Patent ID: 11881701
Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A DC-overcurrent detector, comprising:
at least one electric line passing the detector from a source terminal of the detector to a load terminal of the detector;
at least one first sensor configured to monitor an electric current in the at least one electric line and output a current measurement signal;
at least one current flow direction sensor configured to distinguish a current flow direction of the electric current in the at least one electric line between a first direction from the source terminal to the load terminal and a second direction from the load terminal to the source terminal, and output a current flow direction signal;
a comparator unit configured to compare an actual value of the current measurement signal with a threshold criterion, and to output a trigger signal at a trigger output if a value of the current measurement signal reaches the threshold criterion; and
a threshold criterion unit, an input of the threshold criterion unit being connected to the at least one current flow direction sensor, and an output of the threshold criterion unit being connected to the comparator unit, providing the comparator unit with the threshold criterion,
wherein the threshold criterion unit is configured to determine a first threshold criterion if the actual current flows in the first direction, and a second threshold criterion if the actual current flows in the second direction,
wherein the first threshold criterion comprises a first trigger time delay,
wherein the second threshold criterion comprises a second trigger time delay,
wherein the first trigger time delay is different than the second trigger time delay, and
wherein the threshold criterion unit is configured to determine a first value of the second trigger time delay for a first value of the current measurement signal, and a second value of the second trigger time delay for a second value of the current measurement signal, with the first value of the second trigger time delay being greater than the second value of the second trigger time delay if the first value of the current measurement signal is greater than the second value of the current measurement signal.