Abstract: A circuit breaker monitoring system and method includes a vibration sensor, a processing unit, and an output unit. The vibration sensor is configured to be mounted to a circuit breaker and to acquire a temporal vibration signal over at least a temporal portion of a closing operation of the circuit breaker. The closing operation comprises: initiation of the closing operation; latch release; movement of a moveable contact towards a fixed contact; contact touch of the moveable contact with the fixed contact; stop of movement of the moveable contact. The sensor provides the temporal vibration signal to the processing unit, which determines a plurality of physical switch events and corresponding plurality of time points of the plurality of physical switch events over the closing operation of the circuit breaker.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a circuit breaker includes: at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to be located and utilized to obtain at least one sensor data of a main shaft of an operational circuit breaker, and the at least one sensor is configured to provide the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker to the processor. The processor is configured to determine position and/or velocity information for a moveable contact of the operational circuit breaker, where the determination comprises analysis of the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker by a trained neural network implemented by the processor.

Abstract: A circuit breaker monitoring system and method includes a vibration sensor, a processing unit, and an output unit. The vibration sensor is configured to be mounted to a circuit breaker and to acquire a temporal vibration signal over at least a temporal portion of a closing operation of the circuit breaker. The closing operation comprises: initiation of the closing operation; latch release; movement of a moveable contact towards a fixed contact; contact touch of the moveable contact with the fixed contact; stop of movement of the moveable contact. The sensor provides the temporal vibration signal to the processing unit, which determines a plurality of physical switch events and corresponding plurality of time points of the plurality of physical switch events over the closing operation of the circuit breaker.

Abstract: A monitoring system includes a frame, a fixed contact, a moveable contact, a drive mechanism, and a linkage mechanism, wherein the fixed contact is fixed in position with respect to the frame, and wherein the linkage mechanism is coupled to the drive and the moveable contact, and wherein activation of the drive is configured to move the linkage mechanism such that the moveable contact is moved towards or away from the fixed contact, and wherein the monitoring system comprises a sensor system having a position sensor and a processor, the position sensor configured to be positioned with respect to the frame and the linkage mechanism such that lateral movement of a part of the linkage mechanism generates at least one displacement signal; and the processor configured to convert the at least one displacement signal to a displacement movement of the moveable contact toward or away from the fixed contact.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a circuit breaker monitoring system includes a vibration sensor, a processing unit, and an output unit. The vibration sensor is mounted to a circuit breaker acquires a temporal vibration signal over at least a temporal portion of a closing operation of the circuit breaker, wherein the closing operation comprises: initiation of the closing operation, latch release, movement of a moveable contact towards a fixed contact, contact touch of the moveable contact with the fixed contact, and stop of movement of the moveable contact. The vibration sensor provides the temporal vibration signal to the processing unit, which determines a plurality of features of the closing operation and an indication of operational functionality of the circuit breaker.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes: an infrared camera for acquiring an infrared image of a switchgear; a visible camera for acquiring a visible image of the switchgear; a processing unit; and an output unit. The processing unit maps a plurality of pixels in the visible image to a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. The plurality of pixels in the visible image includes a plurality of sub-sets of pixels, each sub-set including at least one pixel. Each sub-set of pixels in the visible image is mapped to a corresponding pixel in the infrared image. Each sub-set of pixels in the visible image and the corresponding pixel in the infrared image relates to image data of a same part of the switchgear. The processing unit determines a combined image from the plurality of pixels in the visible image mapped to the plurality of pixels in the infrared image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medium voltage switchgear or control gear monitoring system (10), comprising: an infrared camera (20); and a processing unit (30); wherein the infrared camera is configured to be mounted within a medium voltage switchgear or control gear (40); wherein the infrared camera is configured to acquire an infrared image, wherein the infrared image comprises image data of two or three current carrying parts of the switchgear or control gear (50), and wherein the two or three current carrying parts are the same current carry part of two or three equivalent systems within the switchgear or control gear; wherein the infrared camera is configured to provide the infrared image to the processing unit; wherein the processing unit is configured to determine that the two or three current carrying parts are operating correctly or that one of the two or three current carrying parts has a fault, wherein the determination comprises analysis of the infrared image by an autoencoder implemented by the p

Abstract: A system for monitoring a circuit breaker includes: at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to be located and utilized to obtain at least one sensor data of a main shaft of an operational circuit breaker, and the at least one sensor is configured to provide the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker to the processor. The processor is configured to determine position and/or velocity information for a moveable contact of the operational circuit breaker, where the determination comprises analysis of the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker by a trained neural network implemented by the processor.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a circuit breaker includes at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to be located and utilized to obtain at least one time series sensor data of at least one first part an operational circuit breaker. The at least one sensor is configured to provide the at least one time series sensor data of the at least one first part of the operational circuit breaker to the processor. The processor is configured to determine that at least one second part of the operational circuit breaker is operating correctly or has a fault, where the determination includes analysis of the at least one time series sensor data of the at least one first part of the operational circuit breaker by a trained neural network implemented by the processor.

Abstract: An apparatus for hot spot sensing where the apparatus includes an input unit, a processing unit,and an output unit. The input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with an image of an object that includes a hot spot. The image data of the image includes image data of the hot spot where the image was acquired by a camera. The processing unit is configured to determine a number of pixels in the image corresponding to a size of the hot spot, an average temperature for the hot spot, the determination comprising utilization of pixel values of the pixels in the image corresponding to the size of the hot spot and the number of pixels in the image corresponding to the size of the hot spot, a surrounding temperature in the image, and a corrected temperature for the hot spot.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes: an infrared camera for acquiring an infrared image of a switchgear; a visible camera for acquiring a visible image of the switchgear; a processing unit; and an output unit. The processing unit maps a plurality of pixels in the visible image to a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. The plurality of pixels in the visible image includes a plurality of sub-sets of pixels, each sub-set including at least one pixel. Each sub-set of pixels in the visible image is mapped to a corresponding pixel in the infrared image. Each sub-set of pixels in the visible image and the corresponding pixel in the infrared image relates to image data of a same part of the switchgear. The processing unit determines a combined image from the plurality of pixels in the visible image mapped to the plurality of pixels in the infrared image.