Arc fault detector device with two stage arc sensing

• US 6,377,055 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pass And Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Pass And Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Packard, Thomas N., Macbeth, Bruce F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUNDARAM, T R
• Application Number:
  US09/464,163
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 324/522, 324/520, 324/521, 324/535, 324/536, 361/45, 361/43
• US Class Current: 324/522
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3275 Fault detection or status indication
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors

Abstract

An arc fault detector for detecting an arc fault in electric power lines includes a two stage arc sensor. The first stage is a current transformer designed for high sensitivity to arc faults but which may saturate and lose detection capability during arc currents at 75A and higher. The second arc fault sensor, which does not saturate, stage senses the voltage across the impedance of the primary of the current transformer, or senses the voltage across the resistance of a section of the load carrying bus which forms the connection through the detector device, or of both, during an arc fault.

Claims

1. An arc fault detector comprising:

a first sensor responsive to the rate of change of current with respect to time in a circuit being protected, said first sensor generating a first signal;

a second sensor responsive to the magnitude of current flowing in said circuit being protected, said second sensor generating a second signal; and

a detector connected to the first sensor and the second sensor and responsive to the sum of the first signal and the second signal for generating an arc fault signal whenever the sum exceeds a preselected value;

in which the second sensor comprises a section of a line of a circuit being protected, having a resistance thereacross, for producing a voltage signal when an arc is present, and the detector is connected to receive the voltage signal from the section.

2. The arc fault detector of claim 1 in which the first sensor comprises a transformer.

3. The arc fault detector of claim 2 in which the transformer comprises a transformer having a line of the circuit being protected as a primary winding of the transformer.

4. The arc fault detector of claim 1 in which the detector comprises a summing amplifier connected to the first sensor and the second sensor.

5. The arc fault detector of claim 2 in which the transformer comprises a toroidal transformer.

6. The arc fault detector of claim 4 comprising a threshold detector connected to the summing amplifier.

7. The arc fault detector of claim 6 comprising a circuit interrupter connected to the threshold detector.

8. The arc fault detector of claim 1 comprising a first resistor connected in series with the first sensor, and a second resistor connected in series with the second sensor.

9. The arc fault detector of claim 2 in which the transformer comprises a saturable transformer, and the second sensor is responsive to currents above which saturation of the transformer occurs to produce a second signal of sufficient magnitude for producing an arc fault signal from the detector.

10. The arc fault detector of claim 2 in which the first sensor is responsive to arcs of sufficiently small magnitude for producing a signal of sufficient magnitude for producing an arc fault signal from the detector in the absence of a signal from the second sensor.

11. The arc fault detector of claim 1 in which the section of a line includes a bi-metallic element having a resistance thereacross.

12. The arc fault detector of claim 1 comprising a circuit interrupter connected to the detector.