences previously mentioned. The increased current drawn by the short circuit can create dangerous momentary overheating or fire conditions or can cause larger trunk or distribution breakers to trip open at the same time the branch circuit breaker is tripped open. Of course, once a distribution breaker trips open, a large number of branch and distribution conductors will be disconnected from the source of electrical power.
A variety of test instruments are also available for testing and determining a variety of different electrical conditions including tracing and identifying feeder conductors, circuit breakers and other current conducting devices as well as tracing and identifying short circuited conductors. Certain of these prior devices require interruption of power to the conductors in order to accomplish the tracing and identification. Other types of prior devices employ means which cyclically create a current load on a particular conductor of sufficient magnitude to allow the increased current load, and hence the electrical device, to be identified with a conventional ammeter or impedance measuring device. Still other types of prior devices introduce a relatively high-frequency signal on the conductor while conventional power is maintained and high-frequency signal is inductively detected. The high-frequency signal detection apparatus offers the best potential for reliable circuit identification and detection, but such prior art devices are typically subject to adverse and detrimental influences, such as false indications resulting from spurious signals from transients and switching currents and reduced sensitivity for detecting and identifying the desired feeder conductors through panel enclosures and tubular conduits.
In high-frequency current-absorbing signal detection apparatus for use on energized alternating current networks, one inherent detrimental influence is a somewhat reduced capability for discrimination between closely adjacent current carrying conductors, for example adjacent circuit breakers in a breaker box, when the network carries a relatively high voltage. It has been discovered that this reduced discriminating capability is related to the radically fluctuating instanta
REFERENCES:
patent: 2133384 (1938-10-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 2291533 (1942-07-01), Cummings
patent: 2651021 (1953-09-01), Hays, Jr.
patent: 2789268 (1957-04-01), Bechtel et al.
patent: 2993167 (1961-07-01), Smith
patent: 3076931 (1963-02-01), Jasper
patent: 3252087 (1966-05-01), Parke
patent: 3274489 (1966-09-01), Behr
patent: 3288943 (1966-11-01), Bohnenblust
patent: 3334340 (1967-08-01), McConnell
patent: 3427538 (1969-02-01), Bohnenblust
patent: 3441842 (1969-04-01), Strum, Jr.
patent: 3529216 (1970-09-01), Kolm et al.
patent: 3597680 (1971-08-01), Haddon
patent: 3623142 (1971-11-01), Key
patent: 3641536 (1972-02-01), Prosprich
patent: 3810003 (1974-05-01), Portoulas
patent: 3826977 (1974-07-01), Woodworth
patent: 3829765 (1974-08-01), Siler
patent: 3914561 (1975-10-01), Schardt et al.
patent: 3982181 (1976-09-01), Ferony et al.
patent: 3991363 (1976-11-01), Lathrop
patent: 4074188 (1978-02-01), Boatman et al.
patent: 4114092 (1978-09-01), Fry
patent: 4121152 (1978-10-01), Hale et al.
patent: 4129825 (1978-12-01), Brinegar
patent: 4140964 (1979-02-01), Eubank et al.
patent: 4227145 (1980-10-01), Bonikowski et al.
patent: 4370610 (1983-01-01), Allen et al.
patent: 4377782 (1983-03-01), Metcalf et al.
Locating Underground Cable Faults, Electrical World, Dec. 26, 1925, vol. 86, No. 26, pp. 1297-1300.
Pasar, Inc.
Strecker Gerard R.
LandOfFree
Tracing electrical conductors by high-frequency constant-energy- does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tracing electrical conductors by high-frequency constant-energy-, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tracing electrical conductors by high-frequency constant-energy- will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2364774