Method of facilitating communications across open circuit breaker contacts

• US 7,680,561 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Kuzkin, Gary Myron, Brown, Scott Robert, Haun, Andy Allen, Rodgers, Barry Noel, Liptak, Julius Michael, Dwulet, Robert Joseph, Scott, Gary W., Filippenko, Alexander, Kocher, Mark John
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US11/520,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 340/310.11, 340/310.16
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

An intelligent power management system that includes a circuit breaker containing a PLC module that spans open contacts of the circuit breaker to provide a communication path for PLC messages between communication paths on each of the line and load sides of the circuit when the contacts are open. The contacts are motorized to permit remote operation through PLC messaging. Coupled to the PLC module is a controller, which controls the opening and closing of the motorized contacts under user control or via an adaptive load management algorithm that reduces peak power consumption and adapts a set of loads to changed power supply conditions. The controller can also dynamically alter operational current and fault threshold levels on a real-time basis based upon circuit requirements or environmental conditions. The algorithm runs a state machine and also manages loads in a limited power source environment such as when loads are powered by a generator.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating communication across open contacts of a circuit breaker comprising:

connecting a communications interface across contacts of said circuit breaker such that said communications interface includes a repeater connected between a closed communication path on the line side of a circuit to which said circuit breaker is connected and a closed communication path on the load side of said circuit; and

passing signals, via said communications interface, between the line side closed communication path and the load side closed communication path of said circuit regardless of whether said contacts are open or closed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein both of the line and load side closed communication paths are bi-directional.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications interface includes a power line coupler for receiving said signals and a power line coupler for sending said signals in each of the line and load side closed communication paths and a neutral conductor interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting which of at least two states said contacts are in, said at least two states being open and closed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is an active communications interface in that it both receives and transmits signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications interface is a power line communication (PLC) module.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said signals include power line communication (PLC) messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said signals include Ethernet-formatted packets.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting said communications interface to a DC voltage supply.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operatively coupling a controller to said communications interface; and

programming said controller to receive and transmit said signals through said communications interface between the load side closed communication path and the line side closed communication path of said circuit.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising coupling said controller to a motor operatively coupled to said contacts, and farther programming said controller to move said contacts between an open and a closed position via said motor.

12. The method of claim 10, farther comprising connecting said controller to a DC voltage supply housed within said circuit breaker.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller includes a sensing circuit configured to receive signals representative of the current flowing through the load side of said circuit to which said circuit breaker is connectable.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to dynamically alter a fault threshold level of said circuit breaker.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to dynamically alter an operational current threshold level of said circuit breaker.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to dynamically adjust a trip threshold of said circuit breaker.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to cause said contacts to open in response to receiving a power line communication (PLC) message communicated through said communications interface from the line side closed communication path of said circuit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said controller causes said contacts to open based on criteria selected from. the group consisting of occupancy, cost of power, time-of-day pricing, and real-time pricing.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to detect an imminent brownout condition on the line side of said circuit and, in response thereto, cause said contacts to open.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising further programming said controller to sequence at least one interruptible load connected to said circuit based on an adaptive load management algorithm.

21. The method of claim 10, further comprising further programming said controller to execute an adaptive load management algorithm to temporarily shut down at least one interruptible load connected to said circuit to provide extra power for a high in-rush current toad connected to another circuit.

22. The method of claim 10, further comprising further programming said controller to execute an adaptive load management algorithm to cause said contacts to open or close based on a priority associated with a load connected to said circuit.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to cause said contacts open during at least a portion of a high energy cost time period.

24. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to substantially predict the behavior of at least one load connected to said circuit using a neural network predictor algorithm.

25. The method of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to manage adaptively loads connected to said circuit when said circuit is powered by a backup power supply.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the line side closed communication path includes a utility power source, at least one power line coupler on the power source side of the circuit breaker contacts, a neutral conductor interface arid the communications interface and the load side closed communication path includes the load, at least one power line coupler on the load side of the circuit breaker contacts, a neutral conductor interface and the communications interface.