Protective switch device for electrical distribution systems

Abstract

A protective device includes a circuit breaker with an operating means connected to a fault current sensing control circuit. A small line current and/or a small fault current sensing current transformer means is conductively connected through individual rectifiers and series sensing resistors as a current source to charge a common power supply capacitor. A voltage limiting means across the capacitor maintains the current source. A high impedance signal processing amplifier includes a sensing transistor connected to the sensing resistor which establishes a minimum trip level and driving coupling transistors connected to the capacitor and including voltage sensitive means to positively inhibit full amplifier turn-on before the power supply capacitor is charged to an operating voltage level. In a fault condition, the amplifier rapidly charges a hold-on capacitor which slowly discharges to activate a timing control transistor of a time delay circuit, the output of which triggers a rapid, stabilized switch to operate the circuit breaker. The timing circuit may be driven from the power supply capacitor or a separate timing source capacitor which rapidly charges to the peak value of the sensing resistor and slowly discharges to establish a relatively constant and high average current such that timing is not sensitive to current transformer saturation. Where both line and ground fault sensors are connected to the common amplifier, they share the same timing means and have the same delay curves with a significant reduction in circuit cost and complexity. A clamping network may be connected to the sensing resistor to also minimize transformer core saturation and establish a maximum timing current and allow heavy fault currents of short duration.