Patent ID: 7414819

Claim:
A method of sectionalizing a looped distribution line in an electric power distribution system that supplies electrical power from a source of power, said electric power distribution system including a plurality of preprogrammed switches disposed downstream from the source of power, said plurality of preprogrammed switches including a first preprogrammed switch and a fifth preprogrammed switch each disposed in the looped distribution line, a second preprogrammed switch and a fourth preprogrammed switch each disposed in the looped distribution line downstream from said first and fifth preprogrammed switches and a third preprogrammed switch disposed in the looped distribution line between said second and fourth preprogrammed switches, said third preprogrammed switch being in a normally open condition, all of said preprogrammed switches programmed to respond to the occurrence of a short circuit in the looped distribution line and to reconfigure the looped distribution line to isolate the short circuit, said method comprising the steps of: providing some of the preprogrammed switches each with a unique open time interval, different from an open time interval of the other preprogrammed switches, for at least one of its open intervals when responding to a short circuit condition on the looped distribution line; determining the length of said unique open time interval at at least one of the preprogrammed switches in response to the occurrence of a short circuit; identifying that the short circuit is in a portion of the looped distribution line that is downstream from the preprogrammed switch associated with the determined unique open time interval; and changing the configuration of the other preprogrammed switches to isolate the short circuit.