Abstract: The trip unit of a circuit breaker provides overload protection for a contactor used to energize a load such as a motor while still providing conventional protection for the wiring serving the motor. The trip unit of the circuit breaker eliminates the need for a separate overload relay by generating a pre-trip signal that opens the contactor when the circuit breaker I2t long delay function reaches a selected percentage, such as about 85%, of the trip value.

Abstract: In an electric locking system, a controllable switching device is disposed in connection cables between the driver module for triggering an electric motor of a central locking system and a supply voltage. The controllable switching device is opened in a standby mode and thus interrupts the supply voltage to the driver module. Therefore, an introduction of an external voltage in order to trigger the electric motors no longer has any affect whatsoever on the driver module, so that in this case the driver module does not trigger the electric motors with the result that unwanted manipulation is prevented.

Abstract: A switching device is provided that includes a switching mechanism unit and a switch drive control circuit. In the switching device, an operating member is maintained in an ON position by the sucking force of a permanent magnet and a yoke, despite the pushing force of a biasing unit, when the permanent magnet is in an ON position. The yoke is magnetized in such a manner as to reduce the magnetic force of the permanent magnet, when a coil wound around the yoke is energized by the switch drive control unit. The operating member and a switching member are moved from the ON position to the OFF position by virtue of the pushing force of the biasing unit, thereby shutting a feed line.

Abstract: A low-voltage circuit breaker comprising a casing containing at least one fixed contact and at least one mobile contact. The circuit breaker moreover comprises, inside said casing, a first communication bus, designed to interface a plurality of accessories and devices of said circuit breaker, and an interface unit, which comprises a plurality of ports that are designed to be connected to said accessories and devices via said first communication bus.

Abstract: A circuit for actuating a switch includes a conductive liquid switch comprising a conductive liquid droplet and a control processor configured to receive a switching signal and configured to provide at least one actuation pulse to the conductive liquid droplet to initiate movement of the conductive liquid droplet based on a duration of a time period between the switching signal and a preceding switching signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a power supply which is coupled to an integrated circuit (IC) that is subject to latch-up is provided. The apparatus includes a comparator circuit that compares a voltage across the IC with a threshold and provides a comparator output. A restart circuit that receives the comparator output, and that receives a fault status signal from the power supply is also included. The restart circuit initiates a restart by shutting off the power supply if the fault status signal is indicative of a latch-up condition in the IC. The restart circuit turns on the power supply if the comparator output indicates that the voltage across the IC is below the threshold.

Abstract: A transient blocking unit (TBU) having reduced series impedance is provided. A TBU includes two or more depletion mode transistors arranged to provide a low series impedance in normal operation and a high series impedance when the input current exceeds a predetermined threshold. A nonlinear impedance element is included in the TBU that acts as a current limiter having a substantially constant saturation current over a range of applied voltages. This saturation current is selected to be the threshold current of the TBU. When the threshold is exceeded, the voltage developed across the nonlinear impedance element tends to drive the TBU into its high impedance state. When the operating current is below threshold, the TBU series resistance is relatively low because the nonlinear impedance element is in its low-resistance state. The nonlinear impedance element can be a separate circuit element, or it can be integrated with one or more of the TBU transistors.

Abstract: In the preferred embodiments, an uninterruptible power supply has multiple UPS modules connected in parallel. Each module has an AC-DC-AC converter and a subcontroller for controlling the operation of the AC-DC-AC converter. A single current sensor senses a total aggregate current flowing from all the modules. Each subcontroller can detect an input voltage, output voltage, and DC bus voltage of each module. Also, each module has unique operating characteristics (e.g., efficiency curve and a responsiveness coefficient K). Operating characteristics data are stored in a memory accessible by the subcontroller. Based on the voltage and current measurements, and the operating characteristics of each module, the subcontrollers perform calculations to determine a DC bus voltage target (unique for each module) that results in each module providing the same output current. Accordingly, only one current sensor is needed, and, consequently, the cost of the UPS device can be reduced.

Abstract: A quench protection circuit for a superconducting magnet, comprises at least one heater associated with a corresponding coil of the superconducting magnet. The at least one heater is arranged to be driven by an inductor which is connected in series with it and is arranged to derive a voltage from variation in a magnetic field of the superconducting magnet. The at least one heater and the inductor are arranged in a series circuit which further comprises a non-linear positive temperature coefficient resistors.

Abstract: A remote start-up control apparatus which takes in a key code outputted on the basis of insertion of a key cylinder of an ignition key, and which is mounted on a vehicle which was equipped with an immobilizer unit for enabling a start-up of an engine, in case that it was judged that the taken-in key code is in conformity with a predetermined key code, and which carries out start-up control of an engine in response to an instruction of a portable transmitter, has a unit for supplying a key code which has been stored in an EEPROM to the immobilizer, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to a remote operation, and a unit for prohibiting supply of the key code, in case that there occurred vehicle theft.

Abstract: An antitheft system can be provided by constructing such that, when a stop signal has been inputted from an engine 7, a main controller 2 outputs, until a first predetermined time Ts elapses, a turn-on signal to switches 8, 9 to perform a similar antitheft processing as in an operation of the engine 7 and after an elapse of the first predetermined time Ts, instructs the switch 9 to repeat a turn-on and turn-off at predetermined time intervals ?t, and, whenever the switch 9 is brought into a turned-on position, detects a position at that time by a position detecting controller 3 and compares the position with a position at the time of an engine stop to determine whether or not a theft has taken place. Owing to this construction, it is no longer necessary to always feed power to the position detecting controller 3 during the stop of the engine 7, thereby making it possible to cut down the feeding of as much power to the controller 3 as a time elapsed during which the switch 9 is kept off.

Abstract: A multi-level power converter is disclosed. The converter includes a DC power source having N (N is an Integer more than two)-level voltage potentials, and a plurality of switching legs connected in parallel to the DC power source. The switching leg has switching elements in series connection, and clamp diodes connected between intermediate DC potential terminals to middle points of the switching legs. The converter is provided with a control means for supplying gate pulses to the switching elements, and a supervising means for supervising every switching element to output a failure signal. The converter further includes a logic operating means for detecting an over-current failure of main circuit elements to output a device fault signal using the failure signals An operation of the logic operating means at least includes AND condition of at least two failure signals to output the device fault signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for protection of power transformers and other power system components, which are vulnerable to geomagnetically induced currents, which comprises feeding from an overhead line/s or cable conductor/s one or more DC-diverter consisting of primary diverter windings and compensation windings applied on a respective magnetic core leg, which diverter is connected to critical busses, and diverting “quasi” direct current flowing on the overhead lines or cable conductors as a result of the earth surface potential gradients caused by geomagnetically induced currents, as well as a DC diverter to carry out the method.

Abstract: A battery load leveling system for an electrically powered system in which a battery is subject to intermittent high current loading, the system including a first battery, a second battery, and a load coupled to the batteries. The system includes a passive storage device, a unidirectional conducting apparatus coupled in series electrical circuit with the passive storage device and poled to conduct current from the passive storage device to the load, the series electrical circuit coupled in parallel with the battery such that the passive storage device provides current to the load when the battery terminal voltage is less than voltage on the passive storage device, and a battery switching circuit that connects the first and second batteries in either a lower voltage parallel arrangement or a higher voltage series arrangement.

Abstract: In a vehicle power supply system including a battery, an inverter unit for converting DC electric power of the battery into AC electric power and supplying it to a rotating electric machine to drive it, an AC wiring line for connecting the rotating electric machine and the inverter unit, and a DC wiring line for connecting the inverter unit and the battery, the inverter unit is placed in a vicinity of the battery so that the DC wiring line becomes shorter than the AC wiring line. By this, a voltage drop due to the DC wiring line is reduced, and a torque characteristic of the rotating electric machine can be improved.

Abstract: Disclosed is an uninterruptible power supply including a switch connected between an external power source and a load, a power supply module connected to the external power source and the switch for receiving and converting an input power and supplying converted power to the load, a battery module connected to the power supply module for storing electric power or supplying electric power to the power supply module, a control module connected to the external power source and the battery module and powered by the external power source or the battery module for generating a control signal according to a specific operating status of the power supply module to manipulate the switch so as to supply power to the load through the power supply module or a bypass route, and a display panel connected to and powered through the control module for receiving and displaying system status information from the control module.

Abstract: A method for operating an electromagnetic operating mechanism includes, upon application of a control voltage, resetting and initializing a control circuit and starting a charging of a charge storage device. Subsequently, an auxiliary tripping coil and a main tripping coil are sequentially briefly energized, and, if no current flow occurs through at least one of the tripping coils, the control voltage is permanently disconnected. If a current flow occurs through each of the tripping coils, a closing coil is energized so as to move the armature to an attracted position, and the closing coil is subsequently de-energized. Subsequently, sequentially briefly energizing the auxiliary tripping coil and the main tripping coil are sequentially briefly energized without affecting the armature. Upon removal of the control voltage, the charge storage device is discharged through the main tripping coil so as to move the armature to the dropped-out position.

Abstract: A rotary switch for vehicles including a plurality of fixed rotational positions and several spring-loaded axial positions. A first axial position is activated by a pushing movement and a second axial position is activated by a pulling movement.

Abstract: A receptacle includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, and two trip circuits. A first microprocessor-based trip circuit includes a first output having a first arc fault/ground fault trip signal, and a second output having a periodic pulsed signal. A second failsafe trip circuit includes an input having the periodic pulsed signal and an output having a second trip signal. The second failsafe trip circuit is structured to output the second trip signal responsive to failure of the first microprocessor-based trip circuit to provide the periodic pulsed signal. A third circuit responds to the first trip signal and the second trip signal and cooperates with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts.

Abstract: A method for detecting actuation of an armature associated with a solenoid includes providing a voltage potential to a solenoid coil associated with the solenoid. The method also includes measuring a current flowing through the solenoid coil. The method further includes switching the voltage potential off when the measured current reaches a predetermined maximum value. The method also includes switching the voltage potential on when the measured current reaches a predetermined minimum value. The method further includes measuring a time period between pulses associated with the switching on and off of the voltage potential. The method also includes comparing the measured time period between pulses with predetermined data indicative of an inductance growth level associated with the coil. The method further includes determining, based on the comparison, a pull-in time of an armature associated with the solenoid.