Circuit breaker operating mechanism component monitoring system and associated method

A circuit breaker assembly comprising:

• a charging motor assembly including a rotating output shaft;
• a first charging cam;
• a closing, first spring;
• a first spring cam follower;
• a component monitoring system;
• said first charging cam fixed to said motor assembly rotating output shaft;
• said first spring cam follower coupled to said closing first spring;
• said first charging cam operatively engaging said first spring cam follower, whereby rotation of said first charging cam compresses said closing first spring;
• said component monitoring system including a record assembly, at least one sensor assembly and a comparison assembly;
• said record assembly including selected nominal data for a selected circuit breaker component;
• at least one sensor assembly structured to measure a number of actual component characteristics of said selected circuit breaker component and to transmit actual component characteristic output data;
• said at least one said sensor assembly coupled to at least one of said charging motor assembly, said first charging cam, said closing, first spring, or said first spring cam follower;
• said at least one said sensor assembly in electronic communication with said comparison assembly;
• said comparison assembly structured to compare said sensor assembly actual component characteristic output data to said selected nominal data and to provide an indication of whether said sensor assembly actual component characteristic output data is acceptable when compared to the selected nominal data;
• said record assembly includes data representing a selected nominal correlation coefficient of said selected circuit breaker component;
• said comparison assembly is structured to determine a correlation coefficient for said selected circuit breaker component by comparing a number of characteristics of the selected circuit breaker component;
• and
• said comparison assembly is structured to compare said correlation coefficient to said selected nominal correlation coefficient and to provide an indication of whether said comparison of said correlation coefficient to said selected nominal correlation coefficient is within a selected range or outside said selected range.

A method of monitoring circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism component characteristics with a component monitoring system, said circuit breaker assembly including a charging motor assembly, a first charging cam, a closing, first spring, and a first spring cam follower, said charging motor assembly including a rotating output shaft, said first charging cam fixed to said motor assembly rotating output shaft, said first spring cam follower coupled to said closing first spring, said first charging cam operatively engaging said first spring cam follower, whereby rotation of said first charging cam compresses said closing first spring, said component monitoring system including a record assembly, at least one sensor assembly and a comparison assembly, said record assembly including selected nominal data for a selected circuit breaker component, said at least one sensor assembly structured to measure a number of actual component characteristics of a selected circuit breaker component and to transmit actual component characteristic output data, said at least one said sensor assembly coupled to at least one of said charging motor assembly, said first charging cam, said closing, first spring or said first spring cam follower, said at least one said sensor assembly in electronic communication with said comparison assembly, said comparison assembly structured to compare said sensor assembly actual component characteristic output data to said selected nominal data and to provide an indication of whether said sensor assembly actual component characteristic output data is acceptable when compared to the selected nominal data and, wherein said charging motor assembly includes an AC conductor, an AC/DC converter, and a DC motor, said AC conductor coupled to, an in electrical communication with, an AC line as well as said AC/DC converter, said AC/DC converter coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said DC motor, wherein current passes through said AC conductor and said AC/DC converter during the actuation of said DC motor, said method comprising:

• selecting a circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism component to monitor;
• measuring a circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism actual component characteristic of said selected circuit breaker component;
• comparing said circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism actual component characteristic of said selected circuit breaker component to selected nominal data of said selected circuit breaker component;
• providing an indication of whether said circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism actual component characteristic is acceptable when compared to the selected nominal data;
• if said circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism actual component characteristic of said selected circuit breaker component is not acceptable when compared to the selected nominal data, then replacing a selected circuit breaker component;
• and
• wherein measuring a circuit breaker assembly operating mechanism actual component characteristic of said selected circuit breaker component includes measuring at least one of the time period of the actuation of said DC motor, the charging motor assembly output energy, or the motor output shaft torque.