General Electric Company

Scott Jeffrey Hall

John Kenneth Hooker

Cecilia Maria Thomas

Sriram Changali

Konstantin Vladimir Grigoryan

Prerana Gajanan Kulkarni

Shawn Alan Morgan

Denis Alagic

Arun Kumar Singh

Gary Vincent Hanrahan

Power distribution systems and methods are described. In one example, a method of testing a power distribution zone select interlocking system including a first circuit protection device and a second circuit protection device coupled to the first circuit protection device downstream of the first circuit protection device is described. The method includes receiving, by the second circuit protection device, an input instructing the second circuit protection device to test communication between the first circuit protection device and the second circuit protection device, and outputting, by the second circuit protection device, a blocking signal in response to the input. The first circuit protection display an indication of reception of the blocking signal to confirm proper interconnection of the zone select interlocking signals.

Power distribution systems and methods of testing a power distribution system

Charging devices and methods for charging electrically powered vehicles are disclosed. One example charging device includes a processor configured to at least partially control a state voltage and a detection circuit coupled to the processor. The detection circuit includes an energy storage device and a discharge circuit coupled to the energy storage device. The energy storage device is configured to be charged by the state voltage. The discharge circuit is configured to discharge said energy storage device in response to a discharge command from said processor. The processor is configured to determine a charging state associated with the electrically powered vehicle based on a voltage across said energy storage device.

Charging devices and methods for charging electrically powered vehicles

A charging device for charging an energy storage device is described. The charging device includes a memory for storing a plurality of state machines and a processing device coupled to the memory. The processing device is configured to select a state machine of the plurality of state machines and to operate the charging device in accordance with the selected state machine.

Methods and systems for charging an energy storage device

A charging device for a power storage device includes a power conduit configured to deliver current to the power storage device and a detection system configured to be coupled to the power conduit. The detection system includes a current control device coupled to the power conduit and configured to control the current delivered to the power storage device. The detection system also includes a test conductor, a current sensor coupled to the test conductor, and a controller coupled to the current sensor by the test conductor. The current sensor is arranged to detect an amount of current within the test conductor and configured to generate a current measurement signal representative of the current detected. The controller is configured to generate a test signal, transmit the test signal through the test conductor, receive the current measurement signal, and determine a status of the detection system based on the current measurement signal.

Charging device, detection system, and method of testing a detection system

An apparatus to perform parallel arc fault current interruption (AFCI) is provided. The apparatus includes a current sensing device disposed in the electrical circuit, a detection unit configured to receive an output signal produced by the current sensing device and to output a secondary signal based on the output signal, a microcontroller coupled to the detection unit, configured to receive and to decompose the secondary signal via discrete wavelet transforms to thereby obtain discrete wavelet coefficients, to compute a sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients, and to compare the sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients to a predetermined threshold, and to generate a trip signal when the sensed load current is above a predetermined threshold and the sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients cooperatively indicate that predetermined threshold conditions are satisfied.

Parallel arc detection using discrete wavelet transforms

An apparatus for facilitating interruption of current in an electrical circuit is provided and includes a current sensing device in the electrical circuit to service an electrical load, the current sensing device being productive of an output signal representative of a load current passing therethrough, a detection unit, in signal communication with the current sensing device such that the output signal is received by the detection unit, the detection unit being configured and disposed to output a secondary signal based on the output signal, and a microcontroller to receive and to decompose the secondary signal into detailed and approximate coefficients, and to generate a trip signal for use in interrupting an operation of the electrical circuit when a current of the sensed load is above a predetermined threshold and the detailed and approximate coefficients cooperatively indicate that threshold conditions for trip signal generation are satisfied.

Arc detection using detailed and approximate coefficients from discrete wavelet transforms

An apparatus to perform series and parallel arc fault current interruption (AFCI). The apparatus includes a resistive element configured to sense a load from which a current signal is generated, a first detection unit configured to output a first signal based on the current signal, and a microcontroller configured to decompose at least the first signal via discrete wavelet transforms to thereby obtain discrete wavelet coefficients, and to generate a trip signal when the discrete wavelet coefficients indicate that a threshold condition for trip signal generation are satisfied.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

Scott Jeffrey Hall