Shunt trip control circuits using shunt trip signal accumulator and methods of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577419-B2
Application number	US-201314107470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter provide an apparatus for driving a shunt trip actuator for a circuit breaker or other switch. The apparatus includes an energy storage device and an accumulator circuit configured to store energy in the energy storage device responsive to a shunt trip control signal. The apparatus further includes a detector circuit configured to generate a detection signal responsive to a state of the energy storage device meeting a predetermined criterion and a driver circuit configured to drive the shunt trip actuator using the energy stored in the energy storage device responsive to the detection signal.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An apparatus for driving a shunt trip actuator that trips a switch mechanism, the apparatus comprising:
an energy storage device;
an accumulator circuit configured to store energy in the energy storage device responsive to a shunt trip control signal;
a detector circuit configured to generate a detection signal responsive to a state of the energy storage device meeting a predetermined criterion; and
a driver circuit configured to drive the shunt trip actuator using the energy stored in the energy storage device responsive to the detection signal to trip the switch mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 :
wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor;
wherein the accumulator circuit is configured to charge the capacitor responsive to the shunt trip control signal;
wherein the detector circuit is configured to generate the detection signal responsive to a voltage of the capacitor; and
wherein the driver circuit is configured to discharge the capacitor responsive to the detection signal to drive the shunt trip actuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator circuit comprises a current regulator circuit configured to control a charging current provided from a source of the shunt trip control signal to the capacitor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the accumulator circuit further comprises a rectifier circuit configured to rectify the shunt trip control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the accumulator circuit comprises first and second inputs configured to receive first and second shunt trip control signals, respectively.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the accumulator circuit further comprises first and second rectifier circuits coupled between the first and second inputs of the accumulator circuit and first and second inputs of the current regulator circuit, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first and second inputs support respective first and second voltage ranges.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the capacitor is configured to be coupled and decoupled to and from the driver circuit by an auxiliary contact set of the switch actuated by the shunt trip actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the capacitor is configured to be coupled and decoupled to and from the detector circuit by the auxiliary contact set.

10. A circuit breaker assembly comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

11. A circuit breaker assembly comprising:
a circuit breaker;
a shunt trip actuator configured to actuate a switch mechanism of the circuit breaker; and
a shunt trip control circuit configured to store energy in an energy storage device responsive to a shunt trip control signal and to drive the shunt trip actuator using the stored energy responsive to a state of the energy storage device meeting a predetermined criterion.

12. The circuit breaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the shunt trip control circuit is configured to charge a capacitor responsive to the shunt trip control signal and to discharge the capacitor to drive the shunt trip actuator responsive to a voltage of the capacitor meeting a predetermined criterion.

13. The circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein the shunt trip control circuit is configured to regulate a charging current delivered to the capacitor from a source of the shunt trip control signal.

14. The circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein the shunt trip control circuit is configured to decouple the capacitor from the shunt trip actuator using an auxiliary contact set of the circuit breaker.

15. The circuit breaker of claim 11 , wherein the shunt trip control circuit is configured to operate responsive to DC and AC shunt trip control signals.

16. The circuit breaker of claim 11 , wherein the shunt trip control circuit comprises:
a capacitor;
an accumulator configured to charge the capacitor responsive to the shunt trip control signal;
a detector circuit configured to generate a detection signal responsive to a voltage of the capacitor meeting a predetermined criterion; and
a driver circuit configured to drive the shunt trip actuator from the capacitor responsive to the detection signal.

17. A method of operating a shunt trip actuator, the method comprising:
storing energy in an energy storage device responsive to a shunt trip control signal; and
driving the shunt trip actuator using the stored energy responsive to a state of the energy storage device meeting a predetermined criterion to trip a switch mechanism.

18. The method of claim 17 :
wherein storing energy in an energy storage device responsive to a shunt trip control signal comprises storing energy in a capacitor responsive to the shunt trip control signal; and
wherein driving the shunt trip actuator using the stored energy responsive to a state of the energy storage device meeting a predetermined criterion comprises discharging the capacitor to drive the shunt trip actuator responsive to a voltage of the capacitor meeting a predetermined criterion.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein discharging the capacitor to drive the shunt trip actuator responsive to a voltage of the capacitor meeting a predetermined criterion is followed by decoupling the capacitor from the shunt trip actuator using an auxiliary contact of a circuitry breaker driven by the shunt trip actuator.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the energy stored in the energy storage device is provided from a source of the shunt trip control signal.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Hymel Jon E
• Scheuring Leonard S

Classifications

• H01H83/20

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

• H01H71/123

  using a solid-state trip unit (circuits H02H) · CPC title

• H02H1/06 Primary

  Arrangements for supplying operative power {(power supply arrangements in general G05F, H02M)} · CPC title