Fault Protection System and Method for an Electrical Power Distribution System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018358805-A1
Application number	US-201816037227-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 28, 2005
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fault protection system for an electrical power distribution system and a method of configuring and operating a fault protection system for an electrical power distribution system accepts device fault protection parameters, such as the time-current-characteristics (TCC's), of boundary devices, and selects and sets fault protection parameters for one or more fault protection devices, such as fault-interrupters, that thus coordinate with the boundary devices. Fault protection parameter selection for each fault protection device may occur automatically, and each device may reconfigure its fault protection parameters based upon changes in the electrical power distribution system, for example, as the result of fault isolation and/or service restoration.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A fault protection system, comprising:
a distribution line, the distribution line connecting a source via a non-communicating protection device to a load; a fault protection device disposed within the distribution hue with the non-communicating protection device and the load; the fault protection device being operable to isolate the source from a fault in the distribution line between the fault protection device and the load; the fault projection device including a controller, a memory coupled to the controller and a fault isolation operator coupling a source side of the distribution line to a load side of the distribution line, the fault isolation operator being responsive to the controller; and characterized by the controller being operable to receive or to be pro crammed with fault operating characteristic data of the non-communicating protection device and further being operable upon the fault operating characteristic data to determine a fault operating parameter for the fault protection device and to store the fault operating parameter in the memory; such that, in operation the fault isolation operator is operable responsive to the controller to provide fault isolation in the distribution line based upon the fault operating parameter; and the controller being further operable to communicate the fault operating characteristic data of the non-communicating protection device and the fault operating parameter to other fault protection devices in the fault protection system.

2 . The fault protection system of claim 1 , wherein the fault operating characteristic data comprises time-current-characteristic (TCC) data.

3 . The fault protection system of claim 2 , wherein the time-current-characteristic data is expressed as a function of fault operating characteristic data of the non-communicating protection device.

4 . The fault protection system of claim 2 , wherein the time-current-characteristic data is expressed as a data set defining a nominal time-current-characteristic of the non-communicating protection device.

5 . The fault protection system of claim 1 , the controller being operable to determine a validity of the fault operating parameter in relationship to the fault operating characteristic data of the non-communicating protection device.

6 . The fault protection system of claim 1 , comprising a second fault protection device disposed within the distribution line with the non-communicating protection device and the load; the controller being further operable to receive or to be programmed with fault operating characteristic data relating to the second fault protection device.

7 . The fault protection system of claim 6 , each of the fault protection device and the second fault protection device comprising respective communication devices, the communication devices being operable to communicate the fault operating characteristic data front the second fault protection device to the first fault protection device.

8 . The fault protection device of claim 6 , a second fault operating parameter associated with the second fault protection device, the first fault operating parameter and the second fault operating parameter being determined to provide coordinated operation of the fault protection device and the second fault protection device.

9 . The fault protection device of claim 8 , the fault protection device being operable to communicate a message to the second fault protection device upon operation of the fault protection device, the second fault protection device being operable to modify the second fault operating parameter responsive to the message such that the second fault protection dev ice remains coordinated with the first fault protection device.

10 . The fault protection device of claim 9 , wherein the message is a delay message and wherein in response to the delay message the second fault protection device time shifts its time-current-characteristic.

11 . The fault protection device of claim 8 , wherein the fault protection device and the second fault protection device operate as a coordinated team.

12 . A method of providing coordinated fault protection for a distribution line coupling a source to a load, a non-communicating protection device being disposed on the distribution line with the source and the load and a fault protection device being disposed on the distribution line with the non-communicating protection device and the load; the method characterized by comprising:
receiving fault operating characteristic data relating to the non-communicating protection device; determining a load path form the source to the load, the load path including the non-communicating protection device and the fault protection device; determining a fault operating parameter for the fault protection device based at least in part upon the fault operating characteristic data of the non-communicating protection device; activating a fault operating characteristic within the fault protection device based upon the determined fault operating parameter; and communicating the fault operating characteristic data and the fault operating parameter to other fault protection devices coupled to the distribution line.

13 . The method of claim 12 , the fault protection device comprising a plurality of fault protection devices being disposed within the load path,
wherein communicating the fault operating characteristic data and the fault operating parameter comprises propagating fault operating characteristic data for each of the plurality of fault protection devices to each other of the plurality of fault protection devices; and the method comprises, generating a fault operating parameter for each of the plurality of fault protection devices based upon the fault operating characteristic data of the non-communicating dev ice and the propagated fault operating characteristic data of the plurality of fault protection devices; and activating a fault operating characteristic within each of the plurality of fault protection devices based upon the determined fault operating parameter for the respective fault protection device.

14 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
wherein the fault operating parameter of each of the plurality of fault, protection devices is determined to provide coordinated operation of the plus a lily of fault protection devices with respect to each other and the non-communicating device.

15 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
determining a first fault protection device has an invalid fault protection parameter; setting the fault protection parameter of the first fault protection device to be the same as the fault protection parameter of a second fault protection device, the fault protection parameter of the second fault protection device being determined to be valid.

16 . The method of claim 15 , comprising:
coordinating the fault protection operation of the first fault protection device and the second fault protection device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the coordinating comprises sending a message from the first fault protection device to the second fault protection dev ice upon fault protection operation of the first fault protection device, the message affecting coordinated operation of the second fault protection device with respect to the first fault protection device.

18 . The method of claim 17 , the message comprising a delay message; the second fault protection device delaying its fault protection characteristic responsive to the delay message.

19 . The

Assignees

• S & C Electric Co

Inventors

• Staszesky Douglas M
• O'Leary Raymond P
• Tobin Thomas J

Classifications

• H02H3/006

  Calibration or setting of parameters · CPC title

• H02H3/08

  responsive to excess current (responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04) · CPC title

• H02H7/261

  involving signal transmission between at least two stations (transmission of signals in general H02H1/0061) · CPC title

• H02H7/30 Primary

  Staggered disconnection · CPC title

• H01H83/20

  operated by excess current as well as by some other abnormal electrical condition · CPC title