EP1384240A1

EP1384240A1 - Method for operating a switch with a connectable current limiter and corresponding arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP1384240A1
Application number: EP02761863A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Walter Branston; Fritz Pohl; Karl-Hans BÄRNKLAU; Christian Schreckinger
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2001-04-17
Filing date: 2002-04-04
Publication date: 2004-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2022-04-04
Also published as: US7259944B2; DE50210638D1; CN1509484A; EP1384240B1; JP2004529469A; DE10118746B4; JP4467887B2; DE10118746A1; CN1248253C; WO2002084688A1; US20040150932A1

Abstract

Methods for operating a power switch with at least one main current path and associated secondary current path with an arc extinguisher are known from the art. A current limiter can be used which switches from non-current limiting operation to the current limiting operation at high current loads. The invention is characterized by measures for returning the current limiter during the transition from the current limiting operation to the non-current limiting operation. Specifically power switches are provided with measures for preventing a recommutation of the arc from the secondary current path to the main current path and/or measures for returning the current limiter during the recommutation of the light art. A corresponding arrangement for carrying out the inventive method is provided with means (30 to 50) in the power switch (20) and/or current limiter (1) for preventing a switch failure of the current limiter (1) disposed in the secondary current path of the power switch (20). The current limiter can be especially a PTC current limiter (1).

Description

description

Method for operating a switching device with a switchable current limiter and associated arrangement

The invention relates to a method for operating a switching device with a switchable current limiter according to the preamble of claim 1. The switching device used in particular are circuit breakers or contactors, possibly also semiconductor switches or the like. , Roger that. In addition, the invention also relates to an arrangement for carrying out the method according to the preamble of patent claim 8.

Switchgear protects electrical networks and consumers in the event of a short circuit by the rapid build-up of a sufficiently high switching voltage, which limits the short-circuit current and switches off after a short time. To increase the current limitation, the switching voltage used can be increased by connecting the switching device in series with a separate current limiter, a so-called limiter. According to the prior art, the limiter is connected to the main circuit for this purpose, so that the load current flows through it both in normal operation and in the event of a short circuit.

There are different technical solutions for limiters. In addition to conventional mechanical switches, which generate switching arcs, PTC limiters are used to limit the current, in which the voltage build-up is generated by increasing the electrical resistance of the limiter material and / or by gas discharge with a high operating voltage.

PTC limiters have the advantage over mechanical switches that the switching voltage is built up very quickly. A disadvantage is the greater electrical cold resistance, which limits the nominal current during nominal operation in order to prevent cυ cυ MP "P ¹ cπ o CJi o (lo Cn

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The object is achieved according to the invention by the measures of claim 1 and especially for a circuit breaker with an arc extinguishing device by the measures of claim 2. An associated arrangement is specified in claim 8. The subclaims contain advantageous developments of the method and the associated arrangement. In particular, advantageous developments of the current limiter, specially designed as a PTC limiter, and / or of the switching device, designed as a circuit breaker, are specified in the claims.

With the invention, in particular the functional safety of a combination of circuit breaker and limiter in the branch circuit is realized. However, the invention is also applicable to other switching devices and current limiters.

Further details and advantages of the invention result from the following description of figures of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing in conjunction with the patent claims. Show it

Figure 1 shows the combination of a circuit breaker with a

Current limiter in the bypass circuit of the circuit breaker, FIG. 2 shows a current limiter designed as a PTC limiter,

FIG. 3 the profile of the electrodes and the resistance body in the PTC limiter according to FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows a graphical representation of the resistance as a function of time in an arrangement according to FIGS. 2 and 3,

FIG. 5 shows a symmetrically constructed circuit breaker with a switching bridge and limiter add-on,

6 shows a detail from FIG. 5 with interrupters of the double-break circuit breaker and

Figure 7 is a top view of the outer guide rails of the interrupters with openings. In the figures, the same or equivalent parts have the same reference numerals. Essentially two measures according to the invention are described, by means of which the problem of switching failure of PTC limiters in the bypass circuit of circuit breakers can be avoided individually or in combination.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the arrangement of a limiter in the bypass circuit of a circuit breaker, as shown, for example, in EP 0 657 062 B1.

In FIG. 1, a current-limiting circuit breaker 20 contains at least two contacts 22 and 23, at least one of which is designed to be movable and can be opened and closed via a switch lock 24 that can be triggered by a thermal and / or magnetic release 25 or 26. Each contact 22 and 23 is assigned an arc guide rail 27 and 27 ^λ , which enclose a prechamber area 28 and open into an arcing chamber 21 with a plurality of quenching plates 29 to solve an arc, not shown in FIG. 1. After ignition of the arc base points, the arc migrates on the running rails 27 and 27 ^λ into an arcing chamber 17 with arcing plates 29, where an arc voltage that is sufficiently high for current limitation and arc extinguishing is built up.

At very high short-circuit currents, eg I _κ = 50 to 100 KA, the increase in arc voltage is no longer sufficient to limit the forward current of the switch to non-critical values. The switchgear can then be damaged or destroyed. To avoid these undesirable consequences, a limiter 1 is connected upstream of the circuit breaker 20 in the secondary current path in FIG.

The limiter 1 is a current-limiting element which, according to EP 0 657 062 B1, is not connected to the main current path, but with the lead to an arc Running rail 27 forms a bypass path in the switching device 20. The bypass _{current path} for a commutation _current I _k0 m is defined in FIG. 1 as a parallel current branch to a main current path for a current i to be switched on. Current flows through it when the arc starts by igniting a base on this track.

The limiter 1 according to FIG. 1 is advantageously designed as a PTC limiter. Such a PTC limiter 1 is shown schematically in FIG. 2. It consists of two planar electrodes 10, between which a resistance body 5 made of a suitable material is clamped under the action of a force K. The resistance body 5 has surfaces 2 and 3 and the electrodes 10 have surfaces 11. The mode of operation of such a PTC limiter for current limitation is explained in detail in EP 0 657 062 B1.

It can be seen from FIG. 3 that, instead of a smooth surface 11, the surface electrode 10 has a profiling 15 which, for example, has a rectangular structure with a web width b and a web height h. The web width b can be between 0.1 and 1 mm and the web height h can also be between 0.1 and 1 mm. In particular, web width b and web height h have the same order of magnitude, preferably between 0.3 and 0.6 mm. The resistance body 5 has a complementary profile 7 on both surfaces 2 and 3. Via the profiles 7 and 15, the resistance body 5 and the surface electrodes 10 are permanently connected to one another.

In a different design than FIG. 3, the profiles 7 and 15 can also have an angle of inclination towards the surface of the surface electrode. The design of the profiling influences the functioning of the PTC limiter 1.

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As mentioned, FIG. 6 shows the switching bridge in the open position, in which the distance between bridge contacts 23, 23 ^x and fixed contacts 22, 22 ^{λ is} significantly greater than the distance between the guide rails 36, 36 and the fixed contacts. This produces a voltage difference in the arc burning voltage that supports arc commutation and makes it difficult to commutate the arc back.

The shielding geometry of the guard rails 36, 36 ^λ prevents arc plasma from the quenching plate chambers 21, 21 ^λ or the prechamber areas 28, 28 ^{λ from} flowing directly onto the switching bridge 32 and flashovers from the switching bridge 32 to the guard rails 36, 36 ^λ or triggers to the fixed contacts 23, 23 ^λ .

It is clear from FIG. 7 that the switching bridge 32 is guided through the opening 38, 38 ^{λ of} the guide rails 36, 36 ^Λ during the opening movement. As is known, a magnetic field is built up by the selected geometry, by means of which the arc or arc is driven to the cutting edge and divided. The bridge support 45 for moving the switching bridge 32 serves at the same time for electrical insulation between the two switching chambers of the double-break circuit breaker 20.

Especially in the example described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the circuit breaker is designed as a single switching device with the possibility of connecting a limiter. For this purpose, the connection point of the limiter is connected by a guardrail bridge. When the circuit breaker and limiter are combined, a mechanical extension 52 for actuating the circuit breaker on and off is provided if required.

Instead of installing the limiter on the circuit breaker, a high current version of the circuit breaker with a limiter integrated in the switch housing can be provided. co tt P ¹ P ¹ o Cπ o cπ o cπ d <CL 3 o 3 CL 01 cn CΛ N CD CL d pς ∑: s: -3 CΛ ^ 01 CL φ P- CΛ t →

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Claims

claims

1. A method of operating a switching device, for example a circuit breaker, contactor, semiconductor switch or the like, with at least one main current path and associated secondary current path, with a switchable current limiter (limiter) being switched from the non-current limiting mode to the current limiting mode at high current loads and a switching voltage being built up is characterized by measures to reset the current limiter at

Transition from current limiting operation to non-current limiting operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a circuit breaker with an extinguishing device for an arc is used as a switching device and wherein the current limiter is arranged in the bypass circuit of the circuit breaker with guide rails and an extinguishing chamber for the arc, characterized by measures for preventing back-commutation of the arc from the bypass path on the main current path and / or measures for resetting the current limiter when the arc commutates back.

3. The method of claim 2, d a d u r c h g e k e n n - z e i c h n e t that the arc switches off the main current path by commutation from the main current path to the secondary current path and the secondary current path turns on.

4. The method according to claim 2, so that no current limiter switching voltage has to be overcome when the arc commutates into the switching chamber.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as Leis a double-break circuit breaker with two interrupters per switching pole is selected.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, that a PTC limiter is used as the current limiter, the resetting resistance of which is selected as a function of the forward current and the maximum commutation voltage when reset to the non-current limiting mode.

7. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims by integrating the switching device, including the current limiter, in a switchgear assembly with means for communicating switching states of the switching device and / or properties of the switching contacts.

8. Arrangement for performing the method according to claim 1 or one of claims 2 to 7, with a switching device, the switching contacts and associated arc guide rails and an arcing chamber and with a current limiter in the bypass path of the switching device, characterized by means in the switching device (20) and / or current limiter (1) to prevent switching failure of the current limiter (1) arranged in the bypass circuit of the circuit breaker (20).

9. Arrangement according to claim 8, so that the current limiter is a PTC limiter (1), in which a resistance body (5) made of electrically conductive polymer is arranged between two metallic electrodes (10) under pressure.

10. Arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the PTC limiter (1) has profiled electrodes (10, 15) and complementary surface profiles (7) in the resistance body (5).

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, so that the profile depth of the electrodes (10) is between 1/10 mm and 5/10 mm.

12. The arrangement according to claim 10 or 11, so that the profile flanks are inclined to the electrode surface (11).

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 12, so that opposing profile flanks of the electrode are conically inclined to the electrode surface.

14. Arrangement according to claim 8, dadurchge - indicates that the current limiter (1) is connected to a connection point of the two outer guide rails (36, 36 ^λ ) of the circuit breaker (20).

15. The arrangement according to claim 14, dadurchge - indicates that the current limiter (1) flows through current when in both switching chambers of the circuit breaker (20) the arc approach from the bridge contact (23, 23 ^λ ) to the adjacent guide rail (36, 36 ^Λ ) is commuted.

16. The arrangement according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that as a measure to prevent arc commutation, the guide rails (36, 36 ^λ ), the bridge contacts (23, 23 ^Λ ) against the quenching plate chambers (21, 21 ^λ ) and the prechamber areas (28 , 28 ^λ ).

17. The arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the switching bridge (32) of the circuit breaker (20) is designed such that in the open position of the switching bridge (32) the distance between the bridge contact (23, 23) and fixed contact (22, 22 ^λ ) is bigger than the distance of the guide rail (36, 36 ^Λ ) to the fixed contact (22, 22 ^λ ).

18. Arrangement according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the shielding geometry of the guide rails (36, 36) prevents an inflow of arc plasma from the quenching plate chamber (21, 21) or the prechamber area (28, 28) onto the switching bridge (32) becomes.

19. Arrangement according to one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that the bridge support (45) for moving the switching bridge (32) also serves for electrical insulation between the two switching chambers (21, 21 ^x ) of the circuit breaker (20).

20. Arrangement according to one of claims 14 to 18, so that the switching device is designed as a single switching device (20) with a connection option for the current limiter (1).

21. Arrangement according to claim 20, so that the connection point of the current limiter (1) on the switching device (20) is connected by a guardrail bridge (39).

22 Arrangement according to claim 21, so that when the current limiter (l) is connected in the secondary circuit, the guardrail bridge (39) is replaced by the current limiter (1) when the current limiter (l) is connected.

23. The arrangement according to claim 22, characterized in that the current limiter (1) is arranged in its own housing (50).

24. The arrangement according to claim 23, so that the current limiter housing (50) can be attached to the switchgear housing (20).

25. The arrangement according to claim 24, so that a mechanical extension (52) is provided in the housing (50) of the current limiter (1) for actuating the switching device (20) on / off.