A power restoration system for restoring power to feeder segments in response to a fault. The system includes a reclosing device having a switch and one or more sensors for measuring current and/or voltage on the feeder, where the reclosing device performs a pulse testing process to determine circuit fault conditions. The system also includes a plurality of switching devices electrically coupled along the feeder, where each switching device includes a section switch and one or more sensors for measuring current and/or voltage on the at least one feeder. In one embodiment, each switching device recognizes predetermined pulse codes having a sequence of pulses, where the reclosing device uses the pulse testing process to generate and selectively transmit defined pulse codes on the feeder that selectively cause the section switches to change states between an open state and a closed state depending on the code.

A transformer assembly including a transformer that is part of an underground residential power distribution circuit and that provides fault isolation and restoration. The transformer assembly includes an enclosure enclosing a primary winding and a secondary winding. The transformer assembly also includes first and second switching devices mounted to a panel of the enclosure, where each switching device includes an outer housing, a transformer interface electrically coupled to the primary winding, a connector interface electrically coupled to a first connector and a vacuum interrupter having a fixed contact and a movable contact. The fixed contact is electrically coupled to the connector interface or the transformer interface and the movable terminal is electrically coupled to the other connector interface or the transformer interface.

A switching device that is part of a transformer in an underground residential power distribution circuit and provides fault isolation and restoration. The switching device includes a transformer interface for coupling the device to the transformer and a connector interface for coupling the device to a connector. The device also includes a vacuum interrupter having a fixed terminal and a movable terminal, where the fixed terminal is electrically coupled to the connector interface and the movable terminal is electrically coupled to the transformer interface. A control rod is coupled to the movable terminal, an actuator assembly is coupled to the control rod and is operable to move the control rod to open and close the vacuum interrupter. A capacitor is electrically coupled to the fixed terminal, and provides an interface for power line communications signals, voltage sensing, help determine power flow direction and help determine the distance to a fault.

Provided herein is a power distribution system comprising a feedback circuit including a transistor in series with a relay, the feedback circuit regulating regulate a main power path including a main power supply connected in series with an electric power converter. The power distribution system further comprises OR-ing controllers that regulate the main power path and a backup power path including a low-voltage battery. The power distribution system further comprises terminals through which power from the main power path or the backup power path is transmitted to respective components corresponding to channels. The power distribution system further includes a microcontroller that acquires data in each of the channels and control operations associated with each of the channels based on the acquired data.

A switch assembly that is part of a transformer in an underground residential power distribution circuit and that provides fault isolation and restoration. The switch assembly includes first and second switching devices each having an outer housing, a transformer interface electrically coupled to the transformer, a connector interface electrically coupled to a first connector and a first vacuum interrupter having a fixed contact and a movable contact, where the fixed contact is electrically coupled to the connector interface and the movable contact is electrically coupled to the transformer interface. A control board controls the first and second switching devices, where the control board is responsive to voltage signals from capacitors in the first and second switching devices.

A method for isolating a fault in an underground power distribution network. The network includes a power line, a plurality of transformers electrically coupled to and positioned along the power line, a first recloser connected to one end of the power line and a second recloser connected to an opposite end of the power line, where each transformer includes an upstream switching device and a downstream switching device, and where power is provided to both ends of the power line through the first and second reclosers and one of the switching devices is a normally open switching device. The method includes detecting overcurrent by some of the switching devices, detecting loss of voltage by some of the switching devices and sending clear to close messages to some of the switching devices to open and close certain ones of the switching devices to isolate the fault.

The present specification relates to a power supply system enabling uninterruptible power supply, the system including a circuit breaker for regulating respective converters to which a plurality of power supply devices are connected, so as to control a power supply and demand by the opening and closing of the circuit breaker according to various situations occurring in the system, thereby enabling a UPS function to be performed between the plurality of power supply devices.

A system includes an electrical apparatus configured to monitor or control one or more aspects of an electrical power distribution network; and a control system including more than one electronic processor, where the electronic processors are configured to cause the control system to interact with the electrical apparatus, an interaction between the control system and the electrical apparatus including one or more of the control system providing information to the electrical apparatus and the control system receiving information from the electrical apparatus, and if some of the electronic processors are unable to cause the control system to interact with the electrical apparatus, at least one of the other electronic processors is able to cause the control system to interact with the apparatus.

There is provided a system for assigning power to a plurality of smart appliances. The system includes a plurality of smart outlet assemblies. Each of the smart outlet assemblies is paired to and in electrical communication with a respective one of the smart appliances. The system includes at least one smart breaker assembly in electrical communication with the smart outlet assemblies. The system includes a master server in communication with the smart breaker assembly. The system includes distributed databases used to exchange data among the smart outlet assemblies, the smart breaker assembly, and the master server. The master server selectively assign power to respective ones of the smart appliances via the smart breaker assembly based on the data. If the master server is unreachable, the smart breaker assembly is configured to selectively assign power to the smart appliances based on the data records.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for restoring operation of a power grid comprising a plurality of reclosers and distributed energy resources (DERs) responsive to abnormal conditions by determining and implementing a reconfiguration for the power grid. The reconfiguration can specify respective new statuses for one or more of the reclosers and/or respective quantities of reactive power to be supplied by one or more of the DERs. The reconfiguration can be determined based on a plurality of constraints using an objective function, the constraints being determined based at least in part on recloser status data and/or DER power generation capability data. Respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the reconfigured power grid can be determined via a transactive control scheme, and the reconfiguration can be updated prior to implementation based on the results of the transactive control scheme.