Abb Power Td & Company

Aftab H Khan

Jeffry R Meyer

David S Johnson

Paul H Stiller

Robert A Smith

Ian J Harvey

John G Reckleff

Kevin J Timko

Willie K Wong

James E Smith

An electromagnetic actuator and an automatic recloser incorporating such actuator are disclosed. The actuator is shown to include a housing, a permanent magnet member, a coil, an armature, mounted to move axially within the housing between first and second positions, and a non-magnetic spacer. The armature, when in the second position, is spaced a distance from the housing by the spacer. The spacer is mounted to stop movement of the armature in the second position. In the preferred embodiment, the permanent magnet member includes a core and a number of magnet segments attached thereto. It is especially preferred for each of the permanent magnet segments to be arcuate shaped and that each segment be polarized substantially radially or in a direction parallel to the center radius of each segment. In a preferred embodiment, the housing is formed from a material having a high permeability and the spacer is formed from material having a relative permeability close to one or from a substantially non-magnetic material, such as acetal resin. The circuit recloser is shown to include the bistable magnetic actuator, a contact switch, a connecting member, connected between the actuator the contact switch and a spring, connected to bias the connecting member in relation to the contact switch. When the actuator is in its second position the end of the connecting member is spaced from the end of the contact switch, i.e., over travel is present. An indicator is provided for indicating whether the contact switch is open or closed.

Molded pole automatic circuit recloser with bistable electromagnetic

An intelligent circuit breaker or switching device system comprises three separate microprocessor-based units, including a condition monitoring unit (CMU) 40, a breaker control unit (BCU) 50, and a synchronous control unit (SCU) 60. The CMU 40 provides detailed diagnostic information by monitoring key quantities associated with circuit breaker or switching device reliability. On-line analysis performed by the CMU provides information facilitating the performance of maintenance as needed and the identification of impending failures. The BCU 50 is a programmable system having self-diagnostic and remote communications. The BCU replaces the conventional electromechanical control circuits typically employed to control a circuit breaker or switching device. The SCU 60 provides synchronous switching control for both closing and opening the circuit interrupters. The control processes carried out by the SCU reduce system switching transients and interrupter wear. The intelligent circuit breaker or switching device system improves system operation and equipment maintenance.

Intelligent circuit breaker providing synchronous switching and

A dynamic mechanically-switched damping (DMSD) system is described which utilizes one or more mechanical switches and appropriate controls to switch series or shunt reactive impedances in order to provide power oscillation damping in power systems. The DMSD system provides a controller which can be configured based on the number of mechanical switches in the DMSD system, the type of reactive impedances interfaced to the power system by each switch and the magnitude of each of the reactive impedance. The DMSD system monitors parameters of the power system and the controller generates a modulation signal based on the monitored parameters. The modulation signal is processed to identify a reactive impedance of the available DMSD system reactive impedances required to damp power oscillations. Appropriate switches are selected for supplying the required reactive impedance. A switching control signal is generated and output to each of the selected switches to synchronously open or close the switch at a predetermined instant.

Dynamic mechanically switched damping system and method for damping

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Aftab H Khan