ARC DETECTOR
First Claim
1. A system for identifying an arcing event in electrical distribution equipment:
- memory for storing an arcing radio frequency characteristic indicative of an arcing event generated in electrical distribution equipment and a noise radio frequency characteristic indicative of background electrical noise;
a sensor for detecting radio frequency signals resulting from the arcing event and propagating wirelessly from the electrical distribution equipment;
a processor for processing the radio frequency signals detected by the sensor to extract radio frequency characteristics from the detected signals and including a comparator for comparing the extracted frequency characteristics to the arcing radio frequency characteristic and the noise radio frequency characteristic stored in memory to identify occurrence of an arcing event; and
an arc alarm generator for generating an arc fault signal indicative of the occurrence of the arcing event.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for identifying an arcing event in electrical distribution equipment. The system includes memory for storing an arcing radio frequency characteristic indicative of an arcing event generated in electrical distribution equipment and a noise radio frequency characteristic indicative of background electrical noise and a sensor for detecting radio frequency signals resulting from the arcing event and propagating wirelessly from the electrical distribution equipment. The system also includes a processor for processing the radio frequency signals detected by the sensor to extract radio frequency characteristics from the detected signals and including a comparator for comparing the extracted frequency characteristics to the arcing radio frequency characteristic and the noise radio frequency characteristic stored in memory to identify occurrence of an arcing event. The system also includes an arc alarm generator for generating an arc fault signal indicative of the occurrence of the arcing event.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for identifying an arcing event in electrical distribution equipment:
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memory for storing an arcing radio frequency characteristic indicative of an arcing event generated in electrical distribution equipment and a noise radio frequency characteristic indicative of background electrical noise; a sensor for detecting radio frequency signals resulting from the arcing event and propagating wirelessly from the electrical distribution equipment; a processor for processing the radio frequency signals detected by the sensor to extract radio frequency characteristics from the detected signals and including a comparator for comparing the extracted frequency characteristics to the arcing radio frequency characteristic and the noise radio frequency characteristic stored in memory to identify occurrence of an arcing event; and an arc alarm generator for generating an arc fault signal indicative of the occurrence of the arcing event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for identifying an arcing event in electrical distribution equipment:
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a first sensor disposed proximate electrical distribution equipment for sensing a first radio frequency signal likely to include an arcing radio frequency characteristic indicative of an arcing event generated in the electrical distribution equipment; a second sensor disposed proximate the electrical distribution equipment for sensing a second radio frequency signal likely to include a noise radio frequency characteristic indicative of background electrical noise generated by the electrical distribution equipment; a signal processor for processing the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal detected by the respective sensors to extract the arcing radio frequency characteristic and the noise radio frequency characteristic from the signals; a discriminator for discriminating the arcing radio frequency characteristic from the noise radio frequency characteristic to identify occurrence of an arcing event; and an arc alarm generator for generating an arc fault signal indicative of the occurrence of the arcing event. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for identifying an arcing event in electrical distribution equipment:
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detecting radio frequency signals resulting from the arcing event generated by electrical distribution equipment and propagating wirelessly from the electrical distribution equipment; extracting radio frequency characteristics from the detected signals; comparing the extracted radio frequency characteristics to a predetermined arcing radio frequency characteristic and a predetermined noise radio frequency characteristic to identify an arcing event occurrence of an arcing event; and generating an arc fault signal indicative of the occurrence of the arcing event. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification