Apparatus for protecting and controlling an electrical load

An automation system comprising at least one load protection and control apparatus and at least one electrical load connected to the output terminals of a load interface of said load protection and control apparatus, wherein the load protection and control apparatus comprises an overcurrent protection circuit having at least one input terminal wherein each input terminal is configured to establish an electrical connection with a busbar of the busbar system to receive power from a power supply network and having a power switch through which the connected electrical load receives an electrical load current and having a current rise speed sensor component connected in series with the power switch and adapted to generate directly a voltage drop corresponding to the current rise speed of the electrical load current flowing from the input terminal of the load protection and control apparatus via the current rise speed sensor component and the power switch to the output terminal and having a driver circuit which is adapted to detect an occurring overcurrent depending on the voltage drop generated by the current rise speed sensor component and depending on a voltage drop along the power switch and which is adapted to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent within a predefined switch-off period, wherein the driver circuit comprises a low voltage side connected to a the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus to receive control signals from the control unit and a high voltage side which comprises logical gates provided to combine a signal applied to an input at the high voltage side logically with control signals received at low voltage side of the driver circuit from the control unit, wherein the driver circuit is adapted to switch off the power switch if the generated voltage drop plus the voltage drop along the power switch applied as a sum voltage to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit exceeds a configurable threshold voltage to provide protection against overcurrent, wherein the switch-off operation is performed by the driver circuit without involving the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus, wherein the switch-off period to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent is predefined by a hardware circuitry connecting the current rise speed sensor component to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit and by internal propagation times of logical signals propagating via the logical gates of the high voltage side of the driver circuit.

A method for controlling a power supply to a protected electrical load comprising the steps of:

• receiving electrical power from a power supply network by at least one input terminal from a busbar of a busbar system;
• generating a voltage drop at a current rise speed sensor component corresponding to a current rise speed of an electrical load current flowing from the input terminal via the current rise speed sensor component and a power switch to an output terminal to which the electrical load is connected;
• switching the power switch automatically off by a driver circuit having a low voltage side connected to a control unit to receive control signals from the control unit and having a high voltage side which comprises logical gates provided to combine a signal applied to an input at the high voltage side logically with control signals received at the low voltage side of the driver circuit from the control unit, wherein the switching is performed within a switch-off period of less than one millisecond if the generated voltage drop (ALTO plus a voltage drop along the power switch applied as a sum voltage to the input at a high voltage side of the driver circuit exceeds a configurable threshold voltage to provide protection against an overcurrent,
• wherein the switch-off operation is performed by the driver circuit without involving the control unit,
• wherein the switch-off period of less than one millisecond is predefined by a hardware circuitry connecting the current rise speed sensor component to the input of the driver circuit and by internal propagation times of logical signals propagating via the logical gates of the high voltage side of the driver circuit;
• and
• controlling an electrical power supplied to the connected electrical load by the control unit on the basis of a measured load current profile and a measured supply voltage profile, wherein a supply voltage at the input terminal is measured by a voltage sensor component and notified to the control unit to provide the supply voltage profile.

A busbar system comprising busbars to which electrical loads are connected by means of load protection and control apparatuses, wherein the load protection and control apparatuses are provided for protecting and controlling the electrical loads connected to the load protection and control apparatuses, wherein the load protection and control apparatus comprises an overcurrent protection circuit having at least one input terminal wherein each input terminal is configured to establish an electrical connection with a busbar of the busbar system to receive power from a power supply network and having a power switch through which the connected electrical load receives an electrical load current and having a current rise speed sensor component connected in series with the power switch and adapted to generate directly a voltage drop corresponding to the current rise speed of the electrical load current flowing from the input terminal of the load protection and control apparatus via the current rise speed sensor component and the power switch to the output terminal and having a driver circuit which is adapted to detect an occurring overcurrent depending on the voltage drop generated by the current rise speed sensor component and depending on a voltage drop along the power switch and which is adapted to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent within a predefined switch-off period, wherein the driver circuit comprises a low voltage side connected to a the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus to receive control signals from the control unit and a high voltage side which comprises logical gates provided to combine a signal applied to an input at the high voltage side logically with control signals received at low voltage side of the driver circuit from the control unit, wherein the driver circuit is adapted to switch off the power switch if the generated voltage drop plus the voltage drop along the power switch applied as a sum voltage to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit exceeds a configurable threshold voltage to provide protection against overcurrent, wherein the switch-off operation is performed by the driver circuit without involving the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus, wherein the switch-off period to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent is predefined by a hardware circuitry connecting the current rise speed sensor component to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit and by internal propagation times of logical signals propagating via the logical gates of the high voltage side of the driver circuit.

A system comprising DIN rail profiles comprising DIN rail adapters which support load protection and control apparatuses, wherein the load protection and control apparatus comprises an overcurrent protection circuit having at least one input terminal wherein each input terminal is configured to establish an electrical connection with a busbar to receive power from a power supply network and having a power switch through which the connected electrical load receives an electrical load current and having a current rise speed sensor component connected in series with the power switch and adapted to generate directly a voltage drop corresponding to the current rise speed of the electrical load current flowing from the input terminal of the load protection and control apparatus via the current rise speed sensor component and the power switch to the output terminal and having a driver circuit which is adapted to detect an occurring overcurrent depending on the voltage drop generated by the current rise speed sensor component and depending on a voltage drop along the power switch and which is adapted to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent within a predefined switch-off period, wherein the driver circuit comprises a low voltage side connected to a the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus to receive control signals from the control unit and a high voltage side which comprises logical gates provided to combine a signal applied to an input at the high voltage side logically with control signals received at low voltage side of the driver circuit from the control unit, wherein the driver circuit is adapted to switch off the power switch if the generated voltage drop plus the voltage drop along the power switch applied as a sum voltage to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit exceeds a configurable threshold voltage to provide protection against overcurrent, wherein the switch-off operation is performed by the driver circuit without involving the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus, wherein the switch-off period to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent is predefined by a hardware circuitry connecting the current rise speed sensor component to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit and by internal propagation times of logical signals propagating via the logical gates of the high voltage side of the driver circuit.

A fuse housing comprising an integrated load protection and control apparatus, wherein the load protection and control apparatus comprises an overcurrent protection circuit having at least one input terminal wherein each input terminal is configured to establish an electrical connection with a busbar to receive power from a power supply network and having a power switch through which the connected electrical load receives an electrical load current and having a current rise speed sensor component connected in series with the power switch and adapted to generate directly a voltage drop corresponding to the current rise speed of the electrical load current flowing from the input terminal of the load protection and control apparatus via the current rise speed sensor component and the power switch to the output terminal and having a driver circuit which is adapted to detect an occurring overcurrent depending on the voltage drop generated by the current rise speed sensor component and depending on a voltage drop along the power switch and which is adapted to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent within a predefined switch-off period, wherein the driver circuit comprises a low voltage side connected to a the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus to receive control signals from the control unit and a high voltage side which comprises logical gates provided to combine a signal applied to an input at the high voltage side logically with control signals received at low voltage side of the driver circuit from the control unit, wherein the driver circuit is adapted to switch off the power switch if the generated voltage drop plus the voltage drop along the power switch applied as a sum voltage to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit exceeds a configurable threshold voltage to provide protection against overcurrent, wherein the switch-off operation is performed by the driver circuit without involving the control unit of the load protection and control apparatus, wherein the switch-off period to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent is predefined by a hardware circuitry connecting the current rise speed sensor component to the input at the high voltage side of the driver circuit and by internal propagation times of logical signals propagating via the logical gates of the high voltage side of the driver circuit.