A method may include receiving, via at least one processor, a first set of data indicative of a fault being present and send a first signal to a breaker based on the first set of data. The first signal may cause the breaker to open a plurality of poles of the breaker. The method may then involve receiving a second set of data indicative of the fault being cleared and sending a second signal to the breaker based on the second set of data. The second signal may cause the breaker to close a first pole of the plurality of poles at a first time and close a second pole of the plurality of poles at a second time different from the first time.

Systems and methods of detecting failures in an assembly that uses a variable differential transformer sensor. In one embodiment, a signal processor receives an excitation signal applied to the sensor, and detects a zero-crossing of the excitation signal. The signal processor receives an output signal of the variable differential transformer sensor in response to the excitation signal, and detects a zero-crossing of the output signal. The signal processor detects a fault in the assembly responsive to a determination that the zero-crossing of the output signal is separated from the zero-crossing of the excitation signal by more than the detection threshold.

A circuit interrupter including a first electrical conductor, a second electrical conductor, separable contacts, an operating mechanism configured to open and close said separable contacts, a trip circuit configured to trip open said separable contacts, a ground fault detection circuit configured to sense a difference between a current through the first electrical conductor and a current through the second electrical conductor and to output an output signal based on said sensed difference, a power supply, a confirmation circuit structured to input a confirmation signal to the power supply, and a processor configured to receive said direct current power and said output signal. The processor is configured to determine whether a characteristic of said confirmation signal is present in said output signal and to control the trip circuit based on said determination.

In a method and to a corresponding device for detecting phase failures in a converter, current regulators of a positive phase sequence system and current regulators of a negative phase sequence system are provided for the current control of the converter, wherein the current regulators of the positive phase sequence system and the current regulators of the negative phase sequence system each have an integrator, resulting, in the case of a network fault, in coupling of the integrators. At least one measured or calculated value is checked by a monitoring unit for a course that is typical of the coupling of the integrators, wherein the monitoring unit generates a fault signal if such a typical course is detected.

A method and apparatus for identifying an open phase of a circuit breaker on the basis of voltage. The method comprises: a protection apparatus measures three-phase voltages at two sides of a circuit breaker; respectively calculates a vector difference and an effective value of the voltages at two sides of the circuit breaker; when the phase voltages at two sides are both greater than 80% to 90% of a rated voltage, and the voltage vector difference at two sides of the one-phase or two-phase circuit breaker is greater than a set voltage, it is determined that the circuit breaker has an open phase; and actuates an alarming or tripping operation after a short time delay t.

A circuit breaker device for protection of an electrical low-voltage circuit determines the voltage level of the low-voltage circuit in such a way that current voltage values are provided and current threshold values are provided. The current voltage values are compared with the current threshold values in terms of phase angle in such a way that when the current threshold values are exceeded or undershot or a differential voltage value is formed from the current threshold value and the current voltage value, the differential voltage value is compared with a differential voltage threshold value and when it is exceeded or undershot, an interruption of the low-voltage circuit is initiated in order to avoid a short-circuit current. A method for protecting an electrical low-voltage circuit is also provided.

Methods and systems for detecting a falling power line in a power transmission or distribution system are described. Electrical measurements at various points in the power distribution system are used to detect changes in a power line indicating that the conductor has broken or become disconnected. Upon detection, control mechanisms are used to deenergize the conductor while the conductor is falling and/or before it contacts the ground.

The invention relates to a method of differential protection in the power distribution networks based on phase difference principles. The method comprises the following steps: collecting the current and voltage signals of each loading switch; calculating phase difference between the corresponding currents at two adjacent loading switches, wherein at least one of the two adjacent loading switches accords with I.sub. max>n.Math.I.sub.T+I.sub.dz; tripping the two adjacent loading switches if the phase difference corresponding to the two adjacent loading switches being greater than a threshold then a section between the two adjacent loading switches being determined as a fault section. The method only needs to calculate the phase difference between the corresponding currents at the two adjacent loading switches, and achieves the fault determination according to the phase difference being greater than the threshold. The method has low data synchronizing requirements, and processes the fault determination according to the collected signals. The time required for the entirely determining process is short, and a fast protecting response is achieved, thus the problem of slowly protecting response in the existing relay-protection method for the power distribution networks is solved.

A method and apparatus for identifying an open phase of a circuit breaker on the basis of voltage. The method comprises: a protection apparatus measures three-phase voltages at two sides of a circuit breaker; respectively calculates a vector difference and an effective value of the voltages at two sides of the circuit breaker; when the phase voltages at two sides are both greater than 80% to 90% of a rated voltage, and the voltage vector difference at two sides of the one-phase or two-phase circuit breaker is greater than a set voltage, it is determined that the circuit breaker has an open phase; and actuates an alarming or tripping operation after a short time delay t.

A system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) detection device includes a phase detection unit including at least one phase detector suitable for detecting a phase difference between a plurality of supply voltages or between a plurality of input signals; a storage unit suitable for shifting between a first and a second state, the second state indicating a phase difference detected by the phase detection unit; and an output unit suitable for outputting a system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) detection signal according to the first or second state of the storage unit.