Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Wayne H Oldenburg

Donald G Kilroy

Vijay K Maddali

Eric Alan Henderson

David J Mrowiec

Cecil W Sims

William J Peterson

Nicholas Lemberg

Nicholas Allen Lemberg

A DC power distribution system and method includes a solid state remote power controller that connects a switching power source to a DC bus when the DC bus is switching power sources thereby providing a nearly uninterrupted power supply to the DC bus.

Minimal interruption DC power supply

A DC arc fault device and methodology includes acquiring a signal in response to a DC current. A software module identifies a parallel DC arc event when a difference between a maximum signal value and a minimum signal value exceeds a threshold. The software module also determines average signal values over multiple selected time periods and identifies a series DC arc event in response to the difference between the average values exceeding a predetermined threshold.

DC arc fault detection and protection

An electrical fault locating system for distributing power from an input to a plurality of output channels provides fault detection and locating for each of the plurality of output channels. Each of the plurality of output channels is monitored by a fault detection circuit to detect the presence of an electrical fault. In response to a detected fault condition, the fault detection circuit isolates the output channel from the input and generates an output identifying the output channel on which the fault was detected. A fault locating device injects a high-frequency (HF) signal onto the input of the electrical system, the HF signal is distributed to each of the plurality of output channels, and the monitored reflection of the HF signal is monitored by the fault locating device to calculate a distance to the detected fault. The distance calculated by the fault locating device is combined with the channel identification provided by the fault detection circuit to generate a specific location associated with the detected fault.

Wire fault locating in distributed power systems

An AC arc fault device and methodology includes acquiring a signal in response to an AC current and defining overcurrent regions that correspond to the alternating directions of the AC current and a normal region. A software module identifies a parallel AC arc event over a selected time period in response to multiple occurrences of the acquired signal moving into one of the overcurrent regions. The software module also determines average current values over multiple selected time periods and identifies a series AC arc event in response to the difference between the average values exceeding a pre-determined threshold.

AC arc fault detection and protection

A method of detecting and indicating a presence of alternating current (AC) series arc fault events in current supplied by an AC electrical power source to an electrical load for the power source comprises the steps of: measuring positive and negative current through the load over a first sample cycle of the AC power to establish first measured positive and first measured negative current levels; determining the absolute value of the first measured positive and first measured negative current levels to establish a first absolute positive current level and a first absolute negative current level; adding the first absolute positive current level and the first absolute negative current level to establish a first sum current level; measuring positive and negative current through the load over a second sample cycle staggered from the first sample cycle to establish second measured positive and second measured negative current levels; determining the absolute value of the second measured positive and second measured negative current levels to establish a second absolute positive current level and a second absolute negative current level; adding the second absolute positive current level and the second absolute negative current level to establish a second sum current level; subtracting the second sum current level from the first sum current level to establish a current difference level; and indicating a series arc fault event if the current difference level exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

Alternating current series arc fault detection method

A method of protecting an electromechanical power transfer system from excessive peak electrical potentials, the power transfer system comprising a prime mover, a dynamoelectric machine coupled to the prime mover for generating multiphase alternating current (AC) power, and at least one multiphase AC electrical load coupled to the dynamoelectric machine by way of a multiphase AC power bus, the dynamoelectric machine having a control coil responsive to control current for varying power supplied to the electrical load, comprises the steps of: analysing electrical potentials on the power bus to generate analysed power bus characteristics; comparing the analysed power bus characteristics to predetermined power bus characteristics; simultaneously shunting power across the power bus and reducing control current to the control coil for the dynamoelectric machine when the analysed power bus characteristics approximate the predetermined power bus characteristics to reduce the measured electrical potentials; and simultaneously terminating the shunt of power across the power bus and restoring the level of control current to the control coil for the dynamoelectric machine after a selected delay period to automatically restore power to the electrical load.

Protection of variable frequency power systems from excessive peak electrical potentials

The present invention is a generator control system where each generator in the system has an associated controller. Each controller communicates generator data or information with the other controllers in the generator control system. Each of the controllers includes a digital signal processor for analyzing the generator signal from the associated generator and information from the other controllers in the generator control system. The controllers each compare their generator signal with a system average and adjust the associated generator until the generators all supply equal amounts of power to the system.

Growing community of inventors

Roscoe, IL, United States of America

Wayne H Oldenburg