Methods and apparatus for detecting and characterizing arc faults in an aerospace electric propulsion system and then coordinating the operation of various elements of the protection system to execute a fault-clearing sequence. In a current-based method, the arc is detected and characterized based on differential readouts from current sensors. The difference between currents measured at two ends of a protection zone are compared to a difference threshold. In a power-based method, the arc is detected and characterized based on differential readouts from voltage and current sensors. The differential voltage and current readouts are used to compute the respective powers at two ends of a protection zone. The difference between the respective powers is integrated over a period of time and then the integrated difference is compared to a difference threshold. A differential protection trip mode is invoked when the difference threshold is exceeded.

An electric circuit arrangement and a measuring method for a galvanically insulated, AC/DC sensitive differential current measurement having a high resolution having: a toroid current transformer having at least one secondary winding for detecting a differential current; a driver circuit for powering the secondary winding; a first oscillator circuit for controlling the driver circuit and for generating a time-modulated binary oscillator signal having dwell times in a state 1 and a state 2; a second oscillator circuit for determining the corresponding dwell time in the states 1 and 2 in high resolution by means of a clock signal having a clock rate independent of the oscillator signal; an evaluation device for evaluating the dwell time; and a data interface for outputting a differential-current measuring value; the driver circuit and the second oscillator circuit each being realized as structurally individual, integrated circuits.

The present invention provides a trip control circuit for a circuit breaker capable of breaking a circuit when a fault current occurs due to a DC current component, as well as an AC current. The trip control circuit comprises a current transformer that has a core allowing a circuit to pass through and a secondary coil for detecting a current flowing on the circuit and providing a current detection signal; an oscillation circuit section that configured to apply an electrical signal to the secondary coil to increase a slope of a hysteresis loop of the current transformer to allow the secondary coil to detect a DC current and an AC current; and a trip determining circuit section that configured to compare a current value indicated by the current detection signal with a predetermined reference current value.

Provided is a grid-connected inverter safety detection device applied in a photovoltaic inverter system and including voltage detection circuit, a filter circuit, a comparison circuit and a controller. The voltage detection circuit is configured to detect a voltage between the point N and the ground, or a voltage between the first terminal for any phase of the three-phase power grid and the ground. The filter circuit is configured to filter out an alternating current component of the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit and to retain an direct current component of the voltage. The comparison circuit is configured to compare the direct current component of the voltage with a preset voltage value and transmit a comparison result to the controller. The controller is configured to determine, according to the comparison result, whether an alternating current side at the output terminal of the inverter has normal insulation.

The invention relates to a method for detecting a direct-current fault current in an electrical alternating-current circuit, wherein a rectifier unit (14) is connected to an alternating-current network (34) by means of a primary side (13) and provides a direct current on a secondary side (15) and wherein the alternating-current network (34) is protected by means of a fault-current circuit breaker (38), which interrupts the circuit if an alternating-current fault current greater than a specified alternating-current tripping threshold occurs. A direct-current fault current on the primary side (13) is measured and is compared with a specified direct-current tripping threshold. An alternating-current fault current is produced if the direct-current fault current lies above the tripping threshold. The invention further relates to a device (10) for detecting a direct-current fault current and to a charging apparatus (12) comprising such a device (10).

A photovoltaic power generation system includes an inverter, a controller, and at least two direct current branch circuits. The leakage current detection apparatus is configured to: detect a leakage current of the direct current branch circuit on which the leakage current detection apparatus is located and send the leakage current to the controller. The controller is further configured to: when the photovoltaic power generation system runs and a value of a leakage current of the direct current branch circuit exceeds a preset range, determine that an insulation fault occurs on the direct current branch circuit. The system can determine the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs in the photovoltaic power generation system, so that measures are taken in time for the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs, to eliminate a potential safety hazard.

The earth leakage circuit breaker of the present disclosure includes a leakage current detection unit outputting a leakage current detection signal; a conversion unit outputting the leakage current magnitude of a fundamental wave component, a ratio of a third harmonic component, and a ratio of a positive pole peak current value to a negative pole peak current value; and a control unit comparing the leakage current magnitude of a fundamental wave component, the ratio of a third harmonic component, and the ratio of a positive pole peak current value to a negative pole peak current value with predetermined reference values to determine whether a leakage current of the alternating current component is generated or a leakage current of the direct current component is generated and to thereby output a trip control signal when it is determined that the leakage current of the direct current or alternating current component is generated.

An electric circuit arrangement and a measuring method for a galvanically insulated, AC/DC sensitive differential current measurement having a high resolution having: a toroid current transformer having at least one secondary winding for detecting a differential current; a driver circuit for powering the secondary winding; a first oscillator circuit for controlling the driver circuit and for generating a time-modulated binary oscillator signal having dwell times in a state 1 and a state 2; a second oscillator circuit for determining the corresponding dwell time in the states 1 and 2 in high resolution by means of a clock signal having a clock rate independent of the oscillator signal; an evaluation device for evaluating the dwell time; and a data interface for outputting a differential-current measuring value; the driver circuit and the second oscillator circuit each being realized as structurally individual, integrated circuits.

Methods and systems for ensuring operation of one or more circuit breakers electrically connected on a phase of a multi-phase power line on a transformer electrically connected within a power grid at a substation are disclosed. The method includes detecting, at the transformer, a direct current component of a multi-phase power signal received at the transformer, the direct current component comprising a direct current received at a transformer neutral, the transformer neutral being electrically connected to a ground. The method further includes determining whether the direct current is above a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being based on a determination that, above the predetermined threshold, at least one of the one or more circuit breakers is incapable of reliable operation. The method includes, in response to a determination that the direct current component is above the predetermined threshold, blocking the direct current between the transformer neutral and a ground.

The earth leakage circuit breaker of the present disclosure includes a leakage current detection unit outputting a leakage current detection signal; a conversion unit outputting the leakage current magnitude of a fundamental wave component, a ratio of a third harmonic component, and a ratio of a positive pole peak current value to a negative pole peak current value; and a control unit comparing the leakage current magnitude of a fundamental wave component, the ratio of a third harmonic component, and the ratio of a positive pole peak current value to a negative pole peak current value with predetermined reference values to determine whether a leakage current of the alternating current component is generated or a leakage current of the direct current component is generated and to thereby output a trip control signal when it is determined that the leakage current of the direct current or alternating current component is generated.