The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1999
Zhiqian Bo, Bath, GB;
Alstom UK Limited, , GB;
Abstract
A method of protecting a section of a line is disclosed. The method comprises providing a local fault protection assembly at one end of the section distal from at least one remote fault protection assembly at the other side of the section, each assembly comprising a circuit breaker, a line signal measurement assembly adapted to produce an output signal indicative of the voltage or current on the line, and a signal processing assembly adapted to process the output signal to produce a fault signal in the event that the output signal indicates the presence of a fault in the line, the method comprising the steps of monitoring the output signal from the signal measurement apparatus at the local circuit breaker to detect the presence of a fault within a first zone extending over at least a part of the section from the local breaker or outside of this first zone, and in the event that the output signal is indicative of a fault within the first zone substantially instantly opening the local circuit breaker, and in the event that the fault is outside the first zone detecting the operation of the remote circuit breaker by monitoring the output signal from the local signal measurement apparatus, monitoring the output signal to determine the condition of the section of line after the remote circuit breaker has been operated, and operating the local circuit breaker in the event that the fault condition meets a predetermined criteria.