Fault indicator responsive to flow of fault current in a conductor when power flow is in one direction only

• US 4,063,171 A
• Filed: 11/04/1976
• Issued: 12/13/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edmund O. Schweitzer Jr
• Original Assignee: Edmund O. Schweitzer Jr
• Inventors: Schweitzer, Edmund O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strecker, Gerard R.
• Application Number:
  US05/738,969
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 324/51, 324/127, 324/133, 324/52, 340/253 A
• US Class Current: 324/133
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/14 Indicating direction of current; Indicating polarity of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/15 Indicating the presence of current

Abstract

The occurrence of fault current flow in an alternating current carrying conductor is indicated if the power flow in the conductor is in one or a preferred direction and is not indicated if the power flow in the conductor is in the opposite direction.

Claims

1. Means responsive to flow of alternating fault current in and high voltage energization of a conductor in which the power flow may be in a preferred direction or in the opposite direction depending upon the location of the fault comprising:

a fault indicator including, a target, a magnetic core, a trip winding on said magnetic core for moving said target from a non-indicating position to a fault indicating position and voltage sensitive switch means connected to said trip winding for energizing it from a current source on application of predetermined control potential thereto;

power flow direction responsive means energized in accordance with the voltage at which said conductor is energized and the current flow in said conductor arranged to generate said control potential when the power flow is in said preferred direction, and circuit means interconnecting said voltage sensitive switch means and said power flow direction responsive means including switch means responsive to flow of fault current in said conductor to render said voltage sensitive switch means conducting when said power flow is in said preferred direction to energize said trip winding.

2. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 1 wherein said power flow direction responsive means include:

an F.E.T. with the gate energized in accordance with the potential of said conductor, and the source and drain energized in accordance with the current flow in said conductor.

3. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 2 wherein impedance means interconnect said source and drain with an intermediate point energized in accordance with said potential and series connected impedance and capacitance means shunt said source and drain, said circuit means being connected to the common connection between said impedance and capacitance means.

4. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 1 wherein a source for said high voltage is separate from and in phase with the potential of said conductor, and switch means responsive to current flow in said conductor complete a circuit from said source to said power flow direction responsive means only when current is flowing in said conductor.

5. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 4 wherein said means for completing said circuit includes normally open switch means arranged to be closed by the magnetic field generated by current flow in said conductor.

6. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic core has a reset winding thereon for moving said target from said fault indicating position to said non-indicating position, and said reset winding is energized from a potential corresponding to the potential of said conductor.

7. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 6 wherein said reset winding is energized from capacitance means arranged to be charged through rectifier means energized at a potential corresponding to that of said conductor.

8. Direction of power flow responsive means according to claim 7 wherein said potential is provided by a source separate from and in phase with the potential of said conductor.