Abstract: A method for estimating the state of an electrical switching apparatus, the switching apparatus including separable electrical contacts configured to be coupled to an electrical conductor, and an electromagnetic actuator, controlled by a control circuit and including a movable core, coupled to the separable contacts, and a coil, which is passed through by a coil current. The method: includes measuring, by means of sensors associated with the coil, values of the coil current in a time interval, while the electromagnetic actuator is kept in a stable and in particular closed position, and computing, by means of an electronic control device of the switching apparatus, one or more values of a magnetic flux of the coil from the measured coil-current values, and using coil-voltage and coil-resistance values known beforehand.

Abstract: A method for estimating a property of an electrical switching device includes: detecting a movement of electrical contacts of the switching device beyond an opening threshold; measuring, for at least one phase of the electrical device, the electric current through this phase; evaluating, for at least one phase of the electrical device, the voltage of an electric arc between the electrical contacts that are associated with this phase; and calculating, for at least the phase of the electrical device, an energy value associated with the electric arc, by numerically integrating the product of the measured electric current and of the evaluated voltage, the integration being performed over a time interval starting from the detection of the movement of the electrical contacts.

Abstract: A method for estimating a property of an electrical switching device that includes an electromagnetic actuator that includes a coil. The method includes: measuring electric current flowing through the coil; measuring supply electrical voltage of a control circuit for the actuator; injecting an electric current pulse into the coil; identifying a first time corresponding to a time for which the current flowing through the coil reaches a predetermined threshold value when the current increases following the injection of the pulse; and identifying a second time corresponding to a time for which the current flowing through the coil again reaches the predetermined threshold value when the current decreases after a spike. The method further includes estimating a resistance of the coil on the basis of a ratio of a sum of the values of the voltage that are measured between the second time and the first time, to a sum of the values of the current that are measured between the second time and the first time.

Abstract: A protection unit, including a power switching device, with a mechanical switch. To improve the multipurpose nature of the power switching while making lockout easier and more reliable, provision is made for the power switching device to include an electrical actuator actuating the mechanical switch and being controlled by an electronic control unit, which is itself powered via an auxiliary switching device. A lockout system with a lock is provided, which, in a lockout configuration, mechanically keeps the mechanical switch and the auxiliary switching device in an isolation configuration, and, in operating configuration, allows the mechanical switch and the auxiliary switching device to move between the conduction configuration and the isolation configuration.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator has: an armature carrying at least one coil; a ferromagnetic yoke configured to channel a magnetic flux created by the coil; and a ferromagnetic moving part that interacts with the yoke to form a magnetic circuit formed at least in part by an assembly of laminated metal plates, the moving part being configured to move in relation to the armature under the action of the magnetic field generated by the coil. The actuator moreover has an auxiliary magnetic circuit made of electrically conductive material, in order to permit the flow of currents induced in the auxiliary magnetic circuit when a magnetic field is generated by the coil.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a fixed body, a moving part forming a magnetic core of the actuator and being movable in translation with respect to the fixed body between a retracted position and a deployed position, a magnetic piece forming a permanent magnet adjusted to generate a first magnetic force holding the moving part in the retracted position, and a coil adjusted to engender a second magnetic force opposed to the first magnetic force when the coil is supplied with an electrical excitation current. The moving part includes one or more notches formed in a body of the moving part.

Abstract: A method for estimating the state of an electrical switching apparatus, the switching apparatus including separable electrical contacts configured to be coupled to an electrical conductor, and an electromagnetic actuator, controlled by a control circuit and including a movable core, coupled to the separable contacts, and a coil, which is passed through by a coil current. The method includes measuring, by means of sensors associated with the coil, values of the coil current in a time interval, while the electromagnetic actuator is kept in a stable and in particular closed position, and computing, by means of an electronic control device of the switching apparatus, one or more values of a magnetic flux of the coil from the measured coil-current values, and using coil-voltage and coil-resistance values known beforehand.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing an operating state of a switching device including separable contacts, which are driven by an electromagnetic actuator including a coil connected to an electronic control device, and sensors, which are configured to measure an intensity of a coil current and a coil voltage. The method comprises: a) receiving an order to close via the electronic control device; b) controlling the electromagnetic actuator so that it closes; c) measuring and recording the coil voltage and coil current values; d) calculating and recording values of a magnetic flux through the coil, by integrating the recorded values of the coil current, the coil voltage and resistance and inductance values of the coil; and e) evaluating and recording positions of a core of the electromagnetic actuator according to a data table, which is previously recorded in the electronic control device and which defines a bijective relation between the position of the core, the magnetic flux and the coil current.

Abstract: A method for estimating a property of an electrical switching device includes: detecting a movement of electrical contacts of the switching device beyond an opening threshold; measuring, for at least one phase of the electrical device, the electric current through this phase; evaluating, for at least one phase of the electrical device, the voltage of an electric arc between the electrical contacts that are associated with this phase; and calculating, for at least the phase of the electrical device, an energy value associated with the electric arc, by numerically integrating the product of the measured electric current and of the evaluated voltage, the integration being performed over a time interval starting from the detection of the movement of the electrical contacts.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing an operating state of a switching device including separable contacts, which are driven by an electromagnetic actuator including a coil connected to an electronic control device, and sensors that measure a coil voltage and an intensity of a coil current. The method includes: a) receiving an order to open the switching device via the electronic control device; b) controlling the electromagnetic actuator so that it opens; c) measuring and recording the coil voltage and coil current values d) calculating and recording values of a magnetic flux through the coil, by integrating the recorded values of the coil current, the coil voltage and resistance and inductance values of the coil; and e) evaluating and recording positions of a core of the electromagnetic actuator according to a data table, which defines a bijective relation between the position of the core, the magnetic flux and the coil current.

Abstract: A method for estimating a property of an electrical switching device includes: measuring the electric current flowing through the coil; measuring the supply electrical voltage of a control circuit for the actuator; injecting an electric current pulse into the coil; identifying a first time corresponding to the time for which the current flowing through the coil reaches a predetermined threshold value when the current increases following the injection of the pulse; identifying a second time corresponding to the time for which the current flowing through the coil again reaches the predetermined threshold value when the current decreases after the spike; and estimating the resistance of the coil on the basis of the ratio of the sum of the values of the voltage that are measured between the second time and the first time, to the sum of the values of the current that are measured between the second time and the first time.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing the wear status of an electrical switching unit including a phase for monitoring the electrical unit. The monitoring phase uses: learning data previously loaded and representative of the type of electrical unit, and initialization data corresponding to the unit to be monitored and stored in memory during an initialization phase. The monitoring phase includes the measurement and the acquisition of a measurement curve upon the opening of the electrical unit, the determination of values of local descriptors with little sensitivity to the temperature from the measurement curve as a function of values of the measurement curve, of initialization data, and of learning data, the determination of a global status class as a function of the positioning values. The device and the electrical unit implement the method.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator has: an armature carrying at least one coil; a ferromagnetic yoke configured to channel a magnetic flux created by the coil; and a ferromagnetic moving part that interacts with the yoke to form a magnetic circuit formed at least in part by an assembly of laminated metal plates, the moving part being configured to move in relation to the armature under the action of the magnetic field generated by the coil. The actuator moreover has an auxiliary magnetic circuit made of electrically conductive material, in order to permit the flow of currents induced in the auxiliary magnetic circuit when a magnetic field is generated by the coil.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a fixed body, a moving part forming a magnetic core of the actuator and being movable in translation with respect to the fixed body between a retracted position and a deployed position, a magnetic piece forming a permanent magnet adjusted to generate a first magnetic force holding the moving part in the retracted position, and a coil adjusted to engender a second magnetic force opposed to the first magnetic force when the coil is supplied with an electrical excitation current. The moving part includes one or more notches formed in a body of the moving part.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing the wear status of an electrical switching unit including a phase for monitoring the electrical unit. The monitoring phase uses: learning data previously loaded and representative of the type of electrical unit, and initialization data corresponding to the unit to be monitored and stored in memory during an initialization phase. The monitoring phase includes the measurement and the acquisition of a measurement curve upon the opening of the electrical unit, the determination of values of local descriptors with little sensitivity to the temperature from the measurement curve as a function of values of the measurement curve, of initialization data, and of learning data, the determination of a global status class as a function of the positioning values. The device and the electrical unit implement the method.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing an operating state, i.e.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the temperature of a contactor comprising a processing unit designed to act on control means of the voltage applied to an actuating coil. Measuring means measure an electric current flowing in said at least one actuating coil. The method consists in: sending a closing order consisting in applying a voltage to the terminals of the actuating coil enabling the electric current flowing in the coil to be modified up to a first reference value; sending a drop-out order consisting in fixing a voltage called drop-out voltage at the terminals of the actuating coil; measuring the electric current flowing in said actuating coil; performing acquisition of specific values on a signal of the electric current; analyzing specific values for evaluation of the operating temperature of the actuating coil.

Abstract: A reactive power compensator for a three-phase network having first, second and third phases includes an assembly of capacitors and electromechanical contactors electrically connected to the capacitors. Each contactor includes at least one upstream and one downstream power terminal. An electric current circulates between the upstream and downstream power terminals when the contactors are closed. A first contactor is connected to the first phase and a second contactor is connected to the third phase. The voltage between the upstream and downstream power terminals of at least one electromechanical contactor is measured so that the electromechanical contactors can be controlled according to a control algorithm. The control algorithm includes the closure of a contactor for a substantially zero voltage between the upstream and downstream power terminals thereof, and the opening a contactor for a substantially minimum power value of the capacitors to which the contactor is connected.

Abstract: A reactive power compensator for a three-phase network having first, second and third phases includes an assembly of capacitors and electromechanical contactors electrically connected to the capacitors. Each contactor includes at least one upstream and one downstream power terminal. An electric current circulates between the upstream and downstream power terminals when the contactors are closed. A first contactor is connected to the first phase and a second contactor is connected to the third phase. The voltage between the upstream and downstream power terminals of at least one electromechanical contactor is measured so that the electromechanical contactors can be controlled according to a control algorithm. The control algorithm includes the closure of a contactor for a substantially zero voltage between the upstream and downstream power terminals thereof, and the opening a contactor for a substantially minimum power value of the capacitors to which the contactor is connected.