Tyco Electronics UK Ltd

Te Connectivity Ireland Limited

Raychem International (irish Branch)

Philip Foxley

Melvyn McGann

Brendan Normoyle

Leslie Allen

Conor McLoughlin

Aidan Quinn

Jean-Christophe Bouche

Leslie Allan

Melvyn Mc Gann

Jason Johnson

A Low Voltage, 'LV', network automation system is provided which enables utilities to remotely identify location of LV faults on their networks, isolate these faults and re-energizing the healthy LV circuit by remote control. The hardware for this system is designed to be retrofitted into existing LV switchgears and panels which enables the network changeover to be done cost effectively and with minimum interruption to the network. The system also enables utilities to monitor load flows on the LV networks and identify circuits which are overloaded and gives control room operator options for redistribution of network load where possible.

Remote control and operation of LV distribution networks

A switching arrangement is disclosed comprising: a control circuit; a latching relay controlled by the control circuit for connecting an AC source to an AC load; and a relief circuit in parallel with the relay and controlled by the control circuit. The relief circuit has two modes of operation: an inactive mode in which the relief circuit is non-conductive and an active mode in which the relief circuit is at least partially conductive. The relief circuit is partially conductive when spending both a time period in a conductive state and a time period in a non-conductive state during a half-cycle of the AC. The control circuit is configured to switch the relief circuit from inactive mode to active mode, and upon switching to active mode, to set the relief circuit as partially conductive for at least two half-cycles, wherein the proportion of time the relief circuit is conductive compared to non-conductive is increased for successive ones of the at least two half-cycles.

Switching arrangement

Growing community of inventors

Conwy, United Kingdom

Philip Foxley