Aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter and packaging thereof

• US 6,618,229 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hydro-Aire, Inc. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Hydro-Aire, Inc. (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Bax, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US09/954,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 361/58, 361/42, 361/115, 361/45, 361/47, 361/93.1, 361/48
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0007 concerning the detecting means in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/06 Arrangements for supplying operative power power supply arrangements in general G05F, H02M
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/105 responsive to excess current and fault current to earth
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/347 using summation current transformers

Abstract

The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter interrupts an electrical circuit when a current imbalance is sensed. The current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter includes a housing, power supplies, a sensor for sensing a current imbalance at the line side of the electrical circuit, a logic controller and a power controller. In a preferred embodiment, the invention can also include a fault indicator, a press to test switch and a reset switch. The power supplies provide power to the sensor, logic controller, and the power controller. The logic controller receives input from the sensor and the relay control signal, and the power controller receives input from the logic controller, and interrupts power to the load side of the electrical circuit when the sensor senses a current imbalance. Power interruption due to a sensed current imbalance is maintained until the line side power source is cycled. The circuit interrupter is preferably autonomous, requiring no additional signals, inputs, wiring or sources of power. The current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter is packaged in a configuration integral with the power controller, thus easing retrofit with the improved aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter.

Claims

1. An aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter for monitoring the current within an electrical circuit and interrupting the electrical circuit, the electrical circuit having a line side and a load side with an electrical load connected thereto, the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter comprising:

a housing including electrical connector means for connecting to the electrical circuit line side and load side;

a power supply disposed in the housing and electrically connected to the line side of the electrical circuit;

a sensor disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by the electrical circuit being monitored for sensing a current imbalance in the electrical circuit and for providing a sensor signal indicating the existence of an undesirable current within the electrical circuit based on said sensing of said current imbalance;

a logic controller disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by the electrical circuit being monitored, to receive the sensor signal from the sensor and to output a fault signal representing a fault; and

a power controller disposed in the housing configured to receive said fault signal from the logic controller and to remove power to the load side of the electrical circuit responsive to the fault signal from the logic controller.

2. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 1, wherein the load comprises a motor.

3. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a Hall effect device.

4. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 1, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter interrupts arcing within a device being operated by the electrical circuit.

5. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 1, wherein the housing has an envelope compatible with that of existing power controllers for the aircraft and using the same monitoring configurations.

6. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector means comprises an electrical connector plate on the housing connected to the line side and load side of the electrical circuit being monitored.

7. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 6, wherein said electrical connector plate comprises a plurality of electrical connectors.

8. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 7, wherein said electrical connector plate comprises a first pair of connectors accommodating a first load line, a second pair of connectors accommodating a second load line, and a third pair of connectors accommodating a third load line.

9. An aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter for interrupting an electrical circuit to an electrical load, the electrical circuit having a line side and a load side, the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter comprising:

a housing having electrical connector means for connecting to the electrical circuit line side and load side;

a power supply disposed in the housing and connected to the line side of the electrical circuit;

a sensor disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by the power supply for sensing a current imbalance in the electrical circuit and for providing a sensor signal indicating the existence of a current imbalance within the electrical circuit based on said sensing of said current imbalance;

a direct current (DC) controlled power controller configured to remove power to the load side of the electrical circuit when de-energized;

a logic controller disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by the power supply, to receive an external relay control signal and the sensor signal from the sensor, to compare the sensor signal with a predetermined range for acceptable operation for the electrical circuit, to output a fault signal representing a current imbalance and de-energized the power controller when the sensor signal exceeds said predetermined range;

a fault indicator configured to receive said fault signal from the logic controller, to indicate a current imbalance condition has occurred; and

a reset switch to reset the fault indicator;

wherein the housing has a form factor that packages the current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter circuitry in a space compatible with an existing power controller used in the aircraft.

10. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9 wherein:

the logic controller receives the external relay control signal and processes this signal to energize and de-energize the power controller; and

the external relay control signal, depending on the aircraft, may be alternate current (AC) or direct current (DC).

11. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 10 wherein the logic controller is capable of accepting processing either AC or DC external relay control signal.

12. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein the load comprises a motor.

13. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter receives power to operate exclusively from the line side of the electrical circuit being monitored.

14. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein said sensor comprises a Hall effect device.

15. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter suppresses arcing within a device being operated by the electrical circuit.

16. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter discontinues ground fault conditions within a device being operated by the electrical circuit.

17. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein said aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter is sized and configured to replace an existing aircraft power controller.

18. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein the electrical connection means comprises an electrical connector for connecting to the line side, the load side and the external relay control signal.

19. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 18, wherein said electrical connector comprises a plurality of electrical connectors.

20. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 19, wherein said electrical connector comprises a first pair of connectors accommodating a first line and load side, a second pair of connectors accommodating a second line and load side, and a third pair of connectors accommodating a third line and load side, and a pair of connectors accommodating the external relay control signal.

21. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 9, wherein said housing includes at least one circuit board mounted within the housing for mounting components of the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter.

22. An aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter for interrupting an electrical circuit to an electrical load, the electrical circuit having a line side and a load side, said interrupter comprising:

a housing having electrical connector means for connecting to the electrical circuit line side and load side;

at least one power supply disposed in the housing and connected to the line side of the electrical circuit;

a sensor disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by one of the power supplies for sensing a current imbalance in the electrical circuit and for providing a sensor signal indicating the existence of a current imbalance within the electrical circuit based on said sensing of said current imbalance;

a logic controller disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by one of the power supplies, to receive an external relay control signal and the sensor signal from the sensor, and to compare the sensor signal with a predetermined range for acceptable operation for the electrical circuit and to interrupt the relay control signal when the sensor signal exceeds said predetermined range;

a power controller configured robe energized by the relay control signal and to remove power to the load side of the electrical circuit when the relay control signal is interrupted;

a fault indicator configured to receive said fault signal from the logic controller, to illuminate indicating a current imbalance condition has occurred; and

a reset switch to reset the fault indicator.

23. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22 wherein said sensor comprises a Hall effect device.

24. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22 wherein said sensor comprises a transformer connected to the load side of the circuit.

25. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22 wherein:

the logic controller receives the relay control signal to directly power the power controller;

the relay control signal, depending on the aircraft, may be alternate current (AC) or direct current (DC); and

the type of power controller corresponds to the AC or DC relay control signal.

26. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22, wherein the load comprises a motor.

27. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter receives power to operate exclusively from the line side of the electrical circuit being monitored.

28. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter discontinues arcing within a device being operated by the electrical circuit.

29. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22, wherein the aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter discontinues ground fault conditions within a device being operated by the electrical circuit.

30. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22, wherein the electrical connection means comprises an electrical connector for connecting to the line side, the load side and the relay control signal.

31. The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter of claim 22, wherein said electrical connector comprises a plurality of electrical connectors.