Systems and Methods for Controlling a Generator
AssigneeASCO Power Technologies, L.P.
InventorsSteven E. Evans, Victor E. Bonachea, Mario Ibrahim, Donald K. Blackman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an example, a control system for controlling a generator and providing an alarm upon detection of a fault condition. The control system includes a control relay, which includes a normally-open (NO) contact pair and a normally-closed (NC) contact pair, between the transfer switch and a controller. The NO contact pair is provided by a NO contact and a common contact, and the NC contact pair is provided by a NC contact and the common contact. The controller can receive signals indicative of a state of the contact pairs of the control relay and, based on the signals, determine whether to activate the generator and/or activate an alarm system.
Claims7
A system for controlling a generator, comprising:
- a control relay comprising a common contact, a normally-open (NO) contact, and a normally-closed (NC) contact, wherein the common contact is configured to receive power from an electrical power source, wherein the NO contact is in a NO-closed state when coupled to the common contact and an NO-open state when decoupled from the common contact, wherein the NC contact is in a NC-closed state when coupled to the common contact and an NC-open state when decoupled from the common contact, wherein the control relay is configured such that:
- (i) when the control relay is energized by a transfer switch, the NO contact is in the NO-closed state and the NC contact is in the NC-open state, and
- (ii) when the control relay is de-energized, the NC contact is in the NC-closed state and the NO contact is in the NO-open state;
- a controller comprising a first input coupled to the NO contact of the control relay, a second input coupled to the NC contact of the control relay, a first output configured to communicate with a generator, and a second output configured to communicate with an alarm system, wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive, at the first input, a first signal indicating whether the NO contact is in the NO-open state or the NO-closed state,
- receive, at the second input, a second signal indicating whether the NC contact is in the NC-open state or the NC-closed state,
- determine, based on the first signal and the second signal, whether to activate the alarm system, and
- determine, based on the first signal and the second signal, whether to activate the generator.
A method for controlling a generator, comprising:
- determining a voltage a node of a voltage divider circuit;
- performing a comparison the determined voltage to a first threshold value and a second threshold value;
- determining, based on the comparison, that the determined voltage is less than the first threshold value and greater than the second threshold value, wherein the first threshold value is indicative of a valid operational state in which the generator is to remain deactivated, wherein the second threshold value is indicative of a valid operational state in which the generator is to be activated;
- and
- responsive to determining that the determined voltage is less than the first threshold value and greater than the second threshold value, activating an alarm system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.