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:
Sep. 21, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 08, 2001
Rodney Allen Lawson, Fincastle, VA (US);
William Robert Pearson, Salem, VA (US);
Harold Copeland Sanderson, Tribes Hill, NY (US);
Mohammed Kassem Saleh, Casa Grande, AZ (US);
Gautam Sinha, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Ivan Elmo Freeman, Jr., Roanoke, VA (US);
Bruce Allen Gerritsen, Salem, VA (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
The field ground fault detector of the present invention detects a ground fault that occurs in the field circuit and in any associated circuits galvanically connected to the field. The field ground fault detector discerns the ground resistance so that it can be monitored to detect gradual degradation of the ground resistance. The detector estimates the resistance of the ground fault and the location of the ground fault. The detector is able to estimate the location of the ground fault during system operation and during periods of non-operation. The invention utilizes a low frequency square wave oscillator to permit measurement of the ground fault resistance when field voltage is not applied, to insure that there are no blind spots when the field is energized, and to provide a method for estimating the ground fault resistance. The field ground detector can differentiate between ground faults that occur on the AC side form those on the DC side of the Thyristor Bridge.