Prime-mover dynamo plants – Electric control – Engine control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2001-01-09
Ponomarenko, Nicholas (Department: 2834)
Prime-mover dynamo plants
Electric control
Engine control
C290S04000F
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172428
ABSTRACT:
NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to a Digital Control System and method, and more particularly to a Digital Control System and method for generator sets.
BACKGROUND
Electrical generator sets may be used to provide electrical power to a location without electricity. Exemplary uses for generator sets include providing electrical power for military site operations, outdoor festivals and concerts. Various types of generator sets exist, such as diesel, gas, natural gas, and turbine generator sets. Mobile generator sets are of particular importance to military operations in which power is required for a remote military village or other military operations.
To promote proper operation of a generator set, most generator sets contain some type of control panel that allows an operator to view information about the set's performance, such as the voltage output level. Most control panels also allow an operator to control the operation of the generator set, such as increasing or decreasing the output voltage level by toggling a switch on the control panel. Prior art generator sets have an analog, electro-mechanical display and control system. More specifically, prior art generator sets display information, such as voltage output level, to operators on analog gauges. Also, prior art control panels only allow operators to control the operation of a generator set by interacting with electromechanical switches. Analog controller systems are widely used in the control of electrical generator sets.
An example of a prior art generator set having an analog, electromechanical display and control devices is generator set Model # ECU-110 E/A built by MCII, Inc., of Dallas, Tex. The ECU-110 generator set is a 250 KW generator set. The analog, electromechanical display and control device (i.e., control panel) for the ECU- 110 is illustrated in FIG.
1
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the prior art control panel contains an Hourmeter
2
which operates much like an odometer on an automobile. Hourmeter
2
indicates the total accumulated operating time of the generator set in hours and tenths of hours. Output voltmeter
3
is an analog meter that indicates the line-to-neutral voltage on a 0-150 volts AC scale for the phase selected with the output voltmeter/ammeter selector switch
20
. Output Ammeter
4
is an analog meter that indicates the total output current on a 0-1000 Amperes AC scale for the phase selected with the output voltmeter/ammeter selector switch
20
.
POWER ON light
5
illuminates when supply power to the generator set is available for starting the unit. MOTOR ON light
6
illuminates when starting the motor and after the motor is started to indicate that the motor is operating. GEN. READY light
7
illuminates when the generator set is ready to accept a load. INPUT POWER FAULT light
8
illuminates when there is an input power fault. Faults that will illuminate the light are: (a) Ground Fault, (b) Reverse Phase Sequence, (c) Over or Under Input Voltage, and (d) Motor Overload. After the fault is corrected, the fault circuit must be cleared with the fault RESET switch
11
.
OVERHEAT light
9
illuminates when the motor overheats, which will shut down the generator set. GENERATOR OVER VOLTAGE light
10
A
will illuminate when the generator set's output voltage rises above safe operating limits. GENERATOR UNDER VOLTAGE light
10
B
will illuminate when the generator set's output voltage falls below safe operating limits. Either of these conditions will disconnect the generator set from the load.
Fault RESET switch
11
is used to clear the input fault circuit after an input fault has occurred, and the INPUT POWER FAULT light
8
is illuminated. After the fault has been corrected, depressing Fault RESET switch
11
will clear the input fault circuit. Overheat RESET switch
12
is used to clear the temperature fault circuit after an overheat condition has occurred and the OVERHEAT light
9
is illuminated. After the fault has been corrected, depressing Overheat RESET switch
12
will clear the temperature fault circuit. OV-UV RESET switch
13
is used to clear the over or under voltage circuit after an over or under voltage condition has occurred, and either the GENERATOR OVER VOLTAGE light
10
A
or the GENERATOR UNDER VOLTAGE light
10
B
is illuminated. After the condition has been corrected, depressing OV-UV RESET switch
13
will clear the over or under voltage circuit. SHORT CKT. RESET switch
14
is used to clear the fault circuitry after a short has occurred and the condition has been corrected.
60 HZ RECEPT Circuit Breaker
15
is a circuit breaker that protects the convenience receptacle from excessive current. Depressing this circuit breaker will restore the circuit after the circuit breaker has been tripped by excessive current. VOLT. ADJ. Control
16
adjusts automatic voltage regulation over a range of −10 to +10 percent of rated voltage. Turning the control clockwise increases the output voltage for the generator set. LINE DROP ADJ. Control
17
increases the output voltage from 0 to 7.5 percent of rated voltage to compensate for voltage drop from the generator to the load caused by impedance of the load wires. Turning the control clockwise increases the output voltage.
MOTOR START pushbutton
18
will start the motor when depressed and cause MOTOR ON light
6
to illuminate. MOTOR STOP pushbutton
19
will stop the motor when depressed and cause MOTOR ON light
6
to go out. Output Voltmeter/Ammeter Selector switch
20
is a four-position rotary switch. The switch provides the selection of line-to-neutral voltage and current indications for any one of the three output phases of the generator. The indications for the phase selected will appear on the Voltmeter
3
and Ammeter
4
. When the switch is turned to the OFF position, the Voltmeter
3
and Ammeter
4
indications will be 0.
SENSING REMOTE/LOCAL switch
21
is a two-position toggle switch. When the switch is placed in the LOCAL position, the voltage regulator will sense output voltage at the generator set's output, and when the switch is placed in the REMOTE position, the voltage regulator will sense output voltage at the load. REG. CKT. BKR.
22
is the Regulator Circuit Breaker, which protects the voltage regulator from an overload. When the circuit breaker is tripped the generator exciter field current is interrupted, which causes the output voltage to collapse. The circuit breaker may be reset by pushing REG. CKT. BKR.
22
inward. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR OPEN light
23
, when illuminated, indicates that the main output contactor is open. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR CLOSED light
24
, when illuminated, indicates that the main output contactor is closed, supplying output power to the load. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR OVERCURRENT TRIP light
25
, when illuminated, indicates that the main output contactor is tripped and the generator is shutdown.
312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR ON
26
pushbutton will close the main output contactor when depressed, supplying output power to the load and causing the CLOSED light
24
to illuminate. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR OFF pushbutton
27
will open the main output contactor and disconnect the generator from the load when depressed, which will cause OPEN light
23
to illuminate. PANEL LIGHTS ON/OFF switch
28
is a two-position toggle switch. Placing the switch in the ON position will illuminate the 2 hooded panel lights
29
, and placing the switch in the OFF position will tun the panel lights
29
off. LOAD BANK ON/OFF switch
30
bypasses the output contactors sensing contacts when placed in the ON position, which allows the output contactors to be manually controlled for load ban
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Ponomarenko Nicholas
Westwood Corporation
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