Patent ID: 7880328
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
1. A method of rapid diagnosis of a fault cable or a transformer failure in a stage-fused transformer loop system comprising: (a) providing said stage-fused transformer loop system comprising a plurality of transformers serially connected by a plurality of cables, each of said transformers having an inlet and an outlet; a first and a last of said serially connected transformers being connected to an electrical power supply source; each of said cables having two ends connected to said inlet of one of said transformers and said outlet of an immediately preceding transformer, respectively; and a series of fuses installed at each of said inlet and said outlet of said transformers in an order of decreasing fuse capacity starting from said first transformer, thereby forming said stage-fused transformer loop system; wherein said fuse is disposed in a fused pin of a fused elbow terminator connected to said inlet or said outlet of said each transformer of said stage-fused transformer loop system; (b) when a power outage occurs in at least a portion of said stage-fused transformer loop system, identifying a location of a first out-of-service transformer within said loop system; (c) then, testing one of said fuses positioned at said inlet of said first out-of-service transformer, including disconnecting said fused elbow terminator from said first out-of-service transformer and testing said fuse in said elbow terminator; and (d) if said fuse positioned at said inlet of said first out-of-service transformer is blown, reporting said diagnosis being a failure of said first out-of-service transformer; and if said fuse positioned at said inlet of said first out-of-service transformer is not blown, reporting said diagnosis being a fault cable located between said first out-of-service transformer and an immediate preceding transformer thereof.