General Electric Company

Sriram Changali

John Kenneth Hooker

Scott Jeffrey Hall

Konstantin Vladimir Grigoryan

Marcelo Esteban Valdes

Brent Charles Kumfer

Radoslaw Narel

Remesh Kumar Keeramthode

Pradeep Kumar Anand

Anupam Vinodkumar Sawhney

A switching system includes a plurality of diodes forming a diode bridge, and a micro-mechanical system (MEMS) switch array closely coupled to the plurality of diodes. The MEMS switch array is electrically connected in an (M&#xd7;N) array. The (M&#xd7;N) array includes a first MEMS switch leg electrically connected in parallel with a second MEMS switch leg. The first MEMS switch leg includes a first plurality of MEMS dies electrically connected in series, and the second MEMS switch leg includes a second plurality of MEMS dies electrically connected in series.

Power switching system including a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) array

An improved method to detect and locate electrical faults is provided. A method of operating a circuit breaker in an electrical circuit configured with at least one of a first main circuit breaker at a first layer of circuit protection having a first direction of current flow, and at least one second circuit breaker downstream of said at least one first main circuit breaker having a second direction of current flow, and at least one third circuit breaker downstream of said at least one second circuit breaker having a third direction of current flow, wherein one of said at least one first, second, or third circuit breakers is in short time pick-up, is provided, and comprises steps to determine the location of the fault and adjust the trip time delay of the circuit breakers according to predetermined criteria.

Directional zone select interlock method

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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Kerala, India

Sriram Changali