Electrical fault detection for a modular busway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11456569-B2
Application number	US-201816220672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

A busway for power distribution to equipment positioned in information technology racks includes a plurality of locations in the busway suitably being configured to receive a plurality of detachably engageable taps. The busway, which are external to the information technology racks, includes a plurality of segments, each of which are detachably engaged with one another and including at least one of the plurality of locations. The busway provides power to the information technology racks by respective taps, where each of the taps includes a respective electrical sensor that senses at least one of a voltage level and a current level. Each of the electrical sensors providers an output signal to a computing device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A busway for power distribution to equipment positioned in information technology racks, the busway comprising:
(a) a plurality of locations in said busway suitably being configured to receive a plurality of detachably engageable taps;
(b) said busway including a plurality of segments, each of which are detachably engaged with one another, where each of said segments is detachably engaged in an end to end manner to form said busway that is arranged as a straight line, where a first one of said segments has a respective first end and a second end, where a second one of said segments has a respective first end and a second end, where a third one of said segments has a respective first end and a second end, where said second end of said first one of said segments is interconnected with said first end of said second one of said segments, where said second end of said second one of said segments is interconnected with said first end of said third one of said segments, where said first end of said first one of said segments and said second end of said third one of said segments are at opposing ends of the combination of said first segment, said second segment, and said third segment said detachably engaged in said end to end manner to form said busway arranged as said straight line;
(c) each of said plurality of segments including at least one of said plurality of locations;
(d) said busway is external to said information technology racks;
(e) said busway providing power to said information technology racks by respective said taps;
(f) each of said taps including therein a respective circuit breaker selectively electrically interconnecting a respective electrical interconnection between a respective segment of said busway of a respective one of said information technology racks so that power may be selectively provided from said respective segment to said respective one of said information technology racks based upon the state of said respective circuit breaker, wherein said state includes open and closed, each of said taps including therein a respective first electrical sensor that senses at least one of a voltage level and a current level within of a respective said tap at a first electrical location between said respective circuit breaker and said respective segment of said busway so that when said respective circuit breaker is changed from closed to opened said at least one of said voltage level would remain substantially unchanged while said current level would be substantially zero and so that when said respective circuit breaker is changed from opened to closed said at least one of said voltage level would remain substantially unchanged while said current level would not be substantially zero;
(g) each of said first electrical sensors providing a first output signal to a computing device;
(h) said busway including a plurality of second electrical sensors external to any of said taps each of which senses at least one of a voltage level and a current level of said respective segment of said busway at a second electrical location external to said tap, such that said first electrical location is not electrically isolated from said second electrical location by selectively disconnecting said respective circuit breaker;
(i) each of said second electrical sensors providing a second output signal to said computing device.

2. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising said plurality of information technology racks, each of which including said computing device therein.

3. The busway for power distribution of claim 2 further comprising said plurality of information technology racks, each of which including said computing device therein including a computer server.

4. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of segments are detachably engaged with one another with bolts.

5. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 wherein said second electrical sensor is a voltage sensor sensing said voltage level.

6. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 wherein said second electrical sensor is a current sensor sensing said current level.

7. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 wherein said second electrical sensor includes a current sensor sensing said current level and a voltage sensor sensing said voltage level.

8. The busway for power distribution of claim 7 further comprising determining a power level based upon said current level and said voltage level.

9. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 wherein each of said second electrical sensors is a supported by a respective one of said taps.

10. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising a processing module that receives said output signals and determines electrical characteristics of said plurality of segments of said busway.

11. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising each of said taps including a respective temperature sensor that senses a temperature level, and each of said temperature sensors providing a temperature signal to said computing device.

12. The busway for power distribution of claim 11 further comprising a processing module that receives said temperature signals and determines electrical characteristics of said plurality of segments of said busway.

13. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising each of said taps including a respective circuit breaker.

14. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising a processor determining energy dissipation between at least two of said segments.

15. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising a processor determining energy dissipation between at least two of said taps.

16. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising a processor determining a voltage increase of said busway between a first tap and a second tap, where said first tap if further electrically distant from a head end of said busway than said second tap, where current of said busway goes from said head end toward said second tap and goes from said second tap toward said first tap.

17. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising a processor determining energy dissipation of one of said segments.

18. The busway for power distribution of claim 1 further comprising determining a direction of a fault relative to a tap based upon detecting a disturbance by said second electrical sensor associated with said tap.

Assignees

• Veris Industries Llc

Inventors

• Cook Martin
• Parker Aaron

Classifications

• H01R25/142 Primary

  Their counterparts · CPC title

• H01R13/7036

  the switch being in series with coupling part, e.g. dead coupling, explosion proof coupling · CPC title

• H01H71/04

  Means for indicating condition of the switching device {(by means of an auxiliary contact H01H71/46)} · CPC title

• G01R21/06

  by measuring current and voltage (G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01H71/12

  Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release · CPC title