Method for estimating the operating conditions of a switching apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535526-B2
Application number	US-202217714456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

Described herein is a method for determining a presence of anomalous conditions in a switching apparatus installed in an electric line of an electric power distribution grid. The method includes a sequence of steps for adjusting a lumped-parameter model describing, for each electric phase, the behavior of the switching apparatus during the opening maneuvers of the switching apparatus. Simulation values provided by the lumped-parameter model are used for calculating estimation values indicative of the amounts of arc energy released by the breaking components of the switching apparatus during the opening maneuvers of the switching apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for estimating operating conditions of a switching apparatus installed in an electric line, wherein said switching apparatus comprises at least one electric phase and, for each electric phase, at least a pair of electric contacts that can be coupled or separated to allow or prevent a current to flow through said switching apparatus, wherein said method includes the following, upon execution of an opening maneuver by said switching apparatus:
acquiring detection values indicative of the current flowing through said switching apparatus during the opening maneuver; providing a lumped-parameter model describing, for each electric phase, a behavior of said switching apparatus during said opening maneuver, said lumped-parameter model being configured to calculate first simulation values indicative of the current flowing through said switching apparatus during said opening maneuver and second simulation values indicative of a voltage between the electric contacts of said switching apparatus under separation during said opening maneuver; adjusting, for each electric phase, one or more lumped parameters of said lumped-parameter model in such a way that the first simulation values calculated by said lumped-parameter model match said detection values; based on the first simulation values and the second simulation values calculated by said lumped-parameter model with adjusted lumped parameters, calculating, for each electric phase, a first estimation value indicative of an amount of arc energy released during said opening maneuver; calculating, for each electric phase, a second estimation value indicative of an estimated cumulative arc energy released during an operating life of said switching apparatus, said second estimation value being calculated, for each electric phase, based on the first estimation value calculated for said opening maneuver and for one or more preceding opening maneuver by said switching apparatus; comparing, for each electric phase, said second estimation value with a predefined threshold value; determining that anomalous conditions are present in said switching apparatus when said second estimation value exceeds said predefined threshold value, for at least one electric phase of said switching apparatus; and providing an alarm signal, when it is determined that the anomalous conditions are present in said switching apparatus.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein adjusting one or more lumped parameters of said lumped-parameter model further comprises:
acquiring, for each electric phase, test values indicative of the current flowing through said switching apparatus during an opening maneuver, in which said switching apparatus operates in predetermined operating conditions; and initially setting, for each electric phase, one or more parameters of said lumped-parameter model in such a way that the first simulation values provided in output by said lumped-parameter model match said test values.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein adjusting one or more lumped parameters of said lumped-parameter model further comprises:
adjusting, for each electric phase, one or more parameters of said lumped-parameter model in such a way that the first simulation values provided in output by said lumped-parameter model match said detection values in terms of initial time and phase sequence.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein adjusting one or more lumped parameters of said lumped-parameter model further comprises:
adjusting, for each electric phase, one or more parameters of said lumped-parameter model in such a way that the first simulation values provided in output by said lumped-parameter model match said detection values in terms of peak current and power factor.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein adjusting one or more lumped parameters of said lumped-parameter model further comprises:
adjusting, for each electric phase, one or more parameters of said lumped-parameter model in such a way that the first simulation values provided in output by said lumped-parameter model match said detection values in terms of opening instant.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said second estimation value is calculated, for each electric phase, as a sum of the first estimation value calculated for each opening maneuver carried out by said switching apparatus.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out for opening maneuvers carried out by said switching apparatus in short-circuit conditions or overload conditions or both short-circuit and overload conditions.

8 . A computer program, which is stored or storable in a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the computer program comprises software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 1 .

9 . A computerized device, wherein the computerized device comprises data processing resources configured to execute software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 1 .

10 . The computerized device according to claim 9 , wherein the computerized device is a controller for an electric power distribution grid.

11 . The computerized device according to claim 9 , wherein the data processing resources are further configured to execute software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 3 .

12 . The computerized device according to claim 9 , wherein the data processing resources are further configured to execute software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 4 .

13 . The computerized device according to claim 9 , wherein the data processing resources are further configured to execute software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 5 .

14 . The computerized device according to claim 9 , wherein the data processing resources are further configured to execute software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 6 .

15 . The computerized device according to claim 9 , wherein the data processing resources are further configured to execute software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 7 .

16 . The computer program according to claim 8 , wherein the computer program further comprises software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 3 .

17 . The computer program according to claim 8 , wherein the computer program further comprises software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 4 .

18 . The computer program according to claim 8 , wherein the computer program further comprises software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 5 .

19 . The computer program according to claim 8 , wherein the computer program further comprises software instructions to implement a method, according to claim 6 .

Assignees

• Abb Spa

Inventors

• Arrighetti Pierantonio
• Ragaini Enrico

Classifications

• H02J2203/20

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F2113/04

  Power grid distribution networks · CPC title

• H02J13/00036

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• G06F30/20 Primary

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title