Circuit Breaker Detecting Aperiodic Current Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circuit breakers are unable to detect faults that do not result in increased current flow or fault currents, which can still lead to fires in electrical networks, posing a risk to equipment and living beings.
Innovation Solution
A circuit breaker with a detector that identifies aperiodic, sudden changes in electrical parameters, such as voltage or current, using sensors and signal processing techniques to detect serial and parallel faults, triggering a switch-off to prevent arcing and fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional circuit breakers use current flow detection to identify faults, then they can detect excessive current and fault currents, but they cannot detect faults that do not result in increased current flow or fault currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from current flow magnitude to current waveform characteristics (aperiodic changes). By monitoring deviations in the periodic waveform pattern rather than just current amplitude, the system can detect serial and parallel faults that do not produce excessive current but still create dangerous arcing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional thermal-magnetic trip mechanisms with an electronic detection system that uses waveform analysis. The detector compares actual current waveforms against expected periodic patterns and triggers tripping based on detected aperiodic changes, substituting mechanical threshold-based protection with electronic pattern recognition.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If circuit breakers add arc detection capabilities to detect serial and parallel faults, then they can prevent fires caused by arcing, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the electrical current waveform itself as an intermediary to detect arcing conditions. Instead of adding separate arc sensors or complex imaging systems, the detector analyzes changes in the existing current waveform caused by arcing events, using the electrical signal as a mediator to infer the presence of dangerous conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex physical arc detection methods (such as optical sensors or acoustic detection) with electronic waveform analysis. By substituting mechanical and optical systems with electronic signal processing, the patent reduces overall device complexity while maintaining effective arc detection capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to reduce the risk of fire due to faults in electrical networks, it is proposed in a circuit breaker (11), comprising break contacts for the predetermined shut-off of an electrical network, wherein the break contacts can be actuated by at least one trigger unit (10), that the circuit breaker comprises a detector (1) for detecting aperiodic, substantially sudden changes in the amplitude of at least one electric parameter within the electrical network, and that the trigger unit (10) is operatively connected to the detector (1).