A method for diagnosing the state of wear of an electrical switching unit including an electrical unit monitoring phase. The monitoring phase uses learning data loaded previously and representative of the type of electrical unit, and initialization data corresponding to the unit to be monitored and stored in an initialization phase. The monitoring phase includes the measurement and the acquisition of a measurement curve on opening the electrical unit, the determination of the value of local descriptors of the measurement curve as a function of values of the measurement curve, of initialization data and of learning data, the determination of the positioning of local descriptor values, the determination of an overall state class as a function of the positioning values. The device and the electrical unit implement the method.

An electronic trip unit for a circuit interrupter includes a line side voltage sensing module for measuring first voltages on a line side of separable contacts, a load side voltage sensing module for measuring second voltages on a load side of the separable contacts, a current sensor, and a main controller. The main controller is further structured and configured to: (i) for each of a plurality of arc interruption events in the circuit interrupter, determine a mass loss due to contact erosion during the arc interruption event based on one or more of the first voltages, the second voltages and the current measured by the current sensor, (ii) determine a total mass loss based on each determined mass loss due to contact erosion, and (iii) monitor a remaining life of the separable contacts based on the determined total mass loss due to contact erosion.

An electrical protection apparatus includes at least one first or main electrical protection function able to be carried out by a microcontroller and a button termed a test button intended to be actuated by a user to give rise to the implementation of the testing of at least one second electrical function, this implementation of the test being intended to give rise to the tripping of the protection apparatus D. The electrical protection apparatus includes a device for pooling the actuation of this test button with at least one action intended to carry out a third function, as a function of various types of action exerted on the test button, these actions being detected by the microcontroller, the aim being for the latter to give the order to carry out one of the third functions or else the testing of one of the second functions.

A synthetic test circuit for testing a submodule performance in a power compensator includes a submodule test unit which is an object of testing the submodule performance, a current source and a controller. The current source is connected to the submodule test unit to supply a voltage to the submodule test unit such that a charging voltage having a capacity set in the submodule test unit is stored in order to operate the submodule test unit. The controller is configured to perform control to perform a submodule performance test of the submodule test unit using the stored charging voltage.

A closed and open contact method to predict a usable life of vacuum interrupters in the field can include using computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to position a calculated amp or calculated pressure on an ionic or current versus pressure calibration curve for the installed vacuum interrupter and identify trend data from a library of trend data corresponding to the installed vacuum interrupter and to the calculated pressure or calculated amp of the installed vacuum interrupter; thereby determining the anticipated life expectancy.

A method includes measuring, by at least one processor, a time at which control circuitry sends an instruction to a switch structured to control transmission of electrical power. The method further includes sensing, by at least one sensor, a change in position of the switch in response to the instruction, and determining, by the at least one processor, a delay between the time at which the control circuitry sends the instruction and a time at which the change in position occurs. The method still further includes recording, by the at least one processor, the delay in a delay measurement queue and taking, by the at least one processor, an action with respect to the switch in response to the delay measurement queue.

The apparatus is for use with a grid-linked facility and an alarm functionality. The grid-linked facility is of the type having a building containing an electrical load; and a breaker connected to the load and to the grid. The alarm functionality includes electronics adapted to produce information, the information being responsive to the availability of grid power downstream of the breaker; and transmission functionality adapted to receive information and to send received information beyond the building, the transmission functionality being coupled in use to the electronics for the receipt of information therefrom. The apparatus comprises a sensing functionality disposed in use upstream of the breaker; and circuitry coupled in use to the sensing functionality and the transmission functionality to deliver information associated with the availability of grid power upstream of the breaker to the transmission functionality.

An optical waveguide sheet 50 is fastened to an inward facing access door 4 of the load center 2. When the door is closed, the optical waveguide sheet is positioned so that one portion is juxtaposed with the circuit breaker 10A in the load center, to enable the optical waveguide sheet to receive an optical signal 70A characterizing current in the circuit breaker. The optical waveguide sheet 50 is further positioned so that another portion is juxtaposed with an optical window 48 of an aggregator. The optical waveguide sheet is configured to internally reflect the optical signal 70A within its body and to conduct the internally reflected optical signal from the circuit breaker to the optical window of the aggregator. The aggregator may provide information characterizing current usage to an alarm, a measurement device, the smart grid, or a storage device for later use.

Embodiments of a synthetic test circuit for a valve performance test of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) are presented. In some embodiments, the synthetic test circuit comprises a resonance circuit configured to comprise a first test valve to test an operation of an inverter mode and a second test valve to test an operation of a rectifier mode. The synthetic test circuit may comprise a power supply (P/S) configured to provide the resonance circuit with an operating voltage. The synthetic test circuit may comprise a direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converter configured to bypass a DC offset current of the resonance circuit. The first test valve may be an inverter unit, which may have a positive DC current offset. Further, the second test valve may be a rectifier unit, which may have a negative DC current offset.

A high current source (200) for a test system for testing an electric power device (30) comprises a first plurality of first switchable half-bridges (212) and a second plurality of second switchable half-bridges (222), which are connected in parallel and by means of which a test current is redundantly distributed. A control device (280) is designed to control the first and second half-bridges (212, 222) on the basis of an input signal in such a way that an output signal for the test current, which corresponds to the input signal, is applied across a bridge branch (230) between the first switchable half-bridges (212) and the second switchable half-bridges (222).