Systems and methods for bypassing a voltage regulator

A voltage regulator bypass controller, comprising:

• a logic controller configured to couple to a bypass switch controller and a voltage regulator,
• wherein the bypass switch controller comprises a power supply, a control switch, and a safety relay,
• wherein the bypass switch controller is coupled to and controls a bypass switch, the bypass switch comprising a source disconnect contact, a load disconnect contact, and a bypass contact coupled to an actuator,
• wherein the bypass switch is coupled to the voltage regulator, and between a source and a load, the bypass switch comprising a first state and a second state,
• wherein in the first state, the bypass switch electrically couples the source to the voltage regulator through the source disconnect contact and the voltage regulator to the load through the load disconnect contact, establishing a conductive path between the source and load via the voltage regulator,
• wherein in the second state, the bypass switch electrically couples the source directly to the load through the bypass contact, bypassing the voltage regulator,
• wherein actuating the bypass switch puts the bypass switch into the second state, and
• wherein when the logic controller is coupled to the bypass switch controller, the logic controller prevents the bypass switch controller from actuating the bypass switch unless one or more bypass conditions are met, wherein one or more bypass conditions include a first condition wherein the logic controller has received a signal from a neutral position switch indicating a movable contact of the tap changer is in the neutral tap position.

A method of bypassing a voltage regulator, comprising:

• receiving at a logic controller a plurality of inputs from a voltage regulator;
• determining if one or more bypass conditions has been met based at least on the inputs from the voltage regulator, wherein the one or more bypass conditions includes a first bypass condition comprising receiving at the logic controller a signal from a neutral position switch indicating a movable contact of the tap changer is in the neutral tap position wherein the logic controller permits a bypass switch controller to actuate an actuator of a bypass switch, the actuator permitting the bypass switch to be in one of a first state and a second state, wherein
• if the bypass condition is met, the actuator decoupling a source from the voltage regulator at a source disconnect contact, the actuator decoupling a load from the voltage regulator at a load disconnect contact, the actuator coupling the source directly to the load through a bypass contact of the bypass switch, and putting the voltage regulator into a bypassed state such that the bypass switch is in the second state;
• and
• if the bypass condition is not met, the logic controller preventing the bypass switch controller from actuating the bypass switch, thereby maintaining a coupling of the source to the voltage regulator through the source disconnect contact and a coupling of the voltage regulator to the load through the load disconnect contact, and preventing the voltage regulator from being put into the bypassed state such that the bypass switch remains in the first state.