Passive Wireless Circuit Breaker Status Indicator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Circuit breakers lack a safe and reliable method to indicate the root cause of a trip event, making it unsafe to restart the circuit without proper information, as existing solutions require power to operate necessary components for data collection and storage.
Innovation Solution
A device status indicator with a non-volatile memory and passive wireless communication module that stores and transmits trip root cause information before and after the circuit breaker trips, using energy harvested from external fields to maintain data availability without a local power supply, allowing users to access the information via a smartphone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a microprocessor, memory, monitor or communication device is used to collect and indicate trip root cause information, then device status information can be provided to users, but no energy is available after trip to operate these components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs data collection and storage actions before the trip event occurs. The microprocessor collects trip root cause information from sensors and stores it in non-volatile memory while power is still available, ensuring information preservation without requiring post-trip energy
Solution Approach 2:
The indication function is extracted from the circuit breaker itself and transferred to an external smartphone device. The circuit breaker only needs to store and passively hold the information, while the active display and communication functions are performed by the user's smartphone, eliminating the need for post-trip power in the breaker
2Ease of operation
If active wireless communication module is used to transmit device status information, then information can be sent to smartphone, but local power supply is required which complicates the device
Solution Approach 1:
The smartphone acts as an intermediary device that performs the active wireless communication. The circuit breaker only needs passive RFID tags that store information, while the smartphone's active RFID reader initiates communication and retrieves data, eliminating the need for a complex power supply system in the breaker
Solution Approach 2:
The active electronic communication system is replaced with passive RFID technology. Instead of using powered wireless modules in the circuit breaker, the system uses passive RFID tags that can be read by an active RFID reader in the smartphone, significantly reducing device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe operation by providing users with critical trip root cause information, even after power is disconnected, enhancing safety by allowing informed decisions on restarting the circuit breaker.
Implementation Method 1
The passive wireless communication module is configured to retrieve the device status information from the memory over the data interface, and to send the device status information over the wireless interface, when it is wirelessly powered
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device status indicator 100 for a circuit breaker 112, comprising a memory module 102 and a passive wireless communication module 104. The memory module 102 has a memory 122, a controller interface 106, and a first data interface circuit 108. The passive wireless communication module 104 has a communication unit, a second data interface circuit 109 and a wireless interface 118. The memory module 102 is configured to receive device status information from the controller interface 106, and to store the received device status information, e.g., in case of a circuit breaker trip. The passive wireless communication module 104 is configured to retrieve the device status information from the memory 122 over the data interface 108 and to send the device status information over the wireless interface 118 when it is wirelessly powered, to, for example, a smartphone, that comprises a communication module, that is compatible to the wireless communication module 104 of the device status indicator 100.