Power controller

A power supply of an electrical load requiring minimal interruption of power comprising:

• (a) a first power source having at least two phases, each first power source phase having
• (i) an associated first power source phase switching means disposed between the first power source phase and the electrical load, each first power source phase switching means having a first conductivity permitting current to flow between the associated first power source switching means and the electrical load and second conductivity blocking current flow between the first power source phase and the electrical load in response to a phase trip signal, and
• (ii) a first power source phase controller controlling the conductivity of the associated first power source phase, and generating the phase trip signal in response to detection of a voltage fault in the first power source phase;
• (b) a second power source having an identical number of phases as the first power source, each phase having
• (i) an associated second power source switching means disposed between the second power source phase and the electrical load, each second power source switching means having a first conductivity permitting current to flow between the second power source phase and the electrical load and a second conductivity blocking current flow between the second power source phase and the electrical load, each second power source phase not being connected to the electrical load during operation of the first power source when a fault condition producing the phase trip signal is not present in the first power source, and
• (ii) a second power source controller for controlling the conductivity of the associated second power source phase and monitoring the voltage of the associated phase of the second power source and producing a zero voltage signal upon each zero voltage occurrence;
• and
• (c) a master controller, responsive to each of the phase controllers of the first and second power sources and the generation of the phase trip signal by at least one of the phases of the first power source, causing each of the first power source phases of the first power source to be disconnected immediately in response to the detection of the phase trip signal by causing the switching means of the phases to be switched to the second conductivity and for connecting each of the second power source phases to the electrical load upon detection of zero voltage in each of the second power source phases by changing the conductivity of the associated second power source switching means from the second conductivity to the first conductivity.

A power supply of an electrical load comprising:

• (a) a first power source having at least two phases, each power source phase having
• (i) an associated first power source phase switching means disposed between the first power source phase and the electrical load, each first power source phase switching means having a first conductivity permitting current flow between the associated first power source phase and the electrical load in response to either the absence of a fault condition in the first power source phase or in response to a second power source trip signal and a second conductivity blocking current flow between the first power source phase and the electrical load in response to a first power source phase trip signal, and
• (ii) a first power source phase controller controlling the conductivity of the associated first power source switch, detecting the presence of a fault condition, and generating the first power source phase trip signal in response to detection of a fault condition in the first power source phase.
• (b) a second power source having an identical number of phases as the first power source, each second power source phase having
• (i) an associated second power source switching means disposed between the second power source phase and the electrical load, each second power source switching means having a first conductivity permitting current to flow between the second power source phase and the electrical load and a second conductivity blocking current flow between the second power source phase and the electrical load, each second power source phase not being connected to the electrical load during operation of the first power source when the first power source trip signal has not been generated by at least one of the phases of the first power source, and
• (ii) a second power source phase controller controlling the conductivity of the associated power source phase and detecting a fault condition in an associated phase of the second power source and generating a fault signal in response to the detection of the fault condition;
• (c) a master controller, responsive to each of the phase controllers of the first and second power sources and the generation of a first power source trip signal by at least one of the phases of the first power source and the absence of the second power source trip signal to cause the phases of the first power source to be disconnected from the electrical load by changing the conductivity of the associated first power source switching means to the second conductivity and to cause the phases of the second power source to be connected to the electrical load upon the detection of zero voltage in each of the second power source phases by changing the conductivity of the associated second power source switching means to the first conductivity and generating the second power trip signal in response to a fault signal generated by at least one of the phase controllers of the second power source.