# US 11,112,815 B1 · Fault isolation and restoration scheme

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- Number: US 11,112,815 B1
- Document ID: US11112815B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/833,955
- Filed: 2020-03-30
- Published: 2021-09-30
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-30
- Assignees: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
- Applicants: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
- Inventors: Austin Edward Wade; Dennis Haes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112815B1

## CPC

- G05F 1/66: Regulating electric power
- H02J 3/001: Arrangements for handling faults or abnormalities, e.g. emergencies or contingencies
- G06F 11/1441: {Resetting or repowering}
- H02H 3/066: {Reconnection being a consequence of eliminating the fault which caused disconnection}
- H02H 3/265: {responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents}
- H02H 7/262: {involving transmissions of switching or blocking orders}
- H02H 7/28: for meshed systems
- H02J 3/0073: by providing alternative feeding paths when the main path fails
- Y04S 10/52: Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H)
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

Systems and methods to isolate faults and restore power are described herein. For example, an intelligent electronic device (IED) may receive a blocking signal indicating a fault is detected on a power line. The IED may obtain one or more current measurements of the power line. The IED may determine that a fault is not present on the power line at the IED based on the one or more current measurements. The IED may trip a first current interruption device of the IED The IED may send a close permissive signal to another IED indicating that the other IED is permitted to permitted to close an open current interruption device of the other IED to restore power to one or more loads.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A first intelligent electronic device (IED), comprising:
a first communication port associated with a first current sensor and a first current interruption device;
a second communication port associated with a second current sensor and a second current interruption device;
a memory; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions on the memory to cause operations comprising:
receiving, via the first communication port, a blocking signal indicating a fault is detected on a power line;
obtaining one or more current measurements of the power line;
determining that a fault is not detected on the power line at the first IED based on the one or more current measurements;
tripping the first current interruption device of the first IED; and
sending, via the second communication port, a close permissive signal to a second IED indicating that the second IED is permitted to close a third current interruption device of the second IED in an open state to restore power to one or more loads.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The first IED of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions on the memory to cause operations comprising:
waiting to confirm that the first current interruption device in fact tripped; and
upon confirming that the first current interruption device in fact tripped, sending the close permissive signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The first IED of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions on the memory to cause operations comprising sending a feedback signal, via the first communication port, indicating that the current interruption device has tripped.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The first IED of claim 1, comprising a first circuit breaker as the current interruption device and a second circuit breaker as the second current interruption device.

### Claim 5

A system, comprising:
a first current interruption device configured to control current flow on a power line; and
a first intelligent electronic device (IED), comprising:
a memory; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions on the memory to cause operations comprising:
receive, via a first input connected to a second IED, a first close permissive signal indicating that the first IED is permitted to close the current interruption device;
determine that the first current interruption device is open and that a healthy voltage is present on the power line at the first IED; and
close the first current interruption device to restore power to one or more loads of the second IED;
wherein the process stored in the memory of the first IED is identical to the process stored in memory of the second IED to allow for easier connection or disconnection of IEDs, loads, or both from the power system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, comprising a second current interruption device, wherein the first current interruption device is associated with a first communication port of the IED and a first current sensor, and wherein the second current interruption device is associated with a second communication port of the first IED and a second current sensor of the IED, wherein the first IED monitors one or more loads between the first and second current sensors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the second current interruption device is a normally closed circuit breaker.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, comprising the second IED, wherein the second IED comprises a third communication port associated with a third current interruption device and a fourth communication port associated with a fourth current interruption device, wherein the second IED is configured to:
receive, via the third communication port, a second close permissive signal indicating that a third IED has isolated a fault from the power system;
determine that the third current interruption device and the fourth current interruption device are closed and that a healthy voltage is not present; and
send, via the fourth communication port, the first close permissive signal to the first IED.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, comprising the third IED, wherein the third IED is configured to:
detect a fault event;
open a fifth current interruption device to isolate the fault from the power system; and send the second close permissive signal to the second IED.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first current interruption device is a normally open circuit breaker.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the normally open circuit breaker is between a first power source on a first side and a second power source on a second side.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first IED comprises a voltage transformer configured to monitor voltage of the power line to determine whether the healthy voltage is present.

### Claim 13

A system, comprising:
a first current interruption device configured to control current flow on a power line;
a second current interruption device configured to control current flow on the power line; and
a first intelligent electronic device (IED), comprising:
a first current sensor;
a first communication port associated with the first current sensor and the first current interruption device;
a second current sensor;
a second communication port associated with the second current sensor and the second current interruption device, wherein the first IED monitors one or more loads between the first and second current sensors;
a memory; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions on the memory to cause operations comprising:
receive, via a first input connected to a second IED, a first close permissive signal indicating that the first IED is permitted to close the current interruption device;
determine that the first current interruption device is open and that a healthy voltage is present on the power line at the first IED; and
close the first current interruption device to restore power to one or more loads of the second IED;
the second IED, comprising:
a third communication port associated with a third current interruption device;
a fourth communication port associated with a fourth current interruption device, wherein the second IED is configured to:
receive, via the third communication port, a second close permissive signal indicating that a third IED has isolated a fault from the power system;
receive, via the third communication port, a second close permissive signal indicating that a third IED has isolated a fault from the power system;
determine that the third current interruption device and the fourth current interruption device are closed and that a healthy voltage is not present; and
send, via the fourth communication port, the first close permissive signal to the first IED.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first current interruption device is a normally open circuit breaker.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the normally open circuit breaker is between a first power source on a first side and a second power source on a second side.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, comprising the third IED, wherein the third IED is configured to:
detect a fault event;
open a fifth current interruption device to isolate the fault from the power system; and send the second close permissive signal to the second IED.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first IED comprises a voltage transformer configured to monitor voltage of the power line to determine whether the healthy voltage is present.