Electric field monitoring system and method

摘要

Several systems and methods for monitoring the proximity of a device to a power line are disclosed. Electric field monitoring systems are mounted to the device and include a plurality of electric field sensors and a monitoring system base unit. Each electric field monitoring sensor senses the strength of a magnetic field in which the sensor is positioned and transmits a corresponding magnitude output signal to the base unit when polled by the base unit. If a sensor reports a magnetic field exceeding a threshold, the frequency of polling for that sensor may be increased. If a sensor reports a magnetic field exceeding another (possibly identical) threshold, an alarm may be activated, movement of the device may be limited or stopped or another action or a combination of actions may be taken.

主权项

1. An electric field monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of sensors mountable on a piece of equipment, each sensor comprising a sensing apparatus, a sensor controller and a wireless sensor transceiver, wherein the sensing apparatus is operable to sense a magnitude of an electric field, the controller is linked to the sensing apparatus and is operable to generate a sensor magnitude output signal corresponding to the sensed magnitude, and the sensor transceiver is linked to the sensor controller and is operable to transmit the sensor magnitude output signal; a base station comprising a base controller and a wireless base transceiver, wherein the base transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the plurality of sensor transceivers, and the base controller is linked to the base transceiver to receive the plurality of sensor magnitude output signals; and an analysis module to compare the plurality of sensor magnitude output signals to a pre-determined threshold magnitude and to output a command signal when the magnitude of at least one sensor magnitude output signal exceeds the threshold magnitude.