Single-sensor microcontroller-based approach for ground fault circuit interrupters

• US 7,193,827 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Square D Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Meehleder, Steve M., Reid, Paul A., Gass, Randall J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US10/687,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 324/684, 324/685
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/167 combined with other earth-fault protective arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/331 responsive to earthing of the neutral conductor H02H3/338 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location

Abstract

A microcontroller-based temperature compensated circuit for ground-fault circuit interrupter to meet the requirements of UL 943 using a single sensor to detect both ground-fault and grounded-neutral fault conditions in both full-wave and half-wave AC power supplies as part of a ground-fault circuit breaker or a receptacle device.

Claims

1. A microcontroller-based system for detecting ground-fault and grounded-neutral conditions in an electrical power distribution system having line and neutral conductors comprising:

a sensor circuit containing a single current transformer producing an output signal responsive to current flow in both the line and neutral conductors of the electrical power distribution system,

a microcontroller receiving said sensor output signal and initiating the generation of a trip signal upon detection of said ground-fault or said grounded-neutral condition in said power distribution system, said microcontroller being programmed to

use said sensor output signal to detect ground-fault conditions during spaced time intervals, and

use said sensor output signal to detect grounded-neutral condition during intervening time intervals between said spaced time intervals,

a circuit interrupter for interrupting current flow in said power distribution system in response to said trip signal, and

a single analog memory circuit operable with both full-wave and half-wave power supplies to provide

a timing function to control said spaced time intervals and said intervening time intervals, and

a memory function set in response to detection of a ground-fault or grounded-neutral condition to resume a circuit trip if power is temporarily lost before said circuit interrupter activates.

2. A microcontroller-based system for detecting ground-fault and grounded-neutral conditions in an electrical power distribution system having line and neutral conductors comprising:

a sensor circuit containing a single current transformer producing an output signal responsive to current flow in both the line and neutral conductors of the electrical power distribution system, said current transformer having an inductance that varies with temperature.

an ambient temperature sensing circuit placed proximate to said current transformer, producing a voltage which varies linearly with ambient temperature conditions,

a programmable microcontroller having a pre-determined ground-fault threshold value and a pre-determined grounded-neutral threshold value stored in a non-volatile memory, said microcontroller being programmed to

calculate a modified ground-fault threshold value based on said predetermined ground-fault threshold value and the output of said ambient temperature sensing circuit,

calculate a modified grounded-neutral threshold value based on said predetermined grounded-neutral threshold value and the output of said ambient temperature sensing circuit,

use said modified ground-fault threshold value to detect a ground-fault condition,

use said modified grounded-neutral threshold value to detect a grounded-neutral condition, and

initiate the generation of a trip signal upon detection of said ground-fault or said grounded-neutral condition in said power distribution system, and

a circuit interrupter for interrupting current flow in said power distribution system in response to said trip signal.

3. A microcontroller-based system for detecting ground-fault and grounded-neutral conditions in an electrical power distribution system having line and neutral conductors comprising:

a sensor circuit providing an output signal, said sensor circuit containing

current transformer which has an inductance that varies with temperature and a resonant circuit,

a programmable microcontroller containing a pre-determined ground-fault threshold value and a pre-determined grounded-neutral threshold value stored in a non-volatile memory, said microcontroller being programmed to

initiate a ping signal to produce a resonant oscillation in said sensor resonant circuit during a grounded-neutral test,

measure the frequency of said resonant oscillation to determine a change in the inductance of said current transformer,

calculate a modified ground-fault threshold value based on said predetermined ground-fault threshold value and said change in the inductance of said current transformer,

calculate a modified ground-fault threshold value based on said grounded-neutral threshold value and said change in the inductance of said current transformer,

use said modified ground-fault threshold value to detect said ground-fault condition,

use said modified grounded-neutral threshold value to detect said grounded-neutral condition, and

initiate the generation of a trip signal upon detection of said ground-fault or said grounded-neutral condition in said power distribution system, and

a circuit interrupter for interrupting current flow in said power distribution system in response to said trip signal.

4. A method of detecting ground-fault and grounded-neutral conditions in an electrical power distribution system having line and neutral conductors, comprising:

producing a signal with a single current transformer, responsive to current flow in both the line and neutral conductors of the electrical power distribution system,

supplying said signal to a microcontroller that is programmed to use said signal to detect ground-fault or grounded-neutral conditions in said power distribution system and initiate the generation of a trip signal upon detection of said ground-fault or grounded-neutral condition,

interrupting the current flow in said power distribution system in response to said trip signal, and

using a single analog memory to provide

a timing function to control intervals for testing for ground-fault or grounded-neutral conditions, and

a memory function set in response to detection of a ground-fault or grounded-neutral condition to resume a trip condition if power is temporarily lost before said current flow in said power distribution system is interrupted.

5. A method of detecting ground-fault and grounded-neutral conditions in an electrical power distribution system having line and neutral conductors, comprising:

producing a signal with a sensor, which varies non-linearly with temperature, responsive to current flow in both the line and neutral conductors of the electrical power distribution system,

producing an ambient temperature reading of said sensor, and

supplying said signal to a microcontroller having a predetermined ground-fault value and a predetermined grounded-neutral threshold value, said microcontroller being programmed to

use said ambient temperature reading to calculate a modified ground-fault threshold value based on said predetermined ground-fault threshold value,

use said ambient temperature reading to calculate a modified grounded-neutral threshold value based on said predetermined grounded-neutral threshold value,

use said signal to detect ground-fault conditions based on said modified ground-fault threshold value,

use said signal to detect grounded-neutral conditions based on said modified grounded-neutral threshold value,

initiate the generation of a trip signal upon detection of a ground-fault or grounded-neutral condition, and

interrupt the current flow in said power distribution system in response to said trip signal.

6. A method of detecting ground-fault and grounded-neutral conditions in an electrical power distribution system having line and neutral conductors, comprising:

producing a signal responsive to current flow in both the line and neutral conductors of the electrical power distribution system with a sensor containing a resonant circuit and a current transformer having an inductance that varies with temperature,

supplying said signal to a microcontroller having a pre-determined ground-fault threshold value and a pre-determined grounded-neutral threshold value, and

said microcontroller being programmed to

initiate a ping signal to produce a damped oscillation in a sensor output signal during a grounded-neutral test,

measure the frequency of said damped oscillation to determine a change in the inductance of said current transformer,

calculate a modified ground-fault threshold value based on said predetermined ground-fault threshold value and said change in the inductance of said current transformer,

calculate a modified ground-fault threshold value based on said grounded-neutral threshold value and said change in the inductance of said current transformer,

use said modified ground-fault threshold value to detect a ground-fault condition,

use said modified grounded-neutral threshold value to detect a grounded-neutral condition, and

initiate the generation of a trip signal upon detection of said ground-fault or said grounded-neutral condition in said power distribution system.