Patents by Inventor Robert E. Drain

Robert E. Drain 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: 4513340
    Abstract: A fault detection and clearance system for paralleled electrically similar power transmission lines wherein at each end of the line matched separate directional relays respectively connected to trip associated fault clearance circuit breakers have polarized windings and operate windings. The polarized windings are energized by an alternating current proportional to the summation while the operate windings are energized by an alternating current proportional to the difference (phase considered) of fault currents going into the breakers in both lines at the adjacent end in the event of a fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1985
    Assignee: The Montana Power Company
    Inventor: Robert E. Drain
  • Patent number: 4441135
    Abstract: A three-phase power transmission line phase-to-ground fault responder wherein voltage coils of respective responder relays are energized by respective phase-related voltages and wherein current coils of such relays are serially connected across the composite voltage source comprising the three serially composite voltage source comprising the respective phase-related voltages applied in series. In one embodiment the phase-related voltages are proportional to the transmission line phase voltage itself whereas in a second embodiment, less sensitive to location of fault in relation to the instrument takeoff voltage location, the phase-related voltage is the vector sum of voltages of the other two phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: The Montana Power Company
    Inventor: Robert E. Drain