METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE CODE FOR DETECTING AN INCIPIENT GROUND FAULT IN AN ELECTRICAL PROPULSION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting an incipient ground fault that may occur in an electrical propulsion system of a traction vehicle, said electrical propulsion system comprising a plurality of electrical devices, each individual electrical device being potentially subject to an incipient ground fault in at least one electrical phase thereof, said apparatus comprising:
- a sensor configured to sense a ground leakage signal associated with a ground of the propulsion system;
a compensator coupled to the sensor to combine the ground leakage signal and a compensation signal to generate a compensated ground leakage signal;
a correlator coupled to the compensator to receive the compensated ground leakage signal, and further coupled to receive at least one signal indicative of a respective energization state of a respective electrical phase for each respective one of the plurality of electrical devices, said correlator configured to individually correlate the compensated ground leakage signal with each received phase energization state signal, and supply an individual correlation signal between the compensated ground leakage signal and each received phase energization state signal, wherein at least one characteristic of the compensation signal is configured to reduce effects expected in the ground leakage signal when a predetermined rate of change of voltage occurs; and
a processor coupled to the correlator for processing each of the individual correlation signals supplied by the correlator and extracting a correlation value from the supplied correlation signals, said correlation value being indicative of an incipient ground fault, if any, in a respective phase of one of the plurality of electrical devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method, apparatus and computer-readable code are provided for detecting a location of an incipient ground fault in an electrical propulsion system. The apparatus may include a sensor configured to sense a respective ground leakage signal associated with a ground of the propulsion system. The apparatus may further include a compensator coupled to the sensor to combine the ground leakage signal and a compensation signal to generate a compensated ground leakage signal. A correlator is coupled to the compensator to receive the compensated ground leakage signal, and is further coupled to receive at least one signal indicative of a respective energization state of a respective electrical phase for each respective one of the plurality of electrical devices. The correlator is configured to individually correlate the compensated ground leakage signal with each received phase energization state signal, and supply an individual correlation signal between the compensated ground leakage signal and each received phase energization state signal. At least one characteristic of the compensation signal is configured to reduce effects expected in the ground leakage signal when a predetermined rate of change of voltage occurs. A processor is coupled to the correlator for processing each of the individual correlation signals supplied by the correlator and extracting a correlation value from the supplied correlation signals. The correlation value may be indicative of an incipient ground fault, if any, in a respective phase of one of the plurality of electrical devices.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting an incipient ground fault that may occur in an electrical propulsion system of a traction vehicle, said electrical propulsion system comprising a plurality of electrical devices, each individual electrical device being potentially subject to an incipient ground fault in at least one electrical phase thereof, said apparatus comprising:
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a sensor configured to sense a ground leakage signal associated with a ground of the propulsion system;
a compensator coupled to the sensor to combine the ground leakage signal and a compensation signal to generate a compensated ground leakage signal;
a correlator coupled to the compensator to receive the compensated ground leakage signal, and further coupled to receive at least one signal indicative of a respective energization state of a respective electrical phase for each respective one of the plurality of electrical devices, said correlator configured to individually correlate the compensated ground leakage signal with each received phase energization state signal, and supply an individual correlation signal between the compensated ground leakage signal and each received phase energization state signal, wherein at least one characteristic of the compensation signal is configured to reduce effects expected in the ground leakage signal when a predetermined rate of change of voltage occurs; and
a processor coupled to the correlator for processing each of the individual correlation signals supplied by the correlator and extracting a correlation value from the supplied correlation signals, said correlation value being indicative of an incipient ground fault, if any, in a respective phase of one of the plurality of electrical devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for detecting an incipient ground fault that may occur in an electrical propulsion system of a traction vehicle, said electrical propulsion system comprising a plurality of electrical devices, each individual electrical device being potentially subject to an incipient ground fault in at least one electrical phase thereof, said method comprising:
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sensing a ground leakage signal associated with a ground of the propulsion system;
monitoring at least one signal indicative of a respective energization state of a respective electrical phase for each respective one of the electrical devices;
combining a compensation signal with the sensed ground leakage signal to generate a compensated ground leakage signal;
individually correlating the compensated ground leakage signal with each phase energization state signal, wherein at least one characteristic of the compensation signal is selected to reduce effects expected in the ground leakage signal when a predetermined rate of change of voltage occurs;
generating an individual correlation signal between the compensated ground leakage signal and each phase energization state signal; and
determining a correlation value from the generated correlation signals, said correlation value being indicative of an incipient ground fault, if any, in a respective phase of one of the plurality of electrical devices. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable code therein for detecting an incipient ground fault that may occur in an electrical propulsion system of a traction vehicle, said electrical propulsion system comprising a plurality of electrical devices, each individual electrical device being potentially subject to an incipient ground fault in at least one electrical phase thereof, said computer-readable code comprising:
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computer-readable code responsive to a sensed ground leakage signal associated with a ground of the propulsion system;
computer-readable code for monitoring at least one signal indicative of a respective energization state of a respective electrical phase for each respective one of the electrical devices;
computer-readable code for combining a compensation signal with the sensed ground leakage signal to generate a compensated ground leakage signal;
computer-readable code for individually correlating the compensated ground leakage signal with each phase energization state signal, wherein at least one characteristic of the compensation signal is selected to reduce effects expected in the ground leakage signal when a predetermined rate of change of voltage occurs;
computer-readable code for generating an individual correlation signal between the compensated ground leakage signal and each phase energization state signal; and
computer-readable code for determining a correlation value from the generated correlation signals, said correlation value being indicative of an incipient ground fault, if any, in a respective phase of one of the plurality of the electrical devices. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification