A system includes a contactor operatively connected to a coil for actuating the contactor to open and close a circuit. A pass element includes a source, a drain, and a gate, wherein the drain is electrically connected to the coil, and wherein the coil is in series between the pass element and ground. A voltage source is connected to the source of the pass element to pass current into the coil when the pass element is in a pass state. A current source control circuit with economizer is operatively connected to the gate of the pass element. A delay circuit is operatively connected to the current source control circuit with economizer and to a command line to command a lower current for holding the contactor closed after a delay has expired for the contactor to transition.

A relay device may include an armature that moves between a first position that electrically couples the armature to a first contact and a second position that electrically couples the armature to a second contact. The relay device may also include a relay coil that receives a voltage to magnetize the relay coil, thereby causing the armature to move from the first position to the second position. The relay device may also include a drive circuit that couple the voltage to the relay coil, such that the voltage is higher than a rated voltage associated with the relay coil.

A sliding power contact and method includes a mobile load device connector and a socket. The mobile load device connector includes a non-current power pin having a first length, a current power pin having a second length less than the first length, a neutral pin, and a ground pin. The socket includes a non-current power contact configured to electrically couple with the non-current power pin, a current power contact configured to electrically couple with the current power pin, a neutral contact configured to electrically couple with the neutral pin, and a ground pin configured to electrically couple with the ground pin. An arc suppressor is directly coupled to at least one of the non-current power pin and the non-current power contact, wherein the arc suppressor, the non-current power pin and the non-current power contact form a current path between the current power pin and the current power contact.

An arc suppressing circuit configured to suppress arcing across a power contactor coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source having a predetermined number of phases, each contact of the power contactor corresponding to one of the predetermined number of phases includes a number of dual unidirectional arc suppressors equal to the predetermined number of phases of the AC power source. Each dual unidirectional arc suppressor includes a first phase-specific arc suppressor configured to suppress arcing across the associated contacts in a positive domain, a a second phase-specific arc suppressor configured to suppress arcing across the associated contacts in a negative domain, and a coil lock controller, configured to be coupled between a contact coil driver of the power contactor, configured to detect an output condition from the contact coil driver and inhibit operation of the first and second phase-specific arc suppressors over a predetermined time.

Device, circuit, system, and method for contact sequencing are discussed. An electrical circuit includes a first pair of terminals adapted to be connected across a first set of switchable contacts, and a second pair of terminals adapted to be connected across a second set of switchable contacts that are coupled to an arc suppression circuit. A controller circuit is coupled to the first and second pairs of terminals and is configured to sequence activation or deactivation of the first and second sets of contacts based on a contact control signal. A first power switching circuit is coupled to the first pair of terminals and the controller circuit. The first power switching circuit is configured to switch power from an external power source and to trigger the activation or the deactivation of the first set of switchable contacts based on a first logic state signal from the controller circuit.

A high speed arc suppressor and method include a first phase-specific arc suppressor configured to suppress arcing across contacts of the power contactor in a positive domain and a second phase-specific arc suppressor configured to suppress arcing across the contacts in a negative domain. First and second high speed switches are configured to enable and disable operation of an associated one of the first and second phase-specific arc suppressors. First and second drivers are configured to drive the first and second high speed switches.

A power contact health assessor system includes a pair of terminals adapted to be connected to a set of switchable contact electrodes of a power contact and a contact separation detector configured to determine a time of separation of the set of switchable contact electrodes during deactivation of the power contact. The system includes a controller circuit operatively coupled to the pair of terminals and the contact separation detector. The controller circuit is configured to determine within a first observation window, a plurality of contact stick durations and an average contact stick duration. One or more additional observation windows with corresponding average contact stick durations are configured. A health assessment for the set of switchable contact electrodes may be based on a subsequent contact stick duration for a contact cycle after the first observation window and the corresponding average contact stick durations for the one or more additional observation windows.

A system includes a contactor operatively connected to a coil for actuating the contactor to open and close a circuit. A pass element includes a source, a drain, and a gate, wherein the drain is electrically connected to the coil, and wherein the coil is in series between the pass element and ground. A voltage source is connected to the source of the pass element to pass current into the coil when the pass element is in a pass state. A current source control circuit with economizer is operatively connected to the gate of the pass element. A delay circuit is operatively connected to the current source control circuit with economizer and to a command line to command a lower current for holding the contactor closed after a delay has expired for the contactor to transition.

A power contact health assessor system includes a pair of terminals adapted to be connected to a set of switchable contact electrodes of a power contact and a contact separation detector configured to determine a time of separation of the set of switchable contact electrodes during deactivation of the power contact. The system includes a controller circuit operatively coupled to the pair of terminals and the contact separation detector. The controller circuit is configured to determine within a first observation window, a plurality of contact stick durations and an average contact stick duration. One or more additional observation windows with corresponding average contact stick durations are configured. A health assessment for the set of switchable contact electrodes may be based on a subsequent contact stick duration for a contact cycle after the first observation window and the corresponding average contact stick durations for the one or more additional observation windows.

A power contact EoL predictor includes a pair of terminals adapted to be connected to a set of switchable contact electrodes of a power contact; a power switching circuit configured to trigger activation of the contact electrodes based on a first logic state signal or deactivation based on a second logic state signal; a contact separation detector determining a time of separation of the switchable contact electrodes of the power contact during the deactivation, and a controller configured to generate the second logic state signal to trigger the deactivation, and determine a stick duration associated with the set of switchable contact electrodes. The stick duration is based on a difference between a time the second logic state signal is generated and the time of separation during the contact cycle. The controller generates an EoL prediction for the contact electrodes based on the determined stick duration for multiple contact cycles.