Power system performance based on updated performance characteristics of a protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233387-B2
Application number	US-201916271278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

Described herein are improvements for a power system by operating the power system using updated performance characteristics for a protection device. In one example, a method includes operating the power system based on a first operational curve for a first protection device of the one or more protection devices. The first operational curve indicates conditions upon which the first protection device will trip. The method also provides obtaining trip information describing conditions that cause the first protection device to trip at each of one or more trip occurrences during operation of the power system. The method further provides adjusting the first operational curve to generate an adjusted first operational curve that reflects the trip information and operating the power system based on the adjusted first operational curve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for improving performance of a power system that includes one or more protection devices, the method comprising:
operating the power system based on a first operational curve for a first protection device of the one or more protection devices, wherein the first operational curve indicates conditions upon which the first protection device will trip;
actual conditions that have caused the first protection device to trip at each of one or more trip occurrences during operation of the power system, wherein each actual condition indicates an amount of electrical current passing through the first protection device and a period of time the amount of electrical current maintains before the first protection device tripped;
generating an adjusted first operational curve that passes through points corresponding to the actual conditions;
operating the power system based on the adjusted first operational curve; and
determining a first number of operations comprising a first number of openings and closings performed by the first protection device, corresponding to creation of the adjusted first operational curve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting the adjusted first operational curve on a plot via a user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
presenting the first operational curve on the plot with the adjusted first operational curve.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the power system based on the adjusted first operational curve comprises:
adjusting one or more settings of the first protection device to account for a difference between the first operational curve and the adjusted first operational curve.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the power system based on the adjusted first operational curve comprises:
adjusting one or more settings of one or more loads on the power system to account for a difference between the first operational curve and the adjusted first operational curve.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
predicting a subsequent adjustment to the adjusted first operational curve; and
operating the power system to anticipate the subsequent adjustment.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein predicting the subsequent adjustment comprises:
determining a first number of operations, performed by the first protective device, corresponding to creation of the adjusted first operation curve;
predicting a second number of operations comprising a second number of openings and closings that will be performed by the first protection device after a subsequent period of time; and
predicting the subsequent adjustment based on the first operational curve, the adjusted first operational curve, the first number of operations, and the second number of operations.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein predicting the subsequent adjustment is further based on a second operational curve of a second protection device that performed a third number of operations similar to the second number of operations.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the actual conditions comprises:
receiving the actual conditions transferred from the first protection device in response to each of the one or more trip occurrences.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protection device comprises a circuit breaker or a protective relay.

11. An apparatus for improving performance of a power system that includes one or more protection devices, the apparatus comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media;
a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:
direct the power system to operate based on a first operational curve for a first protection device of the one or more protection devices, wherein the first operational curve indicates conditions upon which the first protection device will trip;
obtain actual conditions that have caused the first protection device to trip at each of one or more trip occurrences during operation of the power system, wherein each actual condition indicates an amount of electrical current passing through the first protection device and a period of time the amount of electrical current maintains before the first protection device tripped;
generate an adjusted first operational curve that passes through points corresponding to the actual conditions;
direct the power system to operate based on the adjusted first operational curve; and
determine a first number of operations comprising a first number of openings and closings performed by the first protection device, corresponding to creation of the adjusted first operational curve.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions, when read and executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system to:
present the adjusted first operational curve on a plot via a user interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions, when read and executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system to:
present the first operational curve on the plot with the adjusted first operational curve.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein operating the power system based on the adjusted first operational curve comprises:
adjusting one or more settings of the first protection device to account for a difference between the first operational curve and the adjusted first operational curve.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein operating the power system based on the adjusted first operational curve comprises:
adjusting one or more settings of one or more loads on the power system to account for a difference between the first operational curve and the adjusted first operational curve.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions, when read and executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system to:
predict a subsequent adjustment to the adjusted first operational curve; and
operate the power system to anticipate the subsequent adjustment.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein predicting the subsequent adjustment comprises:
predicting a second number of operations comprising a second number of openings and closings that will be performed by the first protection device after a subsequent period of time; and
predicting the subsequent adjustment based on the first operational curve, the adjusted first operational curve, the first number of operations, and the second number of operations.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein predicting the subsequent adjustment is further based on a second operational curve of a second protection device that performed a third number of operations similar to the second number of operations.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the actual conditions comprises:
receiving the actual conditions transferred from the first protection device in response to each of the one or more trip occurrences.

20. One or more computer readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon for improving performance of a power system that includes one or more protection devices, the program instructions, when executed by a processing system, direct the first endpoint system to:
direct the power system to operate based on a first operational curve for a first protection device of the one o

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mazur David C
• Bellows Troy M
• Entzminger Rob A
• Mickler Kurt R
• Venne Bruce K
• Kay John A
• Day Scott D

Classifications

• H02J13/36

  specially adapted for protection systems · CPC title

• H02H3/006 Primary

  Calibration or setting of parameters · CPC title

• H02H3/42 Primary

  responsive to product of voltage and current · CPC title

• G06F1/30

  Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F1/24) · CPC title

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title