Autonomous Tie Breaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018076615-A1
Application number	US-201715818479-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An autonomous breaker can apply a current through a high impedance source to a bus coupled to either end of a breaker in order to measure an impedance of the bus. The status of the bus can be determined from the measurement. Based on the determined status, a fault detection procedure can be selected and implemented to determine if a fault exists on the bus. When the fault detection procedure has been implemented and no fault has been detected, the breaker can close, and thus couple the bus to another bus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
determining, by a breaker coupled between a first bus and a second bus, that the first bus is over-loaded; and closing the breaker in response to the determination that the first bus is over-loaded, thereby coupling the first bus to the second bus, wherein the second bus is coupled to an AC power source.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the breaker, that the first bus is under-loaded; and opening the breaker in response to the determination that the first bus is under-loaded, thereby decoupling the first bus from the second bus.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining, by the breaker, that the first bus is under-loaded, comprises detecting, by the breaker, a variation in a frequency of power on the first bus indicating that the first bus is under-loaded.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the first bus to the second bus removes the over-load.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining comprises detecting, by the breaker, a variation in a frequency of power on the first bus indicating that the first bus is over-loaded.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that there is no fault on the first bus prior to coupling the first bus to the second bus.

7 . A method, comprising:
determining, by a breaker coupled between a first bus and a second bus, that the first bus is under-loaded; and opening the breaker in response to the determination that the first bus is under-loaded, thereby decoupling the first bus from the second bus, wherein the second bus is coupled to an AC power source.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, by the breaker, that the first bus is over-loaded; and closing the breaker, in response to the determination that the first bus is over-loaded, thereby coupling the first bus to the second bus.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining, by the breaker, that there is no fault on the first bus prior to coupling the first bus to the second bus.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of determining, by the breaker, that the first bus is over-loaded, comprises detecting, by the breaker, a variation in a frequency of power on the first bus indicating that the first bus is over-loaded.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein decoupling the first bus from the second bus by opening the breaker removes the under-load.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining comprises detecting, by the breaker, a variation in a frequency of power on the first bus indicating that the first bus is under-loaded.

13 . An apparatus, comprising:
a breaker coupled between a first bus and a second bus; and an AC power source coupled to the second bus; wherein the breaker comprises a controller configured to:
determine that the first bus is over-loaded; and
close in response to the determination that the first bus is over-loaded, thereby coupling the first bus to the second bus.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the first bus is under-loaded; and open in response to the determination that the first bus is under-loaded, thereby decoupling the first bus from the second bus.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein opening, in response to the determination that the first bus is under-loaded removes the under-load from the first bus.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that there is not fault on the first bus prior to closing in response to the determination that the first bus is over-loaded.

17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the breaker is an autonomous breaker.

18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the breaker further comprises a sensor for monitoring a frequency of power on the first bus.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein determining that the first bus is over-loaded comprises detecting a variation in a frequency of power on the first bus with the sensor indicating that the first bus is over-loaded.

Assignees

• Transocean Sedco Forex Ventures Ltd
• Aspin Kemp & Associeates Holding Corp

Inventors

• Bourgeau Edward Peter Kenneth
• Aspin Jason

Classifications

• H02H7/28

  for meshed systems · CPC title

• H02H3/066

  Reconnection being a consequence of eliminating the fault which caused disconnection · CPC title

• H02H3/00

  Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection (specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems H02H7/00; systems for change-over to standby supply H02J9/00 ){; integrated protection (for motors H02H7/0822)} · CPC title

• H02H7/22 Primary

  for distribution gear, e.g. bus-bar systems; for switching devices {(detecting mechanical or electrical defects in gas-insulated switchgears H02B13/065)} · CPC title

• H02H3/06

  with automatic reconnection · CPC title