Switching device system, components therefore and methods relating thereto

• US 20040099639A1
• Filed: 07/02/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Valdermarsson, Stefan, Bogsa, Sjoerd G, Kjaer, Philip C, Larsson, Per, Thureson, Per-Olof
• Granted Patent: US 7,501,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 218/118
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/266 having control circuits for motor operating switches, e.g. controlling the opening or closing speed of the contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 33/36 using dynamo-electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 33/423 making use of an electromagnetic wave communication
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/18 using switches, relays or circuit breakers, e.g. intelligent electronic devices [IED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

The invention concerns a switching device system including at least one switching device, signal means and control means. Each switching device includes at least one mobile contact part, an electric motor and, coupling means. The coupling means is arranged to transfer motion from the electric motor to the mobile contact part. The control means is arranged to control the switching device. According to the invention the control means is at least partly remotely located from the switching device. The signal means transmit signals from the switching device to the remotely located control means and vice/versa. The signals represent real-time data and/or off-line data The invention concerns also a switching device, control means and methods related to the invented system as well as computer program products for such system and electric power system being provided with such system.

Claims

1. Switching device system including at least one electric switching device, signal means and control means, the at least one switching device including at least one mobile contact part, an electric motor, coupling means, the coupling being arranged to transfer motion from the electric motor to the at least one mobile contact part, and the control means being arranged to control the switching device, characterized in that the control means at least partly is remotely located from the at least one switching device, the signal means being arranged to transmit signals from the at least one switching device to the remotely located control means and/or vice versa, said signals representing real-time data and/or off-line data.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means include motor control means and/or motion control means, the motor control means being arranged to obtain data relating to the operation of the electric motor and the motion control means being arranged to obtain data relating to the motion of the at least one mobile contact part and/or data relating to the status of an electric line to which the switching device is connected.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the signal means include electric wire, optical cable, transmitter/receiver for electromagnetic waves and/or internet connection.

4. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the remotely located control means include primary control means and secondary control means, the secondary control means being located at a larger distance from the at least one switching device than the primary control means, preferably the distance is a plurality of powers of ten larger.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the signal means include first signal means arranged to transmit signals between the primary control means and the at least one switching device, second signal means arranged to transmit signals between the secondary control means and the at least one switching device, third signal means being arranged to transmit signals between the primary control means and the secondary control means.

6. System according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a part of the remotely located control means is connected by the signal means to a plurality of switching devices in an electric network, said network being a regional, national or international network.

7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the remotely located control means include primary control means and secondary control means, said primary control means being connected by signal means to a plurality of switching devices within an electric plant or a group of electric plants and said secondary control means being said part.

8. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the remotely located control means includes data storage means arranged to store data received by the signal means.

9. System according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that the remotely located control means includes a central processor arranged to process received data and/or provide data for instruction signals.

10. System according to any of claims 1-9, characterized in that the control means includes local control means at the switching device, which local control means is arranged to be affected by signals received from the remotely located control means.

11. System according to claim 10 characterized in that the local control means includes a local processor arranged to receive data, process data and /or provide instructions to the switching device, said received data including data received by signals from the remotely located control means.

12. System according to claim 11 characterized in that the local processor includes a computer program product which product is arranged to receive up-dating program-affecting signals from the remotely located control means.

13. System according to any of claims 1-12 characterized in that the remotely located control means for one switching device includes other switching devices in the system, the switching devices being interconnected by signal means.

43. Computer program product, characterized in that the computer program product includes Instructions for the local processor in a system according to claim 11, for the processor in a device according to claim 19 or for a processor to perform the method according to claim 34.

44. Computer readable medium, characterized in that the medium includes instructions for the local processor in a system according to claim 11, for a processor in a device according to claim 19 or for a processor to perform the method according to claim 34.

47. Electric power network characterized in that the network includes a switching device system according to any of claims 1-13.

14. Switching device including at least one mobile contact part, an electric motor, coupling means, the coupling being arranged to transfer motion from the electric motor to the at least one mobile contact part, characterized in that the switching device include signal receiving means and/or signal emitting means arranged to respectively receive and/or emit signals from/to remotely located control means.

15. Switching device according to claim 14, characterized in that the switching device further includes local control means.

16. Switching device according to claim 15, characterized in that the local control means include motor control means and/or motion control means, the motor control means being arranged to obtain data relating to the operation of the electric motor and the motion control means being arranged to obtain data relating to the motion of the at least one mobile contact part and/or data relating to the status of an electric line, to which the switching device is connected.

17. Switching device according to any of claims 14-16, characterized in that the signal receiving means and the signal emitting means include electric wire connection, optic cable connection transmitter/receiver for electromagnetic waves and/or inter-net connection.

18. Switching device according to claim 15, characterized in that the local control means is arranged to be affected by signals received by the signal receiving means.

19. Switching device according to claim 18, characterized In that the local control means includes a processor arranged to receive data, process data and/or provide instructions to the switching device, said received data including data received by the signal receiving means.

20. Switching device according to claim 19, characterized in that the processor includes a computer program product which is arranged to receive up-dating program-affecting signals received by the signal receiving means.

48. Electric power network characterized in that the network includes at least one switching device according to any of claims 14-20.

21. Switching device control means, characterized in that the control means is arranged to be remotely located from a switching device and being provided with signal receiving means and/or signal emitting means arranged to respectively receive and/or emit signals from/to the switching device.

22. Control means according to claim 21, characterized in that the signal receiving means and the signal emitting means include electric wire connection, optic cable connection, transmitter receiver for electromagnetic waves and/or internet connection.

23. Control means according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that the control means is arranged to control a plurality of switching devices within an electric plant, a group of electric plants, or a regional, national or international network.

24. Control means according to claim 21, characterized in that the control-means includes data storage means arranged to store data received by the signal receiving means.

25. Control means according to any of claims 21-24, characterized in that the control means includes a processor arranged to process received data and/or provide data to the signal emitting means.

45. Computer program product, characterized in that the computer program product includes instructions for the central processor in a system according to claim 9, for the processor in the switching device control means according to claim 25, for a processor to perform the method according to claim 32 or for a processor to perform the method according to claim 42.

46. Computer readable medium, characterized in that the medium includes instructions for the central processor in a system according to claim 9, for the processor in the switching device control means according to claim 25, for a processor to perform the method according to claim 32 or for a processor to perform the method according to claim 42.

26. A method for controlling at least one switching device, the at least one switching device including at least one mobile contact part, an electric motor and coupling means, the coupling means being arranged to transfer motion from the electric motor to the at least one mobile contact, characterized in that controlling the at least one switching device includes that signals are received from and/or sent the switching device to/from a remotely located control means.

27. A method according to claim 26, characterized in that data relating to the operation of the electric motor, data relating to the status of an electric line to which the switching device is connected and/or data relating to the motion of the at least one mobile contact part are obtained.

28. A method according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that the signals are sent through electric wire, optical cable, electromagnetic waves and/or internet.

29. A method according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that signals are sent to/from a primary control means and to/from a secondary control means, the secondary control means being located at a larger distance from the at least one switching device than the primary control means, preferably a distance that is a plurality of powers of ten larger.

30. A method according to claim 26, characterized in that the method is applied to control a plurality of switching devices within an electric plant, a group of plants or a regional, national or international electric network.

31. A method according to claim 26, characterized in that data received by the remotely located control means from the at least one switching device are stored in the remotely located control means.

32. A method according to claim 31, characterized in that data received by the remotely located control means from the at least one switching device are processed in the remotely located control means and/or that data for providing instruction signals to the at least one switching device are processed in the remotely located control means.

33. A method according to claim 26, characterized in that signals are sent to local control means in the at least one switching device which signals affect the local control means.

34. A method according to claim 33, characterized in that the signals are sent to a local processor in the local control means, which local processor receives data, processes data and/or provides instructions to the switching device.

35. A method according to claim 34, characterized in the local processor receives instructions from a computer program product which computer program product receives up-dating program-affecting signals from the remotely located control means.

36. A method for providing a service to a user or proprietor of an electric power network including at least one switching device, which switching device includes at least one mobile contact part, an electric motor, coupling means, the coupling being arranged to transfer motion from the electric motor to the at least one mobile contact part and in which control means is arranged to control the switching device characterized in that the service includes controlling the at least one switching device by receiving and/or sending signals to the switching device from a control means remotely located from the at least one switching device.

37. A method according to claim 36, characterized in that the service is conditionally provided to the user/proprietor, that data identifying a switching device and data informing whether said switching device meets a predetermined condition is supplied to the remotely located control means and in that the remotely located control means controls said certain switching device in response to said supplied data.

38. A method according to claim 37, characterized in that controlling said switching device is performed on various service levels, the level depending on said supplied data.

39. A method according to claim 38, characterized in that said levels include a full service level and a zero service level.

40. A method according to any of the claims 37-39, characterized in that said data includes information about whether the user/proprietor has a service license or not.

41. A method according to claim 40, characterized in that service data related to the switching device are supplied to the remotely located control means, the service data including one of the following kinds of data or any combination thereof

duration of control and/or level of service from the remotely located control means

type and size of the switching device

amount of signals received and/or sent

amount of breaking operations

42. A method according to claim 41, characterized in that said service data are stored in a storage means accessable by a processor in the remotely located control means and processed by the processor to provide information to be used for invoicing the user/proprietor.