Network protector for secondary distribution network that includes distributed energy resources
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsHossein Ghassempour Aghamolki, Swaroop Gajare, Amal Thomas, Amit Govind Kolge
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Abstract
A network protector includes a resettable switching apparatus configured to electrically connect to a low-voltage feeder of a secondary distribution network; a switch control configured to control a state of the resettable switching apparatus to thereby determine whether electrical current flows through the switching apparatus; and a controller configured to: determine whether a fault condition exists; and if a fault condition does not exist, allow electrical power to flow through the resettable switching apparatus in any direction.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a network protector comprising:
- a resettable switching apparatus configured to control an electrical connection between a distribution transformer and a first electrical feeder of a secondary electrical distribution network, the secondary electrical distribution network electrically connected to one or more distributed energy resources (DERs);
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine, after a test signal is provided to the secondary electrical distribution network, whether the secondary electrical distribution network has a radial structure or a mesh structure;
- if the secondary electrical distribution network has the radial structure, control the resettable switching apparatus to open and disconnect the distribution transformer from the first electrical feeder of the secondary electrical distribution network;
- and
- if the secondary electrical distribution network has the mesh structure, control the resettable switching apparatus such that the distribution transformer and the first electrical feeder are connected to thereby allow one or more of the DERs to provide electrical power to the secondary electrical distribution network.
A network protector comprising:
- a resettable switching apparatus configured to electrically connect to a low-voltage feeder of a secondary electrical distribution network;
- a switch control configured to control a state of the resettable switching apparatus to thereby determine whether electrical current flows through the resettable switching apparatus;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine whether a fault condition exists;
- and
- if the fault condition does not exist, allow electrical power to flow through the resettable switching apparatus in any direction, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the fault condition exists by determining a structure of the low-voltage feeder;
- and the controller is configured to cause a test generation device to generate a test signal and to determine the structure of the low-voltage feeder based on a response to the test signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.