Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Other

Eaton Corporation

Kyle Benjamin Adkins

Andrew Edward Carlson

David Elmiger

David M Messersmith

Randall S Langer

Aiman Kerim

James Peter Miller

Patrick K Duffy

Juerg Merki

Andrew John Jaap

Dana Kathryn Leland

A system includes a relay system and a controller. The relay system includes a plurality of relays, each having a first contact on an input side of the respective relay, the input side coupled to a power source, a second contact on a load side of the respective relay coupled to a load, and a spanner configured to close the first and second contacts of the respective relay when activated by a close signal. The load sides of each of the respective relays are coupled through their respective loads. The controller is configured to measure a voltage between a spanner of a first relay and an input side of a second relay. Based on the voltage between the spanner of the first relay and the input side of the second relay, the controller determines whether an electrical weld of one of the contacts of the first relay exists.

Detecting welded relay contacts using spanner voltage measurement

A system includes a relay system and a controller. The relay system includes a plurality of relays. The controller is configured to transmit a close signal to a first relay of the plurality of relays, and to transmit a pulse signal to a second relay of the plurality of relays. The pulse signal is configured to have a sufficient electrical magnitude and duration to close the second relay when the second relay has an electrical weld, and to have an insufficient electrical magnitude and duration to close the first contact and the second contact of the second relay when the second relay has no electrical weld. The controller is also configured to measure a current flow through the second relay in response to the pulse signal; and based on the current flow through the second relay, determine whether the electrical weld exists in the second relay.

Detecting welded relay contacts using electrical pulse

A system includes a relay system and a controller. The relay system includes a plurality of relays. The controller is configured to transmit a close signal to a first relay and a second relay of the plurality of relays. The close signal is configured to close the first contact and the second contact of each of the first relay and the second relay. The controller is also configured to measure a first close time between the transmission of the close signal to the first relay and a time when the first relay closes, and to measure a second close time between the transmission of the close signal to the second relay and a time when the second relay closes. The controller is further configured to determine whether an electrical weld exists in the first relay or the second relay, based on the first and second close times.

Detecting welded relay contacts using contact close time measurement

Systems and methods are provide for detecting weld relay devices within a switching device by: closing one or more first relay devices, wherein the one or more first relay devices are configured to selectively connect and disconnect a first phase of electric power from a power source; opening one or more second relay devices and one or more third switches; detecting whether there is electric current through the one or more second relay devices; and in response to detecting that there is electric current through the one or more second relay devices, determining that the one or more second relay devices are welded.

Systems and methods for detecting welded contacts in a switch system

A method may include receiving, via at least one processor, a first set of data indicative of a fault being present and send a first signal to a breaker based on the first set of data. The first signal may cause the breaker to open a plurality of poles of the breaker. The method may then involve receiving a second set of data indicative of the fault being cleared and sending a second signal to the breaker based on the second set of data. The second signal may cause the breaker to close a first pole of the plurality of poles at a first time and close a second pole of the plurality of poles at a second time different from the first time.

Coordinating a sequence of opening and closing operations of poles in a solid-state circuit breaker

A relay device may include an armature that moves between a first position that electrically couples the armature to a first contact and a second position that electrically couples the armature to a second contact. The relay device may also include a relay coil that receives a voltage to magnetize the relay coil, thereby causing the armature to move from the first position to the second position. The relay device also includes an additional coil that couples in series with the relay coil via a switch. The relay device also includes a drive circuit that causes the switch to couple the additional coil to the relay coil in response to receiving a signal indicative of the relay coil energizing.

Systems and methods for controlling contactor bounce

This disclosure describes a hybrid circuit breaker for an industrial automation system including a mechanical switch and solid-state switching circuit. The hybrid circuit breaker may receive control signals to open and close a current path based on moving a spanner of the mechanical switch. In some cases, moving the spanner of the mechanical switch may generate electrical arcs when the hybrid circuit breaker is conducting electrical current. In such cases, the hybrid circuit breaker may remove the electrical arcs based on operations of the solid-state switching circuit. The solid-state switching circuit may draw arc currents of the electrical arcs by providing a second current path between the spanner and a fixed conductor of the mechanical switch. Moreover, the solid-state switching circuit may open the second current path and absorb electrical power of the electrical arc by one or more solid-state switches, a parallel voltage suppressor, or both.

Hybrid circuit breaker with solid-state devices

A system may include a relay device. The relay device may include an armature that moves between a first position that electrically couples a first contact to a second contact and a second position that electrically uncouples the first contact from the second contact. The relay device may also include a relay coil that receives a voltage configured to magnetize a relay coil, thereby causing the armature to move from the first position to the second position. The system also includes a control system that receives an indication that the armature is in the second position and sends a signal to an actuator in response to receiving the indication. The signal causes an arm associated with the actuator to move the armature to achieve a gap distance between the first contact and the second contact.

Systems and methods for controlling a position of contacts in a relay device

A method includes receiving a first set of operational parameters that correspond to one or more semiconductor devices of a solid-state circuit breaker and sending a first command to the solid-state circuit breaker to turn off the one or more semiconductors in response to the first set of operational parameters exceeding a first set of thresholds. The method includes sending a second command to the solid-state circuit breaker to turn on the one or more semiconductors in response to the first set of operational parameters being equal to or less than the first set of thresholds. The method includes receiving a second set of operational parameters that correspond to one or more electrical properties associated with an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupled to a load device and generating a baseline profile representative of the first set of operational parameters and the second operational parameters.

Systems and methods for modifying solid-state breaker operations based on load profiles

This disclosure describes a hybrid circuit breaker for an industrial automation system. The hybrid circuit breaker may include a mechanical switch and solid-state switches. The hybrid circuit breaker may receive control signals to open and close a current path based on moving a spanner of the mechanical switch. In some cases, moving the spanner of the mechanical switch may generate electrical arcs when the hybrid circuit breaker is conducting electrical current. In such cases, the hybrid circuit breaker may remove the electrical arcs by drawing the electrical arcs to a conductive bar and away from the spanner. Moreover, the hybrid circuit breaker may dissipate the electrical arcs on the conductive bar by opening one or multiple solid-state switches disposed on the conductive bar. In some cases, one or multiple voltage suppressors may receive (e.g., suppress or ground) an electrical power of the electrical arcs when the solid-state switches are opened.

Hybrid circuit breaker with solid state devices

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium may include instructions executable by at least one processor in a computing device to cause the processor to perform operations that include transmitting, to a first power source, a command to provide power to a coil of a switching device with a fixed current profile. The operations also include receiving one or more voltage measurements associated with the coil during a period of time, determining whether the voltage measurements associated with the coil indicate that one or more movable contacts of the switching device are at least partially welded to one or more contacts of an electric circuit, and transmitting an additional command to a second power source to disconnect a current to the coil in response to determining that the voltage measurements indicate that the movable contacts of the switching device are at least partially welded to the contacts of the electric circuit.

Systems and methods for detecting welded contacts in an electromagnetic switch system

A method may include receiving a command to move one or more armatures of a switching device from a first position that electrically couples a first contact to a second contact to a second position that electrically uncouples the first contact from the second contact. The method may also include selecting a current zero-crossing point along an electric waveform indicative of a change in current through the first contact and the second contact as a synchronization point, determining a predicted current zero-crossing point by adding a period measurement associated with a previously detected current zero-crossing point or a previously detected line-to-line crossing point in the electric waveform to the synchronization point, and transmitting a command to the switching device to move the armatures from the first position to the second position before or at the predicted current zero-crossing point.

Predicting zero-crossings for point-on-wave (POW) switching techniques

A circuit breaker includes two or more poles electrically connected between a power supply and a contactor. Each of the two or more poles comprises a switch. The circuit breaker includes one or more voltage measuring devices configured to measure at least one phase-to-phase voltage level, and one or more current detecting devices configured to detect current going through each of the two or more poles. The circuit breaker further includes a control circuitry configured to: monitor the at least one phase-to-phase voltage level; in response to determining the at least one phase-to-phase voltage level is within a threshold range, close corresponding switches; in response to detecting current flowing through at least one of the two or more poles, maintain the corresponding switches in a closed position; and close all additional switches associated with the two or more poles after a period of time.

Industrial circuit breaker

A device includes an armature, a coil, and a circuit. The armature is configured to move between a close position that electrically couples the armature to a contact and an open position that is not electrically coupled to the contact. The coil is configured to release a voltage configured to de-magnetize the coil, thereby causing the armature to move from the close position to the open position. The circuit is configured to provide reverse driving current to the coil during a period of time when the armature moves from the close position to the open position.

Systems and methods for controlling contactor open time

A system may include a switching device. The switching device may include an armature that may move between a first position that electrically couples the armature to a first contact and a second position that electrically couples the armature to a second contact. The switching device may also include a coil that may receive a voltage that magnetizes a core, thereby causing the armature to move from the first position to the second position. The system may also include a control system that may monitor a voltage waveform associated with the coil during an open operation of the switching device.

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Oak Creek, WI, United States of America

Kyle Benjamin Adkins