Arc fault detector and method
US7205772B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 2005 |
| Grant date | Apr 17, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 20, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H3/44
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An arc fault detector includes a shunt resistor deployed in a protected circuit, an arc discriminator sensing voltages across the shunt resistor and producing an arc indication deduced from current variations associated with parallel and series arc faults, a signal transformer buffering the arc detection signal and producing a pulse, a switch transient detector sensing a voltage differential across load switches and producing a pulsed switch transient signal when the voltage differential across load switches exceeds a reference value, a line interrupter, such as a static relay, a switch controller including logic gates generating a trip signal based on predetermined criteria, and a manual switch for resetting the line interrupter. An embodiment comprises a voltage sensing coil enveloping a toroidal core to detect current variations in conductors passing through the core.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.