JP4950869B2 - DC distribution system and circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a DC power distribution system and a circuit breaker used in the DC power distribution system.

  Conventionally, a DC switch as described in Patent Document 1 has been used as a circuit breaker of a DC distribution system. The circuit breaker (DC switch) described in Patent Document 1 has a basic configuration common to a circuit breaker for AC distribution, and is connected to a primary terminal to which a DC voltage is applied and a load. Secondary terminal, main contact provided on the electric circuit connecting the primary terminal and the secondary terminal, an open / close mechanism for opening / closing the main contact, and the open / close mechanism when the overcurrent flows in the electric circuit. And a tripping means that opens the main contact, and when the overcurrent (overload current or short-circuit current) flows through the circuit, the tripping means trips and automatically shuts off the circuit. .

In addition, as a conventional DC power distribution system, when AC power supplied from a power system (commercial power system) is converted into DC power, and when power supply from the DC power system is interrupted (for example, A backup power supply that supplies DC power instead of the DC power system when a commercial power system fails), and a plurality of branches each connected to a circuit breaker as described above are connected to the DC power system and the backup power supply. In some cases, the load connected to the branch path is operated by supplying DC power from a backup power source when the power system from the DC power system is interrupted.
JP-A-10-154448

  However, in the above conventional example, when power supply from the DC power system is interrupted (at the time of power failure), DC power is supplied from the backup power source to all the branch paths, so it is not necessary to operate at the time of power failure. Also, DC power was being supplied from the backup power supply. As a result, the power that can be supplied from the backup power supply to the load that needs to be operated at the time of a power failure is reduced, and if the power failure lasts for a long time, the necessary load cannot be operated until the power is restored. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to continue supplying power to a necessary branch path for a longer time than before even when power supply from the DC power system is interrupted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a DC power distribution system and a circuit breaker that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is directed to a DC power system, a backup power source that supplies DC power when power supply from the DC power system is interrupted, a DC power system, and a backup power source in parallel. A plurality of circuit breakers each provided with a trip means provided in each of a plurality of connected branch paths to release a main contact inserted in the branch path when an overcurrent flows in the branch path; At least one of the plurality of circuit breakers includes a control unit that opens the main contact by the trip unit when it is determined that the DC power supplied through the branch path is supplied from the backup power source. Features.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the power supply from the DC power system is interrupted, the circuit breaker is connected to a branch path to which a load that does not require power supply during a power failure is connected among the plurality of circuit breakers. Can be selectively blocked. As a result, even when the power supply from the DC power system is interrupted, it is possible to continue supplying power to the necessary branch paths for a longer time than before.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the output voltage level of the backup power supply and the output voltage level of the DC power system are different from each other in the first aspect of the invention, and the control means controls the direct current depending on the voltage level applied to the branch path. It is determined whether power is supplied from a backup power source.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since it is not necessary to separately wire a transmission line in order to determine whether or not DC power is supplied from the backup power source, cost reduction and wiring saving can be achieved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 3 includes a primary side terminal connected to the DC power system and the backup power source, a secondary side terminal connected to the load, a primary side terminal, and a secondary side terminal. A main contact inserted in the electric circuit between them, an open / close mechanism that opens and closes the main contact, a tripping means that releases the open / close mechanism and opens the main contact when overcurrent flows in the electric circuit, and supplies the load through the electric circuit Control means for determining whether or not the DC power to be supplied is supplied from the backup power supply, and setting means for setting the operation content when the DC power is supplied from the backup power supply, the control means, When the setting means is set to open the main contact when DC power is supplied from the backup power supply, the tripping means is controlled to open the main contact.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the power supply from the DC power system is interrupted, the circuit breaker is connected to a branch path to which a load that does not require power supply during a power failure is connected among the plurality of circuit breakers. Can be selectively blocked. As a result, even when the power supply from the DC power system is interrupted, it is possible to continue supplying power to the necessary branch paths for a longer time than before. Moreover, since it can be easily set by the setting means whether or not to supply power in the event of a power failure, the setting work for each branch circuit (for each load) is facilitated.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even when the power supply from a DC power system is interrupted, a DC distribution system and a circuit breaker are provided that can continue to supply power to a necessary branch path for a longer time than before. it can.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In the DC power distribution system of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a DC power system (not shown) and a power system from the DC power system are interrupted (for example, when a commercial power system fails). A backup power supply BA for supplying DC power to the power supply, a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of branch paths Lp1, Lp2, Lp3 connected in parallel with the DC power system and the backup power supply BA, and inserted into each of the branch paths Lp1 to Lp3 A plurality of (three in the illustrated example) branch switches (circuit breakers) BR1, BR2, BR3 are provided. The DC power system is realized by converting AC power supplied from a commercial power system into DC power by an AC / DC converter (AC / DC converter). Further, a main switch MB is connected to the DC power system, and a plurality of branch paths Lp1 to Lp3 are connected to the secondary side of the main switch MB. The main switch MB and the branch switches BR1 to BR3 are accommodated in the distribution board PB. Here, the fact that the branch paths Lp1 to Lp3 are connected in parallel to the DC power system and the backup power supply BA means that a plurality of branch paths Lp1 to Lp3 are connected in parallel.

  The backup power supply BA is composed of a secondary battery or a charger for charging the secondary battery. When the DC power system is not interrupting power supply (when there is no power failure), it is charged by DC power supplied from the DC power system. When the battery charges the secondary battery and the DC power system interrupts power supply (at the time of power failure), the secondary battery is discharged to supply DC power to each of the branch paths Lp1 to Lp3.

  Of the three branch switches BR1 to BR3, two of the branch switches BR1 and BR2 are composed of the circuit breaker according to the present invention, and the remaining one branch switch BR3 is not the circuit breaker according to the present invention. It consists of a general circuit breaker. As shown in FIG. 2, the branch switch BR3 composed of a general circuit breaker includes a primary terminal 1 to which a DC voltage is applied, a secondary terminal 2 connected to a load, a primary terminal 1 and a secondary terminal. The main contact 3 provided in the electric circuit connecting the side terminals 2, the open / close mechanism 4 for opening / closing the main contact 3, and the open / close mechanism 4 are released when an overcurrent (overload current or short-circuit current) flows in the electric circuit. A tripping part 5 for opening the main contact 3 and an insulating container (not shown) containing these components are provided.

  On the other hand, the branch switches BR1 and BR2 including the circuit breaker according to the present invention include a primary side terminal 1, a secondary side terminal 2, a main contact 3, a switching mechanism 4 as shown in FIG. The tripping unit 5, the voltage detecting unit 6 for detecting the voltage level applied to the primary terminal 1, the setting unit 7 for setting the operation content at the time of a power failure, and the voltage level detected by the voltage detecting unit 6 The control unit 8 that controls the tripping unit 5 according to the setting content (operation content) set in the setting unit 7 at the time of a power failure, and an insulating container that stores these components ( (Not shown). Here, there are two types of setting contents (operation contents) set in the setting unit 7, that is, an operation content that opens the main contact 3 at the time of a power failure and an operation content that does not open the main contact 3 at the time of a power failure. 7, one of the two types of operation contents is set alternatively.

  The opening / closing mechanism 4 opens and closes the main contact 3 by manual operation of an operation handle (not shown) exposed to the outside of the container, and automatically opens the main contact 3 by being released by the tripping portion 5. Is. The tripping unit 5 is a so-called electronic (semiconductor type) overcurrent tripping device (see JIS C 8370), which not only detects the overcurrent flowing through the electric circuit and releases the opening / closing mechanism 4, but also from the control unit 8. The opening / closing mechanism 4 is also released when a trip signal is received. However, since such an opening / closing mechanism 4 and the tripping portion 5 are well known in the art, illustration and description of a detailed structure are omitted.

  Here, the power supply voltage V2 of the backup power supply BA is set lower than the power supply voltage V1 of the DC power system, and the control unit 8 determines whether the voltage level detected by the voltage detection unit 6 matches V1 or V2. Thus, it is determined whether the DC power is supplied from the DC power system or the backup power supply BA.

  The setting unit 7 includes, for example, a dip switch, and is set to “11” when the branch path Lpn (n = 1, 2) is interrupted at the time of a power failure, and is set to “00” when not interrupted.

  The control unit 8 is configured by a microcomputer or a logic circuit, and when the DC power is supplied from the backup power supply BA based on the voltage level detected by the voltage detection unit 6, that is, when it is determined that there is a power failure, the setting unit 7 setting value (“00” or “11”) is confirmed. If the setting value is “00”, nothing is performed, and if the setting value is “11”, a trip signal is output to the trip unit 5. Then, the tripping unit 5 performs a tripping operation to cut off the electric circuit (open the main contact 3).

  For example, if the branch Lp2 and Lp3 are connected to a load L that is desired to operate even during a power failure, and the branch Lp1 is connected to a load L that does not need to be operated particularly during a power failure, the branch Lp2 “00” is set in the setting unit 7 of the branch switch BR2 (circuit breaker) connected to the other, and the setting unit 7 of the branch switch BR1 (circuit breaker) connected to the other branch path Lp1 is set. Sets “11”. As shown in FIG. 3A, when power supply from the DC power system is interrupted at time t = t1, DC power (power supply voltage V2) is immediately supplied from the backup power supply BA (FIG. 3B). )reference). In the branch switches BR1 and BR2, it is determined that the power supply of the DC power system has been interrupted (power failure) from the voltage level detected by the voltage detection unit 6 by the control unit 8, and the branch in which “11” is set in the setting unit 7 In the switch BR1, the control unit 8 controls the trip unit 5 to cut off the electric circuit, so that the applied voltage to the branch line Lp1 becomes zero (see FIG. 3C), but the setting unit 7 has “00”. In the branch switch BR2 in which is set, the control unit 8 does nothing, so the electric circuit is not cut off, and the power supply voltage V2 of the backup power supply BA is applied to the branch line Lp2 (see FIG. 3D). In addition, since the electric circuit is not interrupted also in the branch switch BR3 composed of a general circuit breaker, the power supply voltage V2 of the backup power supply BA is also applied to the branch line Lp3 (see FIG. 3 (e)). Therefore, only the load L that needs to be operated at the time of a power failure among the loads L connected to the three branch paths Lp1 to Lp3 at the time of a power failure can be operated by the DC power supplied from the backup power supply BA.

  As described above, according to the DC distribution system using the circuit breaker of the present embodiment for the branch switches BR1 and BR2, the branch path Lp1 that does not require power supply during a power failure among the plurality of branch paths Lp1 to Lp3 of the DC distribution system. As a result, even when a power failure occurs, power can be continuously supplied to the necessary branch paths Lp2 and Lp3 for a longer time than before. In the present embodiment, the power failure of the DC power system is determined by using the difference in voltage level between the power supply voltage V1 of the DC power system and the power supply voltage V2 of the distributed power supply BA. On the other hand, it is not necessary to wire a dedicated transmission line to transmit a signal notifying the power failure from the outside, and thus there is an advantage that cost reduction and wiring saving can be achieved. Moreover, since the operation content can be easily set in the setting unit 7 in the branch switches BR1 and BR2, for example, the load L connected to the branch path Lp1 is changed to a load L that needs to be operated even during a power failure, Even when the load L connected to the branch path Lp2 is changed to a load L that does not need to be operated in the event of a power failure, the operation contents of the branch switches BR1 and BR2 of the branch paths Lp1 and Lp2 can be easily changed. .

  Incidentally, FIG. 4 shows another system configuration example of a DC power distribution system using the circuit breaker of the present embodiment. The system is applied to various houses H such as detached houses and apartment houses. In this house H, a DC power supply unit 101 that outputs DC power and a DC device 102 as a load driven by DC power are provided, and a DC supply line connected to the output end of the DC power supply unit 101 DC power is supplied to the DC device 102 through Wdc. A circuit breaker (hereinafter referred to as “DC breaker”) 114 according to this embodiment is provided between the DC power supply unit 101 and the DC device 102.

  The DC supply line Wdc is used as both a DC power supply path and a communication path, and is connected to the DC supply line Wdc by superimposing a communication signal for transmitting data on a DC voltage using a high-frequency carrier wave. Enables communication between devices. This technique is similar to a power line carrier technique in which a communication signal is superimposed on an AC voltage in a power line that supplies AC power.

  The DC supply line Wdc is connected to the home server 116 via the DC power supply unit 101. The in-home server 116 is a main device for constructing a home communication network (hereinafter referred to as “home network”), and communicates with a subsystem constructed by the DC device 102 in the home network.

  In the example shown in the drawing, as an subsystem, an illumination system comprising an information equipment system K101 comprising an information-system DC device 102 such as a personal computer, a wireless access point, a router, and an IP telephone, and an illumination system DC equipment 102 such as a lighting fixture. K102 and K105, an intercom system K103 including a DC device 102 that handles visitor correspondence and intruder monitoring, and a residential alarm system K104 including a warning DC device 102 such as a fire detector. Each subsystem constitutes a self-supporting distributed system, and can operate even with the subsystem alone.

  The DC breaker 114 described above is provided in association with a subsystem. In the illustrated example, five DCs are associated with the information equipment system K101, the lighting system K102 and the intercom system K103, the house alarm system K104, and the lighting system K105. A breaker 114 is provided. When a plurality of subsystems are associated with one DC breaker 114, a connection box 121 for dividing the system of the DC supply line Wdc is provided for each subsystem. In the illustrated example, a connection box 121 is provided between the illumination system K102 and the intercom system K103.

  As the information equipment system K101, there is provided an information equipment system K101 composed of a DC equipment 102 connected to a DC outlet 131 arranged in advance in the house H (constructed when the house H is constructed) in the form of a wall outlet or a floor outlet.

  The lighting systems K102 and K105 include a lighting system K102 including a lighting fixture (DC device 102) arranged in advance in the house H, and a lighting fixture (DC device 102) connected to a hook ceiling 132 arranged in advance on the ceiling. An illumination system K105 is provided. At the time of interior construction of the house H, the contractor attaches the lighting fixture to the hook ceiling 132, or the resident himself attaches the lighting fixture.

  In addition to using an infrared remote control device, a control instruction for the lighting apparatus that is the DC device 102 constituting the lighting system K102 can be given using a communication signal from the switch 141 connected to the DC supply line Wdc. That is, the switch 141 has a communication function together with the DC device 102. In addition, a control instruction may be given by a communication signal from another DC device 102 in the home network or the home server 116 regardless of the operation of the switch 141. The instructions to the lighting fixture include lighting, extinguishing, dimming, and blinking lighting.

  Since any DC device 102 can be connected to the DC outlet 131 and the hooking ceiling 132 described above and DC power is output to the connected DC device 102, the DC outlet 131 and the hooking ceiling 132 are distinguished below. When it is not necessary, it is called “DC outlet”.

  These DC outlets have a plug-in connection port into which a contact (not shown) provided directly on the DC device 102 or a contact (not shown) provided via a connection line is inserted into the body. The contact receiver that directly contacts the contact inserted into the connection port is held by the container. That is, the direct current outlet supplies power in a contact manner. When the DC device 102 connected to the DC outlet has a communication function, a communication signal can be transmitted through the DC supply line Wdc. A communication function is provided not only in the DC device 102 but also in the DC outlet.

  The home server 116 not only is connected to the home network, but also has a connection port connected to the wide area network NT that constructs the Internet. When the in-home server 116 is connected to the wide area network NT, it is possible to receive services from the center server 200 that is a computer server connected to the wide area network NT.

  The service provided by the center server 200 includes a service that enables monitoring and control of equipment (including mainly the DC equipment 102 but also other equipment having a communication function) connected to the home network through the wide area network NT. is there. This service makes it possible to monitor and control devices connected to the home network using a communication terminal (not shown) having a browser function such as a personal computer, Internet TV, or mobile phone.

  The in-home server 116 has both functions of communication with the center server 200 connected to the wide area network NT and communication with equipment connected to the home network, and identification information about equipment in the home network ( Here, it is assumed that an IP address is used).

  The home server 116 enables monitoring and control of home devices through the center server 200 from a communication terminal connected to the wide area network NT by using a communication function with the center server 200. The center server 200 mediates between home devices and communication terminals on the wide area network NT.

  When monitoring and controlling home devices from a communication terminal, monitoring and control requests are stored in the center server 200, and the home device periodically performs one-way polling communication to monitor from the communication terminal. And receive control requests. With this operation, it is possible to monitor and control devices in the house from the communication terminal.

  Further, when an event that should be notified to the communication terminal, such as a fire detection, occurs in the home device, the home device notifies the center server 200, and the center server 200 notifies the communication terminal by e-mail.

  An important function among the communication functions with the home network in the home server 116 is the detection and management of the devices constituting the home network. The home server 116 automatically detects devices connected to the home network by applying UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). The home server 116 includes a display device 117 having a browser function, and displays a list of detected devices on the display device 117. The display device 117 has a configuration with a touch panel type or an operation unit, and can perform an operation of selecting desired contents from options displayed on the screen of the display device 117. Therefore, the user (contractor or householder) of the home server 116 can monitor or control the device on the screen of the display device 117. The display device 117 may be provided separately from the home server 116.

  The in-home server 116 manages information related to device connection, and grasps the type, function, and address of the device connected to the home network. Accordingly, the devices in the home network can be operated in conjunction with each other. Information on the connection of the device is automatically detected as described above. In order to operate the device in an interlocking manner, the device itself is automatically associated with the attribute held by the device itself, and the home server 116 is configured as a personal computer. It is also possible to connect various information terminals and use the browser function of the information terminals to associate devices.

  Each device holds the relationship of the interlocking operation of the devices. Therefore, the device can operate in an interlocked manner without passing through the home server 116. By associating the linked operations for each device, for example, by operating a switch that is a device, it is possible to turn on or off the lighting fixture that is the device. In many cases, the association of the interlocking operations is performed within the subsystem, but the association beyond the subsystem is also possible.

  Incidentally, the DC power supply unit 101 basically generates DC power by power conversion of an AC power supply (commercial power system) AC supplied from outside the house like a commercial power supply. In the configuration shown in the figure, the AC power source AC is input to an AC / DC converter 112 including a switching power source through a main circuit breaker (main switch) 111 attached to the distribution board 110 as an internal unit. The DC power output from the AC / DC converter 112 is connected to each DC breaker 114 through the cooperative control unit 113.

  The DC power supply unit 101 is provided with a secondary battery 162 serving as a backup power source in preparation for a period in which power is not supplied from the AC power supply AC (for example, a power failure period of the commercial power supply AC). It is also possible to use a solar cell 161 or a fuel cell 163 that generates DC power. For the main power supply (DC power system) including the AC / DC converter 112 that generates DC power from the AC power supply AC, the solar battery 161, the secondary battery 162, and the fuel battery 163 are distributed power supplies. In the illustrated example, the solar cell 161, the secondary battery 162, and the fuel cell 163 include a circuit unit that controls the output voltage, and the secondary battery 162 includes a circuit unit that controls charging as well as discharging.

  The secondary battery 162 is charged in a timely manner by a main power supply or other distributed power supply, and the secondary battery 162 is discharged during a period in which power is not supplied from the AC power supply AC. The coordination control unit 113 performs charge / discharge of the secondary battery 162 and coordination between the main power source and the distributed power source. That is, the cooperative control unit 113 functions as a DC power control unit that controls the distribution of power from the main power source and the distributed power source constituting the DC power supply unit 101 to the DC device 102. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the outputs of the solar cell 161, the secondary battery 162, and the fuel cell 163 are converted into AC power and used as input power of the AC / DC converter 112.

  Since the driving voltage of the DC device 102 is selected from a plurality of types of voltages depending on the device, a DC / DC converter is provided in the cooperative control unit 113 to convert the DC voltage obtained from the main power source and the distributed power source into a necessary voltage. Is desirable. Normally, one type of voltage is supplied to one subsystem (or DC device 102 connected to one DC breaker 114), but three or more wires are used for one subsystem. A plurality of types of voltages may be supplied. Alternatively, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the DC supply line Wdc is of a two-wire type and the voltage applied between the lines is changed with time. The DC / DC converter may be provided in a plurality of dispersed manners like the DC breaker.

  In the above configuration example, only one AC / DC converter 112 is illustrated, but a plurality of AC / DC converters 112 can be arranged in parallel, and when a plurality of AC / DC converters 112 are provided. It is desirable to increase or decrease the number of AC / DC converters 112 that are operated according to the magnitude of the load.

  The AC / DC converter 112, the cooperative control unit 113, the DC breaker 114, the solar cell 161, the secondary battery 162, and the fuel cell 163 described above are provided with a communication function, and include a main power source, a distributed power source, and a DC device 102. It is possible to perform cooperative operations that deal with the load status. The communication signal used for this communication is transmitted in the form of being superimposed on the DC voltage in the same manner as the communication signal used for the DC device 2.

  In the above example, the AC / DC converter 112 is arranged in the distribution board 110 in order to convert the AC power output from the main breaker 111 into DC power by the AC / DC converter 112. On the output side, a branch breaker (not shown) provided in the distribution board 110 branches the AC supply line into a plurality of systems, and an AC / DC converter is provided on the AC supply line of each system to convert it into DC power for each system. You may employ | adopt the structure to do.

  In this case, since the DC power supply unit 101 can be provided for each floor or room of the house H, the DC power supply unit 101 can be managed for each system, and the DC device 102 that uses DC power Since the distance of the DC supply line Wdc between the two is reduced, the power loss due to the voltage drop in the DC supply line Wdc can be reduced. Also, the main breaker 111 and the branch breaker are housed in the distribution board 110, and the AC / DC converter 112, the cooperative control unit 113, the DC breaker 114, and the home server 116 are housed in a separate board from the distribution board 110. Also good.

  Thus, in this system configuration, when the cooperative control unit 113 detects a power failure of the AC power supply AC, the communication function is used to transmit a trigger signal to each DC breaker 114, and in the DC breaker 114 that has received the trigger signal, The control unit 8 confirms the setting value of the setting unit 7, and if the setting value is “00”, nothing is performed, and if the setting value is “11”, a trip signal is output to the tripping unit 5 to be pulled. The disconnecting portion 5 is caused to perform a tripping operation to interrupt the electric circuit.

(A) is a system block diagram which shows embodiment of the DC power distribution system which concerns on this invention, (b) is a block diagram which shows the circuit breaker concerning this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the general circuit breaker in the same as the above. It is a time chart for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of a power failure same as the above. It is a system block diagram of the other DC distribution system using the same.

Explanation of symbols

MB Main switch BR1 to BR3 Branch switch (circuit breaker)
BA backup power source Lp1 to Lp3 Branching path L Load 1 Primary side terminal 2 Secondary side terminal 3 Main contact 4 Opening / closing mechanism 5 Tripping part (tripping means)
6 Voltage detection part 7 Setting part (setting means)
8 Control unit (control means)

Claims (3)

A DC power system, a backup power source that supplies DC power when power supply from the DC power system is interrupted, and a plurality of branch paths connected in parallel to the DC power system and the backup power source, respectively. A plurality of circuit breakers having a tripping means for opening a main contact inserted in the branch path when an overcurrent flows;
At least one of the plurality of circuit breakers includes a control unit that opens the main contact by the trip unit when it is determined that the DC power supplied through the branch path is supplied from the backup power source. Characteristic DC power distribution system. The output voltage level of the backup power supply and the output voltage level of the DC power system are different.
2. The DC power distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the control means determines whether or not DC power is supplied from a backup power source according to a difference in voltage level applied to the branch path. The primary side terminal connected to the DC power system and the backup power source, the secondary side terminal connected to the load, the main contact inserted in the electric circuit between the primary side terminal and the secondary side terminal, and the main contact opened and closed An opening / closing mechanism for releasing, a tripping means for releasing the opening / closing mechanism to release the main contact when an overcurrent flows in the electric circuit, and whether or not DC power supplied to the load through the electric circuit is supplied from the backup power source. Control means for determining, and setting means for setting the operation content when DC power is supplied from the backup power supply,
The control means controls the tripping means to open the main contact when the setting means is set to open the main contact when DC power is supplied from the backup power supply. Circuit breaker.

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