Connection apparatus for parallel running generators

• US 8,053,932 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Eguchi, Junichi, Kimata, Ryuichi, Tamura, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/489,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 307/84, 307/43
• US Class Current: 307/84
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers

Abstract

An apparatus for connecting two generators to run in parallel including a conductive path that connects the generators to an electrical load, a switching circuit that opens/closes the conductive path, a current sensor that detects current flowing the conductive path and an electronic control unit comprising a microcomputer. The control unit functions as a generator model identifier that inputs a signal indicating a model ID from each generator and determines whether the model ID corresponds to data stored in memory, and a switching circuit operator that operates the circuit to close the conductive path to connect the generators to the electrical load when the model ID corresponds to the data, while operates it to open the conductive path when the current is not detected by the current sensor after the conductive path was closed, thereby preventing the outputs of other generators from appearing at the terminals of a disconnected plug and damage to the generators.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting generators to run in parallel, comprising:

a conductive path that is adapted to connect the generators to an electrical load;

a switching circuit that opens/closes the conductive path;

a current sensor that detects current flowing the conductive path; and

an electronic control unit that comprises a microcomputer and functions as;

a generator model identifier that inputs a signal indicating a model ID from each of the generators and determines whether the model ID of the inputted signal corresponds to data stored in memory; and

a switching circuit operator that operates the switching circuit to close the conductive path to connect the generators to the electrical load when the model ID of the inputted signal corresponds to the data, while operates it to open the conductive path when the current is not detected by the current sensor after the conductive path was closed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data stored in memory includes data for a plurality of model IDs, and the switching circuit operator closes the conductive path when the model ID of the inputted signal corresponds to one of the data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generator model identifier inputs the signal through a terminal for troubleshooting or remote control.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generators are two.