Systems and methods for grounding power line sections to clear faults

1. A system, comprising:

a device arranged to switchably raise a local ground potential to substantially that of a section of a live power line.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein switchably raising a local ground potential to substantially that of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line at respective termination points.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the respective termination points are at physical ground potentials and/or at finite potentials relative to the physical ground potentials.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein at least a first of the termination points is separated from physical ground potential by a first termination element.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first termination element comprises one or more capacitances and/or EMF sources.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first termination element if configured to adjust a first termination point potential.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is arranged to switchably terminate a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line without breaking or open circuiting either the first end or the second end of the section of the live power line.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is arranged to switchably terminate a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line while preserving the electrical and/or physical continuity of the first and second ends of the live power line.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line are on opposite sides of a line fault, an impending line fault and/or a predicted line fault.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is arranged to switchably terminate a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line on a power cycle or sub-cycle time scale.

11. The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is arranged to switchably terminate a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line synchronously.

12. The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is arranged to switchably terminate a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line substantially simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising, a circuit configured to measure power line characteristics including voltages, currents, phases, and/or frequencies.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising, a circuit configured to detect and locate a line fault.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising, a circuit configured to detect and locate an impending line fault.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising, circuitry configured to predict a line fault and its location based at least in part on values of line voltages or currents, proximate electromagnetic fields, and/or leakage currents across an insulator.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to predict the line fault and its location based at least in part on line events and line characteristics.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to predict the line fault and its location based on line events and line characteristics of the section of the live power line.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to predict the line fault and its location based on line events and line characteristics outside the section of the live power line.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to predict the line fault and its location based at least in part on environmental events or anticipated events proximate to the live power line.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device is further arranged to un-terminate the terminated first and/or second ends of the section of the live power line.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device is further arranged to un-terminate the terminated first and/or second ends of the section of the live power line at about zero-voltage crossings in the live power line.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device is further arranged to un-terminate the terminated first and/or second ends of the section of the live power line on a power cycle or a sub-cycle time scale.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises any one of a mechanical switch, an electro-mechanical switch, a solid state switch, an SCR, an IGBT, a thyristor, an optoelectronic switch, an Austin switch, a photo-activated switch, a crossed-field switch, a gas-based switch, and/or a vacuum-based switch.

25. A method, comprising:

switchably raising a local ground potential to substantially that of a section of a live power line.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, measuring power line characteristics including voltages, currents, phases, and/or frequencies.

27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, detecting and locating a line fault.

28. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, detecting and locating an impending line fault.

29. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, predicting a line fault and its location based at least in part on values of line voltages or currents, proximate electromagnetic fields, and/or leakage currents across an insulator.

30. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, predicting a line fault and its location based at least in part on line events and line characteristics.

31. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, predicting a line fault and its location based at least in part on line events and line characteristics of the section of the live power line.

32. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, predicting a line fault and its location based at least in part on line events and line characteristics outside the section of the live power line.

33. The method of claim 25 , further comprising, predicting a line fault and its location based at least in part on environmental events or anticipated events proximate to the live power line.

34. The method of claim 25 , wherein switchably raising a local ground potential to substantially that of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating a first end and a second end of the section of the live power line at respective termination points.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the respective termination points are at physical ground potentials and/or at finite potentials relative to the physical ground potentials.

36. The system of claim 34 , further comprising, a first termination circuit element separating a first of the respective termination points from physical ground potential.

37. The system of claim 34 , wherein the first termination circuit element is configured to adjust a first termination point potential.

38. The method of claim 34 , wherein switchably terminating a first end and a second end of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating the first end and the second end of the section of the live power line without breaking or open circuiting either the first end or the second end of the section of the live power line.

39. The method of claim 34 , wherein switchably terminating a first end and a second end of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating the first end and the second end of the section of the live power line while preserving electrical and/or physical continuity of the live power line.

40. The method of claim 34 , wherein switchably terminating a first end and a second end of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating the first end and the second end of the section of the live power line on a power cycle or a sub-cycle time scale.

41. The method of claim 34 , wherein switchably terminating a first end and a second end of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating the first end and the second end of the section of the live power line synchronously.

42. The method of claim 34 , wherein switchably terminating a first end and a second end of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating the first end and the second end of the section of the live power line substantially simultaneously.

43. The method of claim 34 , wherein switchably terminating a first end and a second end of a section of a live power line comprises switchably terminating the first end and the second end of the section of the live power line that are on opposite sides of a line fault, an impending line fault and/or a predicted line fault.

44. The method of claim 34 , further comprising, un-terminating the terminated first end and/or second end of the section of the live power line.

45. The method of claim 34 , further comprising, un-terminating the terminated first end and/or second end of the section of the live power line at about zero-voltage crossings in the power line.