Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

Square D Company

Timothy B Phillips

Barry Noel Rodgers

Mark Kocher

Michael Baron Carter

George E Burke, Jr

Gregory R Lawrence

Matthew R Harris

Kevin M Jefferies

Benjamin W Edwards

Roy Stephen Colby

Scott Robert Brown

Stanley H Edwards, Jr

Rodney B Washington

Roger Alan Plemmons

George M Horne

Dennis J Dube

Robert J Dwulet

Antoine D Stentz

An apparatus provides a single split-bus electrical panel with back-feed circuit breakers arranged and sized so that, for example, a single 225 A rated split-bus electrical panel with a 200 A main breaker may be used to connect a far higher photovoltaic power source than conventional configurations. The circuit breakers are connected to a Microgrid Interconnection Device for isolation of critical loads during a utility power outage. A first panel section of the split-bus panel is connected to a utility and supplies power to non-critical loads. A second panel section is connected to a renewable power source with battery back-up to supply power to the critical loads and is connected through a relay to the utility, in parallel with the first panel section, to supply both utility power and renewable power when there is no outage. The relay is configured to isolate the second panel when there is a utility outage.

Split-bus electrical panel in parallel configuration to maximize PV/battery inverter back-feed power

An apparatus provides a single split-bus electrical panel with back-feed circuit breakers arranged to allow connection of a Microgrid Interconnection Device (MID) for isolation of a critical loads section from a standards loads section during back-up operation due to a utility power outage. A first panel section of the split-bus electrical panel supplies power to non-critical standards loads in a residence. A second panel section of the split-bus electrical panel supplies power to critical loads in the residence, which must continue to be powered during a utility power outage.

Split bus electrical panel for microgrid applications

A virtual branch circuit system for an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) can include a current sensor disposed in operative communication with circuit wires of a plurality of circuits of a virtual branch. The current sensor can be disposed between a plurality of circuit breakers and a plurality of respective loads. At least one of the plurality of loads is not an EVSE. The current sensor can be configured to sense a virtual branch total current comprising total current of all non-EVSE loads on the virtual branch. The system can include a control module operatively connected to the EVSE and configured to control a maximum EVSE current based on the virtual branch total current to maintain the virtual branch total current at or under a maximum branch current threshold.

Energy management for EVSE

An apparatus provides a single split-bus electrical panel with a first panel section that supplies power to non-critical loads and a second panel section to supply photoelectric power to critical loads. A patch panel associated with the split-bus electrical panel is configured to enable an installer to selectively connect factory installed connections to either: (1) connect each panel section directly to utility power for full utility power to both panel sections; (2) alternately to connect the second panel section to the utility power via a microgrid interconnection device when the second panel section is presently at least partially powered by back-up photovoltaic power, or (3) alternately connect both panel sections to full back-up photovoltaic power.

Patch panel for programming a split bus electrical panel for partial or full backup with PV and battery systems

A distributed energy resources compartment for an electrical panel is pre-wired for installation of a photovoltaic system for a residence. The compartment is mounted on a back plate in the interior of an electrical cabinet. A pre-wired connection within the compartment is configured to connect to a solar circuit breaker within the electrical cabinet, connected as a back-feed circuit breaker to an electrical panel. An opening on a backside of the compartment adjacent to the back plate of the electrical cabinet, is configured to receive connections within the compartment from a solar inverter, through the back plate of the electrical cabinet when the solar inverter is mounted to the back plate of the electrical cabinet.

Electrical panel with distributed energy resources compartment and pre-wiring for solar inverter connection

An apparatus provides a single split-bus electrical panel with back-feed circuit breakers arranged and sized so that, for example, a single 225A rated split-bus electrical panel with a 200A main breaker may be used to connect a far higher photovoltaic power source than conventional configurations. The circuit breakers are connected to a Microgrid Interconnection Device for isolation of critical loads during a utility power outage. A first panel section of the split-bus panel is connected to a utility and supplies power to non-critical loads. A second panel section is connected to a renewable power source with battery back-up to supply power to the critical loads and is connected through a relay to the utility, in parallel with the first panel section, to supply both utility power and renewable power when there is no outage. The relay is configured to isolate the second panel when there is a utility outage.

An apparatus provides homeowner selectable full or partial back-up power of a residential photovoltaic system to power critical loads during a utility power outage. A single split-bus electrical panel with a first panel section supplies utility power to non-critical loads and a second panel section supplies photovoltaic power to critical loads. A mechanical interlock in contact with interlocked circuit breakers of the first panel, prevents them from both being simultaneously on. A patch panel associated with the split-bus electrical panel enables an installer to selectively connect factory installed connections to either: connect the second panel section to utility power via a microgrid interconnection device when the second panel section is at least partially powered by back-up photovoltaic power, or connect the first panel section through one of the interlocked circuit breakers to utility power via the microgrid interconnection device to provide both panel sections with full back-up photovoltaic power.

Split-bus electrical panel with homeowner selectable partial or full back-up from PV/battery systems

The present invention provides a method for accurately determining the power usage on an unbalanced two phase electrical circuit having both two phase and single phase loads using a single current transformer (CT). The method includes a learning algorithm stored in a memory of a monitoring device, the algorithm configured to be implemented by a processor. The learning algorithm determines whether the CT is monitoring the conductor that supplies the single phase load and alerting the installer if it is not monitoring the conductor supplying the single phase load. Upon determining that the CT is monitoring the conductor that supplies the single phase load the learning algorithm will learn the characteristics of at least the single phase load and store the learned characteristic in a memory associated of the monitoring device. The monitoring device also includes a run algorithm that accurately determines the power usage of the two phase circuit by monitoring and recording the current drawn by loads on the monitored conductor and calculating, from the monitored current and the learned characteristics of the single phase load, the power consumed by the unbalanced two phase circuit.

Method for accurately determining power usage in a two phase circuit having both two phase and single phase loads

In an electrical distribution system having an arc management system for removal of arcing voltage from feeder circuits triggered at least in part by light signals, a secondary optical detector monitors a downstream branch circuit breaker in the feeder circuit compartment to produce an optical signal for arc detection more accurately reflecting the possibility of an arcing fault.

Arc detection with resistance to nuisance activation through light subtraction

A method and apparatus for composing a desirable trip curve, such as an I*t trip curve, for an electrical protective device from at least one less desirable trip curve, such as an I*t trip curve. The method is accomplished by defining a selected parameter of the desirable overload trip curve and defining the selected parameter as a function of one or more monitored input values, such as current, trip class or phase unbalance, and modulating the selected defined parameter value between a maximum boundary trip curve and a minimum boundary trip curve. The modulated parameter is used to adjust the less desirable trip curve such that it has the characteristics of the desired trip curve. The method is implemented by one or more electrical circuits (filter circuits) representing the less desirable trip curve(s) and composing an output signal representing the desirable trip curve by modulating between the one or more electrical circuits.

Composition of a desired trip curve

An economical digital voltage sag compensator for overcoming sags in distributed electrical power. The voltage sag compensator employs an inexpensive micro-controller, a full wave bridge rectifier, a DC power supply, a voltage divider and an output switch. The micro-controller continuously monitors and evaluates, with respect to a setpoint measured in volt-seconds, the rectified DC voltage. At regularly spaced trigger events, as determined by the micro-controller, the micro-controller concurrently monitors the rectified DC voltage, evaluates the monitored voltage with respect to the setpoint, produces an output signal and sends that output signal to the output switch. The output switch supplies an electrical device, connected electrically in series with the full wave bridge rectifier and the output switch, with a constant average current of sufficient level to maintain the electrical device in a desired operating condition. The constant average current is obtained by applying constant volt-seconds to the electrical device. The circuit also provides overvoltage protection to the electrical device.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Timothy B Phillips