Products:
Solar Guardian® PV Connector
The patented design prevents arc fires caused by excessive heat in a defective balance of systems connector. The Solar Guardian PV Connector pre-detects, mitigates, and indicates arcing faults BEFORE they happen! A national laboratory evaluated and confirmed the Solar Guardian’s unique ability to pre-detect electrical faults and prevent fires in solar arrays.
US Patent– 9,464,946, (China Patent # ZL-2015-8-0053871.2, European Patent pending)
Issued: October 11, 2016.
“Method, System, and Apparatus to Prevent Arc Faults in Electrical Conduits”
Solar Guardian® Applique
The patented design detects excessive heat at joints of the conductors in a solar module. It alerts owners and maintainers to replace the faulty panel or cables, for quick restoration of full production and meets the 2014 NEC requirement.
US Patent– 9,413,155, (China Patent # ZL-2015-8-0008590.5, European Patent pending)
Issued: August 9, 2016.
“System to protect from unsafe conditions in an electrical power system”
Solar Guardian® Junction Box
The Solar Guardian Junction Box shuts off only the defective solar panel or cable, providing continued production of electricity by the array. It alerts owners and maintainers to replace the faulty panel or cable for quick restoration of full production The Solar Guardian Junction Box notifies building and facility owners via a wired or wireless message providing automated monitoring of power efficiency as a means of assuring peak power generation and thus more energy savings to the owner.
The products above are a sampling of what this patented technology can provide. For information about licensing this technology, contact: Guardian Devices, LLC
US Patent– 9,413,155, (China Patent # ZL-2015-8-0008590.5, European Patent pending)
Issued: August 9, 2016.
“System to protect from unsafe conditions in an electrical power system”
US Patent – 9,464,946 “Method, System, and Apparatus to Prevent Arc Faults in Electrical Conduits” Abstract:
A method, apparatus, and system for protection from fires and electrical shock of components used in construction of electrical conduits is disclosed using non-electrical means to disrupt flow of electricity before an arc fault, with the purpose to disrupt flow of current before risk of arcing. The purpose of this invention is to remove the hazard before an electrical arc occurs.
When internal temperature reaches an unsafe temperature, the non-toxic kinetic material “puffs” with sufficient force to separate the male from the female to disconnect.
The Solar Guardian offers a low-cost solution to the problem of arcing faults that meets the NEC code requirements of detection before the arc occurs. The Solar Guardian does not shut down the entire array. Instead, it prevents fire damage and human disasters by shutting off only the defective connector or string of connectors.
The Solar Guardian is unique because it can detect when excessive heat has reached a threshold that is unsafe. When diagnosed, the defective string is shut down. With the addition of an Internet of Things junction box, the building owners are notified via an annunciator.
For information about licensing this technology, contact: Guardian Devices, LLC
US Patent – 9,413,155
“System to protect from unsafe conditions in an electrical power system”
Abstract: A system for autonomous protection from fires and electrical shock of components used in construction of photovoltaic arrays is disclosed. The system detects conditions that left unattended will result in conflagration of combustible materials and unwanted electrification. The disclosed system provides an active control mechanism that operates to take defective components off line and thus provide protection from fire and electrification hazards that otherwise could arise. The system also provides means for annunciation and notification when actions are taken. The system can be used, for example, to determine that a photovoltaic (PV) module is at risk of conflagration of its flammable structural elements due to intense heat of plasma produced by a direct current (DC) arc at a point in the grid of conductors that collect and carry current from photovoltaic cells exposed to solar irradiation.
Claim 1: A system for providing protection from unsafe conditions in an electrical power system comprising: at least one light sensor configured to accept light from a non-arc source and generate a threshold signal indicative of the accepted light; a controller in communication with said at least one light sensor, the controller being configured to process the threshold signal to determine the existence of an unsafe condition, and generate an unsafe condition signal; an interruption device in communication with the controller, the interruption device being configured to interrupt flow of electrical current in response to the existence of an unsafe condition signal.
Claim 15: A system that provides protection from unsafe conditions, comprising: one or more sensors configured to measure light and generate a first light signal indicative of the measurement of light; the light sensor further configured to measure a second light from a second fusible translucent media and generate a second light signal indicative of the measurement of said second light; a controller in communication with one or more said sensors, the controller being configured to: determine an intensity of unsafe condition based on the first light signal, verify the said intensity of unsafe condition based on light from an induced event, the verification including an error signal that is generated if the induced unsafe condition event is determined to be an unsafe condition event based on the unsafe condition detection algorithm; and determine whether the second light signal is indicative of an unsafe condition based on the unsafe condition detection algorithm and generate an unsafe condition signal if the controller determines that the second signal is indicative of an unsafe condition event; a circuit interruption device in communication with the controller; and an interruption device configured to mitigate the unsafe condition in response an unsafe condition signal.
Claim 23: A method for adaptively identifying a precursor to an unsafe condition in an electrical system, the method comprising: operating the electrical system to generate a first light event triggered by an unsafe condition event; detecting the first light event with a sensor; generating a first light signal indicative of the detected first light event; processing, using a controller, the first light signal to determine criteria of a precursor to an unsafe condition; operating the electrical system to generate a second light event; detecting the second light event with the light sensor; generating a second light signal indicative of the second light event; processing the second light signal to determine a characteristic of the second light signal and comparing the characteristic to the precursor to an unsafe condition criteria to determine whether the second light signal is indicative of a precursor to an unsafe condition event.
For information about licensing this technology, contact: Guardian Devices, LLC