Method for monitoring an electrical switching arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960274-B2
Application number	US-202217959572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2022
Priority date	Oct 5, 2021
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

In order to specify a method, which is improved in comparison to the prior art, for monitoring an electrical switching arrangement having at least two channels, which each electrically conductively connect an electrical source supplying the respective channel, forming an electrical supply quantity, to an output of the respective channel, the switching arrangement is fed not only an external safety signal, from which an internal safety signal is respectively generated for the at least two channels in order to therewith control a voltage interrupter connected in series in the respective channel, but also a pulsed diagnostic signal, which is superimposed on the internal safety signals in order to alternately open and close again the voltage interrupters connected in the respective channels and to thus respectively alternately interrupt the supply quantities appearing in the respective channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for monitoring an electrical switching arrangement having at least two channels, which each electrically conductively connect an electrical source supplying the respective channel, forming an electrical supply quantity, to an output of the respective channel, wherein an external safety signal is fed to the switching arrangement, from which external safety signal an internal safety signal is respectively generated for the at least two channels in order to therewith control a voltage interrupter connected in series in the respective channel, wherein the internal safety signals are superimposed with a pulsed diagnostic signal, in which a first diagnostic signal level and a second diagnostic signal level alternate, in order to form two safety signal levels which alternate in the internal safety signals, in order to open the voltage interrupters connected in the respective channels by controlling with the first safety signal level and to close them by controlling with the second safety signal level and to thus respectively alternately interrupt the supply quantities appearing in the respective channels, wherein the alternately interrupted supply quantities are measured as measurement quantities, and Wherein the detected measurement quantities of the alternately interrupted supply quantities are compared to one another in order to determine a deviation between the detected measurement quantities for monitoring the electrical switching arrangement.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the alternately interrupted supply quantities are each measured at at least one measurement point in time at which the diagnostic signal has the first diagnostic signal level.

3. Method according to claim 2 , wherein the alternately interrupted supply quantities are each measured at at least one measurement point in time at which the diagnostic signal has the second diagnostic signal level.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one measurement point in time at which the alternately interrupted supply quantities are measured is within a rising or a falling edge of the diagnostic signal, wherein a transition of the diagnostic signal from the first diagnostic signal level to the second diagnostic signal level takes place in the rising edge of the diagnostic signal, and a transition of the diagnostic signal from the second diagnostic signal level to the first diagnostic signal level takes place in the falling edge of the diagnostic signal.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the outputs of the at least two channels are de-energized if the deviation of the detected measurement quantities of the supply quantities exceeds a specified deviation threshold.

6. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the outputs of the at least two channels are de-energized by the voltage interrupters provided in the channels being opened.

7. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the outputs of the at least two channels are de-energized by the output voltages dropping at the outputs of the channels being brought to zero by means of a voltage regulator provided for adjusting the output voltages.

8. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the outputs of the at least two channels are de-energized by the electrical source for supplying the channels being deactivated.

9. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical supply quantities are smoothed by a filter element arranged in the channels of the electrical switching arrangement.

10. Electrical switching arrangement having at least two channels, which each electrically conductively connect an electrical source supplying the respective channel, forming an electrical supply quantity, to an output of the respective channel, having a diagnoser and an input interface, wherein the input interface is designed to accept an external safety signal, from which an internal safety signal is respectively generated for the at least two channels in order to control a voltage interrupter connected in series in the respective channel, wherein the switching arrangement is designed to superimpose the internal safety signals with a pulsed diagnostic signal, in which a first diagnostic signal level and a second diagnostic signal level alternate, to form two safety signal levels which alternate in the internal safety signals and to open the voltage interrupters connected in the respective channels by controlling with the first safety signal level and to close them by controlling with the second safety signal level in order to respectively alternately interrupt the supply quantities appearing in the respective channels, and wherein the diagnose unit is designed to measure the alternately interrupted supply quantities as measurement quantities and to compare the detected measurement quantities of the alternately interrupted supply quantities to one another in order to determine a deviation between the detected measurement quantities for monitoring the electrical switching arrangement.

Assignees

• B & R Ind Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Herzog Marc
• Kleineberg Matthias

Classifications

• G05B9/03 Primary

  with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems · CPC title

• G01R31/327

  Testing of circuit interrupters, switches or circuit-breakers · CPC title

• G01R31/3275

  Fault detection or status indication · CPC title

• G01R31/56

  Testing of electric apparatus (testing of transformers G01R31/62; testing of connections G01R31/66) · CPC title

• H01H47/005

  Safety control circuits therefor, e.g. chain of relays mutually monitoring each other · CPC title