System and method for monitoring a motor control center

• US 20080079436A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Awad, Fahed H., Gollhardt, Neil, Brandt, David D., Shen, Jie, Jensen, David L., Rollay, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,528,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/457
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/36 with withdrawable units
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 11/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 13/025 Safety arrangements, e.g. in case of excessive pressure or fire due to electrical defect
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0822 Integrated protection, motor control centres

Abstract

A system, in one embodiment, includes a power distribution center having an enclosure with an access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position. The power distribution center includes a non-contact sensor disposed inside the enclosure, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises a non-contact voltage sensor, or a non-contact temperature sensor, or a combination thereof. The power distribution center also includes an indicator viewable outside of the enclosure while the door is in the closed position, wherein the indicator is coupled to the non-contact sensor.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a power distribution center, comprising;

an enclosure comprising an access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position;

a non-contact sensor disposed inside the enclosure, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises a non-contact voltage sensor, or a non-contact temperature sensor, or a combination thereof; and

an indicator viewable outside of the enclosure while the door is in the closed position, wherein the indicator is coupled to the non-contact sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power distribution center comprises a motor control center.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises the non-contact voltage sensor having an electric-field sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises the non-contact temperature sensor having a thermal radiation sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises the non-contact voltage sensor configured to sense electric fields emanating from a plurality of components in the enclosure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises the non-contact voltage sensor configured to sense different electric field levels corresponding to different power states within the enclosure.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises the non-contact temperature sensor configured to sense heat from a plurality of components in the enclosure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises a wireless communication link, or an optical isolator, or a transformer, or an optical cable, or a combination thereof.

9. A system, comprising:

a monitoring system configured to mount to a motor control center, comprising;

a non-contact sensor configured to measure an operational parameter inside the motor control center; and

a wireless communication link coupled to the non-contact sensor, wherein the wireless communication link is configured to enable wireless communication of the operational parameter to a display outside of the motor control center.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-contact sensor is configured to sense the operational parameter at a distance away from one or more components disposed inside the motor control center.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication link is coupled directly to or integrated into the non-contact sensor.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises a thermal radiation sensor, or an electric-field sensor, or a combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-contact sensor is configured to sense different levels of the operational parameter corresponding to different operational states within the motor control center.

14. The system of claim 9, comprising a portable service unit having the display and another wireless communication link configured to communicate wirelessly with the wireless communication link.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring system comprises a processor, memory, and a power backup.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring system comprises a self-test system coupled to the non-contact sensor.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring system comprises a data logging system coupled to the non-contact sensor.

18. A system, comprising:

a motor control center, comprising;

at least one electric-field sensor configured to sense electric fields from a plurality of power input wires, a plurality of load power output wires, and a plurality of control power wires.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising an optical cable coupled to the at least one electric-field sensor, wherein the optical cable is configured to communicate sensed data from the at least one electric-field sensor without electrically conductive cables.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the at least one electric-field sensor.

21. The system of claim 18, comprising an optical isolator coupled to the at least one electric-field sensor.

22. The system of claim 18, comprising a transformer coupled to the at least one electric-field sensor.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the motor control center comprises an external display coupled to the at least one electric-field sensor.

24. The system of claim 18, comprising a processor coupled to the at least one electric-field sensor, wherein the processor is configured to identify a plurality of operational states of the motor control center based on different sensed levels of the electric fields.

25. A method, comprising:

sensing an electric field of one or more components within a motor control center;

identifying a power state of the one or more components based on the electric field sensed within the motor control center; and

transmitting data indicative of the power state to a destination external to the motor control center.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising sensing thermal radiation of the one or more components within the motor control center, and transmitting temperature data to the destination external to the motor control center.

27. The method of claim 25, comprising displaying the data at the destination external to the motor control center.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein transmitting comprises wirelessly, or optically, or both wirelessly and optically communicating the data to the destination.