Power Control system

• US 20060052905A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Tiedemann, Larry Emil, Von Arx, Theodore Thomas, Pape, Robert Allen, Lemke, John Frederic, Pfingsten, Thomas Robert, Ness, Keith Douglas, Breitlow, Stanton Hopkins, Commare, Donald Leo, Dennis, Craig Richard, McNutt, Leon J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2425 Structural association with built-in components for coupling parts H01R13/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0005 the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1471 Modules for controlling actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1484 Electrical diagrams relating to constructional features, e.g. signal routing within PLC; Provisions for disaster recovery, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge

Abstract

A power control assembly for use in an integrated power control system has a base with a housing that defines a cavity adapted for receiving a power switch. The control assembly includes a control module configured for generating control signals for controlling the power switch for selectively providing power to a load. A control housing houses the control module and is adapted to be releasably coupled to the base housing and is configured for electrically coupling to control couplers on the base housing for providing the generated control signals to the power switch within the housing cavity upon coupling the control housing to the base housing.

Claims

1. A power control system comprises:

an integration coupling mechanism for mechanical and electrical coupling of a plurality of power control system components;

a communication link configured for providing a communication among a plurality of power control system components utilizing the coupling mechanism;

a power switch component adapted for coupling by the unit integration coupling mechanism, the power switch component selectively providing electrical energy to a load, said power switch component including a power supply interface for receiving power from a power supply, a power load interface for providing, at least a portion, of the received supply power to the power load, and a power switch communication interface configured to communicate over the communication link, said power switch component adapted to the coupling mechanism for mechanical, electrical and communication coupling; and

a power controller component for controlling the power switch component, said power controller component having a controller communication interface for communicating over the communication link to the power switch component.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the power controller component is configured as an integrated assembly within the power switch component.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the power control component is position as a separate unit from the power switch component and communicates with the power switch component over at least one of a dedicated control facility and the communication link.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a field device associated with the power control system, the field device being selected from the group consisting of an actuator, an accelerometer, a valve positioner, a gauge including a pressure gauge, a solenoid, a power supply, a heater, a valve including a solenoid valve, a meter, a motor, a pump, a switch including a thermal switch, a fusible link, and a memory device.

5. A power control system having a plurality of components, the system comprising:

a system control component for generating a switch control signal;

a limit control component for receiving a sensed limit operating characteristic and generating a limit control signal as a function of the sensed limit operating characteristic;

a communication link configured for providing a communication between two of the plurality of power control system components; and

a power control unit including a plurality of power control components and a unit integration coupling mechanism for mechanical and electrical coupling of the components of the power control unit, the power control unit including;

a power supply interface for receiving power from a power supply, a power load interface for providing, at least a portion of, the received supply power to a power load,

a power switch component for selectively providing electrical energy to a load responsive to the switch control signal and adapted to the coupling mechanism, the power switch component including a power switch communication interface configured to communicate with the communication link, and

a limit component for controlling the delivery of the supply power to the power switch component responsive to the limit control signal.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a plurality of the power control components within the power control unit generates one or more power control operating characteristics.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more power control operating characteristics are selected from the group consisting of a resistance, a current, a voltage, a Hall effect voltage, an energy, a mass, a power including an electrical power, a capacitance, an inductance, a reluctance, a phase, a timing, a frequency, a time, a mode, a status, a failure, a position, an alert, an alarm, a state, a magnetic intensity, data, and a parameter.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein a plurality of the power control components within the power control unit generates a self-identification message over the communication link.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising an intra-component diagnostics module.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising an inter-component diagnostics module for diagnosing an operating event of the power control system.

11. The system of claim 5, further comprising a system diagnostic module including a system diagnostic parameter selected from the group consisting of a diagnostic, a calibration, a profile, a configuration, a system administration, a system operation, an operating characteristic, an event, a status, a failure, a mode, and a state.

12. The system of claim 5, further comprising a system diagnostic module including a diagnostic function selected from the group consisting of an algorithm, a program, an artificial intelligence module, a modeling module, a mapping, a graphical analysis, a rule, a comparator, and a look-up table.

13. The system of claim 5, further comprising a system diagnostic module including a diagnostic function selected from the group consisting of a neural network, an empirical data, a numerical data, a fuzzy logic circuit, a neural fuzzy circuit, a polynomial algorithm, a residual life algorithm, an artificial intelligence module, a modeling module, and a statistical function.

14. The system of claim 5, further comprising an operational monitoring system monitoring an occurrence associated with one or more operating events selected from the group consisting of a change of a state, a change of a mode, a change of a status, a failure, a change of a field parameter, a change of the field operating characteristic, a value of a field parameter exceeding a threshold, an alarm, an alert, and a value of the field operating characteristic exceeding a threshold.

15. The system of claim 5 wherein the power control unit further comprises a load sensor for sensing an operating characteristic of the power load.

16. The system of claim 5 wherein the power control unit further comprises a power measurement component and sensor for sensing at least a voltage and a current.

17. The system of claim 5 wherein the power switch component includes a switch device selected from the group consisting of a contactor, a relay, a solid state device, a knife switch, a mercury switch, and a cam switch.

18. The system of claim 5 wherein the system includes a plurality of power control units, each of which communicates with the system control component and between each other over the communication link.

19. The system of claim 5, further comprising a communication interface for communicating between a plurality of power control systems and with a power control management or administration system.

20. The system of claim 5, further comprising an communication interface for communicating with an external system selected from the group consisting of a power control management a fabrication system, a manufacturing system, an assembly system, a processing system, an operational control system, an asset management system, a maintenance system including a predictive maintenance system, and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.

21. The system of claim 5 wherein the integrated coupling mechanism provides at least one of inter-component association and inter-component alignment.

22. The system of claim 5 wherein one or more components of the power control unit includes a processing system for performing an system or unit operating process selected from the group consisting of a diagnostics, a trouble shooting method, a fault detection, a fault isolation, a root cause, a setting, a limit, a threshold, a calibration, a failure prediction, a maintenance procedure, a validation, a verification, a traceability, an auto-configuration, an architecture alignment, a fingerprint, an identification, a theoretical modeling, a self-administration, and a self-tuning rule.

23. The system of claim 5 wherein the power control unit includes a function selected from the group consisting of a thermal protection, status indication, and zero cross detection.

24. A power control system having a plurality of components, the control system comprising:

a first control component having a plurality of first component versions;

a second control component having a plurality of second component versions; and

a system integration coupling mechanism for mechanical, electrical, and communication coupling the first component and the second component, wherein each of the first component versions being operable with each of the second component versions when coupled with the system integration coupling mechanism.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the first component and the second component each include a proximity recognition module.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the first component generates a self-identification and the second component receives the first self-identification message.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the second component includes a configuration management module, the second component initiating a self-configuration mode responsive to the received first self-identification message.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the second component includes a system profile and compares the received first self-identification message to the system profile, the second component initiating an action in response to the comparison.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the first component and the second component each includes a processing module and a memory.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the system integration coupling mechanism provides for mechanical alignment of the first component and the second component.

31. A power control system including a plurality of control system components, the control system comprising:

a system integration coupling mechanism for mechanical, electrical, and communication coupling of a plurality of components into the power control system;

a plurality of self-identifying components; and

a plurality of self-configuring components, the self-configuring being responsive to a received self-identification of another one of the plurality of components.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein two or more of the plurality of components includes a memory for storing a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration being associated with a first component and the second configuration being associated with a second component.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein a second component receives a second component configuration from a first component in response to installation of the second component in the power control system/the

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the first component further includes a third configuration, the third configuration being indicative of at least on of a prior configuration, a predetermined configuration, and a default configuration.

35. A method of controlling power in a power control system having a plurality of power control component, the method comprising:

generating self-identification of each component within a power control system;

comparing the identity of each component as self-identified to a at least one of a predetermined configuration and a profile; and

reconfiguring a characteristic of one or more components responsive to the comparing.

36. A power control system comprising:

a base including a housing configured for releasably receiving a control unit and a cavity within the housing for receiving a power switch, the base including an input power terminal for coupling to an input power source, an output power terminal for coupling to a power receiving load, and coupling fixtures for fixedly and electrically coupling to input and output power terminals and control terminals of the received power switch; and

a control unit configured to control the power switch for selectively providing, at least a portion of, the power received at the input power terminal to the output power terminal, the control unit having a housing adapted to be releasably coupled to the base housing, the control unit and base each are each configured to electrically couple the control unit to the control terminals of the received power switch as a function of the control unit being coupled to the base.

37. A power control system comprising:

a base including a housing for releasably receiving a control unit and defining a first cavity for receiving a power switch, a second cavity for receiving a limit switch, an input power terminal, an output power terminal coupled to receive switched power from an output terminal a received power switch, control couplers for coupling to an input and an output control terminal of the received power switch, and a plurality of electrical connections;

a limit switch within the second cavity and coupled by a portion of the electrical connections in series with the input power terminal, an input terminal of the received power switch received within the first cavity, and the output power terminal;

a control unit for providing control signals to the limit switch and control signals to the received power switch for selectively providing, at least a portion of, the power received at the input power terminal to the output power terminal, the control unit having a housing adapted to be releasably coupled to the base housing, the control unit and base are each configured to electrically couple the control unit to the control terminals of the received power switch as a function of the control unit being releasably coupled to the base, the control unit including a limit component having a threshold limit function, the limit switch control signals being a function of the threshold limit function.

38. A control assembly for use in an integrated power control system having a base including a housing and defining a cavity within the housing for receiving a power switch, the control assembly comprising:

a control module configured for generating control signals for controlling the power switch for selectively providing power to a load; and

a control housing for housing the control module and adapted to be releasably coupled to the base housing, the control housing being configured for electrically coupling to control couplers on the base housing for providing the generated control signals to the power switch within the housing cavity upon coupling the control housing to the base housing.

39. A method of assembling a power control unit, the method comprising:

inserting a power switch into a cavity defined by a base having housing;

coupling an input power terminal to an input terminal of the power switch;

coupling an output power terminal to an output terminal of the power switch;

coupling a first control attachment fixture to a first control terminal of the power switch;

coupling a second control attachment fixture to a second control terminal of the power switch; and

inserting a control unit having a control housing onto the base housing, the control housing and the base housing being configured for releasably coupling the inserted control unit to the base, the inserting a control unit including compressively coupling the control unit to the first control attachment fixture and the second control attachment fixture and completing an electrical connection between the control unit and each of the control terminals of the power switch.