Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090168273 | HYBRID HIGH VOLTAGE DC CONTACTOR WITH ARC ENERGY DIVERSION - A contactor may operate to interrupt current in a circuit while the circuit is operating under load. A shunt is provided to by-pass surge power current around contacts to reduce arcing. The shunt includes a solid-state switch that may be operated in a series of pulses during movement of the contacts. The pulse control unit may detect a potential for arcing and then provide for periodic pulsing operation of the shunt. Because the solid-state switch may operate discontinuously, the contactor may be constructed with a switch that is selected on a basis of its pulse rating. | 07-02-2009 |
20090189455 | SOLID STATE POWER CONTROLLER (SSPC) USED AS BUS TIE BREAKER IN ELECTRICAL POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS - The present invention provides an electrical power distribution system that includes a first primary distribution panel (PDP) connected to a first source of electrical power and a second PDP connected to a second source of electrical power. The second PDP is connected to the first PDP by a conductor. A first solid state power controller (SSPC) receives signals corresponding to the flow of current through the first PDP to a load. A second SSPC receives signals corresponding to the flow of current between the first PDP and the second PDP. The first and second SSPC protect the electrical power distribution system from a variety of fault conditions. | 07-30-2009 |
20100172063 | METHODS OF IMPROVING THE LIGHTNING IMMUNITY FOR AN SSPC BASED AIRCRAFT ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A solid state power controller (SSPC) often contains electronic circuitry which could be damaged or upset by the excessive transient voltages induced by the lightning and SSPC could result in undesirable (or nuisance) trips due to lightning strikes. The present invention is intended to address the “nuisance trip” issue, by relying on the lightning indicative signals to distinguish between the transient current surge due to the lightning strike and that due to the circuit fault in the power distribution channel. The present invention utilizes either the break-down current in a transient voltage suppression (TVS) device, or a voltage signal at the output of the SSPC as the indication of lightning strike, to avoid nuisance trips. | 07-08-2010 |
20100219838 | METHOD OF DETECTING THE WET ARC FAULT IN THE AC POWER DISTRIBUTION APPLICATIONS - Methods for detecting wet arc faults are based on the direct current (DC) signature analysis and pattern matching pertaining to wet arc characteristics. While magnifying some wet arc fault signatures, it may be found that the wet arc current signal itself resembles a normal current signal in both time and frequency domains. The change in magnitude or high frequency behavior found may not be enough to distinguish a wet arc fault signature from a normal signature. Embodiments of the present invention may look at the magnitude change in the DC content per cycle of the wet arc current signal, which may be more positive in one cycle while, in the next cycle, it may be negative in a relative manner. A particular number of these changes may be determinative of a wet arc fault. | 09-02-2010 |
20100254046 | CONTROLLING ARC ENERGY IN A HYBRID HIGH VOLTAGE DC CONTACTOR - A high voltage direct current (HVDC) power distribution system comprises at least one power bus; at least one load conductor; and a hybrid contactor for interconnecting the at least one power bus and the at least one load conductor and through which inductive energy passes upon disconnection of the at least one load conductor from the at least one power bus. A first portion of the inductive energy passes through the hybrid contactor as an arc. A second portion of the inductive energy passes through the hybrid contactor as resistively dissipated heat. | 10-07-2010 |
20100259859 | METHOD OF ENSURING THE COORDINATED ARC FAULT PROTECTION IN A HEIRARCHIAL POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A coordinated arc fault protection scheme in a hierarchical power distribution system is disclosed. The methods according to embodiments of the present invention may be considered an “event and time graded” analysis. In event and time based analysis, the number of confirmed arc signature may be monitored with respect to time in the main feeder line as well as the branched feeders. The confirmed arc signature in the branched feeder, as well as in the main feeder, may be captured and time stamped. A trip command may be issued first in the intended branched feeder if the branched feeder experiences a minimum number of events within a given time. During the same time period, the main feeder also monitors similar arcing events. If the tripping of the branched feeder occurs and the main feeder still detects arcing events, the main feeder may be tripped after a certain period of time or a certain number of confirmed arc signature. If there is no arc in the branched feeder and the main feeder itself experiences the arc, then the main feeder may be tripped after a predetermined period of time so that the current to all the branched feeders may be cut and the main feeder may be protected. | 10-14-2010 |
20100302729 | HIGH POWER SOLID STATE POWER CONTROLLER PACKAGING - A high power solid state power controller packaging system and power panel are disclosed. The high power solid state power controller packaging system includes a plurality of discrete power devices assembled juxtaposed to one another in a row, a fin style heatsink, an input bus bar and an output bus bar, and a circuit card assembly connected to the plurality of discrete power devices for managing power signals among the plurality of discrete power devices. The power panel includes a chassis, a mounting bracket with connector sockets formed in the mounting bracket, and a plurality of high power solid state power control modules modularly mounted in the connector sockets. | 12-02-2010 |
20110222200 | HIGH POWER SOLID STATE POWER CONTROLLER (SSPC) SOLUTION FOR PRIMARY POWER DISTRIBUTION APPLICATIONS - High-power power distribution in an aircraft may use solid state power controller (SSPC) technology. A conventional electromechanical contactor may be used, in series, with a solid state switching device (SSSD) to achieve high-power power distribution. Since the electromechanical contactor does not need to be rated for arc handlings during normal SSPC operation, the electromechanical contactor may be simplified, resulting in cost, weight, volume, and failure rate reductions. The power distribution apparatus and methods of the present invention may be applicable for both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) applications and can be modified to form a three phase SSPC. | 09-15-2011 |
20110227582 | METHODS FOR DETECTING A HIDDEN PEAK IN WIRE FAULT LOCATION APPLICATIONS - IMPROVING THE DISTANCE RANGE RESOLUTION - Hidden or overlapped peaks may occur when using SSTDR technology to determine ware faults. These hidden/overlapped peaks may cause false negative determinations (no fault) when testing a wire for faults. In one method of the present invention, the symmetrical property of the SSTDR wave envelope is used to resolve hidden/overlapped peaks. In another method of the present invention, the calibrated normalized loop back SSTDR wave envelope may be used to resolve hidden/overlapped peaks. | 09-22-2011 |
20110309809 | HIGH POWER DC SSPC WITH CAPABILITY OF SOFT TURN-ON TO LARGE CAPACITIVE LOADS - Pre-charge circuitry allows capacitive loads connected to a solid state power controller to be gradually charged up by a PWM, generated with a cycle by cycle current limit, switching a single MOSFET in series with an inductor, before the SSPC is turned on. The pre-charge circuitry may require only three additional components, e.g., a MOSFET, an inductor and a diode, along with a designated MOSFET gate driver. | 12-22-2011 |
20130207705 | SSPC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND CONTROL STRATEGY - A power distribution system includes the use of a master digital signal processor (DSP) and two slave DSPs connected to the master DSP. The slaves DSPs may be connected to each of a plurality of solid state power channels (SSPC) controlling power distribution functions to each of the channels. A power control strategy may use one power supply for the master DSP, a second power supply shared between the slave DSPs, and a third power supply shared between each of the SSPC channels. | 08-15-2013 |