Abstract:
One embodiment describes an interlock for an electromechanical switching system, which includes a housing; a first camming lockout member disposed in the housing and that contacts an auxiliary operator of a first electromechanical switching device; a second camming lockout member disposed in the housing and that contacts an auxiliary operator of a second electromechanical switching device, which the first camming lockout members contacts the second camming lockout member when the first camming lockout member is moved to an actuated position by the first electromechanical switching device to prevent movement of the second camming lockout member to an actuated position.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a method that includes determining a desired torque level of a motor actuated by a motor starter; determining, using a control system, a configuration of the motor starter to achieve the desired torque level, in which determining the configuration includes determining which of a plurality of switching devices in the motor starter should be opened and which should be closed; and instructing, using the control system, the motor starter to implement the determined configuration by opening or closing one or more of the plurality of switching devices.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a motor starter including a first single pole switching device that opens to disconnect power from a first winding of a motor; a second single pole switching device that closes after the first switching device opens to connect power to the first winding; a third single pole switching device that opens to disconnect power from a second winding of the motor; a fourth single pole switching device that closes after the third single pole switching device opens to connect power to the second winding; a fifth single pole switching device that opens to disconnect power form a third winding of the motor; and a sixth single pole switching device closes after the fifth single pole switching device opens to connect power to the third winding.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a three-phase electromechanical switching device, which includes three single-phase switching devices mechanically and electrically coupled in parallel with one another. Each of the single-phase switching devices includes a direct current electromagnetic operator that receives a direct current control signal from control circuitry, in which the direct current control signal instructs the single phase switching device to open or close a single current carrying path in the single phase switching device at a desired time; stationary contacts disposed in a device housing; and a movable assembly that is displaced by energizing or de-energizing the electromagnetic operator, in which the movable assembly includes movable contacts that, with the stationary contacts, open and close the single current carrying path.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a method that includes determining, using a control circuitry, temperature of a switching device before a make operation by applying a measurement current to an operating coil of the switching device, wherein the measurement current is insufficient to make the switching device; and determining voltage at the operating coil when the measurement current is applied, in which the voltage at the operating coil is directly related to the temperature. The method further includes determining, using the control circuitry, when to apply a pull-in current to the operating coil to close the switching device based at least in part on the voltage at the operating coil, such that the switching device makes at a desired time.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a method that includes, when a motor is disconnected from a power source: starting, using a control circuitry, a counter at a first voltage zero-crossing by either a source voltage or a back electromotive force generated by the motor; stopping, using the control circuitry, the counter at a next subsequent second voltage zero-crossing by either the source voltage or the back electromotive force; monitoring, using the control circuitry, a trend in counter values; and instructing, using the control circuitry, one or more switching devices to reconnect the power source to the motor after a local minimum in the counter value trend such that the source voltage is leading the back electromotive force.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a switching device system, which includes a first single pole switching device that selectively connects and disconnects a first phase of electric power to a first winding of a three phase motor; a second single switching device that selectively connects and disconnects a second phase of electric power to a second winding of the three phase motor; in which the first and second single pole switching devices control temperature of the motor by, at a first time, connecting the first phase and the second phase electric power to the motor.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a motor starter, which includes a first single pole switching device that opens to disconnect power from a first winding of a motor; a second single pole switching device that closes after the first switching device opens to connect power to the first winding; a third single pole switching device closes after the second single pole switching device closes to increase power supplied to a second winding of the motor; a fourth single pole switching device that opens after the third single pole switching device closes to disconnect power supplied to a third winding of the motor and to reduce power supplied to the second winding; and a fifth single pole switching device that closes after the fourth switching device opens to connect power to the third winding.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a three-phase electromechanical switching device, which includes three single-phase switching devices mechanically and electrically coupled in parallel with one another, each single-phase switching device including a direct current electromagnetic operator that in operation receives a direct current control signal for switching of the device, stationary contacts disposed in a respective device housing, and a movable assembly that in operation is displaced by energizing the operator and that include movable contacts that open and close, with the stationary contacts, a single current carrying path through the respective single-phase switching device; in which each of the single-phase switching devices receives control signals from control circuitry coupled to the operators of the respective single-phase switching devices to cause at least one of the single-phase switching devices to open or close the single current carrying path at a desired time coordinated with a current zero-crossing or a predicted current zero-crossing of a phase of three-phase power.
Abstract:
One embodiment describes a method that includes determining a desired torque level of a motor actuated by a motor starter; determining, using a control system, a configuration of the motor starter to achieve the desired torque level, in which determining the configuration includes determining which of a plurality of switching devices in the motor starter should be opened and which should be closed; and instructing, using the control system, the motor starter to implement the determined configuration by opening or closing one or more of the plurality of switching devices.