Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – Feeder protection in distribution networks
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-09
2001-04-03
Sherry, Michael J. (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
Feeder protection in distribution networks
C361S066000, C361S068000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212049
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains in general to circuit breakers and, more particularly, to a load center monitor in a network of electronically controlled circuit breakers for providing monitoring, analysis and control of circuit breaker function.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a typical AC power distribution system in a residential or small business building, an array of electromechanical circuit breakers protects various branch circuits of the electrical wiring. Such circuit breakers utilize a thermally operated switch which, upon reaching a predetermined temperature due to excessive current passing therethrough, will “trip” and open the circuit connected to the switch.
Improved circuit breakers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,214, entitled “TRIP DELAY OVERRIDE FOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS” issued to George A. Spencer on Aug. 14, 1990, an assignee of the present U.S. patent application, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,087 entitled “CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH INTEGRATED CONTROL FEATURES,” issued to the inventors of the present application on Feb. 23, 1999 and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which patents are incorporated herein by reference. The improved circuit breakers disclosed therein include an array of trip profiles tailored to the current draw characteristics of the various kinds of devices which may be connected to the AC power line branch circuit protected by the circuit breaker. These trip profiles, which are dynamically changeable, determine the current versus time configuration of the particular circuit breaker. Such improved circuit breakers overcome the principal disadvantages of the conventional thermally operated circuit breakers, including, for example, slow response time, inability of responding to differing in-rush current characteristics, inability of opening a circuit upon the occurrence of arcing (a potentially serious fire hazard), inadequate response to electrical stalling of motors connected to a protected line, etc.
Although the circuit breakers with trip delay override and the electronically controlled circuit breakers with integrated control features referenced above and hereinbelow as digitally enhanced circuit breakers, offer superior trip performance under a variety of load fault conditions, several significant new features and capabilities, if provided in conjunction with such advanced circuit breakers, would overcome the following shortcomings. Neither of the aforementioned advanced circuit breakers has the capability of storing substantial quantities of system data, for example in a high capacity, non-volatile memory, when a total power failure occurs. Moreover, the performance of an individual digitally enhanced circuit breaker (DE breaker) is monitored only by the internally executed program within the individual DE breaker. Further, no provision is made in such DE breakers to analyze power line circuit conditions that are common to all DE breakers in the power distribution system in order to obtain an evaluation of the conditions of the system. There is additionally no affordable means available, even with the advanced circuit breakers mentioned hereinabove, for presently monitoring, controlling or reconfiguring circuit breaker elements within an electrical power distribution system in residential environments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention disclosed and claimed herein comprises a load center monitor which operates as a central controller in a power distribution system which includes a plurality of individual circuit breakers coupled to each other and the load center monitor via a communication network. The individual circuit breakers each have a controller for controlling the operation of the associated breaker and a monitor for monitoring the operation of the breaker. A memory is also provided in each circuit breaker for storing historical information gathered over time by the monitor. A communication port is provided in each circuit breaker for accessing the historical information in the memory. The load center monitor includes a first communication port operable for interfacing with the communication network; a processor coupled to the first communication port for communicating with a select one of the circuit breakers and for accessing, downloading and analyzing the historical information from the circuit breakers; and a memory coupled to the processor for storing circuit breaker operation parameters and historical information associated with the circuit breakers.
The load center monitor includes a second communication port coupled to the processor for communicating control and status information between the load center monitor and an external device and a third communication port coupled to the processor for providing diagnostic information to an external monitor. The processor is further operable to assign an address to each circuit breaker in the system and selectably communicate with each circuit breaker. The load center monitor may be powered by the power distribution network it is connected to and is housed in a standard circuit breaker housing allowing easy installation in a standard electrical service panel. The load center monitor may include audible or visible annunciators to indicate alarms generated in the load center monitor or other status or operating information. Information stored in the memory of the load center monitor may be time-stamped to aid in analysis and diagnosis of conditions being monitored or other parameter data.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4949214 (1990-08-01), Spencer
patent: 5038246 (1991-08-01), Durivage, III
patent: 5164875 (1992-11-01), Haun et al.
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patent: 5666256 (1997-09-01), Zavis et al.
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patent: 5706159 (1998-01-01), Dallar, II et al.
patent: 5875087 (1999-02-01), Spencer et al.
patent: 5982596 (1999-11-01), Spencer et al.
patent: 6005758 (1999-12-01), Spencer et al.
Blanton LeRoy
Clunn Henry
Spencer George Auther
Howison Gregory M.
Howison, Chauza, Handley & Arnott, L.L.P.
Mosher Stephen S.
Sherry Michael J.
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