Method and circuit for detecting an arc fault
AssigneeGE Aviation Systems LLC
InventorsJohn Oliver Collins, Russell Mark Compton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and circuit for determining and extinguishing electrical faults includes a power supply, and electrical load, a controller module, and electrical sensors, and when the controller module does not extinguish the electrical fault, another switch blows a fuse.
Claims17
A method of detecting a fault in a circuit, the method comprising:
- sensing a power characteristic at a switch output of a switch;
- receiving, at a controller module, the sensed power characteristic;
- determining, in the controller module, a presence of a fault in the circuit;
- generating a first control signal to open the switch;
- determining, in the controller module, whether the fault in the circuit is still occurring;
- and
- if the fault is still occurring, generating a second control signal to close an active pull down switch;
- wherein determining the presence of a fault in the circuit includes determining the presence of a fault in a power cable having a conductive shielding;
- and
- wherein the sensing the power characteristic at the switch output includes sensing a voltage of the conductive shielding or sensing a current at the switch output.
A method of detecting a fault in a circuit, the circuit comprising a power switch operable to supply power from a power source to an electrical load, and a power cable electrically coupled between the power switch and the electrical load, the power cable having a conductive shielding, the method comprising:
- comparing, in a comparator module, a sensed voltage of the conductive shielding or a sensed current at an output of the power switch with a threshold value representative of an occurrence of a fault in the power cable having the conductive shielding;
- determining, by the comparator module, a fault is present based on the comparing;
- generating a first control signal to open the power switch to disable supplying power upstream of the fault;
- and
- upon a failure to open the power switch to disable supplying power upstream of the fault, generating a second control signal to close an active pull down switch to redirect supplying power to an electrical ground.
A circuit, comprising:
- a power switch operable to supply power from a power source to an electrical load;
- a power cable electrically coupled between the power switch and the electrical load, the power cable having a conductive shielding;
- a sensor configured to sense an electrical characteristic of the circuit, the electrical characteristic of the circuit being a voltage of the conductive shielding or a current at the power switch output;
- a controller module communicatively connected with the power switch and the sensor, and configured to control a supplying of power from the source to the electrical load, to receive the sensed electrical characteristic of the circuit, and to controllably cease the supplying of power from the power source to the electrical load, by the power switch, in response to determining the received sensed electrical characteristic is indicative of a presence of a fault;
- and
- a comparator module communicatively connected with the sensor and configured to receive the sensed electrical characteristic of the circuit, and upon failure of the controller module to controllably cease the supplying of power from the source to the electrical load by the power switch, operably control an active pull down switch to redirect the supplying power from the power source to an electrical ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.