EP0210767A2 - Schalter - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP0210767A2
EP0210767A2 EP86305227A EP86305227A EP0210767A2 EP 0210767 A2 EP0210767 A2 EP 0210767A2 EP 86305227 A EP86305227 A EP 86305227A EP 86305227 A EP86305227 A EP 86305227A EP 0210767 A2 EP0210767 A2 EP 0210767A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
contact
arcing
circuit breaker
annular
arc
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP86305227A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0210767A3 (de
Inventor
David William Klaus
Martin Christopher Oakes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Schneider Electric Ltd
Original Assignee
YS Securities Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by YS Securities Ltd filed Critical YS Securities Ltd
Publication of EP0210767A2 publication Critical patent/EP0210767A2/de
Publication of EP0210767A3 publication Critical patent/EP0210767A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/02—Details
    • H01H33/04—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H33/18—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts using blow-out magnet
    • H01H33/187—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts using blow-out magnet comprising a hollow annular arc runner and a central contact between which a radially drawn arc rotates

Definitions

  • This invention relates to circuit breakers.
  • Rotating arc circuit breakers are known wherein an arc is drawn between separating contacts in an electronegative medium such as sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), and is maintained between a central electrode and an annular arcing electrode which is coaxial with an arc-driving coil through which the arc current flows.
  • SF6 sulphur hexafluoride
  • the magnetic field induced in the coil drives the arc around the annular electrode and the arc is extinguished at a current zero.
  • circuit breakers operating on this principle, but all are defective in the degree of control that they are able to apply to the arc, and so result in high energy arcs requiring high volumes of insulating medium for successful arc extinction.
  • Many circuit breakers of this type strike the arc between a fixed contact and a movable contact and then transfer at least one root of the arc onto an arcing electrode. This causes difficulties in that the arc has a tendency to be driven from its optimum transfer path, and the geometry of such devices is often such that this tendency is accentuated by magnetic loop forces generated by the current flowing to and in the arc.
  • an arc current path is established in parallel with a main current path, the main current path including first and second main contacts which are opened before contacts in the arc current path open.
  • Arc current thus flows in the coil before the arc is established, and the arc is struck directly between the arcing electrodes.
  • Arc positioning can thus be improved, but the geometry of the device is again such that the magnetic loop forces generated by the current flowing to and in the arc will drive the arc from its optimum path. Long, high energy arcs again result.
  • the present invention aims to improve arc control, with a view to reducing arc energy and thus rendering the arc capable of being extinguished more easily.
  • a circuit breaker comprises first and second main contacts relatively movable between closed and open positions, and, when closed, forming part of a main current path through the circuit breaker; first and second arcing contacts forming part of an arc current path through the circuit breaker, and means for effecting contact movement so that during opening of the breaker the main contacts separate and an arc is located between the first and second arcing contacts; in which the first arcing contact is annular, the second arcing contact lies in the space within the open centre of the annular contact, an arc-driving coil surrounds the annular contact and is connected in series therewith in the arc current path, and the second arcing contact and a conductor assembly connected to the second arcing contact and forming part of the arc current path are substantially symmetrical with respect to the radial mid-plane of the coil.
  • the crux of the invention is that the second arcing contact and the current path thereto are substantially symmetrical with respect to the radial mid-plane of the coil, leading to the result that current is introduced into the arcing contact system in such a way that magnetic loop forces imposed on the arc by the current flow in the conductors to the arcing contacts are effectively cancelled.
  • This result arises since substantially equal current will flow to the second arcing contact from each side of the mid-plane of the coil, the magnetic loop forces induced by the current flowing in a first axial direction being cancelled by those induced by the current flowing in the second axial direction. This significantly reduces wandering of the arc roots and allows a coil of much reduced axial length to be employed in comparison to the coils needed in prior art systems.
  • the first and second arcing contacts are relatively movable between a closed position wherein the second arcing contact engages the inner circumference of the annular first contact and an open position wherein the second arcing contact is spaced from the inner circumference of the annular first contact, and move from the closed to the open position only after the main contacts separate.
  • the arc is struck in the optimum radial mid-plane location, and will immediately start to rotate in that plane as the coil was energised before striking the arc.
  • the conductor assembly comprises an axial section extending through the open centre of the annular contact, the second arcing contact is located at the centre of the axial section, and two side arms extend substantially radially of the annular contact, one lying to each side of the annular contact and electrically connecting the axial section of the conductor assembly to the main current path.
  • the second arcing contact is circular when seen in a plane extending radially of the annular contact, and when in the fully open position the second arcing contact is substantially concentric with the annular contact. Concentricity is not essential, and it may be found that an arc can be extinguished before the second arcing contact reaches its fully open position.
  • the second arcing contact includes two sections resiliently biased one toward the other and engageable with opposite axial sides of part of the annular contact. This ensures good electrical contact between the two arcing contacts.
  • the annular contact may have sections resiliently biased towards each other so that the second arcing contact may be engaged between the sections. However, because of the more complex structure of the annular arcing contact the first arrangement is preferred.
  • Any suitable drive arrangement may be provided for moving the first and second main contacts between their closed and open positions and for moving the first and second arcing contacts between their closed and open positions.
  • pivotal movement, linear movement or a combination of the two may be applied either to the main contacts or to the arcing contacts.
  • a preferred arrangement is one in which one of the main contacts is carried by a first pivot arm, one of the arcing contacts is carried by a second pivot arm, and the two pivot arms are each mounted for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of the annular arcing contact.
  • the two pivot axes may be coincident or may be spaced one from the other.
  • the drive system for both the main contacts and the arcing contacts will be designed according to the mounting arrangement that is used and there are many possible arrangements. As the main contacts are required to break before the arcing contacts, there will need to be a lost motion arrangement in the drive path to the arcing contacts if a single driving input is applied to the assembly. It is advantageous if during closing of the circuit breaker, the main contacts close before the arcing contacts, and means may be included to control a drive linkage in order to achieve this effect. This eliminates the need for a more robust coil construction as the coil is not subjected to the high closing peak currents.
  • FIG. 1 shows a three phase circuit breaker comprising a cast resin housing 1 divided by internal partitions 2, 3 into three chambers, one for each phase.
  • Each phase has an input conductor 4 and an output conductor 5 each cast in situ in an integral extension 6, 7 of the housing.
  • the circuit breaker is operated by way of a drive shaft 8 common to all three phases, the shaft being supported by bearing assemblies 9 and 10, and the bearing assembly 9 incorporating sealing means so that the interior of the housing is sealed from the atmosphere.
  • the housing is closed by a cover plate 11, bolted to the housing.
  • the cover plate 11 again has associated sealing means and will generally be connected to be at earth potential.
  • the free space within the housing is filled with an electronegative medium, for example sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas under pressure.
  • SF6 sulphur hexafluoride
  • Each of the three phases has an individual circuit breaker mechanism 12 to 14 respectively, and since each of the three mechanisms are identical only the mechanism 13 will be described in detail.
  • Each mechanism includes a fixed main contact 14 bolted and electrically connected to the respective conductor 4 and carrying a plurality of spring fingers 15 biased towards each other in order to receive therebetween a movable contact 16.
  • the movable contact 16 is mounted for pivotal movement about a shaft 17, as will be described in more detail later, the shaft 17 being supported by and in electrical contact with, a mounting 18 bolted and electrically connected to the conductor 5.
  • a coil assembly shown generally as 19 is secured to the fixed main contact 14 by two identical fixing arrangements 20, one of which is shown in cross-section in Figure 6.
  • Each fixing assembly incorporates two interlocking insulating spacers 21, 22 which engage with each other through a circular hole 23 formed in the contact 14.
  • Insulating side plates 24, 25 are secured to the spacers by a bolt and nut 26, 27.
  • a coil 28 is held between the plates 24, 25 and one end of the coil windings is electrically connected by a conductor 29 to the main contact 14.
  • An annular arcing contact 30, which will usually be of copper, is secured to the plates 24, 25 and the other end of the coil winding is electrically connected to this annular contact.
  • the contact 30 has a central radially projecting rib 31 of arc resistant material, such as tungsten copper.
  • a second arcing contact 32 lies within the open centre of the annular contact 30 and includes two sections 33, 34 each made from arc resistant material such as tungsten copper, and engageable with opposite sides of the rib 31 of the contact 30.
  • Each contact section is carried at the end of a copper sleeve 35, 36 respectively, the sleeves passing through respective insulating bushes 37 and 38.
  • the two sleeves 35, 36 are slidably supported on a shaft 39 of non-­magnetic metallic material such as stainless steel, the shaft being formed with threaded ends 40, 41.
  • Each sleeve 35, 36 has a cup formation 42, 43 respectively at the end thereof, and nuts 44, 45 retain compression springs 46, 47 in the respective cup formations.
  • the springs bias the contact sections 33, 34 inwardly towards each other to a limit position wherein they are spaced apart by an insulating ring 48 secured to the shaft 39, in which position the distance between the contact sections is less than the overall axial thickness of the rib 31.
  • the springs also ensure good electrical contact between the various conductive elements.
  • the contact sections 33, 34 have tapered faces 48, 49 engageable with the rib 31 as the contact 32 moves radially into engagement therewith.
  • the second arcing contact 32 is carried by insulating side plates 50, 51 which serve to mount the contact for pivotal movement about the axis of the shaft 17.
  • the shaft 17 is again of stainless steel and has threaded ends 52, 53 which retain compression springs 54, 55 housed in cup-­shaped ends of copper sleeves 56, 57 respectively.
  • the springs ensure good electrical connection between the conductive elements.
  • the inner ends of the sleeves 56, 57 are biased by the springs to bear against axially outer surfaces of two plates 18a, 18b, forming part of the mounting 18, the main contact blade 16 being sandwiched between and bearing against the axially inner surfaces of those plates, and being pivotally movable between those plates about the axis of the shaft 17.
  • the copper sleeves 35 and 56 are electrically connected by a copper strap 58 lying externally of the insulating plate 50, while the copper sleeves 36 and 57 are electrically connected by a similar copper strap 59 lying externally of the insulating plate 51.
  • the movable arcing contact 32 when it is in the closed position, as shown in Figure 2, it establishes an arc current path through the circuit breaker from the conductor 4, through main contact 14, the conductor 29 ( Figure 6), the coil 28, the annular arcing contact 30, 31, the movable arcing contact 32, the copper sleeves 35, 36, the copper straps 58, 59, the copper sleeves 56 and 57 and the mounting 18 to the conductor 5.
  • This current path is in parallel with the main current path, and the electrical conductors forming it are symmetrical about the radial mid-plane A-A of the coil 28.
  • the drive shaft 8 has an arm 61 secured to rotate therewith, the arm being pivotally connected to a pair of parallel links 62, 63 the other ends of which are pivotally connected to the main contact 16.
  • the arm 61 also carries a rod 64 pivotally connected thereto, the other end of the rod passing slidably through a bore in a shaft 65 rotatably mounted between ends of the insulating plates 50 and 51.
  • Lock nuts 66 are fitted on the end of the rod 64, and a compression spring 67 surrounds the rod between the pivot with arm 61 and the shaft 65.
  • the spring 67 may be formed from a stacked series of cup springs in order to give the required spring characteristics, one of which is that the electrode 32 is maintained in good electrical contact with the electrode 31 during initial opening of the main contacts.
  • Figure 2 shows the circuit breaker in the closed position, and as already explained a main current path for each phase is established between the main contacts 14 and 15, while a parallel arc current path that includes the coil 28 is established between the arcing contacts 30 and 32.
  • the drive shaft 8 is controlled in any suitable manner to rotate anti-clockwise from the position shown in Figure 2. The first part of this movement, from the Figure 2 position to the Figure 3 position, causes the contact 16 to be separated from the fingers 15 on the main contact 14, and so breaks the main current path through the circuit breaker.
  • the arc is therefore immediately constrained to the radial mid-plane of rotation and any tendency of the arc to leave that plane is overcome.
  • the arc is kept at minimum length, and thus has low energy. Accordingly, when a current zero is reached, the arc will be extinguished due to the presence of the electronegative medium within the space between the two arcing electrodes.
  • Figure 7 illustrates a modification whereby this may be achieved.
  • the shaft 65 that extends between the insulating plates 50 and 51 has a dashpot arrangement 71 associated therewith.
  • the dashpot arrangement comprises a fluid filled cylinder 72 in which is arranged a piston 73 biased to an extended position by a compression spring 74.
  • the cylinder 72 has a bleed hole 75 in a side wall thereof, and due to the presence of the spring the piston 73 will normally be in its extended position, with the cylinder being filled by the pressurised insulating medium present within the chamber.
  • the shaft 65 will engage the piston, and further movement will be delayed by the spring 74 and the slow exhaust of fluid through the restricted bleed hole 75.
  • This will delay pivotal movement of the arms 50 and 51 and so also delay closing movement of the arcing contacts 32, the delay being dependent on the rate at which fluid is allowed to bleed from the cylinder 72.
  • the bleed rate can readily be designed to ensure that the main contacts are fully closed before the arc contact 32 touches the annular contact 30. Alternative arrangements for achieving the same result will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • the embodiment described shows arc contact 32 mounted for pivotal movement within a fixed annular contact and coil.
  • the coil construction 81 and annular contact 82 may be carried between insulating plates, one of which is shown at 83, those plates being mounted about a pivotal axis 84 coincident with the pivotal axis of the movable main contact 85.
  • the second arcing contact 86 is supported by an arrangement of conductors 87 from the fixed main contact 88, the arrangement of conductors being substantially symmetrical with respect to the radial mid-plane of the annular arcing contact 81.
  • the arcing contacts are shown in the closed position; it will be appreciated that operation is similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, and that the arcing contacts will be opened by an anti-clockwise movement of the plates 83 about the pivot axis 84.
  • the conductors for the central arcing contacts 86 may be buried in the insulating material of the chamber walls and partitions, and it may be possible to produce a more compact arrangement with a shorter distance between centres of individual phases.
  • FIG. 9 One such arrangement is schematically shown in Figure 9.
  • a fixed main contact 91 is connected by a conductor 92 to a coil and annular arcing contact assembly 93.
  • a conductor 94 carries a movable main contact 95 engageable with the contact 91, and a movable arcing contact 96 engageable with the inner circumference of the annular contact 93.
  • the arrangement of conductors to the arcing contact 96 is symmetrical with respect to the radial mid-plane of the annular arcing contact 93.
  • An insulating drive arrangement 97 is capable of moving the conductor to the right as shown in Figure 9, the contacts 95 and 91 separating during the first stage of such movement.
  • a pin and slot arrangement 98 connects the arcing contact 96 to the conductor 94, providing lost motion so that the main contact separation occurs before the arcing contact 96 is separated from the annular contact 93.
  • the main contact 94 may be connected to an output 99 by a shunt, a sliding contact or any other suitable means.
  • Means such as a compression spring 100 may be included to ensure good contact pressure both between the main contacts and between the arcing contacts.
  • Many of the described embodiments may be further adapted by providing for movement of the movable main contact from its open position to a position where it engages an earth contact, for example a star point contact. It is necessary that the movable arcing contacts remain in the open position during this additional movement of the main contact, and it is also desirable that the additional main contact movement should be effected through the common drive shaft. Modifications of the linkage that will make this additional movement possible will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • both arcing electrodes may be fixed, and the main current path may include a movable finger that engages one of the arcing electrodes when in the closed position. On opening the movable finger an arc will strike between that finger and the arcing electrode and the geometry of the structure is such that the arc root will commutate from the finger to the other arcing electrode.
  • the arrangement is not as effective as the preferred constructions which form the arc immediately in the optimum location, but is a possible construction.
  • the coils of the three phases may be arranged so that their axes are parallel, the coils lying in a linear, triangular, or any other arrangement when viewed perpendicular to their axes.
  • the mid-planes of the coils of the different phases may be coplanar or may lie in more than one plane.

Landscapes

  • Arc-Extinguishing Devices That Are Switches (AREA)
EP86305227A 1985-07-20 1986-07-07 Schalter Withdrawn EP0210767A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8518382 1985-07-20
GB858518382A GB8518382D0 (en) 1985-07-20 1985-07-20 Circuit breaker

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0210767A2 true EP0210767A2 (de) 1987-02-04
EP0210767A3 EP0210767A3 (de) 1988-07-20

Family

ID=10582615

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP86305227A Withdrawn EP0210767A3 (de) 1985-07-20 1986-07-07 Schalter

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0210767A3 (de)
JP (1) JPS6226720A (de)
CN (1) CN86105714A (de)
AU (1) AU6002186A (de)
ES (1) ES2000526A6 (de)
GB (2) GB8518382D0 (de)
ZA (1) ZA865195B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104332360A (zh) * 2014-08-12 2015-02-04 平高集团有限公司 一种断路器传动轴装配工装

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8607397D0 (en) * 1986-03-25 1986-04-30 Northern Eng Ind Arc interrupter
FR2618251B1 (fr) * 1987-06-25 1989-11-17 Merlin Gerin Interrupteur rotatif a piste courbe de migration d'une racine d'arc.
GB8725582D0 (en) * 1987-10-31 1987-12-02 Northern Eng Ind Arc interruptor
CN102915894B (zh) * 2012-10-29 2015-10-28 大全集团有限公司 直流断路器吹弧装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB967737A (en) * 1960-08-23 1964-08-26 English Electric Co Ltd Improvements in and relating to electrical vacuum switches
FR2230060A1 (de) * 1973-05-15 1974-12-13 Hazemeijer Bv
EP0020045A1 (de) * 1979-05-25 1980-12-10 South Wales Switchgear Limited Elektrisches Schaltgerät
GB2119573A (en) * 1982-04-17 1983-11-16 Northern Eng Ind Electric arc interrupter

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB967737A (en) * 1960-08-23 1964-08-26 English Electric Co Ltd Improvements in and relating to electrical vacuum switches
FR2230060A1 (de) * 1973-05-15 1974-12-13 Hazemeijer Bv
EP0020045A1 (de) * 1979-05-25 1980-12-10 South Wales Switchgear Limited Elektrisches Schaltgerät
GB2119573A (en) * 1982-04-17 1983-11-16 Northern Eng Ind Electric arc interrupter

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104332360A (zh) * 2014-08-12 2015-02-04 平高集团有限公司 一种断路器传动轴装配工装

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ZA865195B (en) 1987-03-25
ES2000526A6 (es) 1988-03-01
JPS6226720A (ja) 1987-02-04
GB8518382D0 (en) 1985-08-29
GB2178239A (en) 1987-02-04
GB8616230D0 (en) 1986-08-13
AU6002186A (en) 1987-01-22
EP0210767A3 (de) 1988-07-20
CN86105714A (zh) 1987-02-11

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