General Electric Company

Aclara Meters LLC

Gregory Paul Lavoie

Robert E Lee, Jr

Maurice J Ouellette

David Geer Fletcher

Thomas F Papallo

William James Premerlani

David Dean Elmore

Mark J Plis

Marcelo Esteban Valdes

Warren R Germer

Curtis Whitmore Crittenden

Larry A Schmidt

Virginia H Zinkowski

Ertugrul Berkcan

Thomas Frederick Papallo, Jr

Radoslaw Narel

Susan D Dastous

Kenneth W Atherton

Ellen D Edge

Thomas Maehl

Roland J Provost

Richard A Balch

Donald F Bullock

Marjorie J Mancuso

Mark E Hoffman

John J Jamison

Guy P Lafond

Jason Ignasi Subirana

John Erik Hershey

John James Dougherty

Rui Zhou

Daniel Arthur Staver

Michael Sullivan Tignor

Robert E Lee

Mark Fredrick Culler

Yan Liu

Didier G Rouaud

Indrajit Purkayastha

Leslie J Rosenau

Theodore Drummond Hill, Iii

Kevin P Grogan

John S Vandevanter

Carol Ann Cummiskey

Jeffrey W Mammen

Sivarama Seshu Putcha

Jane Barber

Arthur C Burt

Thomas Federick Papallo, Jr

Kenneth P Lizotte

Michael Gerard Pintar

Anand S V Sirivella

Jason Lee Perron

Didier Gilbert Rouaud

Jason I Subirana

Guy Lafond

Jason Subirana

David Fletcher

One embodiment describes a utility metering system. The utility metering system includes a utility meter that is communicatively coupled to a utility service provider, in which the utility meter includes firmware. The utility meter stores a firmware update downloaded from the utility service provider, and determines a particular time to update the firmware with the firmware update, in which the particular time is determined based at least in part on historical time of use data, time of use pricing rates, or a combination thereof. The historical time of use data include utility consumption by a consumer over time and the time of use pricing rates include the price per unit of utility charged to the consumer. Additionally, the utility meter updates the firmware at the particular time.

Utility meter intelligent firmware update system and method

One embodiment describes a utility metering system that includes metering infrastructure that facilitates data communication within the utility metering system in accordance with an expected metering platform, and a utility meter communicatively coupled to the metering infrastructure. The utility meter operates in a native mode when a native metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, in which the utility meter operates in a first manner in accordance with the native metering platform. The utility meter operates in an emulation mode when the native metering platform is not compatible with the expected metering platform and an emulation metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, in which the utility meter operates in a second manner in accordance with the emulation metering.

Utility meter emulation mode system and method

A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing protection against arc flash during maintenance on a low voltage power circuit including a circuit breaker having a specified trip function for responding to a fault is provided. The specified trip function is overridden with a maintenance trip function that results in reduced arc energy in the fault during a trip over arc energy during a trip with the specified trip function. The specified trip function is restored following maintenance.

Circuit protection system

A circuit protection system is provided that utilizes a single state definition for each of the zones of protection of the circuit to increase computational efficiency. Multiple zone protective functions can be performed on a single zone of protection and can reference the single state definition.

A centrally controlled protection system is provided. The system includes a plurality of circuit breakers, a plurality of modules, and a central computer. Each of the plurality of breakers are in electrical communication with a respective one of the plurality of modules. The central computer is in communication with each of the plurality of modules via a network. The central computer controls the plurality of circuit breakers in either a normal mode or a reduced energy let-through mode.

Centrally controlled protection systems having reduced energy let-through mode

A circuit protection system is provided that provides dynamic zones of protection for the circuit. The zones of protection can be based in part upon the topology of the circuit. The protection system can perform various dynamic zone protective functions for the zones of protection.

A method of operating a relay device, in an electrical circuit comprising first and second main circuit breakers, and a bus tie circuit breaker connecting the first and second main circuit breakers, the method comprising computing a first positive sequence current phasor for the first main circuit breaker and a second positive sequence current phasor for the second main circuit breaker computing a first positive sequence voltage phasor for the first main circuit breaker and a second positive sequence voltage phasor for the second main circuit breaker; computing a correction of the first positive sequence voltage and second positive sequence voltage to a line-to-neutral phase angle reference if there is any rotation in a potential transformer connection; determining a fault has occurred when a magnitude of a current through at least one of the first main circuit breaker or the second main circuit breaker exceeds a predetermined threshold; determining a phase angle difference by comparing the phase angle of the positive sequence current phasor with the phase angle of the positive sequence voltage phasor for both the first main circuit breaker or the second main circuit breaker having the magnitude of current determined to have exceeded the predetermined level; and determining the fault is located upstream or downstream of the first main circuit breaker or the second main circuit breaker having the magnitude of current determined to have exceeded the predetermined level, if the phase angle difference is determined to be above a predetermined amount.

Relay device and corresponding method

A method of operating a relay device, the method comprising the steps of: providing main circuit-breakers and a bus-tie-breaker connecting the main-circuit-breakers; defining a partial-differential-zone comprising a main circuit breaker and the bus-tie breaker; assigning a first value to the direction of the fault current flowing into the partial differential zone;&#x2014;assigning a second value to the direction of the fault currents flowing out of the partial-differential-zone, wherein the first value is not equal to the second value;&#x2014;comparing the values assigned to the fault currents; determining if the fault currents are flowing into the partial differential zone; and determining if at least two of the fault-currents is flowing in a different direction with respect to the partial-differential-zone wherein one of the fault currents is flowing into the partial-differential-zone and one of the fault currents is flowing out of the partial differential zone.

A circuit protection system is provided that provides a dynamic delay time to an upstream circuit breaker if a fault is detected in a circuit where the dynamic delay time can be based upon the location of the fault, such as the nearest downstream circuit breaker. A control processing unit can determine a dynamic delay time for opening a first circuit breaker if a fault is detected in the circuit. The control processing unit delays opening the first circuit breaker until after the dynamic delay time has elapsed to provide an opportunity for the nearest circuit breaker to clear the fault.

A method for locating a ground fault in an electrical power distribution system includes providing a plurality of current sensors at a plurality of locations in the electrical power distribution system. The method further includes detecting a ground fault in the electrical power distribution system. Current is monitored at a plurality of locations in the electrical power distribution system via the current sensors and a test signal is introduced into the electrical power distribution system via a test signal generating device. The plurality of locations are monitored to locate the ground fault between a location at which the test signal is detected and a downstream location at which the test signal is not detected.

System and method of locating ground fault in electrical power distribution system

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method for operating an electronic electric meter having current and voltage sensors configured to generate measurements of current and voltage, respectively; a microcomputer coupled to the current and voltage sensors and having on-chip masked read only memory (ROM); and a nonvolatile, alterable memory coupled to the microcomputer. The method includes steps of: storing vectors pointing to program portions of the ROM in the non-volatile memory; and using the stored vectors to operate the microcomputer to execute the program portions stored in the ROM to control operation of the meter.

Methods and apparatus for updating firmware in an electronic electricity meter

A method of performing energy calculations in a power distribution system is provided. The method includes sampling a first voltage at a first module in the power distribution system; communicating the first voltage from the first module to a central controller; performing an energy calculation in the central controller based at least in part on the first voltage; and applying the energy calculation to a second module in the power distribution system. In some embodiments, the energy calculation is also based upon a second current from the second module.

Energy calculation methods in power distribution systems

In order to detect high-speed transients in the alternating current of a power distribution system, the rate at which the power on the distribution system is sampled is increased so that even high-speed transients are detected. The sampling rate can be increased in at least two ways. First, where a single analog-to-digital converter samples multiple lines through a multiplexer, the multiplexer is controlled to allow the converter to sample only one line at a much-increased rate. Alternatively, the sampling speed of the analog-to-digital converter (or A/D array) can be controlled and increased as needed.

Power line monitoring and interrupt method and apparatus

A wireless system is provided which comprises a test and control device, and a power distribution device. The test and control device has a first microprocessor executing a first firmware. The power distribution device has a second microprocessor executing a second firmware. The first microprocessor is coupled a first wireless communications port, and the second microprocessor is coupled to a second wireless communication port. The first and second wireless communication ports are configured to communicate wireless communications there between.

Method and devices for wireless communication between test and control devices and power distribution devices

A data sample and transmission module for a power distribution system having a microprocessor, a locator device, and a network interface is provided. The microprocessor samples one or more first signals indicative of a condition of power in the power distribution system. The locator device is changeable between a first state and a second state. The network interface can place the microprocessor in communication with a network so that the microprocessor samples the first signals based in part upon a synchronization signal receivable from the network and so that the locator device changes from the first state to the second state in response to a command receivable from the data network.

Locator devices and methods for centrally controlled power distribution systems

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, CT, United States of America

Gregory Paul Lavoie