Indicators for a power meter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804211-B2
Application number	US-201615185824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2016
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A system for indicators of power meters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power meter comprising:
(a) said power meter including an enclosure having an exterior;
(b) said power meter capable of receiving a first voltage input signal, a second voltage input signal, and a third voltage input signal representative of voltage levels in a respective first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor;
(c) said power meter capable of receiving a first current input signal, a second current input signal, and a third current input signal, representative of current levels in a respective said first conductor, said second conductor, and said third conductor;
(d) said power meter determining a first power factor associated with said first voltage input signal and said first current input signal, a second power factor associated with said second voltage input signal and said second current input signal, and a third power factor associated with said third voltage input signal and said third current input signal;
(e) said power meter including a first phase status observable from said exterior of said enclosure that indicates said first power factor, a second phase status observable from said exterior of said enclosure that indicates said second power factor, and a third phase status observable from said exterior of said enclosure that indicates said third power factor.

2. The power meter of claim 1 wherein said first phase status, a second phase status, and a third phase status are respectively illuminated when said first power factor, said second power factor, and said third power factor are respectively less than a respective threshold.

3. The power meter of claim 1 wherein said first phase status, a second phase status, and a third phase status are respectively illuminated when said first power factor, said second power factor, and said third power factor are respectively within a respective range greater than 0 and less than 1.

4. The power meter of claim 1 wherein
(a) said first phase status, a second phase status, and a third phase status are respectively illuminated with a red color when said first power factor, said second power factor, and said third power factor are respectively less than a respective first threshold;
(b) said first phase status, a second phase status, and a third phase status are respectively illuminated with a yellow color when said first power factor, said second power factor, and said third power factor are respectively less than a respective second threshold, where said second threshold is greater than said first threshold;
(c) said first phase status, a second phase status, and a third phase status are respectively illuminated with a green color when said first power factor, said second power factor, and said third power factor are respectively greater than a respective third threshold, where said third threshold is greater than said first threshold.

5. The power meter of claim 1 wherein said power meter including a first non-binary said first phase status observable from said exterior of said enclosure that indicates said first power factor, a second non-binary said second non-binary phase status observable from said exterior of said enclosure that indicates said second power factor, and a third non-binary said third phase status observable from said exterior of said enclosure that indicates said third power factor.

6. The power meter of claim 1 wherein said first non-binary phase status blinks in accordance with said first power factor, said second non-binary phase status blinks in accordance with said second power factor, and said third non-binary phase status blinks in accordance with said third power factor.

7. The power meter of claim 6 wherein said first non-binary phase status blinks for each generally 10 degrees of said first power factor, said second non-binary phase status blinks for each generally 10 degrees of said second power factor, said third non-binary phase status blinks for each generally 10 degrees of said third power factor.

8. The power meter of claim 7 wherein each of said first non-binary phase status blinks, said second non-binary phase status blinks, and said third non-binary phase status blinks in a substantially sequential manner.

9. A method of metering an electrical characteristic of a system comprising:
(a) providing an electrical phase checking apparatus, the electrical phase checking apparatus comprising:
(i) a first voltage sensor;
(ii) a first current sensor;
(iii) a first non-binary indicator connected to said first voltage sensor and first current sensor, said first non-binary indicator configured to indicate a phase separation between a voltage waveform measured by said first voltage sensor and a current waveform measured by said first current sensor;
(iv) a second voltage sensor;
(v) a second current sensor;
(vi) a second non-binary indicator connected to said second voltage sensor and second current sensor, said second non-binary indicator configured to indicate a phase separation between a voltage waveform measured by said second voltage sensor and a current waveform measured by said second current sensor, wherein the apparatus further comprises a first voltage probe connected to the first voltage sensor, a first current probe connected to the first current sensor, a second voltage probe connected to the second voltage sensor, and a second current probe connected to the second current sensor;

(b) attaching at least two of said probes to at least one wire in said system;
(c) reading a non-binary indication output by at least one of said binary indicators; and
(d) detaching at least one of said at least two of said probes and attaching it to a different wire in said system in response to said reading.

Assignees

• Veris Industries Llc

Inventors

• Parker Aaron
• Cook Martin

Classifications

• G01R21/133 Primary

  by using digital technique · CPC title

• G01R27/2688

  Measuring quality factor or dielectric loss, e.g. loss angle, or power factor (power factor related to power measurements G01R21/006; testing capacitors G01R31/016) · CPC title

• G01R19/0084

  Measuring voltage only · CPC title

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title

• G01R21/006 Primary

  Measuring power factor · CPC title