Automatic diagnosis or repair for a generator controller

• US 9,787,099 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Frampton, Isaac S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US14/025,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20150069858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 11/004 in case of incorrect phase sequence; with switching for obtaining correct phase sequence protection of motors against wrong direction of rotation H02H7/097
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/44 with means for ensuring correct phase sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers

Abstract

A set of generators are connected in parallel using an electrical bus. One of the generators includes selectively connected inputs including a first input associated with a generator and a second input associated with the bus. A controller is configured to receive a first electrical characteristic from the first input assigned to a first connection and a second electrical characteristic from the second input assigned to a second connection. The controller is configured to generate a switching signal to assign the first input to the second connection or assign the second input to the first connection in response to a difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic exceeding a threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of selectively connected inputs to the controller, the plurality of selectively connected inputs including a first input associated with a generator and a second input associated with a bus; and

wherein the controller is configured to receive a first electrical characteristic from the first input assigned to a first connection and a second electrical characteristic from the second input assigned to a second connection;

wherein the controller is configured to generate a switching signal to internally connect the first input to the second connection or internally connect the second input to the first connection in response to a difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic exceeding a threshold,

wherein the controller is configured to compare a current configuration to a past configuration and initiate a validation operation including the switching signal for at least the generator or the bus associated with the current generator configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate an error message in response to the difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic exceeding the threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate an accuracy message in response to the difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic being less than the threshold, wherein the accuracy message indicates that at least one of the bus and the generator is operating correctly.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a request for a bus voltage reading from a plurality of generator controllers in response to the bus being inactive.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic are at least one of voltage, frequency, and phase.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a first electrical characteristic from a generator;

receiving a second electrical characteristic from a first component of a power source;

performing a first comparison between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic;

in response to the comparison between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic, initiating a validation operation to compare a current configuration to a past configuration to identify an errant connection associated with the first electrical characteristic; and

modifying the errant connection associated with the first electrical characteristic and the first component to internally connect to a second component of the power source.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to a difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic exceeding a threshold, generating an error message, wherein the error message identifies the generator or the connection associated with the first electrical characteristic and the first component.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to a difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic being less than a threshold, generating an accuracy message, wherein the accuracy message indicates that at least one of the bus and the generator is operating correctly.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

requesting a bus voltage reading from a plurality of generator controllers in response to the bus being inactive.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

requesting a circuit breaker status signal from a plurality of generator controllers in response to the bus being inactive.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating a bus voltage reading; and

sending the bus voltage reading to a plurality of generator controllers.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

connecting a circuit breaker for the generator; and

requesting remote bus voltage readings from the plurality of generator controllers.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic are at least one of voltage, frequency, and phase.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving status signals from a plurality of generator controllers;

analyzing a status signal from one of the plurality of generator controllers; and

detecting a configuration change from the status signal, wherein the comparison between the first electrical characteristic to the second electrical characteristic is in response to the configuration change.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the generator is a first generator, the first electrical characteristic is a first power reading associated with the first generator and the second electrical characteristic is a second power reading associated with a second generator, the method further comprising:

instructing the first generator to run at a low speed; and

instructing the second generator to run at a high speed, wherein the threshold is indicative of the second generator absorbing power from the first generator.

16. A method comprising:

receiving status signals from a plurality of generator controllers;

analyzing a status signal from one of the plurality of generator controllers;

detecting a configuration change from the status signal; and

validating connection accuracy of at least one of the plurality of generator controllers in response to the configuration change;

wherein an internal connection for at least one of the plurality of generator controllers is modified based on the validating connection accuracy,

comparing a current configuration derived from the status signal to a past configuration stored in memory, wherein the configuration change includes a difference between the current configuration and the past configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the configuration change includes a removal a generator for a set of generators, an addition of a generator for the set of generators, a change in serial number, a change in model number, or an abnormal condition from one of the plurality of generator controllers.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein validating operation of the plurality of generator controller comprises:

receiving a first electrical characteristic from a generator;

detecting a second electrical characteristic from a first component of a bus power line;

comparing the first electrical characteristic to the second electrical characteristic; and

in response to a difference between the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic exceeding a threshold, modifying a connection associated with the first electrical characteristic and the first component to a second component of the bus power line.