US 12,170,439 B2Granted

Hybrid arc flash mitigation system

AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited

InventorsXin Zhou, Brian E. Carlson, Brooke E. Lang, Robert P. Griffin

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Abstract

A system including an arc flash sensor that detects an arc flash event and an arc flash mitigation device in communication with the sensor. The mitigation device includes a path of least resistance having a path input and a path output. The arc flash sensor is located downstream the output. The mitigation device includes an electro-mechanical switch between the input and the output and an actuator. The mitigation device also includes a bypass power switch device that includes a solid-state circuit interrupter and that conduct current between the input and the output in response to an open-circuit condition of the switch. A system controller is provided to generate a trigger to activate the actuator to generate the open-circuit condition of the switch, which causes the power switch device to interrupt a fault current associated with a fault event in response to detection of the arc flash event.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

an arc flash sensor configured to detect an arc flash event;
and
an arc flash mitigation device in communication with the arc flash sensor, the arc flash mitigation device comprising:
a path of least resistance having a path input and a path output, the path output being configured to serve as an input to a load, wherein the arc flash sensor is located downstream of the path output;
an actuator;
an electro-mechanical switch between the path input and the path output;
a bypass power switch device that comprises a solid-state circuit interrupter and that is configured to conduct current between the path input and the path output in response to an open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switch;
and
a system controller configured to generate a trigger signal to activate the actuator to generate the open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switch, which causes the bypass power switch device to interrupt a fault current associated with a fault event, in response to detection of the arc flash event by the arc flash sensor.

6 more elements

A method comprising:

protecting, by an arc flash mitigation device, at least one electrical circuit downstream or upstream the arc flash mitigation device, the arc flash mitigation device including:
an actuator,
an electro-mechanical switch in a path of least resistance between a path input and a path output of the arc flash mitigation device, the path output being configured to serve as an input to a load, and
a bypass power switch device that includes a solid-state circuit interrupter configured to conduct current between the path input and the path output when the electro-mechanical switch is open;
detecting, by an arc flash sensor located downstream of the path output, an arc flash event downstream of the path output, wherein the arc flash sensor is in communication with the arc flash mitigation device;
triggering, by the arc flash mitigation device, the actuator to open the electro-mechanical switch in the path of least resistance in response to detection of the arc flash event by the arc flash sensor;
and
interrupting a fault current representative of the detected arc flash event by the bypass power switch device of the arc flash mitigation device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/197,901Filed 16 May 2023 · continuation
Priority: 14 Oct 2020
Published: US 2023/0068787 A17 Sep 2023
Granted: 17 Dec 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H02H 1/0023
Using arc detectors: sensing non electrical parameters, e.g. by optical, pneumatic, thermal or sonic sensors
H01H 9/38
Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts: auxiliary contacts on to which the arc is transferred from the main contacts
H01H 9/50
Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00: means for detecting the presence of an arc or discharge
H01H 9/542
Contacts shunted by semiconductor devices: contacts shunted by static switch means

Family

Application17/070,464Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Oct 2020
Application17/982,807Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Nov 2022
US 11,527,878 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Dec 2022
US 2023/0283060 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Sep 2023
US 11,715,945 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2022/0115859 A1Published application
US 2023/0068787 A1Published application
US 12,170,439 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.