Loss of neutral voltage connection detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022011381-A1
Application number	US-202117175810-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 7, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for detecting a neutral voltage connection, involve determining when a value of a neutral current is equal to zero, wherein the neutral current comprises a difference between a current flowing through two legs of an electrical meter to an end customer, wherein each of the two legs comprises a first voltage with respect to a ground and a second voltage with respect to one another; and verifying that the neutral current has been detected to zero, in response to determining that the value of the neutral current is equal to zero.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for detecting a neutral voltage connection, comprising:
determining when a value of a neutral current is equal to zero, wherein the neutral current comprises a difference between a current flowing through two legs of an electrical meter to an end customer, wherein each of the two legs comprises a first voltage with respect to a ground and a second voltage with respect to one another; and verifying that the neutral current has been detected to zero, in response to determining that the value of the neutral current is equal to zero.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining when the value of the neutral current is equal to zero comprises subtracting a current of one of the two legs from a current of the other leg of the two legs.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining a value of an average current is equal to adding a current of one of the two legs to the current of the other leg of the two legs and dividing the sum by 2.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically generating a notification that the neutral current has been detected, in response to verifying the detection of the neutral current.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising automatically generating a follow-up notification that the neutral current has been detected again after a period of time.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
confirming that the neutral current has been detected to zero by comparing the neutral current to a fixed threshold.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
confirming that the neutral current has been detected to zero by comparing a ratio of the neutral current to an average current of the two legs.

8 . A system for detecting a neutral voltage connection, comprising:
an electrical meter; and at least one sensor that communicates electrically with the electrical meter, wherein the at least one sensor determines when a value of a neutral current is equal to zero, the neutral current comprising a difference between a current flowing through two legs of the electrical meter to an end customer, wherein each of the two legs comprises a first voltage with respect to a ground and a second voltage with respect to one another, and wherein a detection of the neutral current to zero is verified, in response to determining that the value of the neutral current is equal to zero.

9 . The system of claim 8 wherein determining when the value of the neutral current is equal to zero comprises subtracting a current of one of the two legs from a current from the other leg of the two legs.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein determining the value of an average current is equal to adding a current of one of the two legs to the current of the other leg of the two legs and dividing the sum of the currents by 2.

11 . The system of claim 8 wherein a notification that the neutral current has been detected to zero by the at least one sensor is automatically generated, in response to verifying the detection of the neutral current.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein a follow-up notification that the neutral current has been detected again is automatically generated after a period of time.

13 . The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one sensor confirms that the neutral current has been detected by comparing a ratio of the neutral current to an average current of the two legs.

14 . The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one sensor confirms that the neutral current has been detected by comparing the neutral current to a fixed threshold.

15 . A system for detecting a neutral voltage connection, comprising
at least one processor; and a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium capable of communicating with the at least one processor, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor and configured for:
determining when a value of a neutral current is equal to zero, wherein the neutral current comprises a difference between a current flowing through two legs of an electrical meter to an end customer, wherein each of the two legs comprises a first voltage with respect to a ground and a second voltage with respect to one another; and
verifying that the neutral current has been detected to zero, in response to determining that the value of the neutral current is equal to zero.

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions configured for determining when the value of the neutral current is equal to zero further comprises instructions configured for subtracting a current of one of the two legs from a current from the other leg of the two legs.

17 . The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further configured for determining a value of an average current is equal to adding a current of one of the two legs to the current of the other leg of the two legs and dividing the sum by 2.

18 . The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further configured for automatically generating a notification that the neutral current has been detected, in response to verifying the detection of the neutral current.

19 . The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further configured to detect a zero neutral current by comparing the neutral current to a fixed threshold for the neutral current.

20 . The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further configured to detect a zero neutral current by comparing a ratio of the neutral current to an average current of the two legs.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Valdivia Avila Juan
• Holdsclaw Scott

Classifications

• G01R22/068

  Arrangements for indicating or signaling faults · CPC title

• G01R31/54

  Testing for continuity · CPC title

• G01R31/55

  Testing for incorrect line connections · CPC title

• G01R11/25 Primary

  Arrangements for indicating or signalling faults · CPC title

• G01R31/66 Primary

  Testing of connections, e.g. of plugs or non-disconnectable joints (testing for incorrect line connections G01R31/55) · CPC title