Commonwealth Associates, Inc.

Sebastien Christophe Billaut

Gerald Robert Callison

Systems and methods for extending battery backup power to an electrical substation include or utilize a latching direct current contactor having a current input and a current output, and a controller configured to monitor all alternating current inputs to an electrical substation, and to trip the latching direct current contactor when all alternating current inputs and auxiliary power to the electrical substation are dead, whereby direct current does not flow through the latching direct current contactor when supplied loads in the substation, such as relaying and communications, are not needed, and to close the latching direct current contactor when at least one alternating current input or auxiliary power is live, whereby direct current flows through the latching direct current contactor when the direct current supplied loads are needed.

Method and apparatus for extending substation battery life

A fault isolating device for use in a microgrid disconnected from a main power grid includes a voltage meter for detecting a voltage anomaly indicative of an electrical fault, a timer for establishing a time window that begins and ends a predetermined time after a voltage anomaly is detected, a switch that is opened at the start of the time window, and a microcontroller that determines whether to leave the switch open to isolate a faulted portion of the microgrid or to close the switch. A plurality of fault isolating devices can be distributed throughout a microgrid to isolate a faulted branch or faulted branches of an islanded microgrid without interfering with normal fuse operation when the microgrid is connected to the main power grid.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Mary, FL, United States of America

Sebastien Christophe Billaut