The present inventors have discovered that interrupter components include specific points of wear each of which wears (erodes, ablates, or abrades) at a different rate depending upon the imposed arcing current magnitude and duration. This information used to compute the average may include several days or just a partial day. A kind of sulfur hexafluoride breaker phase column simultaneity control method, A kind of high-voltage switch gear divide-shut brake action mechanical property monitoring method and equipment, Switching action data processing method, device and system for field suppression switch, Zero crossing contactor and method of operating, High-voltage device and method for measuring temperature on a high-voltage device, Single pole trip and ganged pole closing for multiphase high-voltage power circuit breakers, Three-phase combined type circuit breaker, Dead tank housing for high voltage circuit breaker employing puffer interrupters, Molded case circuit breaker with removable arc chutes and disengageable transmission system between the operating mechanism and the poles, Solid-state trip unit of an electrical circuit breaker with contact wear indicator, System for automatically shutting down auxiliary power devices in a vehicle, Method and device for synchronous switching of a circuit breaker, Determine and predict adaptively the method for end-of-life of vacuum interrupter, Method of determining end-of-life of a fault interrupting device, Method and apparatus for communicating with an intelligent electronic device associated to a switching device in power systems, Method and apparatus for optimizing synchronous switching operations in power systems, Two pole circuit breaker voltage monitoring integration, Improper voltage detection for electronic circuit breaker, Reliability in semiconductor device control, Circuit protection device and method for monitoring protection device in power distribution system, Communication enabled circuit breakers and circuit breaker panels, HVDC breaker and control apparatus for controlling an HVDC breaker, Controlled switching of HVAC circuit breakers: application examples and benefits, Remote control and operation of LV distribution networks, Controller and system including a controller for detecting a failure thereof, Method and device for detecting failure of a vacuum interrupter of an on load tap changer, Dynamic mechanically switched damping system and method for damping power oscillations using the same, High-voltage line breaker condition monitoring system, Fault identification and initial time calibration method of dynamic grounding processing device, Online condition monitoring of SF 6 circuit breaker, Optimizing the switching time for 400 kV SF6 circuit breakers, Apparatus and method for servicing a distribution bus, Edge Devices, Sensors, Cloud for High Voltage Switchgears, Current status and future trend of controlled switching system, Design, development and testing of low scatter mechanical drives for point-on-wave switching in 400 kV AIS circuit breakers, Long-term Reliability of Controlled Switching Systems: Observations from Two Decades of Development and Experience A. MERCIER* S. DE CARUFEL P. TAILLEFER Hydro-Qubec VIZIMAX Inc. Canada, Interrupted arc responsive protective equipment for series capacitors, Advantages of comprehensive monitoring for critical circuit breakers, Controlled switching of circuit breaker and its site measurement in power distribution system. Current interruption must occur at a zero current point of the current waveshape. Close circuit performance may be evaluated by determining the time from receiving a close signal to when certain relays pick up. There are a variety of condition screens that may be displayed: 1) average and maximum trip reaction time. 18. This procedure yields a three-dimensional function (or look-up table) for closing time, given values for temperature, control voltage, and spring charge. In presently preferred embodiments of the invention, the expression "trending change" refers to a change that exhibits a pattern that may be corrected with feedback control. Should wear reach the end-of-life value, a more serious alarm is activated, possibly blocking further operation of the switching device (e.g., circuit breaker). The alarm does not clear until the offending coil is repaired. In addition, commercially available PLCs have comprehensive self-diagnostic capabilities that can provide specific information about a failure within a PLC. For example, the invention disclosed herein may be employed in association with a circuit switcher, circuit breaker, load break switch, recloser, or the like. Alarm set points are used to alert operating and maintenance personnel when any of the cells are approaching the end of their useful life. The caution alarm does not clear until the offending heater is repaired. The SCU is preferably a stand-alone unit, which allows existing switching devices to be retrofitted with an SCU. 2. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the switching device comprises an interrupter and said CMU further comprises means for determining the wear condition of prescribed components or parts of components of the interrupter. 25. It is believed that such prior attempts, even if successful, would be inferior to the CMU disclosed in this specification. For example, the switching device may comprise an interrupter and the CMU may include means for determining the wear condition of prescribed components or parts of components of the interrupter. Similarly, a case of too much damping could also be detected by counting a fewer number of bars which occur in a given period of time. FIG. Even minor transients can cause the power waveform to skew, rendering these electrical devices inoperative. Alarms and Set Points In one preferred embodiment, the CMU 40 has a yellow indicator light and a corresponding alarm contact for cautionary circumstances that are not an immediate threat to the circuit breaker. 1986. An operation is deemed abnormal when reaction time, velocity, or contact/nozzle wear are not within normal bounds. For example, the temperature sensor may be located on the bottom of a middle pole on a common frame (e.g., of a 72-242 kV breaker) or on the middle bottom of every pole (e.g., of a 362 or 550 kV breaker). A digital input (the "a" contacts) will indicate when the breaker is in the open position. The condition monitoring unit 40 operates as indicated in FIG. These different algorithms account for differences in gas flow between opening and closing, which changes the position and nature of the arc and the arc roots. 6. The use of ladder logic simplifies circuit breaker control circuits by using relay equivalent symbols to process PLC inputs and outputs. Development of Controlled Switching of Reactors, Capacitors Transformers and Lines. The SCU preferably also comprises compensation means for compensating a computed closing or opening time for one or more prescribed operating conditions, and adaptation means for adapting the computed closing or opening time to compensate for trending changes in the switching device. In one embodiment, the optical pick-up may be adjusted to generate a transition within the first two millimeters of travel and every millimeter thereafter. The presence or absence of pump voltage is used to determine whether the controls are calling for pump operation. Therefore, a known practice (used in a "puffer" interrupter) is to fill a cavity of the interrupter with an inert, electrically insulating gas that quenches the arc 16. Arcing contacts 12 and main contacts 19 are movable to close or open the circuit. According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for monitoring and controlling a switching device comprises a breaker control unit (BCU), a synchronous control unit (SCU), and a condition monitoring unit (CMU). Laboratory tests established the closing time for a range of temperature, control voltage, and spring charge. First, the number of motor starts per day are monitored. This could include resetting the alarm levels or cumulative wear. More particularly, the present invention relates to an intelligent circuit breaker having a modular architecture and providing synchronous switching and condition monitoring. For example, the statistical distribution parameters preferably include the mean and variance of an error comprising the difference between a target switching time and an actual switching time. ASEA BROWN BOVERI INC., NORTH CAROLINA, Free format text: By maximizing the arcing time, the interrupter gap at the point of the peak of the transient recovery voltage is significantly increased, having a much greater dielectric withstand capability. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises means for monitoring the condition of a relay control system associated with the switching device. 2A is a cross-sectional view of an interrupter with its contacts closed. These tables are determined in the laboratory and further reduced into three smaller look-up tables. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein said SCU further comprises replaceable and updatable software controlling the operation of the SCU. The CMU 40 provides detailed diagnostic information by monitoring key quantities associated with circuit breaker reliability.

Moreover, the mechanical linkage disclosed would require mechanical adjustments over time to account for variations in the circuit breaker performance and operating conditions which often change over time. Moreover, multiple intelligent circuit breaker systems may be integrated through substation expert systems to achieve greater operational benefits. Different algorithms apply to each case for each of the wear points. Owner name: A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the CMU comprises means for monitoring the condition of a heater and thermostat associated with the switching device. Under fault conditions, the SCU 60 employs synchronous opening to minimize arcing time and reduce wear on the interrupters. Preferably, the CMU employs a separate and unique algorithm to estimate the wear rate for each prescribed wear point. No. Intelligent circuit breaker providing synchronous switching and condition monitoring, Application filed by ABB Power T&D Co Inc. Instead, a simple system is employed to provide diagnostic information. For example, an "a" contact wired into a PLC input would appear graphically as a normally-opened contact in the PLC program. 6C depicts details of the process of block 610 (FIG. When there is too little damping, more bars would pass back and forth past the sensor as the mechanical system bounces. Furthermore, the PLC hardware and software represents a one-to-one replacement of contact-multiplying relays and time-delay relays. Presently preferred embodiments of the SCU attempt to close on a voltage zero and measure the actual performance in terms of timing error. For example, in presently preferred embodiments of the invention, specific compensation tables are associated with a particular model of circuit breaker.