Remote power management and monitoring system with remote circuit breaker control

• US 20070103835A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carling Technologies, Inc. (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Carling Technologies, Inc. (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sorenson, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/581,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103835A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/114
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/00 Monitoring properties or operating parameters of vessels in operation
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• 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: H01H 3/28 using electromagnet for storing energy in a spring motor H01H3/30; for operating relays H01H45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/68 actuated by electromagnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5812 the cable clamping being achieved by mounting the separate part on the housing of the coupling device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• 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 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• 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: H02J 13/0005 the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

An embodiment may comprise a power management control and monitoring system and integrated remotely actuated circuit breaker actuator apparatus that provides a greatly simplified power management control and monitoring system.

Claims

1. A power management and monitoring system for a marine vessel comprising:

at least one or more centralized data and power buses for connecting and controlling electrical devices and power supplies on the marine vessel;

at least one or more display and controller for controlling and monitoring the electrical devices and the power supplies on the vessel via the centralized data and power buses; and

at least one or more remotely located and remotely actuated circuit breaker enclosure boxes, which are remotely located from the at least one display and controller, and which comprise at least one or more remotely actuated circuit breakers located therein, wherein the remotely actuated circuit breakers are actuated via the centralized data and power buses by the at least one display and controller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the remotely actuated circuit breakers comprises;

a switch handle;

a solenoid;

a moveable plunger actuated by the solenoid;

a mount for holding the solenoid;

wherein the mount is mountable to the enclosure box and to the exterior of the circuit breaker in order to position the plunger proximate to the switch handle in order to actuate the switch handle remotely via the solenoid.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more circuit breaker enclosure boxes comprise:

molded plastic stands to easily accept and mount various components such as the remotely actuated circuit breakers without requiring drilling into the circuit breaker enclosure box.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more circuit breaker enclosure boxes comprise:

strain relief clamps for inserting wires and buses connected to the strain relief clamps so that wires can be quickly connected without requiring use of a strain relief screw.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a clear plastic cover located on the at least one or more circuit breaker enclosure boxes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more circuit breaker enclosure boxes is resistant to environmental contaminant.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system provides remote monitoring and control of electronics from the group consisting of:

alarm functions, battery function, engine function, generator data, and lighting.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system provides remote monitoring and control of electronic instrumentation from the group consisting of:

depth sounders, GPS units, radar units, Internet interfaces and Internet data, chart plotting graphics, and electronic compasses.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system provides remote monitoring and control of electrical loads and means for programmable load shedding.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system provides remote monitoring and control of electrical loads and means for programmable low-voltage brown-out protection.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system operates according to NMEA 2000 specifications.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one data bus comprises a primary NMEA 2000 bus line and a secondary NMEA 2000 bus line, and the system is structured to automatically switch to the secondary bus line if the primary bus line fails.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is a touch screen display.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is a programmable input terminal structured to program the system and to update software running on the system.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more circuit breakers conform to MILC 55-629 standards for resistance to humidity, salt spray, and shock.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more circuit breaker enclosure boxes is formed of molded plastic.

15. A method for simplifying the construction and installation of power management and monitoring systems for a marine vessel or building on land comprising:

providing at least one or more centralized data and power buses for connecting and controlling electrical devices and power supplies on the marine vessel or building;

providing at least one or more display and controller for controlling and monitoring the electrical devices and the power supplies on the vessel or building via the centralized data and power buses; and

providing at least one or more remotely located and remotely actuated circuit breaker enclosure boxes, which are remotely located from the at least one display and controller, and which comprise at least one or more remotely actuated circuit breakers located therein wherein the remotely actuated circuit breakers are actuated via the centralized data and power buses by the at least one display and controller.

16. A computer program product for power management and monitoring electrical controlled systems for a marine vessel, or building on land, in a computer environment, the computer program product comprising a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising:

providing data communications via at least one or more centralized data and power buses for connecting and controlling electrical devices and power supplies on the marine vessel or building;

controlling and monitoring the electrical devices and the power supplies on the vessel or building via at least one or more display and controller via the centralized data and power bus;

controlling the power supplies via remotely actuated circuit breakers which are actuated via the centralized data bus and power bus by the at least one display and controller; and

providing at least one or more remotely located and remotely actuated circuit breaker enclosure boxes, which are remotely located from the at least one display and controller, and which contain the at least one or more remotely actuated circuit breakers.