Proximity-Based Monitoring of Electric Circuits

The ability to sense electrical quantities without the need for direct galvanic contact enables novel application in the area of pervasive energy monitoring and power systems diagnostics. Proximity-based monitoring uses spatially-distributed magnetic and electric field sensors to record the magnetic and electric field emanating from the electric circuit that is being monitored. This data, together with often limited information about the circuit topology, allows us to reconstruct the currents and voltages associated with the various components of the monitored circuitry. In this talk I will outline the general framework of proximity-based sensing of electric circuits, while presents the challenges and benefits of this method compared with more traditional monitoring techniques. I will also present and discuss two concrete applications of proximity-based monitoring: wireless stick-on current sensors for the sub-metering of residential and commercial buildings and on-line fault detection of underground power distribution cables.

Speaker: Igor Paprotny, UC Berkeley