Safety device and method for an electric installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9851403-B2
Application number	US-201414486052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A safety device capable of being connected between a circuit breaker device and an electric installation powered by an electric grid providing three-phase current having a first associated frequency, using a line for conveying electric current including three phase conductors, a neutral conductor and a protection conductor. The safety device makes it possible to verify at least one electric safety condition following a cut off of electric power of the electric installation by the circuit breaker device. The safety device comprises circuitry or a processor configured to verify presence of a residual voltage above a predetermined safety threshold on at least one of the conductors, and verify isolation between a tested pair of conductors, among the phase conductors. The safety device can be used to perform an associated safety verification method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A safety device adapted to be connected between a circuit breaker device and an electric installation powered by an electric grid providing three-phase current having a first associated frequency, using a line for conveying electric current comprising three phase conductors, a neutral conductor and a protection conductor, the safety device making it possible to verify at least one electric safety condition following a cut off of electric power of the electric installation by the circuit breaker device, comprising:
a module adapted to verify presence of a residual voltage above a predetermined safety threshold on at least one of the conductors; and
an isolation verification module adapted to verify isolation between at least one tested pair of conductors of at least one pair of conductors, from among said three phase conductors in combination,
wherein the isolation verification module includes:
a module adapted to inject a high-frequency electric signal, having a voltage below a voltage threshold, and a second frequency above said first associated frequency,
and a multiplexing circuit adapted to inject the high-frequency electric signal only on a pair of conductors basis toward each pair of conductors to be tested that form the at least one tested pair of conductors.

2. The safety device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation verification module is adapted to verify each pair of phase conductors.

3. The safety device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation verification module is further adapted to verify the isolation of each pair of conductors formed by each of said phase conductor and the neutral conductor, and each pair of conductors formed by each of said phase conductors and the protection conductor.

4. The safety device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation verification module further includes, connected at an output of the multiplexing circuit, and connected to said phase conductors, a high pass injection filter with a cutoff frequency above said first associated frequency of the three-phase current and below said second frequency of the high-frequency electric signal.

5. The safety device according to claim 1 , wherein the multiplexing circuit has a set of switching members arranged to produce coupling between said conductors of the line for conveying electric current of the three-phase electric grid and the injected high-frequency electric signal.

6. The safety device according to claim 5 , wherein the multiplexing circuit is comprised of five switching members each having an input switchable on one output from among two outputs, connected such that each of the electric conductors of the line for conveying electric current of the three-phase electric grid is connected on at least one output of one of the switching members.

7. The safety device according to claim 6 , wherein each phase conductor is connected as an output of two separate switching members.

8. The safety device according to claim 4 , further comprising a measurement adaptation module and a voltage measurement circuit connected on an output of the measurement adaptation module and capable of performing a voltage measurement indicating the presence of a residual voltage and an impedance measurement indicating the absence of an electric isolation fault for each of the at least one tested pair of conductors.

9. The safety device according to claim 1 , further comprising a command control member capable of controlling said module adapted to verify the presence of a residual voltage and of controlling said isolation verification module.

10. The safety device according to claim 9 , further comprising a man-machine interface capable of receiving commands from an operator and providing indications relative to the verified at least one electric safety conditions.

11. The safety device according to claim 10 , wherein the man-machine interface includes luminous indicators capable of providing indications relative to the verified at least one electric safety conditions.

12. A method for verifying safety implemented by a safety device connected between a circuit breaker device and an electric installation powered by an electric grid providing three-phase current having a first associated frequency, using a line for conveying electric current comprising three phase conductors, a neutral conductor and a protection conductor, making it possible to verify at least one electric safety condition following an electric power supply cutoff of the electric installation by the circuit breaker device, comprising:
verifying a first safety condition for the presence of a residual voltage above a predetermined safety threshold on one of the phase conductors, when there is no residual voltage above the predetermined safety threshold, applying an isolation verification, capable of verifying the isolation between at least one tested pair of conductors of at least one pair of conductors, from among said three phase conductors in combination,
and using at least one man-machine interface of the safety device to display a result upon each said isolation verification,
wherein said isolation verification includes:
injecting a high-frequency electric signal having a voltage below a voltage threshold, and a second frequency above the first associated frequency, only on a pair of conductors basis toward each pair of conductors to be tested that form the at least one tested pair of conductors.

13. The safety verification method according to claim 12 , wherein after said verifying the first safety condition, the method further comprises verifying a second safety condition relative to a loss of connection with one of the phase conductors.

14. The safety verification method according to claim 13 , wherein in said isolation verification, all of the pairs of phase conductors, all of the pairs respectively formed by one of the phase conductors and the neutral conductor, and all of the pairs respectively formed by one of the phase conductors and the protection conductor are verified.

15. The safety verification method according to claim 14 , wherein a risk indicator is implemented on the man-machine interface of the safety device once said isolation verification indicates a lack of isolation for a pair of conductors of the at least one tested pair of conductors.

16. The safety verification method according to claim 14 , wherein said first and second safety conditions are verified before and after carrying out the applying the said isolation verification.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Laporte Alexandre
• Vincent Francois
• Pellegrin Christian

Classifications

• H02H11/006

  in case of too high or too low voltage · CPC title

• H02H11/005 Primary

  in case of too low isolation resistance, too high load, short-circuit; earth fault · CPC title

• H01H89/04

  Combination of a thermally actuated switch with a manually operated switch · CPC title

• G01R31/327 Primary

  Testing of circuit interrupters, switches or circuit-breakers · CPC title