Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Eaton Corporation

Zhi Gao

James Leo Lagree

Xin Zhou

Daniel Alan Hosko

Brian Zachary Zaremski

Alan Kenji Hayashi

Paul Richard Rakus

Theodore James Miller

Brian E Carlson

Ronald Dale Hartzel

Randy P Shvach

Robert William Mueller

Brian Z Zaremski

Alan K Hayashi

Timothy F Thompson

A circuit breaker apparatus may include a housing, a circuit inside the housing for protecting the conductors and the load of the circuit, a display attached to outside of the housing, a controller, and a power control device. The display may be an electronically-alterable display that does not require power in situations other than changing its state. The power control device may provide power to the controller and the display when the apparatus is being tampered with. When the controller is powered, it may cause the power control device to cause the display to change from a state that indicates that the apparatus is authenticated to another state that indicates that the apparatus has been tampered with. The power control device may include a battery and a switch, or a power harvester, which can be configured to provide power to the controller when the apparatus is being tampered with.

Method and apparatus for authenticating and detecting circuit breaker integrity

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a first trip unit that is configured to be coupled to a power distribution system arranged in a Zone Selective Interlocking (ZSI) arrangement. The first trip unit includes an Input/Output circuit including a ZSI input terminal and a ZSI output terminal, a heartbeat signaling module configured to transmit a second signal to a second trip unit in a lower-level zone than the first trip unit, responsive to the normal condition, a first monitoring module configured to monitor a first signal received by the first trip from a third trip unit in a higher-level zone, responsive to the normal condition, and a second monitoring module configured to detect the fault condition. Related systems, devices, and methods are also described.

Devices, systems and methods to monitor and report wiring status for zone selective interlocking cables

A method involves a circuit interrupter installation having a circuit interrupter with a plurality of poles and an ETU electrically connected with a neutral current sensor situated in proximity to a neutral conductor. The method includes determining that a plurality of fundamental frequency phase current vectors, when summed, are substantially equal to a fundamental frequency neutral current vector, and/or that a plurality of triplen odd-numbered harmonic phase current vectors, when summed, are substantially equal to a triplen odd-numbered harmonic neutral current vector. Responsive to the determining, the method includes outputting a notification which represents a possibility that a neutral current detection apparatus is mis-wired, and/or employing with the ETU a reverse vector that is an opposite of the fundamental frequency neutral current vector in the ongoing monitoring for an event that would trigger the movement of the circuit interrupter from the ON condition to the OFF or TRIPPED condition.

Circuit interrupter installation and associated method

A current sensing circuit for use with a Rogowski coil arranged around a conductor having a primary current includes input terminals structured to receive an output voltage of the Rogowski coil, an analog to digital converter structured to convert a differential voltage to a digital differential voltage signal, a digital integrator structured to receive the digital differential voltage signal, to implement a discrete-time transfer function that is a transform of a transfer function of an analog integrator, and to output a digital integrator output signal, and a direct current blocker filter structured to remove a direct current bias from the digital integrator output signal and to output a digital current output signal that is proportional to the primary current in the conductor.

Current sensing circuit and current sensing assembly including the same

A circuit interrupter includes an electronic trip unit structured to receive power from a power supply. The electronic trip unit includes a start-up process and is structured to proceed through the start-up process when the electronic trip unit begins receiving power from the power supply and a timing circuit including a capacitor structured to begin charging when the electronic trip unit begins receiving power from the power supply. The electronic trip unit includes a processor that is structured to read a voltage across the capacitor when the start-up process has completed and to determine an elapsed time of the start-up process based on the read voltage across the capacitor.

Circuit interrupter including electronic trip unit and method of determining elapsed time of start-up process

An electronic trip unit for a circuit interrupter includes a line side voltage sensing module for measuring first voltages on a line side of separable contacts, a load side voltage sensing module for measuring second voltages on a load side of the separable contacts, a current sensor, and a main controller. The main controller is further structured and configured to: (i) for each of a plurality of arc interruption events in the circuit interrupter, determine a mass loss due to contact erosion during the arc interruption event based on one or more of the first voltages, the second voltages and the current measured by the current sensor, (ii) determine a total mass loss based on each determined mass loss due to contact erosion, and (iii) monitor a remaining life of the separable contacts based on the determined total mass loss due to contact erosion.

System and method for monitoring contact life of a circuit interrupter

A circuit breaker assembly including a housing assembly and a tamper detection system. The housing assembly defines a sealed enclosure. The sealed enclosure includes a division interface. The sealed enclosure is structured to be in one of a closed, first configuration, wherein the sealed enclosure defines a generally enclosed space, and an open, second configuration, wherein the sealed enclosure allows access to the enclosed space, and wherein, as the sealed enclosure moves between the first configuration to the second configuration, the sealed enclosure is reconfigured at the division interface. The tamper detection system includes a protective assembly and an indicator assembly. The protective assembly is structured to be coupled to the sealed enclosure at the division interface. The indicator assembly includes a rupturable construct. The rupturable construct is structured to transform from an intact, first configuration to a ruptured, second configuration.

Circuit breakers with tamper-evident security seals

A system for a three-phase electric power system includes a plurality of voltage sensors sensing three-phase voltages of the three-phase electric power system; a plurality of current sensors sensing three-phase currents of the three-phase electric power system; and a number of analog-to-digital converters converting the sensed three-phase voltages and the sensed three-phase currents of the three-phase electric power system to corresponding digital values. A processor calculates from the corresponding digital values at least two phase angles between voltage and current for at least two of three phases of the three-phase electric power system, diagnoses polarities and phase associations for at least two of the current sensors based on, for each of the at least two current sensors, a predetermined wiring configuration of the three-phase electric power system and a corresponding one of the at least two phase angles being within a corresponding predetermined angular range, and outputs corresponding diagnosis results.

Method and apparatus to diagnose current sensor polarities and phase associations for a three-phase electric power system

A method and apparatus for detecting the wiring configuration of an electric power system based upon a particular voltage ratio that is determined for the electric power system. Also a method and apparatus for diagnosing voltage swap conditions in an electric power system. Finally, a method and apparatus for identifying virtual meters in an electric power system.

Method and apparatus to commission voltage sensors and branch circuit current sensors for branch circuit monitoring systems

A system and method for a branch current monitoring system employing a 2-Phase Wye, a Single-Phase 3-Wire or a Single-Phase 2-Wire wiring configuration that is configured to identify a phase association and a polarity for a branch circuit current sensor using the phase angle between voltage and current. Also, a system and method for verifying phase association and polarity determinations for branch circuit current sensors that utilizes real and reactive power measurements.

Growing community of inventors

Warrendale, PA, United States of America

Zhi Gao