Virtual Electronic Circuit Breaker

Abstract

A virtual electronic circuit breaker having an electrical relay and a control circuit, the control circuit including a load and wire protection (“OC”) detection unit, a microprocessor and a driver. The OC detection unit is configured to monitor a power flow and the electrical relay is effective to control it. The driver is effective to cause the relay to stop the power flow upon receipt of a deactivation command. The OC detection unit is effective to cause the driver to receive a deactivation command if the OC detection unit senses that a short circuit condition or an overload condition exists. The microprocessor of the control unit is configured so as to be capable of, at least, receiving input from the OC detection unit and sending output to the driver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A virtual electronic circuit breaker, comprising:
 an electrical relay effective to control an amount of power flow;   a solid state switch in parallel with the electrical relay;   a control circuit, having a single Load and Wire Protection (“OC”) detection unit, a microprocessor and a driver;   said driver effective to cause said relay to stop said power flow upon receipt by the driver of a deactivation command;   said single OC detection unit configured to both monitor said power flow and effective to cause said driver to receive a deactivation command in response to a detection, by said single OC detection unit, that an overload condition exists; and   said microprocessor configured to be capable of receiving input from said single OC detection unit, sending output to said driver, and configured to be capable of receiving a “reset” command, a “collar” command, an “on” command, and an “off” command from a control panel.   
     
     
         2 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1  wherein said power flow is selected from the group consisting of 1-phase alternating current (AC), 3-phase AC and direct current (DC). 
     
     
         3 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 2  wherein said power flow is 1-phase AC and said virtual electronic circuit breaker is located on an aircraft. 
     
     
         4 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1  wherein said microprocessor is effective to send to outside said control circuit an amount of indication and status information. 
     
     
         5 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 4  wherein said microprocessor is effective to send said information to an aircraft cockpit. 
     
     
         6 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1  further comprising a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) in parallel with the relay, wherein a voltage across the relay causes the SCR to trigger. 
     
     
         7 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1  wherein said virtual electronic circuit breaker is located on an aircraft. 
     
     
         8 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 7  wherein said microprocessor is effective to cause said driver to receive a deactivation command upon receipt by the microprocessor of an “off” command. 
     
     
         9 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1  wherein said microprocessor is effective to communicate with a programming and test bus. 
     
     
         10 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a redundant source of power effective to allow said control circuit and said relay to operate while only receiving power from said redundant source of power. 
     
     
         11 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 1  further comprising a ground fault interruption (GFI) detection unit. 
     
     
         12 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 11  wherein said GFI detection unit is effective to, when the GFI detection unit senses that a ground fault condition has occurred, communicate to said microprocessor that a ground fault condition has occurred. 
     
     
         13 . The virtual electronic circuit breaker of  claim 12  wherein said GFI detection unit is integrated with said control circuit. 
     
     
         14 . An electrical system for an aircraft, comprising
 a source of limited power;   a load, drawing an amount of power flow from said source of limited power;   an electrical relay effective to control said amount of power flow;   a solid state switch in parallel with the electrical relay;   a control circuit, having a single Load and Wire Protection (“OC”) detection unit, a microprocessor and a driver;   said driver effective to cause said relay to stop said power flow upon receipt by the driver of a deactivation command;   said single OC detection unit configured to both monitor said power flow and effective to cause said driver to receive a deactivation command in response to a detection, by said single OC detection unit, that an overload condition exists; and   said microprocessor configured to be capable of receiving input from said single OC detection unit, sending output to said driver, and configured to be capable of receiving a “reset” command, a “collar” command, an “on” command, and an “off” command from a control panel.   
     
     
         15 . The electrical system of  claim 14 , wherein said source of limited power is an aircraft engine. 
     
     
         16 . The electrical system of  claim 15 , wherein said load is the actuator mechanism of an aircraft control surface. 
     
     
         17 . A method of protecting an electronic circuit with a virtual electronic circuit breaker, comprising the steps of:
 providing a power flow;   providing an electrical relay effective to control said amount of power flow;   providing a solid switch in parallel with the electrical relay;   providing a control circuit, having a single Load and Wire Protection (“OC”) detection unit, a microprocessor and a driver, wherein said driver is effective to cause said relay to stop said power flow upon receipt by the driver of a deactivation command, and wherein said microprocessor is configured to be capable of receiving input from said single OC detection unit, sending output to said driver, and configured to be capable of receiving a “reset” command, a “collar” command, an “on” command, and an “off” command from a control panel;   monitoring said power flow utilizing said single OC detection unit; and   causing said driver to receive a deactivation command when an overload condition is sensed.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said power flow is 1-phase AC and said virtual electronic circuit breaker is located on an aircraft. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said microprocessor is effective to receive commands from and send information to outside said control circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said microprocessor is effective to cause said driver to receive a deactivation command upon receipt by the microprocessor of an “off” command