Transfer switch with generator maintenance indicator

• US 7,569,949 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Lathrop, Todd Matthew, Popovich, Bert
• Primary Examiner(s): DeBeradinis; Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US11/627,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 307/64
• US Class Current: 307/64
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems

Abstract

A transfer switch having a transfer control provides electric power to a load. The transfer switch includes a power switching device provided with electric power from a first power source, such as a utility power source, and a second power source, such as a generator power source. The transfer control is structured to monitor the second power source, maintain a runtime count of the second power source, locate a piece of data concerning a maintenance procedure in a storage corresponding to a current value of the runtime count, and provide an indication of a need to perform the maintenance procedure.

Claims

1. A transfer switch for a first power source, a second power source, and a load, said transfer switch comprising:

a power switching device structured to select between the first power source and the second power source and to supply power to the load; and

a transfer control structured to monitor the second power source, to maintain a runtime count of the second power source, to identify a maintenance procedure corresponding to the runtime count, and to provide an indication of a need to perform the maintenance procedure.

2. The transfer switch of claim 1, wherein the transfer control is further structured to signal the second power source to turn on and to turn off, and is further structured to count the runtime of the second power source from an instance of signaling the second power source to turn on to an instance of signaling the second power source to turn off.

3. The transfer switch of claim 1, wherein the transfer control is further structured to monitor power supplied by the second power source to the power switching device, and is further structured to count the runtime of the second power source by counting the time during which the second power source supplies power having a characteristic that meets a predetermined operating parameter to the power switching device.

4. The transfer switch of claim 1, wherein the transfer control is further structured to monitor a status signal from the second power source, and to count the runtime of the second power source by counting the time during which the status signal indicates that the second power source is operating.

5. The transfer switch of claim 1, wherein the second power source includes a starting battery having a voltage, and wherein the transfer control is further structured to monitor the voltage and to provide a signal when the voltage falls below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

6. The transfer switch of claim 1, wherein the transfer control is further structured to monitor a quantity of fuel available to the second power source, and to provide a signal when the quantity of fuel falls below a predetermined value.

7. The transfer switch of claim 1, wherein said transfer control comprises a storage and a processor structured to locate a piece of data in the storage concerning the maintenance procedure.

8. The transfer switch of claim 7, wherein the piece of data is an identifier of the maintenance procedure, and wherein the transfer control is further structured to display the identifier of the maintenance procedure.

9. The transfer switch of claim 7, wherein the storage stores data concerning a plurality of maintenance procedures.

10. The transfer switch of claim 9, wherein the maintenance procedures apply to a plurality of models of power generator sources, and wherein the second power source is selected from among the models of power generator sources.

11. The transfer switch of claim 10, wherein the transfer control is further structured to enable selection of the second power source from among the models of power generator sources by an operator of the transfer switch.

12. A method of monitoring a second power source structured to provide power to a transfer switch including a power switching device, said power switching device being structured to receive power from a first power source and the second power source, said power switching device being operated by a transfer control, said method comprising:

maintaining a runtime count of the second power source at the transfer switch;

identifying a maintenance procedure corresponding to the runtime count; and

providing an indication of a need to perform the maintenance procedure.

13. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising signaling the second power source to turn on or to turn off, and counting the runtime of the second power source from an instance of signaling the second power source to turn on to an instance of signaling the second power source to turn off.

14. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising monitoring power supplied by the second power source to the power switching device, and counting the runtime of the second power source by counting the time during which the second power source supplies power having a characteristic that meets a predetermined operating parameter to the power switching device.

15. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising monitoring a status signal from the second power source, and counting the runtime of the second power source by counting the time during which the status signal indicates that the second power source is operating.

16. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising monitoring a voltage of a starting battery of the second power source, and providing a signal when the voltage falls below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

17. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising monitoring a quantity of fuel available to the second power source, and providing a signal when the quantity falls below a predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising identifying a piece of data concerning the maintenance procedure, said piece of data being an identifier of the maintenance procedure, and displaying the piece of data.

19. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising storing data concerning a plurality of maintenance procedures.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the maintenance procedures apply to a plurality of models of power generator sources, said method further comprising selecting the second power source from among the models of power generator sources.

21. The method of claim 20, said method further comprising enabling selection of the second power source from among the models of power generator sources by an operator of the transfer switch.