Internal unbalance detection in capacitors
US6211684A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/52
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A capacitor is made up of a housing; a first plurality of capacitors within the housing; a second plurality of capacitors within the housing; a first electrode coupled to a first terminal, with the first terminal being electrically contactable outside the housing; a second electrode coupled to a second terminal, with the second terminal being contactable outside the housing; a threshold circuit that compares performance of the first plurality of capacitors with performance of the second plurality of capacitors, detects an unbalance, and generates an output signal; and a signal output coupled to the threshold circuit, the signal output being accessible outside the housing. A method of operating a capacitor has steps of coupling a first electrode of the capacitor to a system; coupling a second electrode of the capacitor to a system; applying a voltage across the first and second electrodes; detecting an unbalance within the capacitor; determining whether a degree of such unbalance is greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold; signaling the detected unbalance in the event the degree of such unbalance is greater than a first threshold and less than a second thresh…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.