The apparatus and method to locate the leaking point efficiently under TN-C environment

摘要

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for locating a leakage point, which determine a suspected earth leakage area in order to locate a leakage point disposed in a power line in a multiple earthed neutral power network by using a method adapted to measure voltage regulations between neutral lines of Protective Earthed Neutral (PEN) conductors, via which an earth leakage current has returned, and a remote ground rather than a conventional method adapted to measure currents and which locate the leakage point in an underground path of a power line within the suspected earth leakage area. The apparatus and method for locating a leakage point measure voltages of earthed neutral lines at exposed equipotential conductors or adjacent customer facilities and acquire voltage regulations between the measured voltages and a remote ground, and thus the apparatus and method for locating a leakage point can determine a suspected earth leakage area unlike a conventional technology requiring an operator to visit locations of PEN conductors. Furthermore, the apparatus and method for locating a leakage point measure ground potential while tracking an underground path of a power line of a PEN conductor having a low voltage regulation, thereby determining a leakage point without identifying configuration of power lines in advance in order to measure a vector sum current. Accordingly, the apparatus and method for locating a leakage point can determine a location of a customer facility or the like, which is adjacent to a PEN conductor adapted to be a point of return of an earth leakage current and at which a low voltage regulation is measured due to an increase in ground potential, to be a target area at which a leakage point can be located, thereby locating the leakage point on the ground and enabling the leakage point to be dealt with. In particular, in the case in which a single ground environment has been changed into a shared ground environment, such as that in Korea, whether ground potential increases can be measured at a number of customer facilities, not grounded via neutral lines, and thus the suspected earth leakage area can be easily determined and locating of the leakage point can be intensively performed on a power line disposed within the suspected earth leakage area, thereby improving efficiency and economic feasibility of locating of the leakage point.