A circuit breaker, for interrupting an electrical circuit including electrical conductors, includes an energy converter, a primary side being formed by a conductor and a secondary side being connected to a power supply; a sensor for determining the level of the electric current of an electrical conductor; and a controller, connected to the power supply and the sensor, to cause an interruption of the electrical circuit when current limit values or current/time period limit values are exceeded. The secondary side of the energy converter is connected to the input of a measurement circuit, the output of the energy converter being connected to the controller. The measurement circuit determines an amount of energy and delivers this to the controller, the controller comparing the amount of energy with the level of the current determined by the sensor and emitting a warning signal when a first threshold value is exceeded.

A circuit breaker, for interrupting an electrical circuit including electrical conductors, includes an energy converter, a primary side being formed by a conductor and a secondary side being connected to a power supply; a sensor for determining the level of the electric current of an electrical conductor; and a controller, connected to the power supply and the sensor, to cause an interruption of the electrical circuit when current limit values or current/time period limit values are exceeded. The secondary side of the energy converter is connected to the input of a measurement circuit, the output of the energy converter being connected to the controller. The measurement circuit determines an amount of energy and delivers this to the controller, the controller comparing the amount of energy with the level of the current determined by the sensor and emitting a warning signal when a first threshold value is exceeded.

A method for circuit breaker failure (CBF) protection in a power substation is disclosed. The power substation includes a first circuit breaker (CB), a second CB coupled to the first CB, a feeder coupled to the first CB and the second CB, a power plant coupled to the feeder, a first plurality of CBs coupled to the first CB, and a second plurality of CBs coupled to the second CB. The method includes sending a first stage tripping command to the first CB and the second CB to trip the first CB and the second CB responsive to a non-high current tripping command being active for a first period of time, and one of a current condition and an energization condition being satisfied for the first period of time, sending a first second-stage tripping command to the first plurality of CBs to trip the first plurality of CBs responsive to the non-high current tripping command being active for a second period of time, and one of the current condition and the energization condition being satisfied for the second period of time, and sending a second second-stage tripping command to the second plurality of CBs to trip the second plurality of CBs responsive to the non-high current tripping command being active for a third period of time, and one of the current condition and the energization condition being satisfied for the third period of time. The second period of time and the third period of time may be longer than the first period of time.

A modular power flow control system having early detection and reporting of transmission line faults is described. The response time for closing a bypass switch and reporting the fault is less than 200 microseconds for hard faults, longer for soft faults. Reprogramming of distance relays is not required. Transmission line faults are characterized using a fault detection sensor suite, normally including at least a current sensor such as a current transformer and a rate of current change sensor such as a Rogowski coil, and in some embodiments, a temperature sensor. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to arc fault detection in an electrical switch apparatus. In aspects of the present disclosure, an arc fault electrical switch apparatus includes a conductive path, a switch configured to interrupt electrical current in the conductive path, a current sensor in electrical communication with the conductive path and configured to measure the electrical current to provide current measurements, and a controller. The controller is configured to execute instructions to sample the current measurements to provide current samples, computing an estimated signal-to-noise ratio of the electrical current based on at least a portion of the current samples, determine whether the signal-to-noise ratio is less than a predetermined threshold, and activate the switch to interrupt the electrical current in the conductive path, if the signal-to-noise ratio is less than the predetermined threshold.

The present disclosure relates to arc fault detection in an electrical switch apparatus. In aspects of the present disclosure, an arc fault electrical switch apparatus includes a conductive path, a switch configured to interrupt electrical current in the conductive path, a current sensor in electrical communication with the conductive path and configured to measure the electrical current to provide current measurements, and a controller. The controller is configured to execute instructions to sample the current measurements to provide current samples, computing an estimated signal-to-noise ratio of the electrical current based on at least a portion of the current samples, determine whether the signal-to-noise ratio is less than a predetermined threshold, and activate the switch to interrupt the electrical current in the conductive path, if the signal-to-noise ratio is less than the predetermined threshold.

An electrical device includes a first terminal structured to electrically connect to a power source; a second terminal structured to electrically connect to a load; a voltage sensor electrically connected to a point between the first and second terminals and being structured to sense a voltage at the point between the first and second terminals; a switch electrically connected between the first terminal and the second terminal; and a control unit structured to detect a power quality event in the power flowing between the first and second terminals based on the sensed voltage and to control a state of the switch based on the detected power quality event.

An electrical device includes a first terminal structured to electrically connect to a power source; a second terminal structured to electrically connect to a load; a voltage sensor electrically connected to a point between the first and second terminals and being structured to sense a voltage at the point between the first and second terminals; a switch electrically connected between the first terminal and the second terminal; and a control unit structured to detect a power quality event in the power flowing between the first and second terminals based on the sensed voltage and to control a state of the switch based on the detected power quality event.

A receptacle including an electronic processor configured to receive information from an external load and determine, from the information, an operation profile of the external load. The electronic processor analyzes a present operation of the external load and discontinues power to the external load when a present operation of the external load differs from the operational profile.

A power supply circuit includes a power supply line through which DC power input from a first connector to a second connector is supplied to a power supply that generates a power based on the DC power; a waveform output circuit configured to output a voltage waveform sloped when an arc is occurring between the first connector and the second connector; and a control circuit configured to output to the power supply an instruction for turning off the power supply when a slope of the voltage waveform exceeds a threshold.