Abstract:
Electrical load controls are provided which include an electrical switch assembly and a fault protection device within a common housing. The switch assembly includes an actuator, and is responsive to actuation of the actuator to switch ON or OFF electricity to the load. The protection device automatically responds to a fault condition by overriding the switch assembly by automatically blocking electrical connection between phase input and output terminals and neutral input and output terminals of the load control. The actuator includes a single external interface element. In one embodiment, actuation of the actuator switches ON or OFF electricity via control of the fault protection device, and in another embodiment, movement of the interface away from the housing exposes within the housing an internal user interface for the fault protection device.
Abstract:
An arc fault detector system (10) detects arcing faults in an electrical distribution system by monitoring one or more conductors (14) and producing an input signal representing one or more electrical signal conditions in the circuit (12) to be monitored. This input signal is processed to develop signals representing the electrical current flow through the monitored circuit (12) and broadband noise signal components. The system (10) analyzes these signals to determine whether an arcing fault is present, and if so, outputs a trip signal which may be used directly or indirectly to trip a circuit breaker or other circuit interruption device (44).
Abstract:
A circuit protection apparatus includes a circuit breaker coupled in series with a circuit to be protected. The circuit breaker has a trip input and is responsive to a trip signal at the trip input for changing from a closed circuit condition to an open circuit condition to thereby remove electrical current from the circuit to be protected. A thermal trip element is coupled in series with the circuit to be protected and is responsive to a predetermined current/time characteristic of current flow in the circuit for delivering the trip signal to the trip input.
Abstract:
A system for testing an arcing fault detection system in an electrical distribution network having a line conductor carrying an electrical signal between a power source and a load, the arcing fault detection system including a sensor coupled to the line conductor for monitoring the electrical signal and generating a sensor signal representing the electrical signal, the arcing fault detection system generating and arc-indicative signal in response to the sensor signal having characteristics indicative of an arcing fault. The testing system couples the sensor to a test line simultaneously with the line conductor and periodically produces a test signal on the test line. The sensor simultaneously monitors the test signal and the electrical signal and produces a sensor signal representing both the test signal and the electrical signal when the test signal is present on the test line. The arcing fault detection system generates an arc-indicative signal in response to the sensor signal associated with either the test line or line conductor having characteristics indicative of an arcing fault. A diagnostic test integrator evaluates the status conditions of the test signal and the arc-indicative signal and generates a trip signal to trigger the interruption of the electrical signal in response to certain status conditions of the test signal and the arc-indicative signal.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a protective device for a load circuit capable of detecting a temperature rise in an electric wire and completely cutting off the load circuit on the occurrence of rare short. SOLUTION: A temperature rise in the electric wire 7 is calculated based on thermal characteristics (thermal resistance and thermal capacity) of the electric wire 7 or a contact conductor when a current flowing through the load 4 rises, a temperature rise due to arc is calculated when arc occurs, and a down temperature of the electric wire 7 is calculated based on the thermal characteristics of the electric wire 7 when a current flowing through the load 4 is zero or decreases. Besides, the obtained temperature rise and down temperature are totally added to estimate a present temperature of the electric wire 7, and the load circuit is cut off when the estimated temperature exceeds a prescribed permissible temperature, thus protecting the circuit with high accuracy based on the temperature rise of the electric wire 7. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
The present invention comprises a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) micro-switch array based current limiting enabled circuit interrupting apparatus. The apparatus comprising an over-current protective component, wherein the over-current protective component comprises a switching circuit, wherein the switching circuit comprises a plurality of micro-electromechanical system switching devices. The apparatus also comprises a circuit breaker or switching component, wherein the circuit breaker or switching component is in operable communication with the over-current protective component.