Back to results
US 5,117,325 AGranted
Controllable recloser for power line
AssigneeCooper Industries, Inc.
InventorsMichael Dunk, Clyde Gilker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeCooper Industries, Inc.
InventorsMichael Dunk, Clyde Gilker
Estimating the term…
An electronically controlled recloser for an electrical power distribution system is powered by at least one current transformer coupled to give an output in response to power line current. A voltage is stored on a large and a small capacitor in response to the line current and is compared with a reference voltage for determining the level of line current. When abnormally high levels of current appear on the line, it is opened for a short period of time. The energy stored on the capacitors is supplied to power the recloser during low line current conditions. At an end of a given time period following the opening of said line, the recloser recloses the line. If the abnormal condition persists, the recloser again opens and closes the line. When there is a surge of line current, the large capacitor is effectively removed from the circuit so that a response will not be delayed while the large capacitor charges; therefore, the charge on the small capacitor provide a quick start for immediate response. The circuit includes a novel circuit for converting a level of line current into a frequency which may be used by a microprocessor for selecting a mode of operations.
A recloser for an electrical power line comprising at least one settable switch means coupled in said line to open or close said line, said switch means remaining in the opened or closed condition in which it was last set.
A recloser for an electrical power line comprising at least one settable switch means coupled in said line to open or close said line, said switch means remaining in the opened or closed condition in which it was last set;
A recloser for an electrical power line comprising at least one settable switch means coupled in said line to open or close said line, said switch means remaining in the opened or closed condition in which it was last set;
A recloser for an electrical power line comprising at least one settable switch means coupled in said line to open or close said line, said switch means remaining in the opened or closed condition in which it was last set;
A recloser for an electrical power line comprising at least one settable switch means coupled in said line to open or close said line, said switch means remaining in the opened or closed condition in which it was last set, means including a microprocessor for controlling the setting of said switch means to either an opened or a closed position, a multimodal power source for energizing said recloser under the control of said microprocessor and for causing it to operate in different modes depending upon a level or current then appearing on said line;
A recloser for an electrical power line comprising at least one settable switch means coupled in said line to open or close said line, said switch means remaining in the opened or closed condition in which it was last set, means including a microprocessor for controlling the setting of aid switch means to either an opened or a closed position, a multimodal power source for energizing said recloser under the control of said microprocessor and for causing it to operate in different modes depending upon a level of current then appearing on said line;
A recloser for an electrical power distribution system, said recloser comprising at least one current transformer coupled to give an output in response to power line current, rectifier means coupled to said current transformer for giving a D.C. image of said power line current, means coupled to said rectifier means for storing energy in response to said power line current, said means for storing energy comprising a large storage means and a small storage means, both of said storage means storing energy during periods of normal power line current, means for eliminating the storage of energy on said large storage means during periods of surging line current in order to provide a quick action responsive to energy storage on said small storage means, means for comparing a level of said stored energy with a reference voltage for detecting abnormal line current, means for opening said power line responsive to a detection of said abnormal current when said line current is too high, means responsive to said comparing means for selecting a mode for supplying said stored energy to power said recloser during the opening of said line, and means responsive to an end of a given time period following the opening of said line for reclosing said line.
A recloser for an electrical power distribution system, said recloser comprising at least one current transformer coupled to give an output sample in response to power line current, means for converting the level of said sampled power line current into a train of cyclically recurring pulses representing a presently existing current level, means for counting said pulses during a predetermined time period in order to store a memory of said presently existing current, rectifier means coupled to said current transformer for giving a D.C. image of said power line current, means coupled to said rectifier means for storing energy in response to said power line current, means for comparing a level of said stored energy with a reference voltage for detecting abnormal line current, means for opening said power line responsive to a detection of said abnormal current when said line current is too high, means responsive to said comparing means for selecting a mode for supplying said stored energy to power said recloser during the opening of said operation of said shut down means acts as a switching voltage regulator;
An electronically controlled recloser for use on a power distribution line, current transformer means associated with said power line for locally delivering energy responsive to current on said power line, circuit means responsive to current from said transformer for operating said recloser to open said line during momentary periods of abnormally high line conditions, means for storing said energy delivered by said current transformer for powering said circuit means during at least a portion of said open line periods;
An electronically controlled recloser for use on a power distribution line, current transformer means associated with said power line for locally delivering energy responsive to current on said power line, circuit means responsive to current from said transformer for operating said recloser to open said line during momentary periods of abnormally high line conditions, means for storing said energy delivered by said current transformer for powering said circuit means during at least a portion of said open line periods, wherein said circuit means may be turned off, and means responsive to an appearance of said line current for causing said turned off circuit means to wake up and turn itself on.
In an electronic circuit for controlling a power line recloser for use at a remote location where power may be interrupted for a period of time which is long enough for the electronic circuit to completely shut down, said circuit comprising means including a current transformer for delivering power responsive to current on said power line, means including a resistor for producing an IR drop responsive to current from said current transformer for starting said circuit, large and small capacitors, means for charging both of said capacitors responsive to normal and higher than normal power line currents, means for charging only said small capacitor during surges of power line current, means responsive to charges stored on said capacitors for powering said electronic circuit during intervals while said line is open, means comprising at least said small capacitor for storing a charge responsive to said current from said current transformer, means for isolating said small capacitor from other circuit components which might delay its charging, switch means responsive to a threshold level of said charge stored on said small capacitor for enabling said switch means, means responsive to a higher level of said charge on said small capacitor for quickly operating said switch means, means responsive to a detection of a level of said current from said current transformer for selecting one of several modes of circuit operations, said modes of operation comprising a normal mode of operation selected responsive to normal power line current, a minimum mode of operation selected responsive to lower than normal power line current, a quick response mode of operation selected responsive to said power line current surges, and an emergency shut down mode of operation selected responsive to higher than normal power line current.
In an electronic circuit for controlling a power line recloser for use at a remote location where power may be interrupted for a period of time which is long enough for the electronic circuit to completely shut down, said circuit comprising means including a current transformer for delivering power responsive to current on said power line, means including a resistor for producing an IR drop responsive to current from said current transformer for starting said circuit, means comprising at least a small capacitor for storing a charge responsive to current from said current transformer, means for isolating said small capacitor from other circuit components which might delay its charging, switch means responsive to a threshold level of said charge stored on said small capacitor for enabling said switch means, means responsive to a higher level of said charge on said small capacitor for quickly operating said switch means, said recloser being able to operate in any of a plurality of different modes, means for converting a level of said power line current into a train of cyclically recurring pulses representing a presently existing current level, means for counting said pulses during a predetermined time period in order to store a memory of said presently existing current level, and means responsive to said stored count for selecting one of said m odes of recloser operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.