Fire-initiation-protected power distribution system

In a system conditionally operative to transmit electric power from a source to a remote load;

• the source including a circuit breaker having an activation input and being responsive on receipt of an activation signal to prevent the source from supplying electric power;
• the improvement comprising:
• first sensor associated with the source and operative to provide a first signal indicative of the amount of power supplied from the source;
• second sensor associated with the load and operative to provide a second signal indicative of the amount of power being received by the load;
• and
• an electronic circuit connected by way of a communication path with each of said sensors;
• the electronic circuit having an activation output connected with the activation input and being operable to provide said activation signal in response to a predetermined minimum difference in the amount of power supplied by source and that received by said load.

A system for transmitting power from a source to plural loads, comprising:

• a circuit breaker connected with the source and operative, in response to receiving an activation signal at an activation input, to halt the flow of power from the source;
• a source sensor associated with the source and operative to provide a first signal indicative of the amount of power being supplied from the source;
• a load sensor associated with each one of said plural loads and operative to provide a signal indicative of the amount of power being received by that one load;
• a circuit assembly having a activation output connected with the activation input;
• the circuit assembly being connected, via separate communication paths, with said source sensor as well as with each of said load sensors;
• the circuit assembly being operative to provide said activation signal in response to a difference in the amount of power being supplied by the source and the sum total of the power received by all the plural loads.

In a building intended for human occupancy, the building receiving electric power from an ordinary electric utility power line, the electric power being received at a source point located within the building, at least part of the electric power being transmitted by way of power conductors from the source point toward a load point located within the building, the improvement comprising:

• a source sensor associated with the source point and operative to provide a first signal indicative of the amount of real power being supplied from the source point;
• a load sensor associated with the load point and operative to provide a second signal indicative of the amount of real power being delivered to the load point;
• circuit assembly connected with the source sensor and the load sensor by way of a source signal path and a load signal path;
• the circuit assembly being operative to provide an activation signal output in response to the difference in the amount of real power being supplied from the source point and that being delivered to the load point;
• and
• circuit breaker connected with the source point as well as with the circuit assembly;
• the circuit breaker being operative to become activated by the activation signal output such as to halt the supply of real power from the source point in case the amount of real power being delivered to the load point is different from the amount of real power being supplied from the source point by more than a pre-determined amount.