SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR AUTOMATED CIRCUITING AND BRANCH CIRCUIT WIRING

• US 20120221986A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draftlogic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Draftlogic, Inc.
• Inventors: WHITFORD, Dean, STEBNICKI, Gerry, SMITH, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 8,935,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18

Abstract

A system or process for providing complete electrical designs through: computer-automated circuiting; computer automated service device selection, placement, and interconnection; and computer-automated branch circuit wiring, wherein the complete electrical design complies with regulatory, industry standard practice, and client criteria.

Claims

1. An automated process for the production of a circuited design, wherein the process comprises:

Providing an electrical components design having a plurality of electrical components therein to a computer capable of receiving and processing same,

Performing automated circuiting of the plurality of electrical components within the electrical components design, and

Producing a circuited design.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the automated circuiting comprises:

Identifying and determining the location of the electrical components within the electrical components design,

Grouping the electrical components,

Selecting the electrical components to be circuited and the order in which the selected electrical components are to be circuited, and

Adding the electrical components to at least one circuit.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the electrical components may be grouped by type, location or both.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein the selection and the order of the electrical components to be circuited may be by type, location or both.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein the electrical components may be added to the at least one circuit based upon the compatibility of the electrical components, the type of electrical components and the location of the electrical components.

6. The process of claim 2, wherein the adding of the electrical components to at least one circuit further comprises gathering of the at least one circuits to a place of service.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the place of service may be a new or pre-existing panel.

8. The process of claim 2, wherein the adding of the electrical components to the at least one circuit is based upon one or more parameters.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the one or more parameters may comprise one or more of:

the maximum allowable circuit load, the voltage requirements of the plurality of electrical components, and the load requirements of the plurality of the electrical components.

10. The process of claim 2, wherein the adding of the electrical components to the at least one circuit further comprises phase grouping circuits to adjacent slots on a panel to balance phase loads and promote neutral wire sharing.

11. The process of claim 6, wherein the gathering of the at least one circuits to the place of service comprises determining the shortest route of travel to the place of service.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the shortest route is determined without crossovers.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the process automatically generates reports, schedules and diagrams based on the circuited design.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further determines protection type and protection size to assign to each circuit in compliance with electrical code requirements, industry standard practice, and user defined parameters.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further provides automated identification information and annotation.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises:

Determining a total load for each of a plurality of service devices,

Determining a conductor path and distance thereof between each of the plurality of service devices,

Selecting an electrical bus and protection for each of the plurality of service devices, and

Selecting all conductors, conduit, or other connecting media between each of the plurality of service devices.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the process further comprises:

Determining the service devices required, placing the service devices, and associating connected service devices.

18. The process of claim 16, wherein the process further generates protection and feeder schedules, reports and diagrams for the plurality of service devices.

19. The process of claim 16, wherein the process further comprises:

Calculating fault levels at each of the plurality of service devices and generating various reports, schedules and diagrams representative thereof.

20. The process of claim 16, wherein the determination and selection is based upon electrical code requirements, industry standard practice, and user preferences.

21. An automated process for the production of a branch circuit wired design, wherein the process comprises:

Providing a circuited design, having at least one circuited electrical component, to a computer capable of receiving and processing same,

Performing automated branch circuit wiring, and

Producing a branch circuit wired design.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the process further comprises:

Determining and identifying one or more circuited electrical components and at least one serving panel,

Grouping the one or more circuited electrical components into at least one home run groups in compliance with electrical requirements, industry standard practice, and user specified parameters,

Determining at least one home run location for each of the at least one home run groups, and

Generating branch circuit wiring connections between the one or more circuited electrical components.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein the process further comprises:

Determining the shortest route to connect each of the one or more circuited electrical components in the at least one home run group to the home run location for that home run group.

24. The process of claim 23, wherein the process further comprises:

Identifying the at least one home run group and home run locations in the branch circuit wired design.

25. The process of claim 21, wherein the process further comprises:

Determining wire count, wire usage, wire type, wire length, conduit size, conduit type, and wire sizes for each connection between the one or more circuited electrical components.

26. The process of claim 25, wherein the determination of wire size complies with electrical requirements, industry standard practices, and user specified parameters.

27. The process of claim 21, wherein the process further comprises generating various schedules, reports, and diagrams for the one or more circuited electrical components, their interconnection specifications, the home run specifications, and other branch circuit wiring data.