The test device 10 may be a test device that transmits data on the blocking operation to the circuit breaker 100 to cause the circuit breaker 100 to perform a blocking operation.

The circuit breaker 100 refers to a protection device which is installed in a circuit PL through which a current flows, detects at least one of an abnormal current and an abnormal current generated in the circuit PL, and protects the circuit PL according to a detection result.

The circuit breaker 100 is a circuit breaker used in the distribution system, and it may be a circuit breaker that protects the system and device from accidents and failures occurring in the distribution system.

The circuit breaker 100 may be a circuit breaker which is installed in a switchboard.

An example of the breaker 100 may be an air circuit breaker (ACB) which is installed in a switchboard.

The circuit breaker 100 may be a circuit breaker that is installed on a switchboard and connects or disconnects a circuit PL between a supply side for supplying electric power and a load side for supplying the electric power.

The circuit breaker 100 as described above includes a blocking operation unit 110, a detection unit 120 and a blocking control unit 130.

In the circuit breaker 100, the blocking operation may be performed by the blocking control unit 130 controlling the blocking operation unit 110.

Herein, the blocking control unit 130 refers to a device that controls the execution of the blocking operation by performing signal/data processing and calculation for performing the operation of the circuit breaker 100.

That is, the blocking control unit 130 may be a control device 130 of the circuit breaker 100.

Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiments of the control device 130, the circuit breaker 100 and the system 1000 will be classified and described in order, but parts with overlapping descriptions will be omitted as much as possible to describe each exemplary embodiment.

Circuit Breaker Control Device

The control device 130 may be a microcontroller (MCU; Micro Control Unit) of the circuit breaker 100.

The control device 130 may be in the form of a module, and may be included in the circuit breaker 100.

A first example of the control device 130 may be as illustrated in FIG. 4a, and a second example thereof may be as illustrated in FIG. 5a.

The first example of the control device 130 is as follows.

As illustrated in FIG. 4a, the control device 130 includes a communication unit 131 which communicates with the test device 10 in a wireless communication manner and receives data about information of a test signal for testing the blocking operation of the circuit breaker from the test device 10, and a control unit 132 that analyzes relay elements of the test signal on the basis of the data, determines whether to perform the blocking operation according to an analysis result, and controls the execution of the blocking operation according to a determination result.

That is, the control device 130 may transmit and receive data while the communication unit 131 communicates with the test device 10 in a wireless communication manner.

Herein, the wireless communication manner may refer to a communication manner in which data is transmitted/received wirelessly.

The wireless communication manner is a communication manner that communicates information such as signals, codes, images and voices through radio waves instead of through wires, and it may be performed in various ways such as WIBRO, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)/WCDMA, Zigbee, Ultra Wide band (UWB), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Infrared Data Association (IRDA), Radio Frequency (RF), Bluetooth, Mobile Computing, Trunked Radio System (TRS) and IEEE1 394, in addition to a communication manner of mobile communication service applied to the terminal

The test device 10 may include a wireless communication module of any one of these wireless communication manners, and the communication unit 131 may be a wireless communication module which is capable of transmitting and receiving data by performing wireless communication with a wireless communication module included in the test device 10.

The communication unit 131 may transmit a notification signal for communication connection with the test device 10 to the control unit 132 when communication with the test device is established.

Herein, the notification signal may be a signal for notifying that the test of the blocking operation is performed according to the communication connection with the test device 10.

That is, when a wireless communication connection with the test device 10 is established, the communication unit 131 transmits the notification signal to the control unit 132 such that the control unit 132 may perform the control for the testing of the blocking operation.

The control unit 132 performs the operation control of the circuit breaker 100 in a first control mode until communication connection with the test device 10 is established, and when the notification signal is received from the communication unit 131, the first control mode is switched to a second control mode for testing the blocking operation such that the operation control of the circuit breaker 100 may be performed in the second control mode.

Herein, the first control mode is a mode for receiving detection data from the detection unit 120 included in the circuit breaker 100 and controlling the execution of the blocking operation according to the detection data, and the second control mode may be a mode for controlling the execution of the blocking operation according to the data.

That is, the first control mode may be a mode in which the detection unit 120 controls the general operation of the circuit breaker 100 according to the detection data detected from the circuit PL, and the second control mode may be a mode for controlling the test operation of the circuit breaker 100 according to the data received from the test device 10.

Accordingly, before the test device 10 establishes a communication connection with the communication unit 131, that is, during the general operation of the circuit breaker 100, the control unit 132 controls the operation of the circuit breaker 100 in the first control mode, and after the test device 10 establishes a communication connection with the communication unit 131, that is, from the time point at which the test operation of the circuit breaker 100 is performed, the control unit may control the operation of the circuit breaker 100 in the second control mode.

The control device 130 may further include a buffer unit 133 that receives the data from the communication unit 131, stabilizes the same and transmits the data to the control unit 132.

The buffer unit 133 may refer to a buffer for preventing a delay in data transmission due to a delay in a wireless communication speed between the test device 10 and the communication unit 131.

The buffer unit 133 may receive the entire data from the communication unit 131, and then transmit the entire data to the control unit 132.

Accordingly, the data may be accurately transmitted to the control unit 132.

After receiving the data, the control unit 132 may determine information about the prototype of a test signal from the data.

For example, when the data is sampling data, after the control unit 132 receives the sampling data, the control unit 132 restores the sampling data or performs a restoration calculation on the sampling data to determine information on the prototype of the test signal.

The control unit 132 may determine signal information on at least one of the type, waveform, magnitude and harmonics of the test signal by using the data, and compare the signal information with a preset relay criterion to analyze the relay element.

Herein, the relay criterion may mean a criterion for the circuit breaker 100 to perform a blocking operation, and the relay element may mean an element for the circuit breaker 100 to perform a blocking operation.

The relay criterion may be, for example, a case in which the magnitude of the current is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a case in which the current waveform is not of a specific shape, or a case in which the instantaneous peak value of a voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

The control unit 132 may determine that the circuit breaker 100 performs the blocking operation when the signal information corresponds to the relay criterion.

That is, when the signal information corresponds to the relay criterion, the control unit 132 determines that a relay element is included in the test signal, and thus, the circuit breaker 100 needs to perform a blocking operation, so as to determine to perform the blocking operation.

The block of a specific data processing process of the control device 130 may be as illustrated in FIG. 4b.

While the communication unit 131 controls the general operation of the circuit breaker 100 in the first control mode before being connected to the test device 10 by wireless communication, the control unit 132 receives a CT output of the detection unit 120, converts the same to ADC, generates the detection data, stores the detection data, analyzes the relay elements of the detection data, and determines whether to perform the blocking operation according to an analysis result, thereby controlling the operation of the circuit breaker 100, and when the communication unit 131 is wirelessly connected to the test device 10 to receive the data, the control unit 132 receives the notification signal from the communication unit 131 to switch the first control mode to the second control mode to select the reception of the data, stores the data and then analyzes relay elements of the data, and determines whether to perform the blocking operation according to an analysis result, thereby controlling the operation of the circuit breaker 100.

Meanwhile, the second example of the control device 130 is as follows.

As illustrated in FIG. 5a, the control device 130 includes an input unit 134 which is connected to a communication cable of the test device 10, a communication unit 131 for communicating with the test device 10 through a wired communication manner through the input unit 134 and receiving sampling data of a test signal for testing the blocking operation of the circuit breaker 100 from the test device 10, and a control unit 132 for analyzing relay elements of the test signal on the basis of the sampling data, determining whether to perform the blocking operation according to an analysis result, and controlling the execution of the blocking operation according to a determination result.

That is, the control device 130 may transmit and receive data while the communication unit 131 communicates with the test device 10 in a wired communication manner.

Herein, the wired communication manner may mean a communication manner in which data is transmitted and received by wire.

It may refer to a communication manner in which data is transmitted and received between two points through a wired transmission path.

The wired communication manner is a communication manner in which data is transmitted and received between two points through a wired cable, and it may be performed through various methods such as the Public Switching Data Network (PSDN), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), Very-High-data rate Digital Subscriber Line), Ethernet and Power Line Communication (PLC).

The test device 10 may include a wired communication module of any one of the above-described wired communication manners, and the communication unit 131 may be a wired communication module which is capable of transmitting and receiving data by communicating with a wired communication module included in the test device 10 by wire.

The communication cable of the test device 10 may be a data transmission/reception cable.

The communication cable, including a connector tuck, may be communication-connected to the input unit 134 through the connector by wire.

In the communication cable, the connector which is connected to the input unit 134 may be formed with four or less pins.

Herein, the pin of the connector may consist of pins through which data is transmitted/received.

That is, the connector may be formed as a data transmission/reception pin except for a pin through which voltage or current is transmitted.

The communication unit 131 may transmit a notification signal for communication connection with the test device 10 to the control unit 132 when communication with the test device is established.

Herein, the notification signal may be a signal for notifying that the test of the blocking operation is performed according to the communication connection with the test device 10.

That is, when the wired cable of the test device 10 is connected to the input unit 134, the communication unit 131 transmits the notification signal to the control unit 132 such that the control unit 132 performs control for testing the blocking operation.

The control unit 132 performs the operation control of the circuit breaker 100 in the first control mode until communication connection with the test device 10 is established, and when the notification signal is received from the communication unit 131, the first control mode is switched to a second control mode for testing the blocking operation, so as to perform operation control of the circuit breaker 100 in the second control mode.

Herein, the first control mode may be a mode for receiving detection data from the detection unit 120 included in the circuit breaker 100 and controlling the execution of the blocking operation according to the detection data, and the second control mode may be a mode for controlling the execution of the blocking operation according to the sampling data.

That is, the first control mode may be a mode in which the detection unit 120 controls the general operation of the circuit breaker 100 according to the detection data detected from the circuit PL, and the second control mode may be a mode for controlling the test operation of the circuit breaker 100 according to the sampling data received from the test device 10.

Accordingly, before the test device 10 establishes a communication connection with the communication unit 131, that is, during the general operation of the circuit breaker 100, the control unit 132 may control the operation of the circuit breaker 100 in the first control mode, and after the test device 10 establishes a communication connection with the communication unit 131, that is, from the time point at which the test operation of the circuit breaker 100 is performed, the control unit 132 may control the operation of the circuit breaker 100 in the second control mode.

The control device 130 may further include a buffer unit 133 that receives the sampling data from the communication unit 131, stabilizes the same and transmits the same to the control unit 132.

The buffer unit 133 may receive all of the sampling data from the communication unit 131, and then transmit all of the sampling data to the control unit 132.

Accordingly, the sampling data may be accurately transmitted to the control unit 132.

The control unit 132 may determine signal information on at least one of the type, waveform, magnitude and harmonics of the test signal by using the sampling data, and compare the signal information with a preset relay criterion to analyze the relay element.

The control unit 132 may determine that the circuit breaker 100 performs the blocking operation when the signal information corresponds to the relay criterion.

That is, when the signal information corresponds to the relay criterion, the control unit 132 determines that a relay element is included in the test signal and thus the circuit breaker 100 needs to perform a blocking operation, so as to determine to perform the blocking operation.

A block of the specific data processing process of the control device 130 may be as illustrated in FIG. 5b.

While the communication unit 131 controls the general operation of the circuit breaker 100 in the first control mode before being connected to the test device 10 through wired communication, the control unit 132 may receive a CT output of the detection unit 120, convert the same to ADC, generate the detection data, store the detection data, analyze relay elements of the detection data, determine whether to perform the blocking operation according to an analysis result to control the operation of the circuit breaker 100, and when the communication unit 131 is connected to the test device 10 through wired communication through the input unit 134 and receives the sampling data, the control unit 132 may receive the notification signal from the communication unit 131, switch the first control mode to the second control mode, select reception of the sampling data, store the sampling data, analyze relay elements of the sampling data, and determine whether to perform the blocking operation according to an analysis result to control the operation of the circuit breaker 100.

Circuit Breaker

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the circuit breaker 100 includes the blocking operation unit 110 for connecting or disconnecting a circuit PL between a supply side for supplying electric power and a load side for receiving the electric power; the detection unit 120 for detecting at least one of a current and a voltage of the circuit PL; and the blocking control unit 130 for determining whether to perform the blocking operation depending on a detection result of the detection unit 120, or receiving sampling data of a test signal for testing a blocking operation of the circuit breaker 100 from the test device by communicating with the test device 10 in a data communication manner, and analyzing relay elements of the test signal on the basis of the sampling data to determine whether to perform the blocking operation on the basis of an analysis result to control the blocking operation unit 110 according to a determination result.

The blocking operation unit 110 may refer to an opening/closing means that is operated under the control of the blocking control unit 130.

The blocking operation unit 110 may operate according to a control signal generated by the blocking control unit 130.

The blocking operation unit 110 is closed to connect the circuit PL before the relay element is generated in the circuit PL or until the relay element of the test signal is analyzed, and when the relay element is generated in the circuit PL or the relay element of the test signal is analyzed, it is opened to separate the circuit PL.

The detection unit 120 may refer to a detection means for detecting at least one of a current and a voltage in the circuit PL.

The detection unit 120 may be installed at a front or rear end of the blocking operation unit 110, detect at least one of a current and a voltage of the circuit PL, and transmit a detection result to the blocking control unit 130.

The blocking control unit 130 may include the communication unit which is communicatively connected with the test device 10 to transmit or receive data, the control unit 132 for generating a control signal for controlling the blocking operation unit 110 to transmit to the blocking operation unit, and the buffer unit 133 for receiving all of the sampling data from the communication unit 131 to stabilize the same to transmit to the control unit 132.

That is, the blocking control unit 130 may be the control device 130 described above.

The blocking control unit 130 may be wirelessly connected to the test device 10 to transmit and receive data.

In this case, the blocking control unit 103 includes the communication unit 131 and the control unit 132 as illustrated in FIG. 4a such that the communication unit 131 is connected to the test device 10 in a wireless communication manner, and the control unit 132 may process data in the process as illustrated in FIG. 4b and control the blocking operation unit 110.

The blocking control unit 130 may also be connected to the test device 10 by wire to transmit and receive data.

When the blocking control unit