Circuit Breaker Accessory Data Collector and Related Methods and Computer Program Products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016103180-A1
Application number	US-201414510158-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 9, 2014
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Accessory data collectors coupled to a switch-gear of a power system including at least one circuit breaker are provided. The data collector includes a sensor array configured to sense parameters associated with at least one accessory coupled to the at least one circuit breaker; and data storage configured to store the sensed parameters associated with the at least one accessory for a plurality of operational cycles of the at least one circuit breaker. Related methods and computer program products are also provided.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . An accessory data collector coupled to a switch-gear of a power system including at least one circuit breaker, the data collector comprising:
a sensor array configured to sense parameters associated with at least one accessory coupled to the at least one circuit breaker; and data storage configured to store the sensed parameters associated with the at least one accessory for a plurality of operational cycles of the at least one circuit breaker.

2 . The data collector of claim 1 , wherein the data collector is configured to couple the switch-gear through a plurality of terminal blocks positioned between a secondary control voltage terminal connected to the at least once circuit breaker and mating secondary control voltage terminal connected to the switch-gear.

3 . The data collector of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of terminal blocks are interchangeable for at least one of different circuit breaker frames and connection schematics.

4 . The data collector of claim 1 , further comprising a power source for the data collector.

5 . The data collector of claim 4 , wherein the power source is one of an external power source and an internal power source within a housing of the data collector.

6 . The data collector of claim 1 , wherein the data storage comprises one of internal storage within the housing of the data collector, external flash memory and a universal serial bus (USB).

7 . The data collector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one circuit breaker is in a test mode when data is the sensor array is sensing parameters associated with the at least one accessory.

8 . The data collector of claim 1 , wherein the sensed parameters comprise electrical characteristics associated with the at least one accessory device, the electrical characteristics including at least one of voltage, current and resistance associated with the at least one accessory device.

9 . The data collector of claim 8 , wherein the stored data is analyzed to provide time values of application and changing rates of the electrical characteristics over the plurality of operations cycles of the at least one circuit breaker.

10 . A method of collecting data for circuit breaker accessories using an accessory data collector coupled to a switch-gear of a power system including at least one circuit breaker, the method comprising:
sensing parameters associated with at least one accessory coupled to the at least one circuit breaker; and storing the sensed parameters associated with the at least one accessory for a plurality of operational cycles of the at least one circuit breaker, wherein at least one of the sensing and storing are performed by at least one processor of the data collector.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein storing further comprises storing the sensed parameters in one of internal storage within a housing of the data collector, external flash memory and a universal serial bus (USB).

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein sensing is proceeded by placing the at least one circuit breaker in a test mode for sensing parameters associated with the at least one accessory.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensed parameters comprise electrical characteristics associated with the at least one accessory device, the electrical characteristics including at least one of voltage, current and resistance associated with the at least one accessory device.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising analyzing the stored parameters to provide time values of application and changing rates of the electrical characteristics over the plurality of operations cycles of the at least one circuit breaker.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing diagnostic results for each of the at least one accessory based on the analyzed data.

16 . A computer program product for collecting data for circuit breaker accessories using an accessory data collector coupled to a switch-gear of a power system including at least one circuit breaker, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising: computer readable program code to sense parameters associated with at least one accessory coupled to the at least one circuit breaker; and computer readable program code to store the sensed parameters associated with the at least one accessory for a plurality of operational cycles of the at least one circuit breaker.

17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the computer readable program code to store further comprises computer readable program code to store the sensed parameters in one of internal storage within a housing of the data collector, external flash memory and a universal serial bus (USB).

18 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the sensed parameters comprise electrical characteristics associated with the at least one accessory device, the electrical characteristics including at least one of voltage, current and resistance associated with the at least one accessory device.

19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , further comprises computer readable program code to analyze the stored parameters to provide time values of application and changing rates of the electrical characteristics over the plurality of operations cycles of the at least one circuit breaker.

20 . The computer program product of claim 19 , further comprising computer readable program code to provide diagnostic results for each of the at least one accessory based on the analyzed data.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Ricciuti Anthony Thomas

Classifications

• G01R31/3274 Primary

  Details related to measuring, e.g. sensing, displaying or computing; Measuring of variables related to the contact pieces, e.g. wear, position or resistance (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205) · CPC title

• G01R31/327 Primary

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