End of life monitoring for a solid-state circuit breaker
A solid-state circuit breaker comprises an air gap, at least one counter and/or a timer, a memory, a radio and a microprocessor to: retrieve saved health data, alert data and counter, timer data from the memory, determine a status of a heath rating by data and comparing the heath rating to a threshold, if it is poor, send a message via a smart phone application (APP) and start a counter or timer, determine if the counter is at a predefined value and/or the timer is expired, if the counter is at a predefined value and/or the timer is expired, turn OFF the breaker and inhibit from being turned on, send a breaker OFF/disabled alert message using the radio to an end user/a customer via the APP, and if the counter is not at a predefined value and/or the timer is not expired, increment/decrement the counter and/or the timer.
1 . A solid-state circuit breaker comprising:
an air gap and a semiconductor switching device disposed in series between an input electrical conductor and an output electrical conductor;
a counter or a timer;
a memory;
a radio; and
a microprocessor that is configured to:
retrieve health data and counter data or timer data from the memory, wherein the health data comprises data corresponding to monitored parameters associated with operational use of the solid-state circuit breaker,
determine a status of a health rating of the solid-state circuit breaker being based on the health data, and the counter data or the timer data by comparing the health rating to a threshold,
wherein the health rating is based on the following: amount of time of operation, amount of time of conducting current over a predetermined amplitude, amount of time of operating with a temperature over a predetermined value, number of overload trips, number of high interrupting capacity (HIC) trips, and number of mechanical operations of the air gap,
in response to the status of the health rating being below a predetermined value, send a message indicating the health rating is below the predetermined value using the radio to an end user via a smart phone application (APP) and start the counter or timer to track a grace period,
determine whether the counter has reached a predefined value or the timer has reached a predefined duration,
in response to the counter having reached the predefined value or the timer having reached the predetermined duration, turn the solid-state circuit breaker off and inhibit from being turned on,
send a solid-state circuit breaker OFF/disabled alert message using the radio to the end user via the smart phone application (APP), and
in response to the counter not having reached the predefined value or the timer not having reached the predefined duration, increment or decrement the counter or the timer.
2 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a current sensor;
a temperature sensor;
a power supply/driver;
a Light Emitting Diode (LED); and
an overvoltage protection device being a Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) for protecting the microprocessor.
3 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker OFF/disabled alert message alerts the end user that the solid-state circuit breaker's electronic performance has been affected by overuse.
4 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker disables itself from turning power ON within a predetermined elapsed time after sending alerts to the end user, wherein the microprocessor is configured to alert the end user that the solid-state circuit breaker will be disabled in the predetermined elapsed time.
5 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker sends out alerts repeatedly and periodically until the solid-state circuit breaker is replaced.
6 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker, in response to a request for health data, sends latest health data using the radio to the end user via the smart phone application (APP).
7 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker, in response to an interrupt of overload current, high interrupting capacity (HIC) fault, is configured to turn OFF the solid-state circuit breaker, save fault event (monitored parameter), update and save the health data, and the counter data or the timer data to the memory, send a trip alert message using the radio to the end user via the smart phone application (APP), and trip the solid-state circuit breaker (open airgap).
8 . The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker, in response to an interrupt of the end user opening the air gap, is configured to turn OFF the solid-state circuit breaker and update and save the health data (monitored parameter), and the timer data to the memory.
9 . A method of end-of-life monitoring for a solid-state circuit breaker, the method comprising:
providing an air gap and a semiconductor switching device disposed in series between an input electrical conductor and an output electrical conductor;
through operation of a microprocessor:
retrieving health data and counter data or timer data from a memory, wherein the health data comprises data corresponding to monitored parameters associated with operational use of the solid-state circuit breaker,
determining a status of a health rating of the solid-state circuit breaker being based on the health data, and the counter data or the timer data by comparing the health rating to a threshold,
wherein the health rating is based on the following: amount of time of operation, amount of time of conducting current over a predetermined amplitude, amount of time of operating with a temperature over a predetermined value, number of overload trips, number of high interrupting capacity (HIC) trips, and number of mechanical operations of the air gap,
in response to the status of the health rating being below a predetermined value, sending a message indicating the health rating is below the predetermined value using a radio to an end user via a smart phone application (APP) and start the counter or timer to track a grace period,
determining whether the counter has reached a predefined value or the timer has reached a predetermined duration,
in response to the counter having reached the predefined value or the timer having reached the predetermined duration, turning the solid-state circuit breaker off and inhibiting from being turned on,
sending a solid-state circuit breaker OFF/disabled alert message using the radio to the end user via the smart phone application (APP), and
in response to the counter not having reached the predefined value or the timer not having reached the predetermined duration, incrementing or decrementing the counter or the timer.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker further comprises:
a current sensor;
a temperature sensor;
a power supply/driver;
a Light Emitting Diode (LED); and
an overvoltage protection device being a Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) for protecting the microprocessor.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker OFF/disabled alert message alerts the end user that the solid-state circuit breaker's electronic performance has been affected by overuse.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker disables itself from turning power ON within a predetermined elapsed time after sending alerts to the end user, wherein the microprocessor alerts the end user that the solid-state circuit breaker will be disabled in the predetermined elapsed time.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker sends out alerts repeatedly and periodically until the solid-state circuit breaker is replaced.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker, in response to a request for health data, sends latest health data using the radio to the end user via the smart phone application (APP).
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker, in response to an interrupt of overload current, high interrupting capacity (HIC) fault, is configured to turn OFF the solid-state circuit breaker, save fault event (monitored parameter), update and save the health data, and the counter data or the timer data to the memory, send a trip alert message using the radio to the end user via the smart phone application (APP), and trip the solid-state circuit breaker (open airgap).
16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker, in response to an interrupt of the end user opening the air gap, is configured to turn OFF the solid-state circuit breaker and update and save the health data (monitored parameter), and the timer data to the memory.