Patents by Inventor Jeffrey B. Roberts

Jeffrey B. Roberts has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8072715
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for fault protection. The apparatus may include one or more electronic components configured to receive a single phase-to-ground fault signal and a double phase-to-ground fault signal subsequent to receiving the single phase-to-ground fault signal. The one or more of electronic components may be further configured to provide for a delay while the single phase-to-ground fault signal indicates that a single phase-to-ground fault is present on the ungrounded power system and the double phase-to-ground fault signal indicates that the double phase-to-ground fault is present on the ungrounded power system. The delay may allow for an opportunity to isolate a phase-to-ground fault on a first phase from a phase-to-ground fault on a second phase. Associated methods and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Huntington Ingalls Incorporated
    Inventors: Louis V. Dusang, Jr., Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20100014198
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for fault protection. The apparatus may include one or more electronic components configured to receive a single phase-to-ground fault signal and a double phase-to-ground fault signal subsequent to receiving the single phase-to-ground fault signal. The one or more of electronic components may be further configured to provide for a delay while the single phase-to-ground fault signal indicates that a single phase-to-ground fault is present on the ungrounded power system and the double phase-to-ground fault signal indicates that the double phase-to-ground fault is present on the ungrounded power system. The delay may allow for an opportunity to isolate a phase-to-ground fault on a first phase from a phase-to-ground fault on a second phase. Associated methods and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Louis V. Dusang, JR., Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 7582986
    Abstract: Provided is a compensated inverse-time undervoltage load shedding system and method for use in an electrical power system. The compensated inverse-time undervoltage load shedding system includes a compensation element for determining a compensated value and an inverse-time undervoltage element operatively coupled to the compensation element and enabled based on the compensated value. When enabled, the inverse-time undervoltage element calculates a load shedding time delay value based on the compensated value, and determines a load shedding signal based on the load shedding time delay value. An associated load of the electrical power system is shed based on the load shedding signal. The compensation element may determine the compensated value using a voltage magnitude, a rate-of-change of power system voltage over time, a weighted rate-of-change of power system voltage over time, a current magnitude, a weighted current magnitude, and an impedance phasor value, to name a few.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph W Folkers, Jeffrey B Roberts, Edmund O Schweitzer, III, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Gabriel Benmouyal
  • Patent number: 7453674
    Abstract: A method for protecting an electrical generator which includes providing an electrical generator which is normally synchronously operated with an electrical power grid; providing a synchronizing signal from the electrical generator; establishing a reference signal; and electrically isolating the electrical generator from the electrical power grid if the synchronizing signal is not in phase with the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Barry W. Kuehnle, Jeffrey B. Roberts, Ralph W. Folkers
  • Publication number: 20080232005
    Abstract: A method for protecting an electrical generator which includes providing an electrical generator which is normally synchronously operated with an electrical power grid; providing a synchronizing signal from the electrical generator; establishing a reference signal; and electrically isolating the electrical generator from the electrical power grid if the synchronizing signal is not in phase with the reference signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Barry W. Kuehnle, Jeffrey B. Roberts, Ralph W. Folkers
  • Patent number: 6839210
    Abstract: A power system bus total overcurrent system is used with a part of a power system which includes two buses and first and second power line portions which extend between them. A protective relay system includes protective relays for each of the first and second power line portions, located near the two buses, wherein the relays determine the total current into and out of each bus. The bus total overcurrent system includes first and second communication lines between each pair of relays and another communication line which extends between the first and second communication lines. In a current balance arrangement, the relays measure difference current using the same communication line arrangement between the two pairs of relays to determine a fault condition. Fault determinations are made in each case by the protection algorithms from total and difference currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, David E. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 6785105
    Abstract: The fault detection system includes at least one valid zero sequence voltage source, either from a local relay or a remote relay on a protected line. Zero sequence current is selected between total (vector sum from both ends of the protected line) measured zero sequence current or calculated zero sequence current. A zero sequence impedance-based calculation is then made and the result is compared against a threshold value to produce a trip decision. The trip decision is then applied through a normal tripping circuit or a slow tripping circuit, depending upon selected circuit conditions, involving the local and remote ends of the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, David E. Whitehead
  • Publication number: 20040080884
    Abstract: A power system bus total overcurrent system is used with a part of a power system which includes two buses and first and second power line portions which extend between them. A protective relay system includes protective relays for each of the first and second power line portions, located near the two buses, wherein the relays determine the total current into and out of each bus. The bus total overcurrent system includes first and second communication lines between each pair of relays and another communication line which extends between the first and second communication lines. In a current balance arrangement, the relays measure difference current using the same communication line arrangement between the two pairs of relays to determine a fault condition. Fault determinations are made in each case by the protection algorithms from total and difference currents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, David E. Whitehead
  • Publication number: 20040076273
    Abstract: The communication system provides audio communication with a user over a phone system of messages and other information originated in non-audio form by a protective device such as a protective relay or the like for an electric power system. The communication system includes a text-to-voice conversion processor responsive to the messages provided by the protective device, and an access control system for establishing phone system communication with a user, including answering incoming telephone calls from the user and initiating dialing-out calls with selected users having telephone numbers known to the communications system. Text material from a protective device is converted to audio and provided to a user, such as a technician for the power system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Paul W. Oman, Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 6721671
    Abstract: The directional element, following enablement under selected input current conditions, calculates a zero sequence impedance, in response to values of zero sequence voltage and zero sequence current. The current value is selected between two possible values, one being the value from an associated current transformer, the other being the sum of the currents IA+IB+IC. The calculated zero sequence impedance is then compared against sensitive selected threshold values, established particularly for ungrounded systems. A forward fault indication is provided when the calculated zero sequence impedance is above a first established sensitive threshold value, and a reverse fault indication is provided when the calculated zero sequence impedance is below a second established sensitive threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20040021995
    Abstract: The fault detection system includes at least one valid zero sequence voltage source, either from a local relay or a remote relay on a protected line. Zero sequence current is selected between total (vector sum from both ends of the protected line) measured zero sequence current or calculated zero sequence current. A zero sequence impedance-based calculation is then made and the result is compared against a threshold value to produce a trip decision. The trip decision is then applied through a normal tripping circuit or a slow tripping circuit, depending upon selected circuit conditions, involving the local and remote ends of the line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, David E. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 6608742
    Abstract: The system includes a plurality of protection application elements to accomplish various power system protection functions, including for example line protection, line fault location, current direction determination, breaker protection and synchronism check, among others. The system includes local sources of current and voltage information for the protective functions as well as a receiving section for receiving such current and voltage values from a remote source, such as another protection device, as well as other necessary input information for the protective functions. A selection logic section is responsive to the output of the protective function elements, as well as the local and remote data to determine whether the primary or local sources are to be used. The outputs of the protective function elements are used by an output section to control circuit breakers and the like and are also transmitted, with the local and remote source quantities, to other protective devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Jeffrey B. Roberts, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Joseph B. Mooney, Luther S. Anderson
  • Patent number: 6590397
    Abstract: In a three terminal power line current differential protection system, all three phase current values (IA, IB and IC) are obtained from all three terminals. The current values for each phase are processed in three successive processing operations, using in turn the current values from each terminal as local current values and the combination of the other two terminal current values in each case as the remote current values. The resulting local and remote current values are then processed against preselected values which establish a restrain region in the current ratio (alpha) plane. Current values for each set of local and combined remote currents which result in the ratio being within the restrain region result in a blocking signal while current values which result in a ratio outside of the region result in a tripping signal. If the outputs of the three processing operations agree, then that signal is the system output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 6573726
    Abstract: A system for detecting ground faults in a compensated electric power distribution network includes the determination of zero sequence voltage (V0) and zero sequence current (I0) on a power line and calculating the zero sequence conductance (G0) therefrom. The operation of the conductance calculation circuit occurs only under selected power line conditions involving minimum values of zero sequence voltage, zero sequence current and positive sequence voltage, to ensure the accuracy of a fault direction determination. The conductance values are processed on an adaptive basis in which the difference between the most recent conductance value and a conductance value from a selected previous point in time is determined and then compared against threshold values to make forward and reverse fault declarations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, Daqing Hou, Hector Altuve-Ferrer
  • Patent number: 6560132
    Abstract: The system includes a plurality of voltage transformers in a protective relay for A, B and C-phase power system voltages, responsive to the secondary windings of corresponding voltage transformers for the power system, the secondary windings of the voltage system power transformers being connected in a broken delta arrangement. The primary windings of the relay voltage transformers are arranged in a broken delta configuration and connected to the secondary windings of the power system voltage transformers so that A-phase, B-phase and C-phase voltage are provided at the secondary windings of the relay voltage transformers. The three-phase voltages may then be summed to produce a residual voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Labs., Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20030078745
    Abstract: The directional element, following enablement under selected input current conditions, calculates a zero sequence impedance, in response to values of zero sequence voltage and zero sequence current. The current value is selected between two possible values, one being the value from an associated current transformer, the other being the sum of the currents IA+IB+IC. The calculated zero sequence impedance is then compared against sensitive selected threshold values, established particularly for ungrounded systems. A forward fault indication is provided when the calculated zero sequence impedance is above a first established sensitive threshold value, and a reverse fault indication is provided when the calculated zero sequence impedance is below a second established sensitive threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20030076700
    Abstract: The system includes a plurality of voltage transformers in a protective relay for A, B and C-phase power system voltages, responsive to the secondary windings of corresponding voltage transformers for the power system, the secondary windings of the voltage system power transformers being connected in a broken delta arrangement. The primary windings of the relay voltage transformers are arranged in a broken delta configuration and connected to the secondary windings of the power system voltage transformers so that A-phase, B-phase and C-phase voltage are provided at the secondary windings of the relay voltage transformers. The three-phase voltages may then be summed to produce a residual voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 6525543
    Abstract: The fault identification system includes a first logic circuit which is responsive to conventional protective elements which recognize the presence of low resistance single line-to-ground faults for the A, B and C phases on a power transmission line. The first logic circuit includes a portion thereof for recognizing and providing an output indication of single line-to-ground faults, faults involving two phases and three-phase faults, in response to the occurrence of different combinations of outputs from the protective elements. A calculation circuit, when enabled, is used to determine the angular difference between the total zero sequence current and the total negative sequence current for high resistance faults when the protective elements themselves cannot identify fault conditions. The angular difference is in one of three pre-selected angular sectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, Demetrios Tziouvaras
  • Patent number: 6518767
    Abstract: In a power line current differential protection system, all three phase current values (IA, IB and IC) are obtained from both the local end and the remote end of a power transmission line. The magnitude of the ratio of the remote current values to the local current values are calculated. Also, the angle difference between the local and the remote current values for each phase are calculated. Comparison elements then compare the ratio and angle values against preselected values which establish a restrain region in the current ratio plane. Current values which result in the ratio being within the region do not result in a tripping signal for the circuit breaker on the power transmission line, while current values which result in a ratio outside of the region result in a tripping of the circuit breaker. Similar circuitry is used for negative sequence current quantities, with the negative sequence preselected values being set substantially lower to produce a more sensitive response to possible faults in the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, Gabriel Benmouyal, Hector Altuve-Ferrer, Ralph Folkers, Demetrios Tziouvaras
  • Publication number: 20030007299
    Abstract: The system includes a plurality of protection application elements to accomplish various power system protection functions, including for example line protection, line fault location, current direction determination, breaker protection and synchronism check, among others. The system includes local sources of current and voltage information for the protective functions as well as a receiving section for receiving such current and voltage values from a remote source, such as another protection device, as well as other necessary input information for the protective functions. A selection logic section is responsive to the output of the protective function elements, as well as the local and remote data to determine whether the primary or local sources are to be used. The outputs of the protective function elements are used by an output section to control circuit breakers and the like and are also transmitted, with the local and remote source quantities, to other protective devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jeffrey B. Roberts, Armando Guzman-Casillas, Joseph B. Mooney, Luther S. Anderson