Electric power distribution system including metering function and method of evaluating energy metering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067199-B2
Application number	US-201313753802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Jan 30, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

An electric power distribution system is used with an electric power source. The electric power distribution system includes a first device exchanging first electric power with the electric power source. The first device exchanges the first electric power with a plurality of second devices and meters first electric energy corresponding to the first electric power. The second devices exchange the first electric power with the first device. Each of the second devices exchanges second electric power as at least part of the first electric power with a number of corresponding electric loads and meter second electric energy corresponding to the second electric power. A processor includes a routine that compares the metered first electric energy from the first device with a sum of the metered second electric energy from each of the second devices, and responsively determines proper or improper operation of the electric power distribution system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric power distribution system for use with an electric power source, said electric power distribution system comprising:
a first device exchanging first electric power with said electric power source, said first device being structured to exchange said first electric power with a plurality of second devices and to meter first electric energy corresponding to said first electric power;
said plurality of second devices structured to exchange said first electric power with said first device, each of said second devices being structured to exchange second electric power as at least part of said first electric power with a number of corresponding electric loads and to meter second electric energy corresponding to said second electric power; and
a processor comprising a routine structured to compare the metered first electric energy from said first device with a sum of the metered second electric energy from each of said second devices, and to responsively determine improper operation of said electric power distribution system when the metered first electric energy from said first device less the summed metered second electric energy from each of said second devices is greater than a sum of losses in power conductors operatively associated with said second devices, plus expected errors in metering by each of said first device and said second devices,
wherein said first device is a main circuit breaker, wherein said second devices are a plurality of branch circuit breakers, and wherein said processor is included in said first device, and
wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed responsive to said determined improper operation.

2. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said routine is further structured to notify an electric utility corresponding to said electric power source responsive to said determined improper operation.

3. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said routine is further structured to allocate energy to said one of said second devices that failed responsive to said determined improper operation.

4. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said routine is further structured to allocate a plurality of time-stamped energy values for a predetermined time period to said one of said second devices that failed after said determined improper operation.

5. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein each of said first device and said second devices includes a metering circuit; and wherein said routine is further structured to adjust said compare for at least one of energy losses in power conductors operatively associated with said second devices, and expected errors in the metering circuit of each of said first device and said second devices.

6. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said routine is further structured to determine a predetermined plurality of consecutive occurrences of said determined improper operation and responsively notify at least one of an electric utility corresponding to said electric power source and a customer for said second electric power.

7. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said routine is further structured to determine a predetermined number of occurrences of said determined improper operation and responsively notify at least one of an electric utility corresponding to said electric power source and a customer for said second electric power.

8. The electric power distribution system of claim 7 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed by comparing a number of load events with a plurality of predetermined load signatures.

9. The electric power distribution system of claim 7 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed by evaluating temperature versus time information and energy versus time information for a number of said second devices.

10. The electric power distribution system of claim 7 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed by evaluating at least one of: expected energy versus time information, power source or power sink with actual energy versus time information; and load type or rated current with actual current versus time information, for a number of said second devices.

11. The electric power distribution system of claim 7 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed by evaluating at least one of: installation date; and number of operating cycles, for a plurality of said first device and said second devices.

12. The electric power distribution system of claim 7 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed by turning one of said second devices off and repeating said compare the metered first electric energy from said first device with a sum of the metered second electric energy from each of said second devices except for said one of said second devices and to responsively re-determine said proper or said improper operation based upon said repeating said compare.

13. The electric power distribution system of claim 7 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed, and to responsively determine a second electric energy for said one of said first device and said second devices that failed from the metered first electric energy from said first device, less the sum of the metered second electric energy from each of said second devices, less energy losses in power conductors operatively associated with said second devices, less the metered second electric energy from said one of said first device and said second devices that failed.

14. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said routine is further structured to determine which one of said second devices failed responsive to said determined improper operation by checking for reverse power flow back toward said electric power source.

15. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said main circuit breaker and said plurality of branch circuit breakers are housed in a panelboard or load center; wherein said main circuit breaker includes an operating handle; wherein said panelboard or load center includes a lock-out compartment substantially enclosing said main circuit breaker and restricting access thereto, said lock-out compartment including an opening, the operating handle passing through the opening of said lock-out compartment, in order to permit access to the operating handle by a user.

16. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said main circuit breaker and said plurality of branch circuit breakers are housed in a panelboard or load center inside of a building; and wherein a shunt trip user interface is disposed outside of said building and interfaced to said main circuit breaker, in order to manually trip open said main circuit breaker from outside of said building.

17. The electric power distribution system of claim 1 wherein said main circuit breaker comprises a communication circuit structured to receive information from said branch circuit breakers and communicate said information to a remote location; and wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of an identification of trip status and time of trip for each of said branch circuit breakers, and an identification of trip status and occurrence of a predetermined p

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Eldridge David Austin
• Thompson Ronald L
• Rogers Brandon J
• Mueller Maximilian A

Classifications

• H02J2105/55

  according to an economic condition, e.g. tariff-based load management · CPC title

• H02J13/333 Primary

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title

• H02S50/10

  Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00}) · CPC title

• H02J13/00

  Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network · CPC title

• G01D4/002

  Remote reading of utility meters · CPC title