Wireless system for one or more electrical switching apparatus

• US 20060119344A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Benke, James J., Luebke, Charles J., Engel, Joseph C., Lagree, James L., Solveson, Mark G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,417,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/126
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2215/00 Details concerning sensor power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0015 Means for testing or for inspecting contacts, e.g. wear indicator measuring circuits G01R31/3274
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2011/0068 measuring the temperature of the switch or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2071/006 Provisions for user interfaces for electrical protection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0061 concerning transmission of signals transmission of measured quantities or switching orders; sectionalised protection involving signal transmission between at least two stations H02H7/261; comparison of the voltage or current values at two spaced portions of a single system H02H3/28; transferring the output of a sensing member to another variable G01D5/00; electrical measuring arrangements using modulation of electromagnetic waves, e.g. light beams G01R15/24, G01R15/26
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/063 primary power being supplied by fault current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/04 responsive to abnormal temperature specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/22 for distribution gear, e.g. bus-bar systems; for switching devices detecting mechanical or electrical defects in gas-insulated switchgears H02B13/065
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

A system displays information from and controls electrical switching apparatus, such as circuit breakers. The system includes a plurality of circuit breakers having separable contacts and a plurality of conditions, such as bus temperature and contact wear. A plurality of sensors are structured to sense the conditions of the circuit breakers and to communicate the sensed conditions over corresponding wireless signals. A display and control unit is operatively associated with the circuit breakers and is structured to receive the corresponding wireless signals and display information corresponding to the sensed conditions or to control the circuit breakers based upon one or more of the sensed conditions.

Claims

1. A system for displaying information from or for controlling electrical switching apparatus, said system comprising:

at least one electrical switching apparatus comprising separable contacts and a plurality of conditions;

a plurality of sensors structured to sense at least some of the conditions of said at least one electrical switching apparatus and communicate said sensed at least some of the conditions over corresponding wireless signals; and

a unit operatively associated with said at least one electrical switching apparatus, said unit structured to receive said corresponding wireless signals and display information corresponding to at least one of said sensed at least some of the conditions or to control said at least one electrical switching apparatus based upon at least one of said sensed at least some of the conditions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus is a circuit breaker.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus comprises a plurality of circuit interrupters of a switchgear assembly or a motor control center.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said sensors is structured to sense a temperature of said at least one electrical switching apparatus as one of said sensed at least some of the conditions.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus is a circuit breaker including a bus bar and a circuit breaker-bus bar connection;

and wherein the temperature of said circuit breaker corresponds to said circuit breaker-bus bar connection.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said bus bar includes a bolted bus bar connection;

and wherein the temperature of said circuit breaker corresponds to said bolted bus bar connection.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said sensors is structured to sense contact wear of the separable contacts of said at least one electrical switching apparatus as one of said sensed at least some of the conditions.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said unit is external to said at least one electrical switching apparatus and includes a display;

and wherein said displayed information is output on said display.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus is one electrical switching apparatus;

and wherein said unit is internal to said one electrical switching apparatus and includes a communication link structured to communicate said displayed information to a remote location.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said communication link includes a modem and a telephone line.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said communication link includes an Ethernet transceiver and an Ethernet cable.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensors are a plurality of slave devices;

wherein said unit forms a master device; and

wherein each of said slave devices communicates directly with said master device.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensors and said unit form a plurality of mesh type devices;

wherein at least one of said sensors communicates directly with another one of said sensors; and

wherein at least one of said sensors communicates directly with said master device.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus includes current flowing therethrough;

and wherein one of said sensors includes a power supply that is energized by said current.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus includes a bus bar and current flowing through said bus bar;

and wherein one of said sensors includes a power supply that is energized by said current.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensors include a first sensor and a second sensor;

wherein said sensed at least one of the conditions includes a first sensed condition and a second sensed condition;

wherein said first sensor is structured to sense a temperature of said at least one electrical switching apparatus as said first sensed condition; and

wherein said second sensor is structured to sense contact wear of the separable contacts of said at least one electrical switching apparatus as said second sensed condition.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus is a circuit breaker further comprising a trip unit;

wherein said sensors include a contact wear sensor structured to sense contact wear of the separable contacts of said circuit breaker as one of said conditions; and

wherein said unit of said system is part of the trip unit of said circuit breaker.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus is a circuit breaker further comprising a trip unit;

wherein said sensors are structured to sense the conditions of said circuit breaker; and

wherein said unit of said system is part of the trip unit of said circuit breaker.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said trip unit is structured to receive a trip signal from at least one of said sensors.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical switching apparatus comprises at least one circuit breaker;

wherein said sensors are structured to sense the conditions of said at least one circuit breaker; and

wherein said unit is separated from said at least one circuit breaker.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said displayed information includes at least one of metering, monitoring, alarming and annunciating information.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensed at least some of the conditions includes protection information.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireless signals are radio frequency signals.