Smart Circuit Interrupter Accessory Internal Components Diagnostics

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Smart Circuit Interrupter Accessory Internal Component Diagnostics." The present invention discloses a smart accessory device that includes an actuator and is designed to actuate an operating mechanism of a circuit breaker to open or close the separable contacts of the circuit breaker. The accessory can be one of a shunt trip device, a spring release device, or an undervoltage release device. The actuator includes a solenoid and a plunger. The accessory determines the operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when a power source provides power to the accessory device, and continuously performs coil diagnostics to determine the operating condition of the coil while power is provided to the accessory device. If the accessory fails to trip the circuit breaker when required, the accessory can determine whether the fault is due to either the solenoid or the plunger.

Description

Background Art Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed concepts generally relate to diagnostic systems for circuit breaker accessories, and particularly to systems for monitoring the status of internal components of a shunt trip device, a spring release device, or an undervoltage device.

[0002] Background Information

[0003] Circuit interrupters (such as, but not limited to, circuit breakers) are typically used to protect circuits from overcurrent conditions, such as overload conditions, short circuits, or other fault conditions, such as arc faults or ground faults. Circuit interrupters typically include separable contacts. The separable contacts can be manually operated by an operator handle or automatically operated in response to a detected fault condition. Typically, such circuit interrupters include an operating mechanism designed to quickly open and close the separable contacts and a trip mechanism (such as a trip unit) that senses a plurality of fault conditions that automatically trip the circuit interrupter. Upon sensing a fault condition, the trip unit trips the operating mechanism to open the separable contacts.

[0004] Circuit breaker accessories such as shunt trips, spring releases, and undervoltage releases can be operatively connected to circuit breakers and used to open and close separable contacts. The shunt trip assembly typically includes a conductive coil and an armature operating mechanism that is coupled to the circuit breaker operating mechanism via a mechanical linkage such that movement in the shunt trip operating mechanism causes a corresponding movement in the circuit breaker operating mechanism. The shunt trip assembly is further operatively coupled to a remote power source that is configured to energize the coil and actuate the shunt trip operating mechanism so that an operator at a remote location can open the separable contacts of the circuit breaker. The undervoltage release includes a conductive coil connected to a spring, wherein the coil requires continuous power to maintain the spring in a position that keeps the separable contacts of the circuit breaker closed and, therefore, trips the circuit breaker open when the power supply voltage to the undervoltage release drops below a threshold voltage. The spring release device includes a coil and an armature operating mechanism that expands a compression spring when the coil is energized by a voltage input and is capable of remotely causing an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker to close separable contacts by expanding the compression spring.

[0005] Like any electrical or mechanical component, components of circuit breaker accessory devices (such as shunt trips, spring releases, and undervoltage releases) can fail and / or wear out. Failure and wear of accessory devices can, in turn, prevent the circuit breaker from operating properly. When a circuit breaker fails to operate properly, determining whether the problem lies with a component of the circuit breaker or a component of the connected accessory device can be time-consuming and inefficient.

[0006] Therefore, there is room for improvement in the diagnostic system of circuit breaker accessory devices. Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide, in an exemplary embodiment, an intelligent accessory device configured to be operatively connected to a circuit breaker to actuate an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker, the accessory device comprising: a power section configured to be electrically connected to a power source and comprising an actuator, a current sensor, and a voltage sensor; and a control section electrically and operatively connected to the power section, the control section comprising a processor. The actuator is configured to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker and comprises a solenoid having a coil of wire and a ferromagnetic plunger coupled to the solenoid, wherein the plunger is configured to move relative to the solenoid in response to current flowing through the solenoid. The current sensor is configured to sense current flowing through the solenoid.

[0008] The processor is configured to determine an operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when the power supply provides power to the accessory device.

[0009] In another exemplary embodiment, a smart accessory device configured to be operatively connected to a circuit breaker to actuate an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker is provided, the accessory device comprising: a power section configured to be electrically connected to a power source and comprising an actuator, a current sensor, and a voltage sensor; and a control section electrically and operatively connected to the power section, the control section comprising a processor. The actuator is configured to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker and comprises a solenoid having a coil of wire and a ferromagnetic plunger coupled to the solenoid, wherein the plunger is configured to move relative to the solenoid in response to current flowing through the solenoid. The current sensor is configured to sense current flowing through the solenoid.

[0010] The processor is configured to determine an operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when the power supply is providing power to the accessory device. The processor is also configured to continuously perform coil diagnostics to determine the operating condition of the coil as long as power is being provided to the accessory device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] A complete understanding of the concepts disclosed herein can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an intelligent circuit breaker accessory device according to an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed concept;

[0013] Figure 2A The present invention is used as an example embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1a cross-sectional view of a pull-type solenoid and plunger arrangement of an actuator in an accessory device shown in FIG;

[0014] Figure 2B The present invention is used as an example embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of a push-type solenoid and plunger arrangement of an actuator in an accessory device shown in FIG;

[0015] Figure 3 is an exemplary embodiment of the concept disclosed in the present invention comprising Figure 1 A flowchart of the steps of coil diagnosis performed by a control section of an accessory device shown in FIG.

[0016] Figure 4A yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker accessory device shown in , shown with an open circuit actuator coil;

[0017] Figure 4B yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the circuit breaker accessory device shown in , shown with a short-circuited actuator coil;

[0018] Figure 4C yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the circuit breaker accessory device shown in , shown with a partially shorted actuator coil; and

[0019] Figure 5 is an exemplary embodiment of the concept disclosed in the present invention comprising Figure 1 Flowchart of the steps of coil diagnosis performed by the control section of the accessory device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Directional phrases used herein, such as, for example, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, and their derivatives, refer to the orientation of elements shown in the drawings and do not limit the claims unless explicitly recited therein.

[0021] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0022] As used herein, the statement that two or more parts or components are "coupled" shall mean that the parts are joined or operate together either directly or indirectly, that is, through one or more intermediate parts or components, so long as a coupling occurs. As used herein, "directly coupled" means that two elements are in direct contact with each other. As used herein, "fixedly coupled" or "fixed" means that two components are coupled so as to move as a unit while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other. As used herein, "movably coupled" means that two components are coupled so as to allow at least one of the components to move in a manner that changes the orientation of the at least one component relative to the other component.

[0023] As used herein, the term "number" shall mean one or an integer greater than one (ie, a plurality).

[0024] As used herein, the term "processor" shall mean a programmable analog and / or digital device that can store, retrieve, and process data; a controller; a control circuit; a computer; a workstation; a personal computer; a microprocessor; a microcontroller; a microcomputer; a central processing unit; a mainframe computer; a minicomputer; a server; a network processor; or any suitable processing device or apparatus.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an intelligent accessory 1 configured to be operatively coupled to a protection relay or trip unit 100 of a circuit breaker is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed concepts. For ease of disclosure, the protection relay or trip unit 100 will be referred to hereinafter as a trip unit 100, but it should be understood that the trip unit 100 may alternatively or additionally comprise a protection relay without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed concepts. Upon detecting a fault condition, the trip unit 100 trips open separable contacts of an associated circuit breaker (not shown). The accessory 1 may be, for example, but not limited to, a shunt trip device, a spring release device, or an undervoltage release device configured for use with a circuit breaker associated with the trip unit 100.

[0026] The accessory 1 includes a power supply section 2 and a control section 3, each of which contains circuitry and is in electrical communication and operatively coupled to one another. The control section 3 also includes a processor 4 that performs diagnostic functions of the accessory 1, as described herein with respect to Figure 3 and Figure 5 Furthermore, a circuit breaker accessory device such as accessory 1 is typically powered by an external power source, with the power section 2 being in direct electrical communication with the external power source 50 and the control section 3 being in direct electrical communication with the communication bus 5 that enables communication between the accessory 1 and any other entities connected to the bus 5.

[0027] Non-limiting examples of entities that may be connected to bus 5 include trip unit 100 (including supervisory intelligence of a trip unit or protection relay) and diagnostic interface 200 through which a user may receive information provided by accessory 1 regarding the status of accessory 1. It will be appreciated that Figure 1 The schematic diagrams of accessory 1, trip unit 100, and diagnostic interface 200 in FIG. 1 are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the concepts disclosed herein. For example, diagnostic interface 200 is depicted as a separate component from trip unit 100, but both diagnostic interface 200 and trip unit 100 may be included in the same physical structure housing an associated circuit breaker without departing from the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.

[0028] In order to facilitate public disclosure, Figure 1 The power supply section 2 and the control section 3 are depicted in a simplified manner, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The elements of the power supply section 2 are shown schematically, and it should be understood that Figure 1 The elements of the power supply section 2 shown in FIG are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the concepts disclosed herein. In particular, a current sensor 6 and a voltage sensor 7 are included in the power supply section 2 so that the control section 3 can monitor the current through the internal components of the power supply section 2 and the voltage across these components, but Figure 1 The specific embodiments of current sensor 6 and voltage sensor 7 shown in FIG are illustrative in nature and are intended to be non-limiting. For example, current sensor 6 is depicted as being connected in series between power supply 50 and the input terminals of inductor L1 (which also represents actuator 10 of accessory 1 as described herein with respect to FIG. 2 ), but current sensor 6 may be placed elsewhere in power supply section 2, and more than one current sensor may be included in power supply section 2 without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed concepts. In another example, voltage sensor 7 is depicted as being connected in parallel with actuator 10 (inductor L1) and MOSFET Q1 connected in series, but elements other than MOSFETs connected in series with actuator 10 may be used to measure the voltage across actuator 10 without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed concepts.

[0029] Still refer to Figure 1 , the actuating mechanisms of the shunt trip, spring release, and undervoltage release that accessory 1 may include typically include solenoid and plunger arrangements, such as Figure 2A and Figure 2B The actuator 10 is shown. Now referring to Figure 2A and Figure 2B, shows a cross-sectional view of a solenoid 11 and a plunger 12, the solenoid 11 including a wire coil 14 wound around a bobbin and enclosed by a magnetic frame (the bobbin and frame are not numbered), the ends of the coil being configured to be electrically connected to a power source, such as an external power source 50. The plunger 12 is made of a ferromagnetic material and is mechanically coupled to the solenoid 11. When power is supplied to the solenoid 11 and current flows through the coil 14, a magnetic field is generated and actuates the plunger 12 to move in the direction indicated by arrow 13.

[0030] The load 20 may be coupled to the plunger 12 such that the plunger 12 acts as a pull-type plunger ( Figure 2A shown in) or push-type plunger ( Figure 2B For example, the solenoid 11 used in the under-voltage release device is usually connected to Figure 2A The pull-type plunger 12 shown in FIG, and the solenoid 11 used in the shunt trip device or spring release device is usually connected to Figure 2B However, whether the type of plunger 12 coupled to the solenoid 11 included in the accessory 1 is a pull type or a push type is not intended to limit the scope of the concepts disclosed herein. Additionally, an optional spring is sometimes coupled to the solenoid frame (e.g., Figure 2A and Figure 2B In the context of a circuit breaker accessory device, if the accessory 1 is a shunt trip device or an undervoltage release device, the load 20 coupled to the plunger 12 is typically a component that actuates the circuit breaker operating mechanism to open the separable contacts, and if the accessory 1 is a spring release device, the load 20 coupled to the plunger 12 is typically a component that actuates the circuit breaker operating mechanism to close the separable contacts.

[0031] Accessory 1 can only actuate the circuit breaker operating mechanism when actuator 10 is functioning properly, and solenoid-based actuators such as actuator 10 can only function properly when current can flow normally through solenoid coil 14 and plunger 12 can move in response to the magnetic field generated by the current flowing through coil 14. However, various conditions can cause solenoid coil 14 to short-circuit, or conversely, burn out and disconnect, preventing current from flowing through coil 14. Furthermore, in solenoid-based actuators, plunger 12 may become stuck and unable to move even when current can flow normally through solenoid coil 14. For example, the solenoid bobbin may be made of plastic, and if high current flows through solenoid coil 14 for an extended period of time, the heat of the current may melt the plastic of the bobbin and cause plunger 12 to become stuck. In another example, if the shunt trip device is installed within a mother circuit breaker, mechanical shock and / or vibration to which the mother circuit breaker is subjected may cause the plunger to become stuck.

[0032] Therefore, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a diagnostic mechanism ( Figures 3 to 5In more detail), when any component of the actuator 10 is not working or is faulty (ie, close to a non-working state), the diagnostic mechanism can remind the user in real time. Figure 2A and Figure 2B 1 and 12 because they are commonly used as actuators in circuit breaker accessory devices; however, it should be understood that the diagnostics described below may be applied to other types of actuators without departing from the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.

[0033] refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B and Figure 4C , and according to exemplary embodiments of the concepts disclosed herein, Figure 1 The processor 4 shown in FIG. Figure 3 Coil diagnostics 30, shown in the flowchart shown in FIG, continuously monitors the current through actuator 10 while power is being supplied to accessory 1 to determine the operating condition of solenoid coil 14 at any given time and whether coil 14 is faulty or inoperative. At step 31 of diagnostics 30, external power supply 50 applies power to accessory 1. At step 32, processor 4 checks whether solenoid coil 14 has been disconnected. Figure 4A Shown Figure 1 In the accessory 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the coil 14 is disconnected, and when the current I through the solenoid coil 14 coil (detected by the current sensor 6) is less than a certain predetermined threshold current I which is considered to be indicative of an open coil. openTh When the processor 4 can detect Figure 4A . When coil 14 is open, actuator 10 will never trip the circuit breaker because current cannot flow through coil 14 to actuate plunger 12. Therefore, if processor 4 detects an open coil condition at step 32 of diagnostics 30, processor 4 reports the open coil condition by triggering an alarm at step 33. The alarm may include, for example, but not limited to, an audible notification (such as a beep), a visual notification (such as a toggle sticker display or illuminated LED), or a notification sent to a remote device via wireless communication. It should be understood that trip unit 100 can be programmed with software to have wireless communication (or other communication) capabilities, and that a trip unit 100 so programmed sends a notification to a remote device after receiving a message from processor 4 on bus 5 indicating the existence of an alarm condition.

[0034] Reference again Figure 3 If an open coil condition is not detected at step 32 , diagnostic 30 proceeds to step 34 and processor 4 checks whether solenoid coil 14 has shorted. Figure 4B Shown Figure 1 In the accessory 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the coil 14 is short-circuited, and when the current I through the solenoid coil 14 coil Exceeding a certain predetermined threshold current I is considered to indicate a short-circuited coil shortTh When the processor 4 can detect Figure 4B When the coil 14 is shorted, the current through the coil 14 may reach a level that damages the actuator 10, so if the processor 4 detects a shorted coil condition at step 34 of the diagnostics 30, the processor 4 cuts off power to the actuator 10 and reports the shorted coil condition by triggering an alarm at step 35.

[0035] Reference again Figure 3 If a shorted coil condition is not detected at step 34 , the diagnostic 30 proceeds to step 36 and the processor 4 checks whether any individual turns of the solenoid coil 14 have been shorted, causing the coil 14 to be partially shorted (as opposed to checking whether the entire coil 14 has been shorted at step 34 ). Figure 4C Shown Figure 1 1 , where the coil 14 has a partial short circuit. A partial short circuit condition occurs when only some of the turns of the coil 14 are short circuited, rather than the entire coil 14. In operation, sometimes only a few turns of the coil 14 fail at a time, and over time, more and more turns of the coil 14 fail, rather than all of the turns of the entire coil 14 being short circuited at once. The current drawn by the coil 14 increases as more turns are short circuited. When the current I coil When the number of cycles has increased relative to the previous execution of the diagnostic 30, the processor 4 may detect a partial short circuit condition, such as Figure 4C . If the processor 4 detects a partially shorted coil condition at step 36 of the diagnostics 30, the processor 4 reports the shorted coil condition by triggering an alarm at step 37 so that the user can replace the coil 14 before enough turns are shorted to draw a damaging amount of current. If the processor 4 does not detect an open coil, a shorted coil, or a partially shorted coil after repeatedly performing steps 32, 34, and 36 of the diagnostics 30, then this cycle of the diagnostics 30 is complete. The diagnostics 30 then returns to step 32 to perform another cycle until the power to the accessory 1 is cut off.

[0036] Even if the coil 14 is determined to be in good working condition by running the coil diagnostics 30 , the accessory actuator 10 may still fail to trip the circuit breaker if the plunger 12 is stuck and cannot move when the coil 14 is energized. Figure 5, processor 4 is configured to perform plunger diagnostics 40 if accessory 1 fails to trip the circuit breaker when required. For example, and without limitation, processor 4 may determine that accessory 1 has failed to trip the circuit breaker based on information received from the circuit breaker via communication bus 5 and based on readings from current sensor 6 and voltage sensor 7 indicating that power was being provided to accessory 1 to trip the circuit breaker.

[0037] Still refer to Figure 5 At step 41 of diagnostics 40, external power source 50 applies power to accessory 1. At step 42, processor 4 receives information from the circuit breaker, current sensor 6, voltage sensor 7, and / or other information sources indicating that accessory 1 should have tripped the circuit breaker, and processor 4 checks whether accessory 1 initiated the required trip. If processor 4 determines that accessory 1 did trip the circuit breaker, diagnostics 40 ends at step 43. If processor 4 determines that accessory 1 failed to trip the circuit breaker, diagnostics 40 proceeds to step 44 and checks I through solenoid coil 14. coil It should be understood that the processor can refer to the previous Figure 3 The information collected during the simultaneous operation of the coil diagnostic 30 is used to determine the coil Is it within the normal operating range? If the processor 4 determines at step 44 that coil Outside of the normal operating range, the processor 4 reports an abnormal coil condition by triggering an alarm at step 45 , the alarm corresponding to the particular coil condition detected according to the coil diagnostics 30 .

[0038] If the processor 4 determines at step 44 that I coil If the current characteristic of the solenoid coil 14 indicates movement of the plunger 12, the diagnostic 40 proceeds to step 46, and the processor 4 checks whether the current characteristic of the solenoid coil 14 indicates movement of the plunger 12 to determine the working condition of the plunger 12, that is, whether the plunger 12 is stuck and cannot move relative to the solenoid 11. For example, but not limited to, when the plunger stroke to pull the plunger 12 into the solenoid 14 is initiated, I coil After the plunger stroke is initiated, due to the interaction between the magnetic flux generated by the movement of the plunger 12 and the magnetic flux of the coil 14, I coil Significantly reduced. coil increases to initiate the plunger stroke, but then I coil There is no decrease, which may indicate that the plunger 12 is stuck and cannot move relative to the solenoid 11.

[0039] Therefore, at step 46 of the plunger diagnostics 40, the processor 40 may examine the current signature of the coil 14 starting from the time interval at which the accessory 1 should trip the circuit breaker to determine the current signature of the coil 14. coilThe processor 4 determines whether the initial increase in coil 14 (to initiate the plunger stroke) is subsequently significantly reduced (indicating that the plunger 12 has moved into the solenoid 14). If the processor 4 determines at step 46 that the current characteristics of the coil 14 do not indicate movement of the plunger 12, the processor 4 triggers an alarm at step 47 to notify the user to check whether the plunger 12 is stuck. However, if the processor 4 determines at step 46 that the current characteristics of the coil 14 indicate that there has been movement of the plunger 12 during the time interval required for a trip, the processor 4 triggers an alarm at step 47 to notify the user to check the circuit breaker because no necessary trip has occurred and the accessory 1 is functioning normally. The plunger diagnostic then ends at step 49.

[0040] Including a self-diagnostic feature within Accessory 1 regarding Accessory 1's internal components enables Accessory 1 to immediately alert the user of the associated circuit breaker if any of Accessory 1's internal components fail or are no longer functioning. This feature provides several advantages. First, if a necessary trip fails, it alerts the user that the problem lies with Accessory 1, not the circuit breaker, or vice versa. Second, it alerts the user to which specific internal actuating component of Accessory 1 has failed. Third, thorough, ongoing evaluation of Accessory 1's internal components promptly alerts the user to any operational issues, allowing the failed or non-functioning component to be replaced before Accessory 1 fails to function as required or in sufficient time to minimize damage caused by Accessory 1 failure.

[0041] While specific embodiments of the concepts disclosed herein have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions of those details may be developed in light of the overall teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, the specific arrangements disclosed are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting of the scope of the concepts disclosed herein, which is to be given the full scope of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An intelligent accessory device configured to be operatively connected to a circuit breaker to actuate an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker, the accessory device comprising: a power supply section configured to be electrically connected to a power source, the power supply section comprising: an actuator configured to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker, the actuator comprising: a solenoid comprising a coil of wire; and a ferromagnetic plunger coupled to the solenoid and configured to move relative to the solenoid in response to current flowing through the solenoid; a current sensor configured to sense current flowing through the power section; and a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage across the power section; and a control section electrically and operatively connected to the power section, the control section including a processor, wherein the power section and the control section are not components of the operating mechanism, and The processor is configured to determine an operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device.

2. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the device is one of a shunt trip device, a spring release device, or an undervoltage device. 3 . The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the operating condition of the actuator is sufficient to enable the accessory device to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker.

4. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the coil is in one of an open circuit condition, a short circuit condition, and a partial short circuit condition based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device. 5 . The accessory device of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to trigger an alarm if the processor determines that the coil is in one of the open circuit condition, the short circuit condition, and the partial short circuit condition. 6 . The accessory device of claim 5 , wherein the alert comprises one of a visual notification, an audible notification, or a notification sent to a remote device via wireless communication.

7. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the plunger is stuck in a position relative to the solenoid based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device. 8 . The accessory device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to trigger an alarm if the processor determines that the plunger is stuck in a certain position relative to the solenoid.

9. The accessory device of claim 8, wherein the alert comprises one of a visual notification, an audible notification, or a notification sent to a remote device via wireless communication.

10. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a failure of the accessory device to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker has occurred, Wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the fault is due to one of an operating condition of the coil or an operating condition of the plunger.

11. An intelligent accessory device configured to be operatively connected to a circuit breaker to actuate an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker, the accessory device comprising: a power supply section configured to be electrically connected to a power source, the power supply section comprising: an actuator configured to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker, the actuator comprising: a solenoid comprising a coil of wire; and a ferromagnetic plunger coupled to the solenoid and configured to move relative to the solenoid in response to current flowing through the solenoid; a current sensor configured to sense current flowing through the power section; and a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage across the power section; and a control section electrically and operatively connected to the power section, the control section including a processor, wherein the power supply section and the control section are not components of the operating mechanism, wherein the processor is configured to determine an operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device, Wherein the processor is configured to continuously perform coil diagnostics to determine an operating condition of the coil as long as power is provided to the accessory device.

12. The accessory device of claim 11, wherein the device is one of a shunt trip device, a spring release device, or an undervoltage device.

13. The accessory device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the operating condition of the actuator is sufficient to enable the accessory device to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker.

14. The accessory device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the coil is in one of an open circuit condition, a short circuit condition, or a partially short circuit condition based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device. 15 . The accessory device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to trigger an alarm if the processor determines that the coil is in one of the open circuit condition, the short circuit condition, or the partial short circuit condition. 16 . The accessory device of claim 15 , wherein the alert comprises one of a visual notification, an audible notification, or a notification sent to a remote device via wireless communication.

17. The accessory device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the plunger is stuck in a position relative to the solenoid based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device.

18. The accessory device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to trigger an alarm if the processor determines that the plunger is stuck in a certain position relative to the solenoid.

19. The accessory device of claim 18, wherein the alert comprises one of a visual notification, an audible notification, or a notification sent to a remote device via wireless communication.

20. The accessory device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a failure of the accessory device to actuate the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker has occurred, Wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the failure of the accessory device is due to one of an operating condition of the coil or an operating condition of the plunger.

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