With Communication Between Feeder Disconnect Points Patents (Class 361/66)
  • Patent number: 11689047
    Abstract: An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) including a charger configured to convert input AC power into DC power having a first voltage level, a DC-DC converter configured to convert the DC power having the first voltage level into DC power having a DC bus voltage level, a DC bus coupled to the DC-DC converter, an inverter coupled to the output via an output switch and configured to convert the DC power having the DC bus voltage level into output AC power, a bypass line including a bypass switch coupled between the input and the output switch, a rectifier coupled between the bypass line and the DC bus, and a controller configured to operate the UPS in a first mode of operation to provide DC power to the DC bus via the DC-DC converter and in a second mode of operation to provide DC power to the DC bus via the rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andraw Chih-Feng Ho, Kuo-Liang Lee
  • Patent number: 11476661
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for controlling a terminal connected in a multi-terminal high-voltage direct current transmission facility, the terminal being able to provide or draw power on the DC part of the facility comprised between an upper power limit and a lower power limit, the device further comprising at least one regulation circuit configured to vary the power provided or drawn by the terminal on the DC part of the facility, as a function of a voltage variation on the DC part of the facility, the device further comprising a limitation circuit configured to limit the variation of the power provided or drawn by the terminal, for a given voltage variation, when the power difference between the power provided or drawn by said terminal and the upper power limit or the lower power limit becomes smaller than a determined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignees: SUPERGRID INSTITUTE, CENTRALESUPELEC
    Inventors: Kosei Shinoda, Jing Dai, Abdelkrim Benchaib, Xavier Guillaud, Bruno Luscan
  • Patent number: 11190047
    Abstract: Each of n uninterruptible power supplies connected in parallel includes m uninterruptible power supply modules connected in parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal. In each uninterruptible power supply module, a controller controls an inverter so that the current value of AC power supplied from the inverter to a load matches a first instruction value. The n×m controllers are connected to one another to constitute an integrated controller. When a failure is detected in one of the m uninterruptible power supply modules in any one of the n uninterruptible power supplies, the integrated controller disconnects the failed uninterruptible power supply module and changes the first instruction value to a second instruction value so as to equalize the current values of AC power output from the inverters of the remaining normal uninterruptible power supply modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shoichi Abe
  • Patent number: 11177688
    Abstract: An online, double-conversion uninterruptible power supply includes: a UPS input; a rectifier, whose input is connected to the UPS input; an inverter, whose input is connected to an output of the rectifier; a UPS output connected to an output of the inverter; a bypass switch connected between the UPS input and the UPS output; a control unit for closing the bypass switch in case of excessive output current and/or excessive voltage drop and/or excessive power demand at the UPS output; and an override input, which, when activated, inhibits closing the bypass switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: Jussi Olavi Vihersalo, Janne Mikael Paananen
  • Patent number: 11031806
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of power routing units. Each of the power routing units includes a first AC port, a second AC port, and a static switch configured to couple and decouple the first AC port and the second AC port. Each of the power routing units further includes a DC port and a bidirectional converter circuit coupled between the second AC port and the DC port. The DC ports of the power routing units are coupled in common to a DC bus and the system further includes a control circuit configured to control the power routing units to provide power transfer between at least two of the power routing units via the DC bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventors: George Arthur Navarro, Vincent Edward Wilder, Goran Mandic
  • Patent number: 10935946
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for interfacing process controllers in a process automation system with one or more intelligent electrical devices (IEDs) of an electrical automation system to use process and electrical control space information to perform actions and make decisions regarding actions in a connected enterprise system to facilitate energy management goals as well as process control goals in view of electrical control space information and process control space information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Duane Day, Michael Robert Bayer, David Christopher Mazur, Jeffrey Gerard Nolan, Sergio Luiz Gama, John Albert Kay, Bruce K. Venne
  • Patent number: 10742022
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for detecting faults in an electric power delivery system. In one embodiment, system may include a data acquisition subsystem configured to receive a plurality of representations of electrical conditions. The system may also include an incremental quantities subsystem configured to calculate an incremental current quantity and an incremental voltage quantity based on the plurality of representations. A fault detection subsystem may be configured to determine a fault type based on the incremental current quantity and the incremental voltage quantity, to select an applicable loop quantity, and to declare a fault based on the applicable loop quantity, the incremental voltage quantity, and the incremental current quantity. A protective action subsystem may implement a protective action based on the declaration of the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Mangapathirao Venkata Mynam, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Veselin Skendzic, David E. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 10734803
    Abstract: There is provided mechanisms for travelling wave protection of a transmission line. A method includes performing high-pass filtering of a current and/or voltage measurement of a transmission line so as to detect fault-caused high-frequency components of the current and/or voltage measurement. The method includes providing a result of the high-pass filtering as input to a trip decision maker performing travelling wave detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: ABB Power Grids Switzerland AG
    Inventors: YouYi Li, Kai Liu, Jianping Wang
  • Patent number: 10554075
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of power routing units. Each of the power routing units includes a first AC port, a second AC port, and a static switch configured to couple and decouple the first AC port and the second AC port. Each of the power routing units further includes a DC port and a bidirectional converter circuit coupled between the second AC port and the DC port. The DC ports of the power routing units are coupled in common to a DC bus and the system further includes a control circuit configured to control the power routing units to provide power transfer between at least two of the power routing units via the DC bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: George Arthur Navarro, Vincent Edward Wilder, Goran Mandic
  • Patent number: 10381830
    Abstract: A multi-terminal DC electrical network comprises a plurality of DC terminals, each DC terminal operatively connected to at least one other DC terminal via a respective DC power transmission medium; a plurality of converters, each converter being operatively connected to a respective one of the DC terminals, the plurality of converters including at least one designated converter; and a controller including a solver configured to use an algorithm to process a plurality of values to compute a no-load DC voltage for a first designated converter as a function of the plurality of values. The plurality of values include a first value defining an operating mode of each designated converter; a second value defining a default electrical characteristic of the multi-terminal DC electrical network or a computation parameter of the algorithm; and a third value defining an electrical measurement corresponding to a voltage or current in the multi-terminal DC electrical network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Leong Ching Cheng
  • Patent number: 9570909
    Abstract: Devices and methods for the decentralized, coordinated control of the active power losses of an electrical distribution system are provided. For example, a controller may include a network interface and data processing circuitry. The network interface may receive first measurements associated with a segment of an electrical distribution system and transmit a control signal configured to control equipment of the segment of the electrical distribution system. The data processing circuitry may run digital simulations of the segment of the electrical distribution system in various equipment configurations, selecting from among the various equipment configurations an equipment configuration that is expected to cause the active power losses of the segment to approach a desired value. The data processing circuitry then may generate the control signal, which may cause the equipment of the segment of the electrical distribution system to conform to the equipment configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Borka Milosevic, Willem Hendrik Du Toit, Aleksandar Vukojevic
  • Patent number: 9519019
    Abstract: A method of predicting an electrical fault in an electrical network, wherein a signal indicative of a transmission is received, compared to a reference signal, a determination is made and if the comparison suggests a fault, indicating the determination of the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventor: Roger Dale Feenstra
  • Patent number: 9461458
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a method of distance protection of parallel transmission lines applicable both to series compensated and uncompensated electric power lines, using a distance relay. The method is characterized in that a pair of flags (ff1, ff2) are calculated for indication faulted and healthy circuits in parallel lines and in the same time a flag (Internal_Fault) for indication internal or external fault in parallel lines is calculated independently. Next gathering all calculated flags (ff1, ff2, Internal_Fault) an analyze of the value of these flags are performed and depending on the values of flags (ff1, ff2, Internal_Fault) and on their reciprocal relationship, a trip permission signal from the protection relay (4) is released and sent to the alarms devices or to the line breakers, or a block signal from the protection relay (4) is generated and sent to protect parallel lines before damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Przemyslaw Balcerek, Murari Saha, Eugeniusz Rosolowski, Jan Izykowski, Piotr Pierz
  • Patent number: 9348390
    Abstract: Power line disturbance hold up times are dynamically adjusted prior to the commencement of the power disturbance failover based on battery capacity of batteries in racks of the storage system as the batteries either fail, are repaired, or are added to the storage system having at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mann Du, Ya-Huey Juan, Larry Juarez, Brian C. Kraemer, Ronald D. Martens, Su Qin, Todd C. Sorenson, Ji Qiu Xu
  • Publication number: 20150116876
    Abstract: There is a method of fault clearance for a DC power grid (10), wherein the DC power grid (10) includes: a plurality of DC terminals (12a,12b,12c,12d); a plurality of DC power transmission media (14a,14b, 14c,14d) to interconnect the plurality of DC terminals (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d); and a plurality of DC circuit interruption device stations (18), each DC circuit interruption device station (18) being associated with a respective one of the plurality of DC power transmission media (14a,14b, 14c, 14d) and a respective one of the plurality of DC terminals (12a, 12b,12c, 12d), each DC circuit interruption device station (18) including a DC circuit interruption device (20) to selectively interrupt current flow in the associated DC power transmission medium (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the method comprising the steps of: (i) detecting one or more faults occurring in the plurality of DC power transmission media (14a, 14b, 14c,14d); (ii) after detecting the or each fault, opening all of the DC circuit interruption devices (20)
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Whitehouse, Carl David Barker
  • Patent number: 8680843
    Abstract: Magnetic field current sensing devices, systems and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, a current sensor includes a semiconductor die; an isolation layer disposed on the semiconductor die; at least one anchor pad disposed on the isolation layer; a current input and a current output galvanically isolated from the semiconductor die; at least one bond wire coupled to the current input and the current output, a longitudinal portion of the at least one bond wire disposed between the current input and the current output being stitched to the at least one anchor pad; and at least one sensor element arranged to sense a magnetic field induced by a current flowing in the at least one bond wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Udo Ausserlechner
  • Patent number: 8659862
    Abstract: A directional fault location and isolation system for a three phase electric power circuit that identifies a faulted segment by determining the direction of the fault at multiple tap points in the electric power circuit. The directional fault controller, which may be a centralized controller or a number of peer-to-peer controllers located at the tap points, includes communication equipment for exchanging information with the monitoring equipment and the sectionalizing equipment at each sectionalizing control point, which includes the tap points and may also include the substations. The controller also includes processing equipment that determines the directionality of a fault on the power line at each current monitoring device, identifies a faulted line section by identifying a change in the directionality of the fault associated with the faulted line section, and operates one or more of the sectionalizing switches to isolate the faulted line section from the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: SSI Power, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph R. Rostron
  • Patent number: 8655499
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling circuits in an electrical power grid. Parameters in the circuits are monitored. Each circuit comprises nodes in the electrical power grid and a number of lines connected to the nodes in the electrical power grid. The number of lines is configured to carry electrical power. The nodes control the electrical power in the number of lines. A number of agent processes associated with the nodes communicate with each other using a communications network, configure the nodes in the electrical power grid into a number of circuits, and control a delivery of the electrical power through the number of circuits to loads. A determination is made as to whether to make a change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and a policy. The circuits are changed using the policy in response to a determination to make the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Ronald Ward Sackman, John Leo Meier
  • Patent number: 8634175
    Abstract: A method and system for programming and implementing automated fault isolation and restoration of high-speed fault detection of circuits in power distribution networks using sequential logic and peer-to-peer communication is provided. High-speed fault detection of circuits in power distribution networks uses protective relay devices (14) segmenting a distribution line (11) having Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) (22) associated with switching devices (20) communicating peer-to-peer via a communication system (30) to provide fast and accurate fault location information in distribution systems with sequential logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventor: Andre Smit
  • Patent number: 8502542
    Abstract: An appliance and a method are intended to monitor a phase line of a section of an electrical energy grid line. The appliance comprises a device for monitoring a parameter of a phase line. The parameter is representative of routine operating conditions of the phase line and has a known propagation speed. The appliance also comprises a device for generating an event detection signal each time the parameter has a value that exceeds a threshold, and for storing a reception time when the detection signal is generated. The appliance also has a device for sending a signal representative of a geographic location of the end of the section and a device for performing a geographic location of the event once two consecutive detection signals are generated from the signal representative of the geographic location, and reception times associated with the two detection signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hydro Quebec
    Inventor: Pierre Couture
  • Patent number: 8289668
    Abstract: Current differential protection with charging current compensation is provided for a power apparatus, such as a power transmission line. Individual terminals dynamically determine their respective contributions, if any, to the charging current compensation value as availability of one or more voltage sources dynamically changes within the power apparatus. Respective terminals calculate local contributions to a charging current compensation value based on local voltage measurements. A loss of a voltage source is handled by adjusting multipliers for the remaining compensation points to reflect the total charging current. A local contribution is suppressed when the local voltage source is no longer available. After applying the local contributions, an alpha plane analysis may be used to determine when to trip the power apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Normann Fischer
  • Patent number: 8271214
    Abstract: A differential protection system has a differential protection device at each end of a line section of an electrical power transmission line, such that it can selectively identify and safely disconnect even high-impedance faults on the monitored line section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Tevfik Sezi
  • Patent number: 8218278
    Abstract: A current differential relay device is described. The device has two transmission parts provided in parallel and communicating with an other end of a power transmission line through two transmission paths and transmitting and receiving a quantity data of electricity of each of the terminals to and from an other end in the form of the digital data obtained through analog/digital conversion. Two current differential operation parts are connected to each of the two transmission parts and perform a current differential operation independently for each of the transmission paths by using the digital data of the quantity data of electricity of the one end of the power transmission line and of the other end of the power transmission line. A signal generation part generates a trip signal from the current differential operation result of the two current differential operation parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masamichi Saga, Itsuo Shuto, Mitsuaki Mizunoue
  • Patent number: 8180481
    Abstract: A system and method for operating an autoloop system on an electrical distribution system is provided. The system includes a first branch circuit having a first recloser and a midpoint recloser and a second branch circuit having a second feeder recloser and a midpoint recloser. A tie recloser is electrically coupled between the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit wherein the tie recloser closes only after a fault is detected. A master controller associated with the first and second branch circuits communicates with the reclosers of the first and second branch circuits. The master controller includes a processor for blocking a fast tripping function of a feeder recloser in response to the detection of a fault on the other branch circuit. The portion of a circuit where a fault is detected may be isolated to minimize the portion of the first and second branch circuits without power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul V. Stergiou, William J. Harris
  • Patent number: 8174268
    Abstract: A system for collecting data and monitoring the operation of electrical circuits, such as branch circuits at a substation is provided. The system collects data from a plurality of sensors coupled to a plurality of electrical equipment associated with a circuit. The data from the sensors is collected and used to identify signatures in the data to ascertain potential issues in the electrical protective circuit. The data is further analyzed to determine signatures of abnormal operating conditions. The signatures are compared to reference signatures to identify the abnormal conditions and corrective action is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignees: Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., Softstuf, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Bose, Anthony T. Giuliante, Amir Makki
  • Patent number: 8068937
    Abstract: The disclosed power distribution system regulates the transfer of energy from a source 1 to a load 3. Source Controller 5 on the source side closes Disconnect Device 7 and monitors the transfer of a pulse or “packet” of energy to the load side. A Load Controller 9 on the load side communicates the amount of energy received at the load back to the source controller via Communication Link 11. If it is confirmed that the energy received on the load side corresponds to that sent by the source side, another energy packet is sent. If the energy received does not correspond with that sent by the source side, energy transfer is stopped, indicating a system fault or safety hazard. The energy content of a single packet is kept small, such that if it is not properly delivered, it can not cause damage to equipment or harm personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Inventor: Stephen Spencer Eaves
  • Publication number: 20110063767
    Abstract: Current differential protection with charging current compensation is provided for a power apparatus, such as a power transmission line. Individual terminals dynamically determine their respective contributions, if any, to the charging current compensation value as availability of one or more voltage sources dynamically changes within the power apparatus. Respective terminals calculate local contributions to a charging current compensation value based on local voltage measurements. A loss of a voltage source is handled by adjusting multipliers for the remaining compensation points to reflect the total charging current. A local contribution is suppressed when the local voltage source is no longer available. After applying the local contributions, an alpha plane analysis may be used to determine when to trip the power apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Normann Fischer
  • Patent number: 7860615
    Abstract: A methodology and related system apparatus is provided to most efficiently and flexibly respond to abnormalities to reconfigure and restore service to end customers in commodity distribution systems to enhance circuit reconfiguration in an electrical power distribution system. Methodology is also provided to appropriately allocate system resources of the distribution system to prevent the potential overloading of electrical power sources. In one illustrative arrangement, the methodology is characterized by resources at each node and communications of source allocation data or messages to other nodes to request and establish an appropriate allocation of system resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventors: William Christian Tracy Nelson, Kenneth James Biallas, Eddie W. Brasher, Thomas Chapman Fix
  • Patent number: 7751166
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for restoring power to loads connected to a feeder powered by a power source. The feeder is provided with a plurality of switching devices and a master electronic device which is in operative communication with the switching devices and has a plurality of power restoration plans stored therein. Upon occurrence of a fault in a zone of the feeder, the identity of the switching device which is closest to and upstream from the faulted zone relative to the power source is used in order to select a power restoration plan and restore power to some or all the loads connected to non-faulted zones of the feeder from one or more additional feeders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: James D. Stoupis, Donato Colonna, David L. Lubkeman, Jaichander K. Vellore, Robert E. Goodin, Timothy S Fahey, Varagur Ramanan
  • Patent number: 7725295
    Abstract: A cable fault detection component (168) receives input data indicative of a fault in an electrical power system. The component (168) analyzes the input data to determine if the fault is indicative of a temporary or self-clearing cable fault and generates corresponding output data (276). In one implementation, the cable fault detection component (168) is implemented as a software module which operates on a computer (105) of a substation intelligence system (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: James Stoupis, Ajay C. Madwesh, David Lubkeman, Mirrasoul Mousavi
  • Patent number: 7660088
    Abstract: An apparatus and method compensate for the sensitivity of at least one line current differential element of a first current differential relay providing differential protection for a transmission line of a power system during a single-phase pole-open condition. The apparatus includes a first delta filter configured to remove a first pre-fault current from a first fault current of the transmission line to derive a compensated first current phasor. The apparatus also includes a second delta filter configured to remove a second pre-fault current from a second fault current of the transmission line to derive a compensated second current phasor. The compensated first and second current phasors are provided to the at least one line current differential element to compensate the sensitivity of the at least one line current differential element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph B. Mooney, Gabriel Benmouyal
  • Patent number: 7599161
    Abstract: A method of operating a relay device, in an electrical circuit comprising first and second main circuit breakers, and a bus tie circuit breaker connecting the first and second main circuit breakers, the method comprising computing a first positive sequence current phasor for the first main circuit breaker and a second positive sequence current phasor for the second main circuit breaker computing a first positive sequence voltage phasor for the first main circuit breaker and a second positive sequence voltage phasor for the second main circuit breaker; computing a correction of the first positive sequence voltage and second positive sequence voltage to a line-to-neutral phase angle reference if there is any rotation in a potential transformer connection; determining a fault has occurred when a magnitude of a current through at least one of the first main circuit breaker or the second main circuit breaker exceeds a predetermined threshold; determining a phase angle difference by comparing the phase angle of the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Premerlani, Marcelo Valdes, Thomas Frederick Papallo, Jr., Gregory P. Lavoie, Radoslaw Narel
  • Patent number: 7542256
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Premerlani, Marcelo Valdes, Thomas Frederick Papallo, Jr., Radoslaw Narel, Gregory P. Lavoie
  • Patent number: 7535686
    Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling circuit breakers in a multi-phase power system. The method includes (a) recognizing a concurrent presence of a first fault in a first phase of the power system and a second fault in a second phase of the power system, where the power system includes a first circuit breaker situated to conduct a fault current between the first and second phases, (b) controlling a second circuit breaker to open so that the fault current is interrupted, where the second circuit breaker, when closed, provides current to the first circuit breaker, and (c) controlling the first circuit breaker to remain closed until the second circuit breaker is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Marcelo Valdes, Thomas F. Papallo
  • Patent number: 7400986
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for monitoring usage of multiple electrical devices. The apparatus comprises multiple non-invasive current sensors for sensing current in respective conductors associated with the electrical devices. Such conductors may for example be the electrical power supply leads to the devices. The apparatus further includes multiple analogue to digital conversion functions for digitizing the output from the respective current sensors. A microprocessor is arranged to receive the digitized current sensor and is programmed to create usage data relating to the respective electrical devices. Such usage data may include cumulative elapsed running time. The microprocessor has an associated memory in which the usage data is stored in association with corresponding data identifying the electrical devices. The system further includes an interface through which the usage and identifier data are extractable, to provide usage information for the respective electrical devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Oxley Developments Company Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Brian Taylor Latham, Michael Craig Foster
  • Patent number: 7262519
    Abstract: In order to provide a bearing for an already prepositioned switching shaft, fitted with coupling levers, of a low-voltage circuit breaker in the region where the switching forces act, a bearing assembly is provided. The bearing assembly includes a bearing body which is mounted on the housing front wall of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft in the form of a half shell. The bearing body includes a subregion which projects between two coupling levers, which are at a distance from one another and are connected to a movable switching contact. It thus forms side guide surfaces for the coupling levers. Such a bearing assembly can be arranged in both the end regions of the switching shaft in multipole circuit breakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Werner Krämer, Martin Meinke
  • Patent number: 7154722
    Abstract: The invention contemplates a technique for providing loop control on a faulted overhead or underground loop system, while preventing restored current from being fed or back fed into the fault. In particular, the invention provides a method, device, and system for restoring power to a faulted loop distribution system. The inventive method includes detecting a fault on the loop distribution system, interrupting current on the faulted part of the loop distribution system, isolating the faulted part of the loop distribution system from an unfaulted part of the loop distribution system, restoring current to the unfaulted part of the loop distribution system, and preventing the current from flowing to the faulted part of the loop distribution system. The method may further include providing the current to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: James D. Stoupis, Marina V. Graham, Gregory J. Grote
  • Patent number: 7050280
    Abstract: A High Speed Transfer System which comprises three Protection and Control devices. A first and a second of said Protection and Control devices are used for failure detection on the feeder bus-bar; the third of said Protection and Control devices is used for the High Speed Transfer System co-ordination functionalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Luciano Di Maio, Ralf Krumm, Andrea Andenna, Fabio Gatelli, Andrea Crespi
  • Patent number: 7042690
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated differential isolation loss detector is disclosed that generates a first temperature that is a function of a high side current and a second temperature that is a function of a low side current. A temperature sensor senses the difference between the first and second temperatures and provides an output signal that is indicative of the magnitude and the polarity of the sensed difference. A controller receives the output signal and if the difference is greater than a predetermined magnitude the high side current, the low side current, or both can be disconnected from the load. In another embodiment, an integrated differential isolation loss detector is disclosed that includes a first temperature difference generator that generates first and second temperatures where the difference between the first and second temperatures is a function of the magnitude of the high side current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Barry Jon Male
  • Patent number: 6985800
    Abstract: For the control of an electric power transmission network, where local protection functions are implemented by a plurality of local protection devices (3,3a,3b,3b?,3c) located at a plurality of locations throughout the network, the following steps are executed measuring phasor data for voltages and currents at a plurality of locations (A,B) of the network, transmitting said phasor data to a central processing device (2), emulating, in the central processing device (2), protection functions that are implemented in the local protection devices (3,3a,3b,3b?,3c), and executing, in accordance with a given redundancy strategy, control commands that are issued redundantly by the local protection devices (3,3a,3b,3b?,3c) and by the central processing device (2). In a preferred variant of the invention, values of predetermined parameters that are used in the protection function, in particular protection threshold values, are adapted to measured values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Christian Rehtanz, Martin Naedele, Joachim Bertsch
  • Patent number: 6937134
    Abstract: In order to receive protection commands in a remote tripping device, one or more signals is or are received, protection commands and combinations of protection commands are coded by means of an individual signal or by means of a predetermined combination of signals, and each protection command is allocated a predetermined minimum safety and/or security value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Michael Strittmatter
  • Patent number: 6896551
    Abstract: A power line phase coupler system for repeating data signals between power line phases that can be easily installed by a user. The power line phase coupler system includes a housing, a female connector positioned within the housing, a male connector electrically connected to the female connector by a length of cord, and a repeater coupler electrically connected to the male connector. The repeater coupler is electrically connected between Phase A and Phase B of the male connector for repeating and amplifying a data signal received from either phase to the opposite phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Echelon Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas L. Hauck, David L. Kvidt, Jeff L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6778370
    Abstract: A recloser is monitored and adaptively controlled so that it will operate in a manner responsive to prevailing conditions as either a recloser or as a sectionalizer. The prevailing conditions that are determined are those that will affect the operation of the recloser, such as the number of faults, the fault current versus time, or the presence of reverse power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Carl J. LaPlace, David G. Hart, William M. Egolf
  • Patent number: 6766143
    Abstract: In an independent basic service set (IBSS) of IEDs, using wireless communications devices to provide license-free two-way wireless peer to peer communications of digital data between pairs of IEDs, and also to provide wireless peer to peer communications between ones of said IEDs and a common access port to the IBSS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: Robert W. Beckwith
  • Patent number: 6697240
    Abstract: Method and apparatus is disclosed for controlling an electric power distribution system including the use and coordination of information conveyed over communications to dynamically modify the protection characteristics of distribution devices (including but not limited to substation breakers, reclosing substation breakers, and line reclosers). In this way, overall protection and reconfigurability of the distribution system or “team” is greatly enhanced. According to additional aspects of the invention, devices within the system recognize the existence of cooperating devices outside of the team's domain of direct control, managing information from these devices such that more intelligent local decision making and inter-team coordination can be performed. This information may include logical status indications, control requests, analog values or other data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: EnergyLine Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William Christian Tracy Nelson, Donald S. Berkowitz, Witold Bik, Michael A. Maloney
  • Patent number: 6635974
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling power to a cranking subsystem in a device having a power source is disclosed. The method and system include providing at least one switch and providing at least one controller. The switch is coupled with the power source. The at least one controller is coupled with the switch. The at least one controller is for controlling the at least one switch to be open or closed based on a signature of a behavior of a portion of the device. Thus, power is controlled to the portion of the device based on the signature of the portion of the device. In one aspect, the method and system include monitoring a portion of the device to determine a behavior of the portion of the device. In this aspect, the method and system include comparing the behavior of the portion of the device to a signature for the portion of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Midtronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Samy V. Karuppana, Aly Amirali Jetha, Jes Thomsen
  • Patent number: 6636401
    Abstract: A bus assembly for a network protector, where the network protector includes a housing, and where the bus assembly includes a plurality of busses having laminations and a rack assembly. The plurality of busses are mounted in the rack assembly and the rack assembly is coupled to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Steven E. Meiners, Douglas M. Brandt, Michael F. Magazine
  • Patent number: 6567256
    Abstract: The relay obtains three-phase current signals from two power line sources thereof, typically two independent feeder lines. The two sets of signals are processed by a single processing means, which independently controls the circuit breakers associated with each feeder line, depending on the values of current obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
  • Patent number: 6496342
    Abstract: A distributed monitoring and protection system for a distributed power network. The system includes a plurality of high-speed measuring units (MUs), wherein each MU is coupled to a power line to measure values of electrical parameters of the power line. Electrical parameters, such as current, voltage, power and frequency are measured by the MUs. The MUs communicate with a control unit (CU) over a high-speed communications network. The CU includes a processor executing algorithms for evaluating the measured parameters to determine the status of the power network and the MUs. The processor also executes fault detection and isolation by comparing the measured values against predetermined threshold values. When a fault is detected by the CU, protective action, such as tripping of a circuit breaker, may be initiated by the CU directly or by transmitting the tripping command over the high speed data network to a local MU. The local MU may then trip the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Bitronics Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Victor Horvath, James Allen Butt
  • Patent number: 6490141
    Abstract: A power distribution system includes circuits each having an electronic circuit breaker as a protection for short-circuits and/or overloads, and a clocked power supply unit. The clocked power supply unit is connected to the circuits and feeds power to the circuits. The electronic circuit breaker has a power stage and an adjustable current limiting device connected to the power stage. The adjustable current limiting device, in the event of an overload, when a first adjustable current threshold is exceeded, turns off the power stage after a first adjustable disconnection time has expired, and in the event of a short circuit, after a second adjustable current threshold has been exceeded, turns off the power stage after a second disconnection time has expired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Ellenberger & Poensgen GmbH
    Inventors: Erich Fischer, Michael Naumann