Abstract: An electrical distribution system wherein information is communicated to and/or from an electrical component of the electrical distribution system using near-field communications. The information may be communicated to and/or from the electrical component using an electronic device such as a dedicated near-field device, a smartphone or a configuration card device. Also, a method of obtaining information from an electrical component of an electrical distribution system, such as a circuit interrupter, includes generating a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the circuit interrupter, displaying the machine readable element on the circuit interrupter, capturing an image of the machine readable element, obtaining the first information based on the image, and displaying second information based on the obtained first information.

Abstract: An electrical distribution system wherein information is communicated to and/or from an electrical component of the electrical distribution system using near-field communications. The information may be communicated to and/or from the electrical component using an electronic device such as a dedicated near-field device, a smartphone or a configuration card device. Also, a method of obtaining information from an electrical component of an electrical distribution system, such as a circuit interrupter, includes generating a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the circuit interrupter, displaying the machine readable element on the circuit interrupter, capturing an image of the machine readable element, obtaining the first information based on the image, and displaying second information based on the obtained first information.

Abstract: An electrical fault detection system includes an underground transformer unit having an enclosure and an electrical busbar element extending from the enclosure, and an acoustic sensor apparatus operatively coupled to an external structure of the enclosure or the electrical busbar element. The acoustic sensor apparatus is structured to: (i) detect an acoustic signal within the enclosure, (ii) analyze the detected acoustic signal and determine whether the detected acoustic signal is indicative of an electrical fault within the enclosure using an event time correlation (ETC) algorithm, and (iii) responsive to determining that the detected acoustic signal is indicative of an electrical fault, output a message indicating that a fault has been detected.

Abstract: An electrical distribution system wherein information is communicated to and/or from an electrical component of the electrical distribution system using near-field communications. The information may be communicated to and/or from the electrical component using an electronic device such as a dedicated near-field device, a smartphone or a configuration card device. Also, a method of obtaining information from an electrical component of an electrical distribution system, such as a circuit interrupter, includes generating a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the circuit interrupter, displaying the machine readable element on the circuit interrupter, capturing an image of the machine readable element, obtaining the first information based on the image, and displaying second information based on the obtained first information.

Abstract: A sensor assembly is provided for a power bus. The power bus exhibits a number of characteristics, such as a temperature. The sensor assembly includes an enclosure having a housing and a base. At least one sensor such as, for example, a temperature sensor, is housed within the enclosure. The sensor (e.g., temperature sensor) senses a corresponding one of the number of characteristics (e.g., temperature) of the power bus. A power supply is housed within the enclosure, and cooperates with the power bus to provide electrical power to the sensor. An elongated fastener fastens the enclosure to the power bus. The base of the enclosure is adjustable with respect to the housing of the enclosure in order to secure the power bus between the housing and the base. The elongated fastener extends around the enclosure and the power bus in order to secure the enclosure to the power bus.

Abstract: An apparatus for a power bus includes an inductive power harvesting unit structured to provide a first power output arising from current flowing in the power bus, an energy storage unit structured to store energy from the first power output and to provide a second power output, and a selector structured to select one of the first and second power outputs and to provide a third power output from the selected one. A processor is powered from the third power output of the selector. The selector is further structured to normally provide the third power output from the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit. The processor is structured to determine that the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit is inadequate and to cause the selector to provide the third power output from the second power output of the energy storage unit.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of wireless devices and a reconfigurable wireless control or monitoring device structured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless devices. The wireless control or monitoring device includes a wireless transceiver, a user output device, a user input device, and a processor cooperating with the wireless transceiver, the user output device and the user input device. The processor includes a routine structured to output first information from the wireless devices to the user output device, or to input second information from the user input device to the wireless devices. The routine is further structured to employ an XML schema to define the first information output from the wireless devices to the user output device, or to define the second information input from the user input device to the wireless devices.

Abstract: A sensor assembly is provided for a power bus. The power bus exhibits a number of characteristics, such as a temperature. The sensor assembly includes an enclosure having a housing and a base. At least one sensor such as, for example, a temperature sensor, is housed within the enclosure. The sensor (e.g., temperature sensor) senses a corresponding one of the number of characteristics (e.g., temperature) of the power bus. A power supply is housed within the enclosure, and cooperates with the power bus to provide electrical power to the sensor. An elongated fastener fastens the enclosure to the power bus. The base of the enclosure is adjustable with respect to the housing of the enclosure in order to secure the power bus between the housing and the base. The elongated fastener extends around the enclosure and the power bus in order to secure the enclosure to the power bus.

Abstract: An apparatus for a power bus includes an inductive power harvesting unit structured to provide a first power output arising from current flowing in the power bus, an energy storage unit structured to store energy from the first power output and to provide a second power output, and a selector structured to select one of the first and second power outputs and to provide a third power output from the selected one. A processor is powered from the third power output of the selector. The selector is further structured to normally provide the third power output from the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit. The processor is structured to determine that the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit is inadequate and to cause the selector to provide the third power output from the second power output of the energy storage unit.

Abstract: A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism opening and closing the contacts, a first processor determining an open or closed state of the contacts, and a wireless transceiver transmitting the open or closed state from the first processor and receiving a signal. A first accessory includes a wireless receiver, a second processor and outputs. A second accessory includes a wireless transmitter, a third processor and a circuit generating the signal for or communicating the signal to the third processor, which outputs the signal to the wireless transmitter, which transmits the signal to the wireless transceiver. The first processor receives the signal from the wireless transceiver and causes the mechanism to open or close the contacts. The wireless receiver receives the open or closed state from the wireless transceiver. The second processor receives the open or closed state from the wireless receiver and outputs the same to the outputs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapidly analyzing ac waveforms containing dc offset by generating digitized samples of the waveform to be analyzed with alternate samples separated by ninety electrical degrees. Alternate samples are paired for calculation of the magnitude and phase of the waveform. A suitable microcomputer performs a calculation using pairs of the most recently generated samples. Using the pairs of samples, the microcomputer calculates the dc offset, and the peak magnitude of the waveform which may be voltage or current. The phase angle of the waveform can also be calculated if required. The method and apparatus are particularly useful with protective systems where the calculation is necessary to determine whether there is a fault on an electric power transmission line. In addition, the effects of dc offset are eliminated and thereby false trips are avoided. A reliable system having a fast response time at relatively modest cost is provided.

Abstract: A directional comparison relaying system includes forward looking pilot relays at each terminal of a protected line segment and monitors which detect predetermined incremental changes in line currents and voltages indicative of a fault. These predetermined incremental changes in current or voltages, which can be detected before the pilot relays respond, generate local blocking signals which are transmitted to the other terminal as remote blocking signals over a two-way communications channel. Trip signals for tripping circuit breakers at the associated terminals are generated from forward fault signals produced by the pilot relays but are blocked by the presence of either a local or remote blocking signal. However, the forward fault signal cancels the local blocking signal and the corresponding remote blocking signal at the other terminal so that when both pilot relays see an internal fault, the circuit breakers at the two terminals are tripped simultaneously.

Abstract: Faults in a three-phase power transmission line are identified by vectorially subtracting from the postfault current for each phase, the zero sequence current and the prefault current. The resultant currents which are the vectorial sums of the postfault positive and negative sequence currents are then compared. If the magnitude of the resultant current in one phase exceeds that in each of the other two phases by a preselected factor, than one phase is identified as the phase to ground faulted phase. If the magnitudes of the resultant currents of two phases exceed that of the third, those two phases are involved in either a phase to phase or a phase to phase to ground fault with the distinction being made by the presence of zero sequence current in the later case.