Arc-fault and ground fault interrupter using a single ground fault sensor and single ADC
US9810741B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 2013 |
| Grant date | Nov 7, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 30, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R19/2513
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Sampling for arc-fault detection, ground-fault detection, and grounded-neutral fault detection uses a single analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The arc-fault and ground-fault sampling occurs at regular sampling periods that are relatively short com pared to the time between them, thus allowing grounded-neutral fault sampling to occur before and/or after one of these sampling periods. A predefined event may be used to ensure the grounded-neutral fault sampling occurs immediately before and/or after one of the periodic sampling periods. The predefined event may be the expiration of a timer or the time for a sinusoidal signal in a ground fault sense circuit to make a predefined number of zero-crossings. This avoids interference between the arc-fault sampling, the ground-fault sampling and grounded-neutral fault sampling, allowing a single ADC to perform all samplings concurrently. The timing of the predefined event may be periodically reset to compensate for any changes due to temperature and/or over time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.