Apparatus for generating a self-check leakage current

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535540-B2
Application number	US-202318520397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 14, 2023
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus for generating a self-check leakage current is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a mechanical switch; a phase line solid-state switch arranged on a phase line and located upstream of the mechanical switch; a current transformer arranged upstream of the phase line solid-state switch; a bypass unit including a bypass switch and a bypass resistor, one end of the bypass unit is connected between the mechanical switch and the solid-state switch on the phase line, and the other end is connected to the upstream of the current transformer on the neutral line; A control unit for controlling the switching on and off of the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch and to receive the current value detected by the current transformer, wherein the self-check leakage current is generated when the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch are switched on.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for generating a self-check leakage current, comprising:
a mechanical switch which is configured to simultaneously switch on and off a phase line and a neutral line, a phase line solid-state switch arranged on the phase line and located upstream of the mechanical switch, a current transformer arranged upstream of the phase line solid-state switch, and the phase line and a neutral line pass through the current transformer, a bypass unit comprising a bypass switch and a bypass resistor connected in series, one end of the bypass unit is connected between the mechanical switch and the phase line solid-state switch on the phase line, and the other end is connected to the upstream of the current transformer on the neutral line, and a control unit, which is configured to control the switching on and off of the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch, and to receive a current value detected by the current transformer, wherein the self-check leakage current is generated when the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch are switched on.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in a case of generating the self-check leakage current, the control unit determines whether functions of the current transformer and the phase line solid-state switch are normal according to the self-check leakage current detected by the current transformer.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control unit switches off the bypass switch and switches on the phase line solid-state switch when the functions of the current transformer and the phase line solid-state switch are normal, otherwise, the control unit switches off the bypass switch and the phase line solid-state switch and sends out a fault indication signal.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein before the mechanical switch is closed, the control unit switches on the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein before the mechanical switch is closed, the control unit switches on the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a current phase detection unit which is configured to detect a phase of a phase line current and to provide the phase to the control unit, wherein the control unit switches on the bypass switch according to the phase of the phase line current, so that the self-check leakage current has a predetermined initial phase.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the phase line solid-state switch is constructed as two anti-series connected MOSFET.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bypass switch is constructed as an IGBT.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the phase line passes through the current transformer to a first input of the current phase detection unit, and a first output of the current phase detection unit is coupled to a second input of the phase line solid-state switch.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the phase line is coupled to a first input of the phase line solid-state switch and an output of the phase line solid-state switch is coupled to a second input of the mechanical switch.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the output of the phase line solid-state switch is coupled to the bypass switch.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the phase line passes through the current transformer to the first input of the phase line solid-state switch.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
open the mechanical switch to switch off the phase line and the neutral line; close the phase line solid-state switch; and close the bypass switch, wherein the opening of the mechanical switch and the closing of the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch causes current to flow from the phase line through the phase line solid-state switch and the bypass switch and back to the neutral line without passing through the current transformer.

14 . An apparatus for generating a self-check leakage current, comprising:
a mechanical switch which is configured to simultaneously switch on and off a phase line and a neutral line, a neutral line solid-state switch arranged on the neutral line and located between the mechanical switch and a current transformer, the current transformer arranged upstream of the neutral line solid-state switch, and the phase line and the neutral line pass through the current transformer, a bypass unit comprising a bypass switch and a bypass resistor connected in series, one end of the bypass unit is connected to the upstream of the current transformer on the phase line, and the other end is connected between the mechanical switch and the neutral line solid-state switch on the neutral line, and a control unit which is configured to control the switching on and off of the neutral line solid-state switch and the bypass switch, and to receive a current value detected by the current transformer, wherein the self-check leakage current is generated when the neutral line solid-state switch and the bypass switch are switched on.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein in a case of generating the self-check leakage current, the control unit determines whether functions of the current transformer and the neutral line solid-state switch are normal according to the self-check leakage current detected by the current transformer.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the bypass switch is coupled to the bypass resistor.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the neutral line is coupled to a first input of the neutral line solid-state switch and an output of the neutral line solid-state switch is coupled to a second input of the mechanical switch.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the neutral line passes through the current transformer to the first input of the neutral line solid-state switch.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the output of the neutral line solid-state switch is coupled to the bypass switch.

20 . A circuit comprising:
a mechanical switch comprising a first mechanical switch input and a second mechanical switch input, a phase line solid-state switch comprising a first input and a first output, the first input coupled to a first wire corresponding to a phase line, the first output coupled to the first mechanical switch input such that the phase line solid-state switch is upstream to the mechanical switch, a bypass switch comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to a second wire corresponding to a neutral line, the second end coupled to at least one of the first output or the first mechanical switch input, and a control unit configured to control the phase line solid-state switch, the bypass switch, and the mechanical switch to generate a leakage current.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Lu Feng
• Chen Xiaohang
• Wang Han
• Feng Jie
• Song Yangfeng
• Tian Jianwei
• Bai Wanlong

Classifications

• G01R15/18

  using inductive devices, e.g. transformers · CPC title

• G01R31/52 Primary

  Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults · CPC title

• G01R35/005

  Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references (G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01H83/04

  with testing means for indicating the ability of the switch or relay to function properly · CPC title

• H02H3/021

  concerning the disconnection itself, e.g. at a particular instant, particularly at zero value of current, disconnection in a predetermined order (disconnection at zero value in general H03K17/18) · CPC title