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Title:
CURRENT AND/OR VOLTAGE SENSOR DEVICE, AND METHOD OF OPERATION THE SAME
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/044408
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a voltage and or current sensor device (Fig.1) for the use in medium- or high-voltage application and a method for operation of the same. The sensor device can have at least one voltage and/or current sensor (1), wherein the sensor(s) of the sensor device is (are) arranged in a housing. In order to enhance the communication between the sensor and the electronic device and to use maximum possible accuracy of the voltage and current sensors, a signal and/or data memory element (3) is integrated in the sensor housing, or placed near the sensor in such, that the sensor device output signal can be directly evaluated. A method includes an automatic communication of historical sensing data, individual calibration data and/or parameter data between the data memory element (3) and a central calculation/monitoring device

Inventors:
JAVORA RADEK (CZ)
PAVLAS MAREK (CZ)
HOZOI ADRIAN (DE)
PODZEMNY JAROMIR (CZ)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2013/002857
Publication Date:
March 27, 2014
Filing Date:
September 23, 2013
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
ABB TECHNOLOGY AG (CH)
International Classes:
G01R19/00; G01R35/00; H01R13/66
Domestic Patent References:
WO2003012462A12003-02-13
Foreign References:
US20100057944A12010-03-04
US20010003419A12001-06-14
US5918194A1999-06-29
DE4114921A11992-11-12
Other References:
MELEXIS MICROELECTRONIC INTEGRATED SYSTEMS: "MLX91206 Triaxis® Current Sensor IC Datasheet Rev40", 1 July 2012 (2012-07-01), XP002692838, Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20130222]
"KEVCD A, Indoor combined sensor; Indoor current sensor", 30 April 2011 (2011-04-30), pages 1 - 8, XP055084794, Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20131022]
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
SCHMIDT, Karl-Michael (Oberhausener Strasse 33, Ratingen, DE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. Voltage and or current sensor device for the use in medium- or high voltage application, and the sensor device can have at least one voltage- and/or current sensor, wherein the sensor or the sensors of the sensor device is or are arranged in a housing,

characterized in

that a signal and/or data memory element is integrated in the sensor housing, or placed near the sensor in such, that the sensor device output signal can be directly evaluated.

2. Voltage and or current sensor device according to claim 1 ,

characterized in

that the sensor housing or the sensor device housing is made of a resin, or of plastic with a filling of insulating material.

3. Voltage and or current sensor device according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in

that the voltage and or current sensor device is equipped with a signal cable connector, and that the near to the sensor placed memory element is integrated in the signal cable connector equipped at the end of the output cable of the sensor device.

4. Voltage and/or current sensor device according to claim 3,

characterized in

that the device is equipped with a clamp-on connector boot in such a way, that integration of further sensor-relevant or sensor-signal-relevant elements are integrated inside this boot or connector, and that furthermore fixation for cable and RJ45 connector connection can be used.

5. Voltage and/or current sensor device according to claim 4,

characterized in that at least one impedance element, which is a secondary impedance element of a voltage divider of the voltage sensor is placed or integrated in that boot or connector, wherein the primary impedance element of the voltage divider is placed in the sensor device housing.

6. Voltage and or current sensor device according to one of the aforesaid claims, characterized in

that the memory element housing is made of insulating material.

7. Voltage and or current sensor device according to one of the aforesaid claims, characterized in

that the memory element housing is made of semiconductive material.

8. Voltage and or current sensor device according to one of the aforesaid claims, characterized in

that the memory element housing is made of conductive material.

9. Voltage and or current sensor device according to one of the aforesaid claims, characterized in

that the memory element is an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) element, which is provided with correction and/or calibration factors of the manufactured sensors and/or with additional data, additionally to its function of storing measurement data.

10. Method for operation of a voltage and/or current sensor element with the

features of at least one of the aforesaid claims,

characterized in

that the voltage and/or current sensor is equipped near the sensor location with an electronical, only to this individual sensor or given set of sensors related data memory element, in such a way, that individual historical sensing data and/or individual calibration and/or parameter data are implemented into this data memory, and that this data memory communicates automatically with a central calculation and/or monitoring device.

11. Method according to claim 9,

characterized in

that the correspondence between the data memory and the output evaluating device is operated via electrical wires, or via wireless access.

12. Method according to claim 9 or 10,

characterized in

that the data memory is furthermore equipped with an eletronical device in that way, that it corresponds its sensor address data automatically after plug-on the cable to be sensored.

Description:
Current and/or voltage sensor device, and method of operation the same

The invention relates to Voltage and or current sensor device for the use in medium- or high voltage application, and the sensor device can have at least one voltage- and/or current sensor, wherein the sensor or the sensors of the sensor device is or are arranged in a housing, according to the preamble of claim 1, and a method for operation of the same, according to the preamble of claim 9.

Voltage and/or current sensing devices in medium voltage networks in the state of the art might be easily standardized in their parameters and they can achieve high measuring accuracy, in case the electronic devices which are connected to said sensing devices enables the use of correction or calibration factors. These factors are specific to each single sensing device, calculated and/or measured during routine tests of these devices. These factors then need to be mentioned on a label of such devices and during installation of these devices, the factors need to be manually inserted into software of the connected electronic device. As there might be several digit number used as a calibration factor, it is not so difficult to make a mistake in writing the number into software of said electronic device, thus resulting in incorrect information processed within the measuring device. Same can happen in the case when the

correction/calibration factor is integrated into actual transformation/division ratio of given device. In this case the actual transformation ratio might be a number of several digits that must be manually inserted into connected electronic device and mistake can easily occur during this process.

All electronical elements which are necessary for the aforesaid purpose are installed normally in a separate electronical calculation and display device. Sensors are elements, which has to be calibrated, and each sensor needs its own set of calibration parameters or actual transformation ratio. So the central electronical calculation unit has to consider each individual sensor parameter set. So the accuracy of such sensors, depends on the effectivity of such parameter and data accuracy.

So it is an object of the invention to enhance the correspondence between the sensor and the electronical device, in order to use maximum possible accuracy potential of the voltage and/or current sensors.

This is solved in that way, that a signal and/or data memory element is integrated in the sensor housing, or placed near the sensor in such, that the sensor device output signal can be directly evaluated.

So it is realized, that each individual sensor is able to store its individual signal history as well as the individual calibration data set or actual transformation ratio information. This results furthermore in sensors with high accuracy.

Fortunately the housing can be a housing in form of a resin or plastic case filled by some material, that means that the sensor housing or the sensor device housing is made of a resin, or of plastic with a filling of insulating material.

This is easy to produce.

In a further advantage embodiment, that the voltage and or current sensor device is equipped with a signal cable connector, and that the near to the sensor placed memory element is integrated in the signal cable connector equipped at the end of the output cable of the sensor device.

So the sensor device consists of at least one current and/or voltage sensors, a housing, an output cable, and a connector, placed at the end of the output cable.

It is preferred, that the memory element is connected to the sensor device. Therefore, there could be two locations. One is, to put it inside of the sensor device housing, and the other one is to place it in the boot of the connector. But it could be, that the memory element is outside of the connector or sensor device housing and e.g. centralize all memory elements form all sensor devices in one substation. In that case the memory element could be located in some distance from the sensor device.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device is equipped with, or embellished as a clamp-on connector boot in such a way, that integration of further sensor-relevant or sensor-signal-relevant elements are integrated inside this boot or connector, and that furthermore fixation for cable and connector connection can be used.

In a further advantageous embodiment to that, at least one impedance element, which is a secondary impedance element of a voltage divider of the voltage sensor is placed or integrated in that boot or connector, wherein the primary impedance element of the voltage divider is placed in the sensor device housing.

A connector boot in that sense is a connector housing.

The housing can be made of insulating material, or semicoductive material, or a conductive material.

The advantage for the use of semi-conductive or conductive material, is that by that a electromagnetic shielding is furthermore given.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the memory element is an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) element.

According to a method, the invention is based on that the voltage and/or current sensor is equipped near the sensor location with an electronical, only to this individual sensor related data memory element, in such a way, that individual historical sensing data and/or individual calibration or parameter data are implemented into this data memory, and that this data memory corresponds automatically with a central calculation and/or monitoring device.

In case more then one sensing device is connected to same electronic device, one memory element containing information related to all connected sensing devices can be used. In that case it has to be assured, that said sensing elements cannot be mixed and can be properly identified in order to assign correct parameters/correction data, stored in memory elment, to appropriate sensing element.

A further advantageous embodiment is given by that the correspondence between the data memory and the output evaluating device is operated via electrical wires, or via wireless access.

A final advantageous enhancement of the method is, that the data memory is furthermore equipped with an eletronical device in that way, that it retrieves its sensor data automatically after plug-on the cable to be sensored.

So the memory element is an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) element, which is provided with correction factors of the premanufactured sensors, additionally to its function of storing measurement data.

The invention is shown in following figures:

Fig. 1 : Placement of memory element inside of th insulating body or in cavity of the current and/or voltage sensing device.

Fig. 2: Placement of the memory element outside of the insulating body of the current and or voltage sensing device.

Fig. 3: RJ45 connector with clamp-on boot

Fig. 4: Placement of the secondary impedance element of the voltage divider

This invention proposes the use of memory element which can be used to store the data related to the voltage and/or current sensing devices. Such data could be directly red by the connected measuring devices, without the need for manual insertion of the data into the measurig device. Location of such memory element could be either in cavity of sensing device, where the output cable is being connected to as well, or at the end of the cable where connector is used to provide standardized termination or interface to the measuring devices.

This invention proposes the use of an additional memory element, such as EEPROM, which contains information about value of correction factor or actual transformation ratio. Information about correction factor or actual transformation ratio is inserted into the memory element during routine tests of the voltage and/or current sensing devices. This information will be red by the measuring devices, once they are connected to the voltage and/or current sensing elements, thus enabling precise transfer of the information about correction factor or factors or actual transformation ratio from the sensing device into the measuring device. Once this information enters the measuring device, it will be stored there and measuring device does not need to further communicate or transfer the information about correction factor or ratio again from the memory element inside of the sensing device.

Memory element can store data about correction factors or actual transformation ratio, nevertheless once this device is used, it can cover and store much more information, such as serial number, type designation, production data, name of producer, parameters, dimensions, setting parameters, correction curves or look-up tables etc. Location of said memory element (3) can vary based on particular design of voltage and/or current sensing device (1 ). In case there is a need for strong mechanical protection, it is possible to place the memory element into the insulating body of voltage and/or current sensing device (1) or in cavity (2) that is later properly fixed or covered, see Fig. 1.

Access of the connected measuring device to the memory element (3) is done by means of one wire or more wires (8) and (9). Output wires (6) and (7) comming out of current and/or voltage sensing device are not affected by the signal going to/from said memory element (3). All wires (6), (7), (8) and (9) are located within the same connector, so once the sensing device is connected to the measuring device, connection to the memory element is enabled as well. Common memory elements implement communication protocols such as l 2 C integrated circuits, or SPI (serial periperical interface bus) requiring 3 or more wires for the power supply of the memory element and for the data transfer. For simpler integration and lower costs it is preferred to reduce the number of wires required by the memory element. It is therefore beneficial to use a memory element where both the power supply function and the data transfer functions are achieved via one single wire such as in a 1-wire bus system.

Additionally, a temperature sensor may be installed in the sensor device sharing the same wires with the memory element. The temperature sensor may be included in the same integrated circuit with the memory element or in a separate integrated circuit.

In case the insulating body of said sensing device exerts excessive mechanical pressure or temperature during production process or during operation, it is beneficial to locate the memory element outside of the insulating body. In case the output cable is a part of voltage and/or current sensing device, it might be possible to place the memory element at the end of that cable, simply there, where output wires of the sensing device might be easily accessible, see Fig. 2.

In case the memory element (3) is placed at the end of cable (4) and in case such end is equipped with connector (5), said memory element can be placed within the connector (5) or in connector boot.

In one preferred embodiment, such connector (5) could be RJ45 connector, with clamp-on boot for insulation and mechanical protection of that connector, having a cavity, which enables insertion of a small memory element. See Fig. 3.

Figure 4 shows the housing of the sensor device 1 , wherein is located a first voltage divider impedance 20. In this shown voltage detectors or indicators, secondary impedances are located outside of the body or housing 1 , which contains primary impedance. Secondary impedance 30 is usually included inside of the electronic devices to which voltage detector is connected to. Only together, they can operate as voltage divider. As the products are usually produced separatelly, it is difficult to achieve very precise accuracy.

Therefore for a propper adjustment of voltage division accuracy after casting, it is the best to have both primary and secondary impedances aligned and tested together as one device.

As shown in that figure 4, a voltage sensing device consists of primary terminal 10, primary impedance 20, secondary impedance 30, insulating body 40, output cable 4 with two output wires and output connector 5. Secondary impedance 30 is located in the separate connector boot, or an further intermediate terminal box. If so, the intermediate box requires additional connection of the output cable and secondary impedance 30 and it also needs to be subsequently covered to prevent from

environmental influences and surrounding electric and/or magnetic fields in service. This may lead to higher costs of said device and also towards bigger or non-symmetric size of divider housing.