Methods, systems, and apparatus for detecting arc flash events using light and time discriminatoin
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGeorge William Roscoe, Robert Joseph Caggiano, Daniel Edward Delfino, Thomas Frederick Papallo, JR.
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Abstract
A power equipment protection system includes a circuit breaker, a current sensor configured to measure a current through a circuit, a light sensor configured to detect a light event, and a controller communicatively coupled to the current sensor and to the light sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the light event originated from operation of the circuit breaker.
Claims20
A method of operating a circuit breaker, said method comprising:
- detecting a light event using a light sensor;
- and
- determining whether the light event originated from operation of the circuit breaker.
A power equipment protection system comprising:
- a circuit breaker;
- a current sensor configured to measure a current through a circuit;
- a light sensor configured to detect a light event;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to said current sensor and to said light sensor, said controller configured to determine whether the light event originated from operation of said circuit breaker.
A controller for use with a power equipment protection system, said controller comprising:
- a processor configured to:
- receive a signal representative of a measured current level from a current sensor;
- receive a signal representative of a detection of a light event from a light sensor;
- and
- determine whether the light event originated from operation of a circuit breaker.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.