Arc fault detection apparatus and circuit breaker incorporating same
US5835321A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 10, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 2, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H1/04
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Arcing-faults in an electric power distribution system are detected by a circuit which includes a band-pass filter generating a low frequency bandwidth limited arcing current signal having a bandwidth above the measurable harmonics of the ac current but below the frequency band of power line communications systems, about 3 KHz to 20 KHz and preferably about 6 KHz to 12 KHz. For each cycle of the ac current that this low frequency bandwidth limited arcing current exceeds a threshold, preferably related to the amplitude of the ac current, for a selected duration of the cycle, a fixed pulse is generated. If a time attenuated accumulation of these fixed pulses reaches a selected level representative of a number of closely spaced cycles in which the arcing current has been detected for the selected duration, an arc indicative signal is output. Preferably, the value of the time attenuated accumulation of pulses at which the arc indicative signal is generated is variable so that fewer pulses are needed to generate the output as the amplitude of the ac current increases.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.