Patent ID: 8423308

Claim:
A system for monitoring current from each of a plurality of direct current sources, said system comprising: (a) a plurality of current sensors mounted on a single support, said single support with said current sensors detachably supportable remote from a support for a direct current source, each current sensor comprising a portion defining an opening for receiving a respective one of a plurality of conductors, each conductor connected to a different one of said plurality of direct current sources; (b) a converter to convert an output from each sensor to a digital value; (c) a monitoring device that receives said digital values and provides data indicating a total current from said plurality of direct current sources sensed by said plurality of current sensors mounted on said single support, a respective current including an instantaneous current and a long average current from each of said plural direct current sources and sensed respectively by each of said current sensors and an average of the long average currents for the remaining sensors on the support, said monitoring device comparing the instantaneous current and the long average current sensed by each current sensor and initiating an alarm if an instantaneous current deviates by a threshold value from the long average current for the corresponding current sensor and initiating an alarm if the long average current for a sensor deviates from the corresponding average of the long average currents for the remaining sensors by a threshold value.