Abstract: A method of operating a relay device, the method comprising the steps of: providing main circuit-breakers and a bus-tie-breaker connecting the main-circuit-breakers; defining a partial-differential-zone comprising a main circuit breaker and the bus-tie breaker; assigning a first value to the direction of the fault current flowing into the partial differential zone; -assigning a second value to the direction of the fault currents flowing out of the partial-differential-zone, wherein the first value is not equal to the second value; -comparing the values assigned to the fault currents; determining if the fault currents are flowing into the partial differential zone; and determining if at least two of the fault-currents is flowing in a different direction with respect to the partial-differential-zone wherein one of the fault currents is flowing into the partial-differential-zone and one of the fault currents is flowing out of the partial differential zone.

Abstract: A centrally controlled protection system is provided. The system includes a plurality of circuit breakers, a plurality of modules, and a central computer. Each of the plurality of breakers are in electrical communication with a respective one of the plurality of modules. The central computer is in communication with each of the plurality of modules via a network. The central computer controls the plurality of circuit breakers in either a normal mode or a reduced energy let-through mode.

Abstract: A method and system for a power distribution system are provided. The method includes determining at a central controller normal mode configuration settings for a plurality of circuit breakers of the power distribution system and determining at the central controller alternate mode configuration settings for the plurality of circuit breakers of the power distribution system. The method further includes controlling with the central controller the operation of the plurality of circuit breakers based on the normal mode configuration settings and the alternate mode configuration settings.

Abstract: A revision to a Power Management Control System includes an improved waveform client/waveform server communication interface based on a first inter-process communication protocol, preferably DCOM. The first inter-process communication protocol preferably resides in the waveform application alongside an existing second inter-process communication protocol, i.e. DDE, for backwards compatibility. The improvement allows the application to operate across network segments in a more robust, reliable manner than through the first inter-process communication protocol, thus enabling the waveform server to operate effectively as an NT service and providing independent third party client software access to the waveform server waveform capture functions.

Abstract: Software (50) is loaded into the host computer (12) and includes an Ethernet server (52), a Modbus (DDE) server (54), an MMS server (56), and a third-party proprietary protocol server (58). Each of these servers (52, 54, 56, and 58) allows external programs (60) running on the host and view node computers (12, 40, and 44) to access power management data from the various devices (26) in the power management control system (10). Modbus server (52) allows external programs (60) to access power management data from devices (26), which communicate using the Modbus protocol. MMS server (56) allows external programs (60) to access power management data from MMS/UCA2 compliant devices (34), which communicate using the MMS protocol. Ethernet server (52) provides for network layer TCP/IP encapsulation for communications over Ethernet networks (20) and (22). Third party server (58) allows communications between external programs (60) and device (38), which uses any proprietary protocol.

Abstract: A dynamic data exchange (DDE) server (100) which allows external programs to access power management data is presented. The DDE server (100) provides a mnemonic cross reference between register items and standardized, alphanumeric parameter names. This mnemonic interface allows the user to retrieve data from a device without knowledge of the actual device register item number. The DDE server (100) is optimized for either the Modbus RTU or Ethernet protocol. The DDE server (100) acts as a link between a client requesting device data and a field device which can provide the data. The DDE server (100) communicates to the field device through communication ports and to the client via DDE or NetDDE message link. A client sends its requests to server to read/write some device registers. The server maps each request to suitable device read/write request packets and carries out the necessary transaction with device.