US 11,933,832 B2
Conductor test equipment
Malcolm Charles Basell, Victoria (AU); and Sean Anthony Gallagher, Victoria (AU)
Assigned to Teletech Pty Ltd, Victoria (AU)
Appl. No. 17/252,621
Filed by Teletech Pty Ltd, Victoria (AU)
PCT Filed Jul. 11, 2019, PCT No. PCT/AU2019/050729
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 15, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/010402, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018902517 (AU), filed on Jul. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0255229 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. G01R 31/08 (2020.01); A01D 34/00 (2006.01); A01D 101/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 31/083 (2013.01) [A01D 34/008 (2013.01); A01D 2101/00 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for locating a fault in a conductor composed of a first conductor portion and a second conductor portion separated from each other by the fault, the system including:
a field generator, having:
a first connection connectable to the first conductor portion;
a first signal generator configured to apply a first oscillating signal between the first connection and an earth, the first oscillating signal having a frequency of between 1 and 20 kHz;
a second connection connectable to the second conductor portion;
a second signal generator configured to apply a second oscillating signal between the second connection and an earth, the second oscillating signal having a frequency of between 1 and 20 kHz and being different to the first oscillating signal, and
a mobile detector configured to detect an electric field produced by the application of the first oscillating signal to the first conductor portion and an electric field produced by the application of the second oscillating signal to the second conductor portion, the detector including:
a capacitive sensor element;
a signal processor to which the sensor element is connected and having an output; and
a monitor receiving the output from the signal processor and providing a signal to an operator to indicate the position of the fault,
wherein the output from the signal processor provides a comparison to the operator between the electric field produced by the application of the first oscillating signal to the first conductor portion and the electric field produced from the application of the second oscillating signal to the second conductor portion.