Electrical Meter Calibration Using Replaceable Component Tolerance Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical power protection equipment systems face challenges in achieving overall measurement accuracy due to individual component tolerances, and recalibration is necessary upon component replacement, leading to potential measurement errors.
Innovation Solution
An electrical equipment assembly with an identifier member providing measurement tolerance data and a meter equipped with a processor and memory to establish a selectively updatable tolerance indicator, allowing for continuous calibration and accuracy maintenance even after component replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If calibration is performed at final assembly using known current injection, then measurement error is minimized initially, but measurement accuracy is lost when components are replaced in the field
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calibrating each component individually before final assembly and storing its calibration data. This allows the system to maintain measurement accuracy after field replacements because the calibration information is already captured and can be recombined with new components without requiring recalibration of the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the calibration process from the final assembly process. Each component is calibrated separately and its calibration data is stored independently. This segmentation allows individual components to be replaced and recalibrated without affecting the calibration status of other components, resolving the contradiction between initial accuracy and field replacement adaptability.
2Manufacturing precision
If individual components are calibrated separately with tolerance determination, then component-level accuracy is achieved, but overall measurement accuracy deteriorates due to cumulative tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback by measuring the actual performance of each component during individual calibration and using that information to determine and store specific tolerance values. This feedback loop allows the system to account for real-world variations in each component and compensate for cumulative tolerances when components are assembled, maintaining overall measurement accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If calibration is performed on the entire assembly after final assembly, then overall system accuracy is optimized, but time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs calibration in advance on individual components before final assembly, rather than calibrating the entire system after assembly. This preliminary calibration of components saves time because when components are replaced in the field, only the replaced component needs to be recalibrated rather than the entire system, significantly reducing recalibration time and complexity.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
An electrical equipment assembly (2) includes at least one electrical device (3) provided with an identifier member (10). The identifier member (10) includes a measurement tolerance data (13) associated with the electrical device (3). The electrical assembly (2) also includes a meter (54) electrically coupled to the electrical device (3). The meter (54) includes a memory device (68), a processor device (64) operatively coupled to the memory device (68), a communication link member (70) operatively coupled to the processor device (64), and a selectively updatable measurement tolerance indicator (69) stored in one of the memory device (68), the processor device (64). The processor device (64) being configured and disposed to establish measurement accuracy of the meter (54) based on the tolerance indicator (69) stored in the memory device (68).