SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR POWER INTERRUPTION

• US 20140268454A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acleap Power Incorporated
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Turner, Gary Jay, Walter, Tab O., Smith, Darwin Drake
• Granted Patent: US 9,438,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/79
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/20 responsive to excess voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/42 responsive to product of voltage and current

Abstract

A power interruption circuit for use in a power distribution module is provided. The power interruption circuit is configured to provide power to a load and includes a shunt resistor, a plurality of switches, and microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to determine a digitized value of a current flowing through the shunt resistor, determine a digitized value of an output voltage of the power interruption circuit, calculate, from the digitized current value and the digitized output voltage value, a power provided by the power interruption circuit to the load, compare the calculated power to a threshold power level, and control the plurality of switches based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A power interruption circuit for use in a power distribution module, said power interruption circuit configured to provide power to a load and comprising:

a shunt resistor;

a plurality of switches; and

a microprocessor configured to;

determine a digitized value of a current flowing through said shunt resistor;

determine a digitized value of an output voltage of said power interruption circuit;

calculate, from the digitized current value and the digitized output voltage value, a power provided by said power interruption circuit to the load;

compare the calculated power to a threshold power level; and

control said plurality of switches based on the comparison.

2. A power interruption circuit in accordance with claim 1, wherein said shunt resistor is coupled in series with at least one of said plurality of switches.

3. A power interruption circuit in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of switches comprises two switches.

4. A power interruption circuit in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to amplify a voltage across said shunt resistor; and

an analog to digital converter configured to convert the amplified voltage into a digitized voltage value, wherein said microprocessor determines the digitized current value from the digitized voltage value.

5. A power interruption circuit in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to divide down a voltage between a positive voltage output and a negative voltage output of said power interruption circuit; and

an analog to digital converter configured to convert the divided down voltage into the digitized output voltage value.

6. A power interruption circuit in accordance with claim 1, wherein to control said plurality of switches based on the comparison, said microprocessor is configured to:

maintain said plurality of switches in a closed position when the calculated power is less or equal to than the threshold power level; and

switch said plurality of switches from the closed position to an open position when the calculated power is greater than the threshold power level.

7. A power interruption circuit in accordance with claim 1, wherein the threshold power level is 100 Volt-amperes (VA).

8. A power distribution module for use in a power distribution system, said power distribution module comprising:

a plurality of power interruption circuits, wherein each of said plurality of power interruption circuits is configured to provide power to a respective load, each of said plurality of power interruption circuits comprising;

a shunt resistor;

a plurality of switches; and

a microprocessor configured to;

determine a digitized value of a current flowing through said shunt resistor;

determine a digitized value of an output voltage of said power interruption circuit;

calculate, from the digitized current value and the digitized output voltage value, a power provided by said power interruption circuit to the respective load;

compare the calculated power to a threshold power level; and

control said plurality of switches based on the comparison.

9. A power distribution module in accordance with claim 8, wherein said shunt resistor is coupled in series with at least one of said plurality of switches.

10. A power distribution module in accordance with claim 8, wherein said plurality of switches comprises two switches.

11. A power distribution module in accordance with claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of power interruption circuits further comprises:

an amplifier configured to amplify a voltage across said shunt resistor; and

an analog to digital converter configured to convert the amplified voltage into a digitized voltage value, wherein said microprocessor determines the digitized current value from the digitized voltage value.

12. A power distribution module in accordance with claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of power interruption circuits further comprises:

an amplifier configured to divide down a voltage between a positive voltage output and a negative voltage output of said power interruption circuit; and

an analog to digital converter configured to convert the divided down voltage into the digitized output voltage value.

13. A power distribution module in accordance with claim 8, wherein to control said plurality of switches based on the comparison, said microprocessor is configured to:

maintain said plurality of switches in a closed position when the calculated power is less than or equal to the threshold power level; and

switch said plurality of switches from the closed position to an open position when the calculated power is greater than the threshold power level.

14. A power distribution module in accordance with claim 8, wherein said plurality of power interruption circuits comprises eight power interruption circuits.

15. A method for controlling power supplied to a load through a current interruption circuit, said method comprising:

determining, using a processing device, a digitized value of a current flowing through a shunt resistor in the current interruption circuit;

determining, using the processing device, a digitized value of an output voltage of the current interruption circuit;

calculating, using the processing device, a power provided by the current interruption circuit to the load, the power calculated from the digitized current value and the digitized output voltage value;

comparing the calculated power to a threshold power level; and

controlling at least one switch in the power interruption circuit based on the comparison.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein determining a digitized current value comprises:

amplifying a voltage across the shunt resistor using an amplifier; and

converting the amplified voltage into a digitized voltage value using an analog to digital converter; and

calculating the digitized current value from the digitized voltage value.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein determining a digitized voltage value comprises:

dividing down a voltage between a positive voltage output and a negative voltage output of the power interruption circuit using an amplifier; and

converting the divided down voltage into the digitized output voltage value using an analog to digital converter.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein controlling at least one switch in the power interruption circuit based on the comparison comprises:

maintaining the at least one switch in a closed position when the calculated power is less than or equal to the threshold power level; and

switching the at least one switch from the closed position to an open position when the calculated power is greater than the threshold power level.

19. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein comparing the calculated power to a threshold power level comprises comparing the calculated power to a threshold power level of 100 Volt-amperes (VA).

20. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising storing the calculated power on a memory device communicatively coupled to the processing device.