ELECTRICAL SWITCHING APPARATUS PROVIDING COORDINATED OPENING WITH A CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME
First Claim
1. An electrical switching apparatus including an interrupting rating, said electrical switching apparatus comprising:
- a number of separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts;
a number of sensors structured to sense at least current flowing through said separable contacts; and
a processor structured to cooperate with said operating mechanism to open and close said separable contacts, and to determine a fault from said sensed current flowing through said separable contacts,wherein said processor is further structured to responsively open said separable contacts if the sensed current associated with said fault is less than said interrupting rating, andwherein said processor is further structured to keep said separable contacts closed and wait for another circuit interrupter to interrupt said fault if the sensed current associated with said fault is greater than said interrupting rating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical switching apparatus includes a number of separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a number of sensors structured to sense at least current flowing through the separable contacts, and a processor structured to cooperate with the operating mechanism to open and close the separable contacts. The processor determines a fault from the sensed current flowing through the separable contacts. The processor further responsively opens the separable contacts if the sensed current associated with the fault is less than the interrupting rating of the electrical switching apparatus. The processor keeps the separable contacts closed and waits for another circuit interrupter to interrupt the fault if the sensed current associated with the fault is greater than the interrupting rating.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An electrical switching apparatus including an interrupting rating, said electrical switching apparatus comprising:
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a number of separable contacts; an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts; a number of sensors structured to sense at least current flowing through said separable contacts; and a processor structured to cooperate with said operating mechanism to open and close said separable contacts, and to determine a fault from said sensed current flowing through said separable contacts, wherein said processor is further structured to responsively open said separable contacts if the sensed current associated with said fault is less than said interrupting rating, and wherein said processor is further structured to keep said separable contacts closed and wait for another circuit interrupter to interrupt said fault if the sensed current associated with said fault is greater than said interrupting rating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating an electrical switching apparatus including an interrupting rating, said method comprising:
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employing a number of separable contacts; sensing current flowing through said separable contacts; determining a fault from said sensed current flowing through said separable contacts; determining if the sensed current associated with said fault is less than said interrupting rating, and responsively opening said separable contacts; and determining if the sensed current associated with said fault is greater than said interrupting rating, and responsively keeping said separable contacts closed and waiting for another circuit interrupter to interrupt said fault. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A contactor including an interrupting rating, said contactor comprising:
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a number of separable contacts; an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts; a number of current sensors structured to sense current flowing through said separable contacts; a number of voltage sensors structured to sense voltage operatively associated with said separable contacts; and a processor structured to cooperate with said operating mechanism to open and close said separable contacts, and to determine a fault from said sensed current flowing through said separable contacts, wherein said processor is further structured, before starting a load, to input from said voltage sensors line voltage, Vb, before said starting, wherein said processor is further structured, after starting said load, to input from said voltage sensors and said current sensors line voltage, Vs, and line current, Is, respectively, for a number of line cycles during said starting, wherein said processor is further structured to calculate;
Vd=(Vb−
Vs)/Vb, and
Isc=Is/Vd;wherein Vd is per unit voltage drop, and Isc is available short circuit current, wherein said processor is further structured to determine if the available short circuit current, Isc, is less than said interrupting rating and responsively open said separable contacts, and wherein said processor is further structured to delay opening said separable contacts and wait for another circuit interrupter to interrupt said fault if the available short circuit current, Isc, is greater than said interrupting rating.
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Specification