Patent · US Expired

Zone arc fault detection

US5986860A · kind A · utility

79Cited by
133References
59Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 19, 1998
Grant dateNov 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 19, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02H3/28
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A number of methods can be used for zone arc protection to detect series and/or shunt arcing faults in various electrical components and/or circuits. A differential current detector, or a di/dt based detector, may be used to detect shunt arcs, while a differential voltage detector or a zero-sequence voltage detector, is used to detect series arcs. A differential phase current detection scheme may be used for both shunt arcs and series arcs. Series arcs may also be detected using a voltage drop system or a line power loss system. Detection of arcing in joints may be monitored directly. A ground fault detector may be combined with one or more of these systems for detecting a ground fault in the circuit to be protected. Two or more of the above systems or detectors may be combined for arc monitoring and detection.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.