A system includes a first circuit breaker comprising a first solid state switch, first mechanical contacts, and a current sensor structured to sense current flowing through the first circuit breaker, and a second circuit breaker electrically coupled to the first circuit breaker and being structured to interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker, wherein the first circuit breaker is structured to transmit, to the second circuit breaker, a request upon detecting a failure mode, and wherein the second circuit breaker is structured to interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker in response to receiving the request, and the first circuit breaker is further structured to open the first mechanical contacts when the current flowing through the first circuit breaker drops to a predetermined level.

A method for operating a solid state circuit breaker includes obtaining information about a maximum breaking current value, obtaining a present current value detected within a present sampling time period and a previous current value detected within a previous sampling time period, the previous sampling period being before the present sampling time period, determining a predicted current value within a next sampling time period based on the present current value, the previous current value, and duration of the sampling time period, the next sampling period being after the present sampling time period, determining whether the predicted current value is greater than the maximum breaking current value of the solid state circuit breaker, and controlling the solid state circuit breaker to disconnect a circuit in which the solid state circuit breaker resides upon the predicted current value being greater than the maximum breaking current value.

A method is for locating a ground fault in a DC system to which a plurality of load zones can be connected. The method includes specifying a time window and, after the ground fault is detected, assigning the ground fault to a load zone which was connected to the DC system within the time window before the detection of the ground fault.

A method for preventing ground fault in a three-phase electric transmission line system caused by a line break, includes: providing a programmable relay protection system, including a plurality of relay devices on each line, programmed to include: preset parameter ranges of at least two electric operating conditions, at least one high sensitivity instantaneous undercurrent and at least one high sensitivity condition selected from line differential overcurrent and negative sequence overcurrent (and combinations thereof), the preset ranges being acceptable operating parameter ranges; monitoring; permitting closed circuit operation when all of the lines show that the two operating conditions are within the preset acceptable operating parameter ranges; tripping a circuit breaker on a broken line when that line shows that the two operating conditions are outside the preset parameter ranges; and shutting down power to the broken line before it otherwise causes a ground fault or other short circuit.

A method for controlling the rebuilding of an electrical supply network, wherein the electrical supply network has a first network section and at least one further network section, at least one wind farm is connected to the first network section, the wind farm can be controlled via a wind farm control room, the first network section is coupled to the at least one further network section via at least one switching device in order to transmit electrical energy between the network sections, the at least one switching device is set up to disconnect the first network section from the at least one further network section in the event of a fault, a network control station is provided for the purpose of controlling the at least one switching device, wherein, in the event of a fault during which a network fault acting on the first network section occurs, the first network section is disconnected from the at least one further network section by the at least one switching device, the wind farm control room interchanges data with the network control station via a control room connection, wherein the control room connection is a failsafe communication connection between the wind farm control room and the network control station and can be operated independently of the electrical supply network, in particular can be operated even in the case of the fault in the first network section, and the wind farm receives data from the network control station via a wind farm connection, wherein the wind farm connection is a failsafe communication connection between the wind farm and the network control station and can be operated independently of the electrical supply network, in particular can be operated even in the case of the fault in the first network section, and further data which are not transmitted via the control room connection and are not transmitted via the wind farm connection are transmitted via a further data connection provided that the latter has not failed.

A method of limiting a total power delivered by a power distribution unit having a plurality of output connectors is disclosed. A configurable power threshold is assigned for each of the output connectors so that a sum of the configurable power thresholds of the output connectors does not exceed a maximum rated power for the power distribution unit. A power level of a given output connector is sensed. A delivery of power by the given output connector is stopped when the power level of the given output connector exceeds the configurable power threshold for the given output connector. Power delivery may be resumed in response to receiving a user command to rearm the given output connector. A power distribution unit adapted to limit its total power delivery is also disclosed.

A system includes a first circuit breaker comprising a first solid state switch, first mechanical contacts, and a current sensor structured to sense current flowing through the first circuit breaker, and a second circuit breaker electrically coupled to the first circuit breaker and being structured to interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker, wherein the first circuit breaker is structured to transmit, to the second circuit breaker, a request upon detecting a failure mode, and wherein the second circuit breaker is structured to interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker in response to receiving the request, and the first circuit breaker is further structured to open the first mechanical contacts when the current flowing through the first circuit breaker drops to a predetermined level.

Output circuit devices for use in electric power systems may include a first output subsystem for transmitting a first signal output via an output port to a component of the electric power system, an input subsystem for receiving and monitoring the first signal output transmitted by the first output subsystem, and a second output subsystem for transmitting another signal output to the component of the electric power system. The second output subsystem is to transmit the signal output in response to an indication from the input subsystem. Intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and associated methods may include one or more output circuit devices.

A method includes detecting an initial fault in a system and opening a contactor to isolate a load bus from the system for a window of time. During the window of time, the method includes detecting whether current flows from a generator of the system. If current flows from the generator of the system during the window of time, the method includes isolating the load bus from the generator. If current does not flow from the generator to the system during the window of time, the method includes isolating the load bus from all sources including the generator.

The present invention relates to Electronic Control Units (ECUs) for use in ring-like power distribution architectures as well as to ring-like power distribution architectures comprising such ECUs. It also relates to vehicles comprising such ring-like power distribution architectures. In an aspect, an ECU comprises a first ECU terminal for receiving power from a first power source (PS) terminal of a first power source, means for determining whether current is flowing into the first ECU terminal or out of the first ECU terminal, and means for adjusting a sensitivity of a first ECU fuse associated with the first ECU terminal based on whether current is flowing into the first ECU terminal or out of the first ECU terminal.