Switchboard

• US 5,574,653 A
• Filed: 01/13/1995
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The South East Queensland Electricity Board
• Original Assignee: The South East Queensland Electricity Board
• Inventors: Wightman, Graeme J., Coomer, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEMPER, MELANIE A
• Application Number:
  US08/372,843
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 364/480, 364/481, 364/483, 364/464.04, 364/492, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.05, 340/538, 340/310.01, 324/110, 307/64, 307/87, 307/99, 307/326, 307/328, 323/299, 323/318, 361/114, 361/115
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/18 using switches, relays or circuit breakers, e.g. intelligent electronic devices [IED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A switchboard having a mains power input circuit (A,N) and a plurality of output circuits (HOT WATER, OFF PEAK, OVEN, LIGHT, POWER2, POWER1) and including a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling a plurality of controllable circuit breakers (BREAKER1 to BREAKER6). The breakers are controllable by the CPU. Sensing means (J14, T2, T4) provide the CPU with instantaneous voltage and current magnitudes to enable the CPU to determine power consumed by the output circuits.

Claims

1. A switchboard containing one single phase or multi-phase power input circuit and a plurality of associated single or multi-phase power output circuits and including:

a central processing unit (CPU) having an input for receiving control information from a source external to said switchboard,

a plurality of controllable circuit breakers capable of tripping and closing independently of each other, each for controlling the flow of power to an associated one of the power output circuits, each said circuit breaker being closable and trippable manually or under the control of the CPU and with independent tripping means for automatically tripping the circuit breaker when a magnitude of the current flowing through it exceeds a preset value and each said circuit breaker including interlocking means to prevent closing of the circuit breaker by the CPU when the circuit breaker has tripped independently of the CPU and to prevent manual closing of the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker has been tripped by the CPU as a function of said control information,

sensing means for providing said CPU with an instantaneous value of the voltage of the one or more of the said power circuits, and

sensing means for providing said CPU with an instantaneous value of the current flowing in one or more of the said power circuits.

2. The switchboard of claim 1 including earth leakage sensing means for providing said CPU with an indication of a magnitude of earth leakage current in the one or more of the output circuits.

3. The switchboard of claim 2 including output means to enable the CPU to inject a test current into the earth leakage sensing means for testing the operation of the earth leakage sensing means.

4. The switchboard of claim 1, including a display and a keypad for displaying and inputting user information at the switchboard or remotely therefrom.

5. The switchboard of claim 4 wherein said tripping means is adjustable for enabling the preset value to be varied.

6. The switchboard of claim 1 wherein said switchboard is modular in construction and said circuit breakers removably coupled to the switchboard.

7. The switchboard of claim 1 including breaker sensing means for providing the CPU with an indication of the state of the circuit breakers.

8. The switchboard of claim 1 including a voltage regulator for enabling the CPU to regulate a magnitude of the voltage on the one or more said output circuits.

9. The switchboard of claim 8 wherein said voltage regulator includes a phase controlled transformer.

10. The switchboard of claim 8 in which said voltage regulator includes a transient limiting device operating independently of the CPU for limiting the level of transient voltage.

11. The switchboard of claim 1 including two way communication means for enabling the CPU to communicate with equipment remote from the consumer installation.

12. The switchboard of claim 1 including two way communication means for transmitting signals on the active power line for enabling the CPU to communicate with equipment remote from the consumer installation.

13. The switchboard of claim 12 in which the two way communication means uses amplitude modulation.

14. The switchboard of claim 1 including inbound communication means for enabling the CPU to communicate with equipment inside the consumer installation.

15. The switchboard of claim 14 including high frequency blocking means for preventing communication signals from passing into the mains circuits.

16. The switchboard of claim 1 including one or more service communication means for enabling the CPU to access local or external devices for programming, interrogation, control or other services.

17. The switchboard of claim 16 including isolation between the switchboard and the external devices.

18. The switchboard of claim 1 including input/output expansion means for enabling the CPU to access additional local or external input/output devices.

19. The switchboard of claim 1 including input sensing means to enable the CPU to detect pulses or alarms from local or external devices.

20. The switchboard of claim 1 including a real time clock for enabling the CPU to determine, log and control timing of events and calculate energy consumption during various time periods.

21. The switchboard of claim 1 including a temperature sensor for enabling the CPU to determine the temperature of local or external equipment.

22. The switchboard of claim 1 including a tamper sensing means for enabling the CPU to detect interference with the switchboard.

23. The switchboard of claim 1 including audible output means for enabling the CPU to indicate alarm conditions.

24. The switchboard of claim 1 in which the CPU calculates watt and watt hour consumption to determine energy consumption by the output circuits.

25. The switchboard of claim 1 wherein said CPU includes audio frequency detection means for detecting the magnitude and coding of audio frequency or ripple control signals impressed on the active power input circuits.

26. The switchboard of claim 1 wherein said CPU includes mains frequency detection means for determining the frequency of the voltage on the active power input circuits.

27. The switchboard of claim 1 in which the CPU includes non-volatile memory for enabling data and program information to be retained when the active power input is removed from the switchboard.

28. The switchboard of claim 1 wherein said CPU contains program means for controlling outputs in response to inputs for controlling the power to the output circuits.

29. A system including a plurality of consumer installations and a supply installation and having a switchboard of claim 1 associated with each said installation in which one said switchboard operates as a master to poll and/or control the other said switchboards as slaves.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said CPU'"'"'s include detection means for enabling the detection of power theft and meter inaccuracies.