Power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers

• US 20030161165A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB SPA (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB SPA (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Salvatore, Brandonisio
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/45
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/06 Arrangements for supplying operative power power supply arrangements in general G05F, H02M
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/063 primary power being supplied by fault current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/33 using summation current transformers H02H3/347 takes precedence

Abstract

A power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers, comprising:

an electronic rectifier stage, suitable to receive in input a mains voltage and to generate a first unipolar voltage whose value depends on the value of the mains voltage; and

an electronic adjustment stage, suitable to receive in input the first unipolar voltage and a current and to generate in output a second unipolar voltage of adjustable value.

Its particularity consists of the fact that the electronic adjustment stage comprises first electronic means suitable to perform an active adjustment of the current in input to the electronic adjustment stage, so as to keep the second unipolar voltage at a predefined constant value.

Claims

1. A power supply device for low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breakers, comprising:

an electronic rectifier stage, suitable to receive in input a mains voltage and to generate a first unipolar voltage, the value of said first unipolar voltage depending on the value of said mains voltage; and

an electronic adjustment stage, which is suitable to receive in input, from said electronic rectifier stage, said first unipolar voltage and a first current and which is suitable to generate in output a second unipolar voltage, which has an adjustable value;

characterized in that said electronic adjustment stage comprises first electronic means, suitable to perform an active adjustment of said first current, so as to keep said second unipolar voltage at a predefined adjustable value.

2. The power supply device, according to claim 1, characterized in that said first electronic means perform an active adjustment of said first current, in accordance to an adjustment mode of the non-linear type.

3. The power supply device, according to claim 2, characterized in that said first electronic means perform an active adjustment of said first current, in accordance to an adjustment mode of the switching type.

4. The power supply device, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said first electronic means perform an active adjustment of said first current, so as to generate in output a second current, which has an adjustable average value.

5. The power supply device, according to claim 4, characterized in that said second current is of the pulsed type, with adjustable pulse width and repetition period.

6. The power supply device, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said electronic adjustment stage comprises a charge accumulation circuit, which is electrically connected to said first electronic means, said charge accumulation circuit receiving in input said second current and generating said second unipolar voltage, the value of said second unipolar voltage depending on the average value of said second current.

7. The power supply device, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said first electronic means comprise:

an electronic interruption circuit, which is suitable to enable/interrupt, following the reception of an enable/disable signal, said first current; and

a comparator circuit block, which is suitable to generate a control signal when said second unipolar voltage assumes values above or below a preset range; and

an enabling circuit block, which is suitable to generate, following a control signal from said comparator circuit block, an enable/disable signal for said electronic interruption circuit.

9. The power supply device, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said electronic adjustment stage comprises second electronic means, which are electrically connected to said first electronic means and are suitable to generate control signals for said first electronic means in order to limit to a predefined maximum threshold the amplitude of the pulses of said second current.

10. A power supply device, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said electronic adjustment stage comprises third electronic means which are electrically connected to said first electronic means and are suitable to increase the stability of said electronic adjustment stage.

11. The power supply device, according to claim 10, characterized in that said third electronic means are capable to adjust the slope of the rising/falling edges of the pulses of said second current.

12. A low-voltage electronic residual current circuit breaker, characterized in that it comprises a power supply device, according to one or more of claims 1 to 11.

8. The power supply device, according to previous claims, characterized in that said second current of the pulsed type, whose pulse amplitude is equal to the amplitude of said first current and whose pulse duration can be adjusted by said electronic control circuit.