Motor control center with enhanced circuit disconnect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11699562-B2
Application number	US-202117507426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2021
Priority date	Feb 21, 2020
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

A system may include a power supply that generates a first voltage. The power supply may couple upstream from an electrical load. The electrical load may operate based at least in part on the first voltage. In some cases, a solid-state circuit breaker may be coupled between the power supply and the electrical load. Furthermore, a control system may be communicatively coupled to the power supply, the electrical load, and the solid-state circuit breaker. The control system may receive an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker and may update a visualization rendered on a graphical user interface based at least in part on the operational status. The operational status may indicate an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupling the power supply to the electrical load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor starter, comprising:
a metal enclosure configured to house a solid-state circuit breaker, wherein the solid-state circuit breaker is configured to respectively couple between a power supply and a motor; and
a thermal management device comprising a plurality of fins, wherein the thermal management device is mounted to the solid-state circuit breaker in a north-south orientation perpendicular to a ground plane, and wherein the thermal management device is configured to reduce a temperature of the metal enclosure while the solid-state circuit breaker performs one or more switching operations.

2. The motor starter of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management device is configured to leverage conduction of heat from the solid-state circuit breaker through passive air conduction or active air conduction.

3. The motor starter of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management device is configured to thermally connect to the solid-state circuit breaker via a heat pipe design.

4. The motor starter of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management device is configured to couple to the solid-state circuit breaker via a direct metal-to-metal contact.

5. The motor starter of claim 4 , wherein the direct metal-to-metal contact comprises a smooth contact, an interface of cross-hatch embossed patterns, or both.

6. The motor starter of claim 1 , comprising:
a control system communicatively coupled to the power supply, the motor, and the solid-state circuit breaker, wherein the control system is configured to perform operations comprising:
initiating a soft-start operation according to a start-up profile associated with the motor;
receiving an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker during the soft-start operation;
receiving an indication of the temperature from one or more sensors; and
adjusting an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker based on the operational status and the temperature.

7. The motor starter of claim 6 , wherein the control system is configured to adjust the operation of the solid-state circuit breaker based on the operational status and the temperature at least in part by:
comparing the temperature to a threshold value;
in response to determining that the temperature is greater than the threshold value, generating a control signal to open at least one pole associated with the solid-state circuit breaker; and
transmitting the control signal to the solid-state circuit breaker.

8. The motor starter of claim 7 , wherein the control system is configured to, in response to determining that the temperature is greater than the threshold value, transmit an additional control signal to upstream protection circuitry to open to isolate the solid-state circuit breaker from a power source.

9. The motor starter of claim 6 , comprising a handle coupled to the metal enclosure, wherein the control system is configured to permit removal of the solid-state circuit breaker based on a combination of a position of the handle and the operational status.

10. A motor control center, comprising:
a plurality of enclosures, wherein each enclosure of the plurality of enclosures comprises a solid-state circuit breaker, and wherein the solid-state circuit breaker of each enclosure of the plurality of enclosure is configured to respectively couple between a power supply and one or more electrical loads; and
a common thermal management device mounted to the plurality of enclosures, wherein the plurality of enclosures is disposed on the common thermal management device, and wherein the common thermal management device is configured to reduce a temperature of the plurality of enclosures while at least one of a plurality of solid-state circuit breakers associated with the plurality of enclosures performs one or more switching operations.

11. The motor control center of claim 10 , wherein the common thermal management device is configured to respectively couple to each of the plurality of enclosures via a direct metal-to-metal connection.

12. The motor control center of claim 10 , comprising a processor configured to:
receive an instruction to perform a soft-start operation using a respective solid-state circuit breaker of the plurality of solid-state circuit breakers, wherein the soft-start operation is associated with a respective electrical load of the one or more electrical loads;
in response to receiving the instruction, initiate the soft-start operation via the respective solid-state circuit breaker;
receive an indication of the temperature; and
adjust an operation of the respective solid-state circuit breaker based on the temperature.

13. The motor control center of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to:
perform the soft-start operation via the respective solid-state circuit breaker;
receive additional information during the soft-start operation; and
in response to determining that the temperature is greater than a first threshold value and that the additional information is greater than a second threshold value, adjust the operation of the respective solid-state circuit breaker at least in part by:
generating a control signal configured to open a portion of the respective solid-state circuit breaker; and
transmitting the control signal to the respective solid-state circuit breaker.

14. The motor control center of claim 13 , wherein the additional information comprises a phase-phase voltage, a phase-to-ground voltage, an input current, an output current, a frequency, a power output, an open status of the respective solid-state circuit breaker, or any combination thereof.

15. The motor control center of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to:
in response to receiving the instruction, receive an additional indication of an additional temperature associated with the respective electrical load; and
adjust an additional operation of the respective solid-state circuit breaker based on the additional temperature associated with the respective electrical load and the temperature associated with the respective solid-state circuit breaker.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving, via a processor, an operational status from a solid-state circuit breaker during an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker;
receiving, via the processor, an indication of a temperature associated with the solid-state circuit breaker from one or more measurement circuits coupled to one or more parts of the solid-state circuit breaker during the operation; and
adjusting, via the processor, the operation of the solid-state circuit breaker based on the operational status and the temperature.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising:
determining, via the processor, a threshold value based on a historical temperature average associated with the solid-state circuit breaker, wherein the solid-state circuit breaker comprises silicon-carbide;
comparing, via the processor, the temperature to the threshold value; and
adjusting, via the processor, the operation of the solid-state circuit breaker based on the operational status and the temperature at least in part by generating a control signal configured to adjust the operation of the solid-state circuit breaker based on the comparison and the operational status.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising:
receiving, via the processor, an indication of metering data associated with the solid-state circuit breaker during a soft-start operation; and
adjusting, via the processor, the operation of the solid-state circuit breaker based on the operational status, the temperature, and

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mazur David C
• Peterson Corey A
• Dilgard Robert
• Sauve Todd R
• Halpin Peter J
• Steinweg Calvin C

Classifications

• H01H71/123 Primary

  using a solid-state trip unit (circuits H02H) · CPC title

• H01H2071/006

  Provisions for user interfaces for electrical protection devices · CPC title

• H01H83/10

  operated by excess voltage, e.g. for lightning protection · CPC title

• H02H7/0833

  for electric motors with control arrangements · CPC title

• H01H83/20

  operated by excess current as well as by some other abnormal electrical condition · CPC title