US 11,600,989 B2 · Smart capacitor

Abstract

Methods and systems include identifying an abnormal condition in a PFC circuit comprising an input configured to be coupled to a 3-phase power source and to receive input 3-phase power from the 3-phase power source, a bus having a plurality of bus lines, each bus line configured to be coupled to the input and to carry one phase of the input 3-phase power, a PFC leg including a contactor configured to selectively couple a capacitor bank included in the PFC leg to the bus. In response to identifying the abnormal condition, the contactor is controlled to decouple the capacitor bank from the bus, and after a reset button has been activated, the contactor is recoupled to the capacitor bank to resume operating the PFC leg to provide power factor correction to the input 3-phase power.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A capacitor system comprising:

a housing including:
at least one capacitor configured to be coupled to a first bus line and a second bus line, the at least one capacitor configured to receive a first phase of power from the first bus line and receive a second phase of power from the second bus line, the second phase of power being different than the first phase of power;
at least one sensor configured to be coupled to the first bus line and configured to measure at least one electrical parameter of the at least one capacitor;
and
a monitoring device configured to monitor the at least one electrical parameter, identify one or more conditions of the at least one capacitor based on the at least one electrical parameter and operate a contactor to decouple the at least one capacitor from the first bus line and the second bus line in response to identifying the one or more conditions.

2 more elements

A method of operating a capacitor system including a housing, the housing including at least one capacitor, at least one sensor, and a monitoring device, the method comprising:

coupling the at least one capacitor to a first bus line and a second bus line;
coupling the at least one sensor to the first bus line;
coupling the at least one capacitor to the at least one sensor;
providing a first phase of power to the first bus line;
providing a second phase of power to the second bus line, the second phase of power being different than the first phase of power;
measuring, with the at least one sensor, at least one electrical parameter of the at least one capacitor;
monitoring, with the monitoring device, the at least one electrical parameter;
identifying one or more conditions of the at least one capacitor based on the at least one electrical parameter;
and
operating a contactor to decouple the at least one capacitor from the first bus line and the second bus line in response to identifying the one or more conditions.

7 more elements

A Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuit comprising:

a controller;
an input configured to be coupled to a 3-phase power source and to receive input 3-phase power from the 3-phase power source;
at least one bus line configured to carry the input 3-phase power;
a PFC leg including a contactor and a capacitor system, the contactor coupled to the controller and configured to selectively couple the capacitor system to the at least one bus line, and the capacitor system including:
a housing including:
at least one capacitor configured to be coupled to the at least one bus line;
at least one sensor configured to measure at least one electrical parameter of the at least one capacitor;
and
a monitoring device configured to monitor the at least one electrical parameter, identify one or more conditions of the at least one capacitor based on the at least one electrical parameter, and operate the contactor to decouple the at least one capacitor from the at least one bus line in response to identifying the one or more conditions.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Smart capacitor

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Smart capacitor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20