Active detection of an arc fault
AssigneeSiemens Industry, Inc.
InventorGuang Yang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit breaker for active detection of an arc fault comprises a controller and an actuator. The controller monitors a load current of one or more devices connected to the circuit breaker. The controller detects an arc-like signal in the load current and decreases power temporarily to the connected device(s) for a temporary period of time in response to detecting the arc-like signal in the load current. The controller determines whether the arc-like signal is present in the load current while the power is decreased. The actuator inactivates the load current in response to the controller determining that the arc-like signal is not present in the load current while the power is decreased.
Claims20
A circuit breaker for active detection of an arc fault comprising:
- a controller of the circuit breaker monitoring a load current of at least one device connected to the circuit breaker, the controller detecting an arc-like signal in the load current and decreasing power temporarily to the at least one connected device for a temporary period of time in response to detecting the arc-like signal in the load current, the controller determining whether the arc-like signal is present in the load current while the power is decreased;
- and
- an actuator of the circuit breaker coupled to the controller, the actuator inactivating the load current in response to the controller determining that the arc-like signal is not present in the load current while the power is decreased.
A method of a circuit breaker for active detection of an arc fault, the method comprising:
- monitoring a load current of at least one device connected to the circuit breaker;
- detecting an arc-like signal in the load current;
- decreasing power temporarily to the at least one connected device for a temporary period of time in response to detecting the arc-like signal in the load current, decreasing the power temporarily to the at least one connected device includes determining whether the arc-like signal is present in the load current while the power is decreased;
- and
- inactivating the load current in response to determining that the arc-like signal is not present in the load current while the power is decreased.
A method for active detection of an arc fault, the method comprising:
- monitoring, at a circuit breaker, load current of at least one device connected to the circuit breaker;
- detecting an arc-like signal in the load current;
- decreasing power temporarily to the at least one connected device in response to detecting the arc-like signal in the load current;
- restoring the power to the at least one connected device after a temporary period of time after decreasing the power to the at least one connected device;
- capturing a temporary period signal in the load current subsequent to decreasing the power temporarily to the at least one connected device and prior to restoring the power to the at least one connected device;
- determining whether the arc-like signal is present in the temporary period signal;
- and
- inactivating the load current in response to determining that the arc-like signal is not present in the load current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.