- Patent Title: Method of using power grid as large antenna for geophysical imaging
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Application No.: US14856090Application Date: 2015-09-16
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Publication No.: US10175273B2Publication Date: 2019-01-08
- Inventor: Antti A. Pulkkinen , Todd M. Bonalsky , Troy Ames , Carl F. Hostetter
- Applicant: Antti A. Pulkkinen , Todd M. Bonalsky , Troy Ames , Carl F. Hostetter
- Applicant Address: US DC Washington
- Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
- Current Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
- Current Assignee Address: US DC Washington
- Agent Matthew F. Johnston; Bryan A. Geurts; Mark P. Dvorscak
- Main IPC: G01R19/165
- IPC: G01R19/165 ; H04B7/0408 ; G01R31/02

Abstract:
A high-voltage power transmission system is used as an extremely large antenna to extract spatiotemporal space, physical, and geological information from geomagnetically induced currents (GIC). A differential magnetometer method is used to measure GIC and involves acquiring line measurements from a first fluxgate magnetometer under a high-voltage transmission line, acquiring natural field measurements from a reference magnetometer nearby but not under the transmission line, subtracting the natural field measurements from the line measurements, and determining the GIC-related Biot-Savart field from the difference. NASA warning and alarm systems can be triggered based on determinations of GIC amplitude levels that exceed a set threshold value.
Public/Granted literature
- US20170074910A1 METHOD OF USING POWER GRID AS LARGE ANTENNA FOR GEOPHYSICAL IMAGING Public/Granted day:2017-03-16
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