Systems, devices, and methods for arc fault detection

• US 7,492,163 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Staley, Peter Spenlove, Restrepo, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vincent Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHU, JOHN X
• Application Number:
  US11/380,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 324/536, 324/76.16
• US Class Current: 324/536
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/04 Arrangements for preventing response to transient abnormal conditions, e.g. to lightning or to short duration over voltage or oscillations; Damping the influence of dc component by short circuits in ac networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/44 responsive to the rate of change of electrical quantities

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can include an arc fault detection circuit. The arc fault detection circuit can include a zero crossing analysis sub-system including a counter configured to determine, for a first waveform, a count of dips that occur between a pair of predetermined zero crossings of a second waveform. The second waveform can be obtained from an electrical circuit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an arc fault detection circuit comprising;

a first zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising a counter configured to determine, for a first waveform, a first count of dips that occur between a first sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of a second waveform; and

a count analysis sub-system comprising a comparator configured to request a trip of an electrical device responsive to a determination that said first count of dips is greater than a first count threshold, but below a second count threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter configured to derive said second waveform from said first waveform.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second zero crossing analysis sub-system configured to determine, for said first waveform, a second count of dips that occur between a second sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of said second waveform.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a low pass filter configured to remove high frequency signals from a signal that characterizes said first waveform, said high frequency signals characterized by a frequency greater than approximately two kilohertz.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dynamic range reference calculator configured to provide a reference signal indicative of a dynamic range of said first waveform.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reset circuit configured to determine that said first waveform does not indicate a fault based upon a determination that that an electrical measurement associated with said first waveform is below a predetermined electrical threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a slope reference calculator configured to ignore low-slope zero crossings comprised by said first waveform and characterized by a waveform slope below a predetermined slope threshold.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mask generation sub-system comprising;

a low pass filter configured to remove high frequency signals from a signal that characterizes said second waveform, said high frequency signals characterized by a frequency greater than approximately two kilohertz, said first zero crossing analysis sub-system configured to receive signals derived from said second waveform via said low pass filter.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mask generation sub-system comprising;

a peak detector configured to provide a peak signal to a compare/integrate circuit, said compare/integrate circuit adapted to change at least one predetermined threshold associated with tripping said electrical device, said at least one predetermined threshold associated with said count analysis sub-system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mask generation sub-system comprising;

a zero crossing mask generator configured to generate an odd zero crossing mask and an even zero crossing mask, said first zero crossing analysis sub-system configured to receive at least one of said odd zero crossing mask and said even zero crossing mask.

11. The system of claim 1, said first zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising:

a direct current removal circuit configured to remove a direct current offset from said first waveform.

12. The system of claim 1, said first zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising:

an interruption counter configured to increment an interruption count responsive to a first received signal indicative of a zero crossing of said second waveform and a second received signal indicative of measurement of a magnitude associated with said first waveform exceeding a predetermined magnitude threshold.

13. The system of claim 1, said first zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising:

an interruption counter configured to reset an interruption count responsive to said first count of dips exceeding said second count threshold.

14. The system of claim 1, said first zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising:

a compare/integrate circuit configured to increment a trip count responsive to one or more of a first signal indicative of said first count, a second signal indicative of a slope associated with said first waveform exceeding a predetermined slope threshold, and a third signal indicative of a magnitude of a current reference.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second zero crossing analysis sub-system configured to determine, for said first waveform, a second count of dips that occur between a second sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of said second waveform, said second zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising a direct current removal circuit configured to remove a direct current offset from said first waveform.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second zero crossing analysis sub-system configured to determine, for said first waveform, a second count of dips that occur between a second sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of said second waveform, said second zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising an interruption counter configured to increment an interruption count responsive to a first received signal indicative of a zero crossing of said second waveform and a second received signal indicative of measurement of a magnitude associated with said first waveform exceeding a predetermined magnitude threshold.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second zero crossing analysis sub-system configured to determine, for said first waveform, a second count of dips that occur between a second sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of said second waveform, said second zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising an interruption counter configured to reset an interruption count responsive to said first count of dips exceeding said second count threshold.

18. A method comprising:

producing an arc fault detection circuit comprising;

a first zero crossing analysis sub-system comprising a counter configured to determine, for a first waveform, a first count of dips that occur between a first sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of a second waveform; and

a count analysis sub-system comprising a comparator configured to request a trip of an electrical device responsive to a determination that said first count of dips is greater than a first count threshold, but below a second count threshold.

19. A machine-readable medium comprising machine executable instructions for activities comprising:

requesting a trip of an electrical device associated with an electrical circuit responsive to a determination that a count of dips is greater than a first count threshold, but below a second count threshold, said count of dips determined, for a first waveform, between a sequential pair of predetermined zero crossings of a second waveform.