Magnetostrictive current sensor method and system
A method and system for determining the state of one or both of an electrical conductor or an associated system utilizing a non-invasive sensor and a magnetostrictive response from the current of the electrical conductor. The method includes providing a sensor assembly including a magnetostrictive resonator sensor and a signal detector. A state of one or both of the electrical conductor or the associated system is determined with the fault detector in response to a first frequency profile and a second frequency profile obtained with the magnetostrictive resonator sensor. A fault monitoring system utilizing a magnetostrictive resonator sensor is also disclosed.
1. A method for determining a state of an electrical conductor generating a magnetic field, the method comprising:
providing a sensor assembly including a magnetostrictive resonator sensor and a signal detector;
interrogating the electrical conductor by the sensor with a magnetic field impulse to obtain a first magnetic frequency profile;
interrogating the electrical conductor by the sensor with a second magnetic field impulse to obtain a second frequency profile;
transmitting the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile to a fault detector; and
determining the state of the electrical conductor with the fault detector in response to the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile;
wherein the sensor assembly is arranged and disposed to permit a magnetostriction effect between the magnetic field generated by the electrical conductor and the magnetostrictive resonator sensor.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interrogating the magnetostrictive resonator sensor with an interrogator at an interrogation frequency, wherein the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile from the magnetostrictive resonator sensor are in response to the interrogation frequency.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state is current in the electrical conductor.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state is a fault condition of an associated system.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fault conditions is selected from slow current leakage, an arc fault, instantaneous excessive harmonic composition, parasitic faults and combinations thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency profile is obtained with a signal detector.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency profile includes a single frequency.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency profile includes a plurality of frequencies.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state is determined utilizing a difference between the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state is current and is calculated from one or both of the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency profile is an operational state frequency corresponding to operation.
12. A fault monitoring system comprising:
a sensor assembly comprising:
a magnetostrictive resonator sensor;
a signal detector arranged and disposed to measure a frequency profile from the magnetostrictive resonator sensor; and
wherein the sensor assembly is arranged and disposed to permit a magnetostriction effect between a current carrying conductor and the magnetostrictive resonator sensor before and after a magnetic field impulse interrogation by an interrogator that generates the magnetic field impulse;
at least one processor;
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
obtain a first frequency profile and a second frequency profile from the sensor assembly when interrogated by a magnetic field impulse by an interrogator; and
determining the state of one or both of the electrical conductor or the associated system from the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile.
13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising an interrogator arranged and disposed to interrogate the magnetostrictive resonator sensor at an interrogation frequency.
14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a fault detector in electrical communication from the sensor assembly, the fault detector being configured to receive the frequency profile from the magnetostrictive resonator sensor.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the fault detector determines a state of one or both of an electrical conductor or an associated system.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the state is determined utilizing a difference between the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the state is current and is calculated from one or both of the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile.
18. A system for determining a state of an electrical conductor carrying an electrical current or an associated system, comprising:
a sensor assembly arranged and disposed to receive a magnetic frequency response from the electrical conductor;
an interrogator that generates a magnetic field impulse;
at least one processor;
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
obtain a first frequency profile and a second frequency profile from the sensor assembly when interrogated by the magnetic field impulse by the interrogator; and
transmitting the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile to a fault detector to determine the state of one or both of the electrical conductor or the associated system from the first frequency profile and the second frequency profile;
wherein the sensor assembly is arranged and disposed to permit a magnetorestriction effect between the magnetic field impulse and the sensor assembly.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein to obtain the first frequency profile and the second frequency a plurality of frequencies are monitored with the sensor assembly.