Apparatus and method to detect a series arc fault of an electrical circuit

An apparatus is for a power circuit providing an alternating current to a load. The apparatus includes a high frequency current sensor structured to cooperate with the power circuit to provide a high frequency current signal. A voltage zero crossing detector is structured to cooperate with the power...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Shea John Joseph
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 02.05.2017
Subjects
CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRICITY
EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
GENERATION
MEASURING
MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES
MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
PHYSICS
TESTING
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Summary:An apparatus is for a power circuit providing an alternating current to a load. The apparatus includes a high frequency current sensor structured to cooperate with the power circuit to provide a high frequency current signal. A voltage zero crossing detector is structured to cooperate with the power circuit to provide a voltage zero crossing signal. A high pass filter is structured to provide a filtered current signal from the high frequency current signal. A threshold comparator is structured to provide an output when the filtered current signal exceeds a predetermined value. A processor is structured to receive the voltage zero crossing signal and the output of the threshold comparator and output a trip signal in response to undesired series arcing by detecting an unsymmetrical high frequency signal for a predetermined number of cycles.
Bibliography:Application Number: US201313798704