An addressable process control relay comprises a solid-state relay with an embedded network client. Such client is basically hardware compatible with the physical layer interfaces of a general class of serial networks, and has a variety of down-loadable or embedded protocol personalities that can respond to a particular proprietary network. Such protocol personalities are preferred to include: Fieldbus, process field bus (PROFIBUS), Seriplex, smart distributed system (SDS), DeviceNet, controller area network (CAN), etc.

Addressable intelligent relay

A system including a load center monitor (10) connected to a plurality of digitally enhanced circuit breakers (40) by a communication bus (26) forms a network of reconfigurable circuit breakers which provides advanced monitoring and control of an electrical power distribution system. A user port (20) and a service port (22) provide a communication interface with an external computer. Visual indicators (34) and an audible alarm (30) provide for alerting persons to certain conditions in the system. Buttons are provided for CLEAR (38), RESET (36), and TEST functions, and a diagnostic port (24) is also provided. The load center monitor (10) is operable to monitor the operation of the circuit breakers (40) and download information therefrom for storage in the load center monitor (10) as in the form of historical data. Further, the load center monitor (10) is operable to adaptively configure the trip profiles of individual circuit breakers (40) in the network by uploading the alternate selection or revision to the trip profile to an individual circuit breaker (40) in order to change the operation thereof.

Method and apparatus for adaptive configuration and control in a network of electronic circuit breakers

A load center monitor (10) is disclosed for monitoring and analyzing data gathered by electronic circuit breakers (40) in a power distribution system and communicated to the load center monitor (10) via a network (26) coupling the load center monitor (10) and the circuit breakers (40) together. The load center monitor (10) includes a first communication port (24) for communicating with the circuit breakers (40), a second communication port (20 or 22) for communicating with an external device and third communication port (28) for providing diagnostic information. The load center monitor (10) further includes audible (30) and visible (34) annunciators for providing alarm or status indications. A processor (76), coupled to the communication ports and to a memory (70) having a real-time clock for time stamping data provides monitoring, control, analysis and data generating capability in the load center monitor (10).

Load center monitor for electrical power lines

A modular power distribution system comprises a chassis; and a backplane including a power input, and a plurality of module connection locations. A plurality of modules are mounted in the chassis, each module mounted to one of the module connection locations. Each module includes: (i) an OR-ing diode; (ii) a circuit protection device; (iii) a microprocessor controlling the circuit protection device; and (iv) a power output connection location. A circuit option switch is located on each module for setting the current limits for each module. A control module is provided connected to the backplane.

Modular power distribution system and methods

A portable programming device is provided for communicating with and downloading tripping characteristics to a circuit breaker electronic trip unit. The programming device incorporates an umbilical cable which is attached to a connector on the trip unit, over which power is supplied to the trip unit and data is exchanged, a keypad with function keys including On/Off, Function, Breaker/Pane, Sensor and Program keys, and a LCD display which is capable of showing pertinent parameters such as circuit breaker type, sensor size, pickup and delay settings, current flowing through the circuit breaker and the trip characteristics to be downloaded to the trip unit. The portable programming device has a provision to operate from power supplied by a built in battery or from an external AC adapter. The programming device is presented with a fiber optic cable which, when coupled to a trip unit which is attached to a powered circuit breaker, can pass data to the device display.

Programming device for a circuit breaker

An addressable relay module is provided for controlling a plurality of relay outputs associated with an electronic circuit breaker system using a trip unit for monitoring system functions or network parameters. The relay module is linked to a multi-drop serial communications network through which data pertaining to system functions is relayed to and from a communications microcontroller which controls the operational status of relay contacts linked thereto. The microcontroller addresses specific ones of associated relay outputs in accordance with address information contained within the network data. The addressable relay module effectively maps the plurality of relay contact outputs linked thereto to a corresponding plurality of network device parameters received through the multi-drop network.

Ronald L. Farrington

Papers

Addressable relay module for circuit breakers