EP3224922A1 - Circuit de test pour disjoncteur de courant résiduel - Google Patents

Circuit de test pour disjoncteur de courant résiduel

Info

Publication number
EP3224922A1
EP3224922A1 EP15818042.2A EP15818042A EP3224922A1 EP 3224922 A1 EP3224922 A1 EP 3224922A1 EP 15818042 A EP15818042 A EP 15818042A EP 3224922 A1 EP3224922 A1 EP 3224922A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
circuit
test
residual current
volatile memory
count value
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP15818042.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Daniele Novati
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BTicino SpA
Original Assignee
BTicino SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BTicino SpA filed Critical BTicino SpA
Publication of EP3224922A1 publication Critical patent/EP3224922A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02H—EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
    • H02H3/00—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection
    • H02H3/26—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection responsive to difference between voltages or between currents; responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents
    • H02H3/32—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection responsive to difference between voltages or between currents; responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents involving comparison of the voltage or current values at corresponding points in different conductors of a single system, e.g. of currents in go and return conductors
    • H02H3/33—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection responsive to difference between voltages or between currents; responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents involving comparison of the voltage or current values at corresponding points in different conductors of a single system, e.g. of currents in go and return conductors using summation current transformers
    • H02H3/334—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection responsive to difference between voltages or between currents; responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents involving comparison of the voltage or current values at corresponding points in different conductors of a single system, e.g. of currents in go and return conductors using summation current transformers with means to produce an artificial unbalance for other protection or monitoring reasons or remote control
    • H02H3/335—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection responsive to difference between voltages or between currents; responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents involving comparison of the voltage or current values at corresponding points in different conductors of a single system, e.g. of currents in go and return conductors using summation current transformers with means to produce an artificial unbalance for other protection or monitoring reasons or remote control the main function being self testing of the device
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H83/00—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current
    • H01H83/02—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current operated by earth fault currents
    • H01H83/04—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current operated by earth fault currents with testing means for indicating the ability of the switch or relay to function properly
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B23/00—Testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof
    • G05B23/02—Electric testing or monitoring
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02H—EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
    • H02H7/00—Emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions
    • H02H7/22—Emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions for distribution gear, e.g. bus-bar systems; for switching devices

Definitions

  • a residual current circuit-breaker comprises a safety system which upon detection of a leakage current in the load circuit is configured to switch the residual current circuit-breaker into the on state, in practice resulting in the switch being tripped.
  • Test circuits for residual current circuit-breakers are known of comprising a test button provided to allow a user to check the proper functioning of the aforesaid safety system and thus of the residual current circuit- breaker.
  • the test button When pressed by a user the test button is such as to connect a test resistance between an energised branch circuit i.e. a phase branch circuit and a neutral branch circuit so as to simulate a leakage current.
  • the document W02004 / 111665 Al describes a complex solution which provides that the pressing of a test button be detected by a processor which in turn controls a relay output in order to switch off the power supply to an electrical load.
  • the object of this description is to provide a solution which makes it possible to overcome all or some of the drawbacks described above with reference to the document of the prior art EP 0665623 Bl and which is at the same time such as to limit the cost of said solution.
  • test circuit for a residual current circuit-breaker as generally defined in claim 1.
  • Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the aforesaid test circuit are defined in the appended dependent claims.
  • -figure 2 is a three dimensional view of the residual current circuit-breaker in the diagram in figure 1.
  • the residual current circuit-breaker 10 comprises a container body 16 and the test device 20 is housed in the container body 16.
  • the aforesaid container body 16 is conveniently made of electrically insulating material, such as hard plastic.
  • the container body 16 is for example intended to be installed on a mounting rail inside an electrical switchboard .
  • the residual current circuit-breaker 10 is used to connect or disconnect from each other a mains power supply 3, such as an electricity distribution network, and a load electrical network 13, such as a home network to which various utility devices are connected.
  • a mains power supply 3 such as an electricity distribution network
  • a load electrical network 13 such as a home network to which various utility devices are connected.
  • the residual current circuit-breaker 10 is adapted to interrupt a neutral branch circuit 1, 11 and a phase branch circuit 2, 12 upon detection of a leakage current.
  • the neutral branch circuit 1, 11 comprises for example a first conductor 1 and a second conductor 11.
  • the phase branch circuit 2, 12 comprises for example a first conductor 2 and a second conductor 12.
  • several phase branch circuits 2, 12 may be provided for, for example three phase circuit branches.
  • the residual current circuit-breaker 10 further comprises a measuring toroid 15 having a primary winding crossed by the neutral branch circuit 1,11 and the phase branch circuit 2,12 and having a secondary winding electrically connected to a trip device 14, for example of the type known per se;
  • the residual current circuit-breaker 10 comprises in the example two switching elements CI and C2 sensitive to the trip device 14, so that these, starting from the off state are brought into the on state by the trip device 14, upon detection by the measuring toroid 15 of a leakage current or rather of a current imbalance between the phase branch circuit 1, 11 and the neutral branch circuit 2, 12 due to a leakage current.
  • each of the two switching elements CI, C2 comprises a fixed contact element and a mobile contact element, wherein the mobile contact elements are sensitive to the trip device 14.
  • the mobile contact elements may also be moved by a control lever 28 (figure 2) , for example manually operated and/or motor-driven, to turn on and off the residual current circuit-breaker 10.
  • the switching element CI makes it possible to connect /disconnect the first 1 and the second conductor 11 of the neutral branch circuit from each other while the switching element C2 makes it possible to connect /disconnect the first 2 and the second conductor 12 of the phase branch circuit.
  • test resistance Rtest - a test resistance Rtest
  • test switch C3 operable by means of a test button 21 to connect the test resistance Rtest between the first Nl and the second N2 circuit node so as to simulate a leakage current .
  • test switch C3 is a normally open push button switch.
  • the pressing of the test button 21 is such as to determine the closing of the test switch C3 in order to directly create a closed path of current between the circuit nodes Nl, N2 which passes through the test resistance (Rtest) .
  • Rtest test resistance
  • the test circuit 20 further comprises a sectioning switch C4 operatively positioned between the input circuit nodes Nl, N2, sensitive to the trip device 14 and adapted to be opened by at the opening of the switching elements CI, C2 and closed at the closing the latter.
  • the sectioning switch C4 advantageously makes it possible to disconnect the test circuit 20 in the case in which the mains power supply 3 is unusually connected to terminals Til and T12.
  • the measuring toroid 15, and in particular its primary winding is crossed by the neutral branch circuit 1, 11 and by the phase branch circuit 2,12 and the input circuit nodes Nl, N2 are positioned one downstream and the other upstream, of the measuring toroid 15.
  • the test circuit 20 comprises:
  • an optical and/or acoustic signalling device D5 controlled by the electronic control circuit 22 for providing an acoustic and/or optic signal upon reaching a given time count value by the electronic time counter.
  • the electronic control circuit 22 is fed by a power supply current flowing through the test resistance (Rtest) .
  • the optical and/or acoustic signalling device D5 is, or comprises an LED diode .
  • the optical or acoustic signalling device D5 is fed by the electronic control circuit 22.
  • the purpose of the electronic time counter is in practice to count the time elapsed since the last pressing of the test button 21. If the time period counted exceeds a given temporal count value (for example, corresponding to a month or 30 calendar days) the electronic control circuit 22 warns the user by means of the optical or acoustic signalling device D5: for example, in the case of a LED diode, provision may be made to turn it from the off state to the steady on state, or an intermittent on state or the colour of the optical radiation emitted may change etc.
  • the embodiment providing for bringing the LED D5 from the off state to an intermittent on state upon exceeding the above given time count value is advantageous, if for example, a reduced on duty cycle is chosen for example less than 50% (or for example equal to or less than 25%) because it permits the current absorbed by the test circuit 20 to be limited .
  • the test circuit 20 is adapted to be fed with a mains voltage provided by the neutral branch circuit 1, 11 and by the phase branch circuit 2, 12.
  • the electronic time counter comprises a volatile memory adapted to store said count value and to reset it upon pressing of the test button 21 or in the absence of the aforesaid said supply voltage.
  • the electronic control circuit 22 comprises a non-volatile memory and is programmed to periodically copy into the non-volatile memory the time count value stored in the volatile memory so as to store it even in the absence of supply voltage.
  • the electronic control circuit 22 comprises a micro controller adapted to automatically switch from an off state caused by an interruption of the supply voltage or by the opening of the residual current circuit-breaker to an on state upon restoration of said mains voltage, or the closure of the residual current circuit-breaker and the micro controller is programmed to automatically copy in the volatile memory, the time count value stored in the non-volatile memory at the moment of passing from the off state to the on state. This way, it is possible to resume the count after an interruption of the supply voltage, or the closing of the residual current circuit- breaker 10, from a count value equal or close to the count value reached at the time of the interruption of the mains voltage or the opening of the residual current circuit-breaker .
  • the microcontroller has an operating current of 200 ⁇ or less and more preferably of 100 ⁇ or less.
  • the microcontroller is a low consumption microcontroller and therefore absorbs a current (i.e. the supply current flowing through the test resistance Rtest) that does not interfere with the operation of the residual current circuit-breaker 10 so as to reduce the level of safety or cause undesired intervention of the trip device 14.
  • a current i.e. the supply current flowing through the test resistance Rtest
  • a non-limiting example of a low consumption microcontroller provided with a volatile memory in the form of a RAM type data memory and a non-volatile memory in the form of a FLASH type programme memory, is the microcontroller currently produced by MicrochipTM with the code PIC10F320.
  • the electronic control circuit 22 is programmed to periodically copy into the non-volatile memory the time count value stored in the volatile memory at intervals of not less than 30 minutes, preferably not less than 60 minutes, such as every 120 or 180 minutes. This way a contribution can be made to limiting the consumption of the test circuit 20, although the provision of a LED diode D5 adapted to flash upon exceeding the given time count value, as described above, represents the main contribution to limiting energy consumption.
  • the electronic control circuit 22 is a microcontroller fed between 0V (at the PIN called GND) and a DC voltage (at the PIN called Vdd) .
  • the DC voltage is obtained from a rectifier circuit (single half-wave) Dl, D2, Rl, D3, Ql, R2 , CI, of the AC voltage.
  • a signal input (at the pin called Inl) of the microcontroller is sensitive to the closing of the switch C3, so that the microcontroller can reset the volatile memory upon pressing the test button 21.
  • test circuit 20 is directly integrated inside the residual current circuit-breaker 10, so as to form a single device, housed in a single container body 16, which in its most general form comprises :
  • -switching elements CI, C2 adapted to establish or interrupt an electrical connection in a neutral branch circuit 1, 11 and in a phase branch circuit 2,12;
  • trip device 14 adapted to control the switching elements CI, C2 to interrupt said electrical connection upon detection of a leakage current
  • the container body 16 adapted to house the switching elements CI, C2 and the trip device 14;
  • the aforesaid residual current circuit-breaker 10 further comprises an integrated test circuit 20 comprising :
  • the electronic time counter comprises a volatile memory adapted to store said time count value and to reset it upon pressing of the test button 21 or in the absence of said supply voltage;
  • FIG. 2 A practical embodiment of the residual current circuit-breaker of figure 1 is shown in figure 2, illustrating the container body (or housing 16), the pair of terminals Til, T12, an optical and/or acoustic signalling device D5 in the form of an LED diode set in the housing 16, a test button 21, a manual control lever 28.
  • the test circuit 20 described above may be part of a residual-current protection device or module external to a circuit breaker, for example, magnetothermic, and electro-mechanically coupled thereto to constitute a residual current circuit-breaker — for example a residual and magnetothermic current circuit- breaker group.
  • the above residual-current protection device could be a device of the type described and/or claimed in the patent EP2019407 Al .

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Emergency Protection Circuit Devices (AREA)
  • Breakers (AREA)
  • Keying Circuit Devices (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un circuit de test (20) pour disjoncteur de courant résiduel (10) étant conçu pour passer d'un état fermé à un état ouvert afin d'interrompre un circuit de dérivation neutre (1, 11) et un circuit de dérivation en phase (2, 12) lors de la détection d'un courant de fuite, le circuit d'essai (20) étant conçu pour être alimenté par la tension du secteur fournie par les circuits de dérivation en phase et neutre. Le circuit d'essai (20) comprend : un premier nœud de circuit d'entrée (N1) électriquement connecté, ou conçu pour être électriquement connecté, au circuit de dérivation neutre (1, 11); un second nœud de circuit d'entrée (N2) électriquement connecté, ou conçu pour être électriquement connecté, au circuit de dérivation en phase (2, 12); une résistance de test (Rtest); un interrupteur de test (C3) actionnable au moyen d'un bouton de test (21) pour connecter la résistance de test (Rtest) entre les premier (N1) et second (N2) nœuds de circuit de manière à simuler un courant de fuite; un circuit de commande électronique (22) conçu pour être alimenté par le circuit de dérivation neutre et par le circuit de dérivation en phase et comprenant un compteur de temps électronique conçu pour faire varier et stocker une valeur de comptage de temps et la remettre à zéro lorsqu'on appuie sur le bouton d'essai (21); un dispositif de signalisation acoustique ou optique (D5) commandé par le circuit de commande électronique (22) pour fournir un signal acoustique et/ou optique lorsque le compteur de temps électronique atteint une valeur de comptage de temps donnée. Le compteur de temps électronique comprend une mémoire volatile conçue pour stocker ladite valeur de comptage et le circuit de commande électronique (22) comprend une mémoire non volatile et est programmé pour copier périodiquement dans la mémoire non volatile la valeur de comptage de temps stockée dans la mémoire volatile.
EP15818042.2A 2014-11-27 2015-11-17 Circuit de test pour disjoncteur de courant résiduel Withdrawn EP3224922A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITRM20140693 2014-11-27
PCT/IB2015/058879 WO2016083940A1 (fr) 2014-11-27 2015-11-17 Circuit de testi pour disjoncteur de courant résiduel

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3224922A1 true EP3224922A1 (fr) 2017-10-04

Family

ID=52444528

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15818042.2A Withdrawn EP3224922A1 (fr) 2014-11-27 2015-11-17 Circuit de test pour disjoncteur de courant résiduel

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3224922A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN107005043B (fr)
RU (1) RU2695315C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2016083940A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102018208439A1 (de) * 2018-05-29 2019-12-05 Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg Flexibler Schutzschalter

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2715516B1 (fr) * 1994-01-27 1996-05-03 Hager Electro Dispositif de test pour interrupteur différentiel et interrupteur différentiel comportant ce dispositif.
RU2155967C2 (ru) * 1998-11-04 2000-09-10 Черников Георгий Борисович Устройство для проверки входных защитных автоматических выключателей
WO2004111665A1 (fr) * 2003-06-12 2004-12-23 Powertech Industries (Proprietary) Limited Unite de surveillance et de reglage de defaillances electriques
EP1569314B1 (fr) * 2004-02-27 2007-08-29 Gewiss S.P.A. Dispositif de réenclenchement automatique, en particulier pour disjoncteurs de courant résiduel
MY147295A (en) * 2006-04-26 2012-11-30 Fong See Ni A time alert device for use together with an earth leakage protection device
US7911746B2 (en) * 2006-06-01 2011-03-22 Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. GFCI with self-test and remote annunciation capabilities
PL2019407T3 (pl) 2007-07-26 2010-10-29 Bticino Spa Urządzenie prądu szczątkowego do wyłącznika elektrycznego
RU2413271C1 (ru) * 2009-07-30 2011-02-27 Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "Технос" Устройство для контроля основных параметров и исправности платы электронной системы управления, датчика тока и выключателя

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *
See also references of WO2016083940A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
RU2017118348A3 (fr) 2019-03-28
CN107005043B (zh) 2018-12-21
CN107005043A (zh) 2017-08-01
WO2016083940A1 (fr) 2016-06-02
RU2017118348A (ru) 2018-12-28
RU2695315C2 (ru) 2019-07-23

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