Power distribution system and method, and circuit breaker for use therein

A power distribution system, including:

• a power supply;
• a communications controller, for user input and/or adjustment of predetermined load parameters;
• at least one load;
• a circuit breaker associated with each said load, to selectively connect said power supply to each load, each circuit breaker being of the type adapted to be installed in an electrical distribution board including:
• a casing, having a pair of terminals adapted to be connected in series with a load and having a resettable toggle switch;
• a sensor, including multiple Hall-Effect sensors to sense a current in said load, each of said Hall-Effect sensors having a different sensitivity;
• a ferromagnetic shield surrounding the multiple Hall-Effect sensors;
• and
• a microcontroller, connected to the communications controller, for user input and/or adjustment of predetermined maximum load current of said load, said microcontroller adapted to compare said sensed load current sensed by said sensor with said predetermined maximum load current, and operate said circuit breaker when said sensed load current exceeds said predetermined load current;
• wherein the multiple Hall-Effect sensors are magnetically coupled to an active conductor connected to one of the pair of terminals, and wherein the multiple Hall-Effect sensors include:
• a first Hall-Effect sensor provided with a field concentrator in the form of a ferromagnetic material around the active conductor to direct a magnetic field to the first Hall-Effect sensor;
• a second Hall-Effect sensor provided without a field concentrator;
• and
• a third Hall-Effect sensor provided without a field concentrator and arranged at a deflected angle relative to the active conductor.