Power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers

• US 7,283,338 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABB SPA (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Service Company Limited (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Salvatore, Brandonisio
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Danny
• Application Number:
  US10/343,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 361/18, 361/86, 361/87, 361/90, 361/91.1, 361/91.2, 361/91.7, 361/91.8, 361/92, 361/93.9, 361/111, 361/118, 323/288, 363/45
• US Class Current: 361/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/06 Arrangements for supplying operative power power supply arrangements in general G05F, H02M
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/063 primary power being supplied by fault current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/33 using summation current transformers H02H3/347 takes precedence

Abstract

A power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers includes an electronic rectifier stage suitable to receive in input a mains voltage and to generate a first unipolar voltage whose value depends on the value of the mains voltage, and an electronic adjustment stage, suitable to receive in input the first unipolar voltage and a current and to generate in output a second unipolar voltage of adjustable value. The electronic adjustment stage performs an active adjustment of the current input to the electronic adjustment stage so as to keep the second unipolar voltage at a predefined constant value.

Claims

1. A power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers, the device comprising:

an electronic rectifier stage, which receives an input from a mains voltage and generates a first unipolar voltage and a first current; and

an electronic adjustment stage, which receives an input from said electronic rectifier stage and which generates, as an output thereof, a second unipolar voltage having an adjustable value, wherein said electronic adjustment stage comprises;

a current adjustment circuit which receives the first current and generates a second current as an output thereof; and

a charge accumulation circuit which receives the second current as an input thereof;

wherein the current adjustment circuit generates the second current to maintain said second unipolar voltage at a predefined adjustable value,

said current adjustment circuit receiving, as an input, voltage control signals that actively adjust said first current according to a switching-type adjustment mode;

wherein said second current comprises a pulsed type current having an adjustable pulse, repetition period, and slopes of rising and falling edges,

wherein the pulses of said second current are spaced by adjustable time intervals, the duration of said time intervals being a function of a desired maximum ripple of said second unipolar voltage.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first feedback circuit between the second unipolar voltage and the current adjusting circuit.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said first feedback circuit provides a control signal to the current adjusting circuit which increases a stability of said electronic adjustment stage.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second feedback circuit between an input and an output of the current adjusting circuit.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said current adjusting circuit actively adjusts said first current so as to generate a second current having an adjustable average value.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second unipolar voltage is obtained from an output of the charge accumulation circuit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the value of said second unipolar voltage depends on an average value of said second current.

8. A low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breaker, comprising the power supply of claim 1.

9. A power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers, the device comprising:

an electronic rectifier stage, which receives an input from a mains voltage and generates a first unipolar voltage and a first current; and

an electronic adjustment stage, which receives an input from said electronic rectifier stage and which generates, as an output thereof, a second unipolar voltage having an adjustable value, wherein said electronic adjustment stage comprises;

a current adjustment circuit which receives the first current and generates a second current as an output thereof; and

a charge accumulation circuit which receives the second current as an input thereof; and

wherein the current adjustment circuit generates the second current to maintain said second unipolar voltage at a predefined adjustable value; and

an electronic interruption circuit which enables or interrupts said first current following reception of a respective enable or disable signal; and

a comparator circuit which generates a control signal when said unipolar voltage changes above or below a preset range; and

an enabling circuit which generates an enable or disable signal for said electronic interruption circuit responsive to a control signal from said comparator circuit;

wherein the current adjustment circuit generates the second current to maintain said second unipolar voltage at a predefined adjustable value,

said current adjustment circuit receiving, as an input voltage, control signals that actively a just said first current according to a switching-type adjustment mode;

wherein said second current comprises a pulsed type current having an adjustable pulse, repetition period and slopes of the rising/falling edges; and

wherein the pulses of said second current are spaced by adjustable time intervals, the duration of said time intervals being a function of a desired maximum ripple of said second unipolar voltage.