Monitoring and responding to an abnormal condition associated with energizing of poles of a circuit breaker

A multi-pole circuit interrupter configured to be coupled between a source and a load, the multi-pole circuit interrupter comprising:

• a first switch to energize a first pole on a phase A conductor of the multi-pole circuit interrupter;
• a second switch to energize a second pole on a phase B conductor of the multi-pole circuit interrupter;
• a first line voltage detection circuit disposed on a load side of the first switch and the second switch, the first line voltage detection circuit is configured to detect a change in a voltage level of the phase A conductor;
• a second line voltage detection circuit disposed on a load side of the first switch and the second switch, the second line voltage detection circuit is configured to detect a change in a voltage level of the phase B conductor;
• and
• a trip circuit configured to control a current to trip an energized pole among the first pole and the second pole if only one of the first pole and the second pole is energized when a user controls a tie bar to turn on or turn off the multi-pole circuit interrupter or when a trip bar fails to trip one of the first pole and the second pole.

A method of handling an abnormal condition associated with energizing of poles of a circuit breaker, the method comprising:

• detecting a variation in a line voltage on a phase A conductor and a phase B conductor of a multi-pole circuit interrupter coupled between an AC source and an electric load;
• controlling a trip current to a solenoid disposed adjacent to a first switch configured to energize a first pole on the phase A conductor of the multi-pole circuit interrupter and a second switch configured to energize a second pole on the phase B conductor of the multi-pole circuit interrupter in response to the variation in the line voltage;
• and
• tripping an energized pole among the first pole and the second pole based on the trip current if only one of the first pole and the second pole is energized when a user controls a tie bar to turn on or turn off the multi-pole circuit interrupter or when a trip bar fails to trip one of the first pole and the second pole.