GB2607791A

GB2607791A - An electrical interrupter

Info

Publication number: GB2607791A
Application number: GB2212313.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pande Manish; Mujawar Asad
Original assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd
Current assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-20
Filing date: 2021-02-16
Publication date: 2022-12-14
Also published as: GB202212313D0; GB202004956D0; WO2021165249A1; GB2592280A

Abstract

A device for interrupting an electrical circuit is described. The electrical interrupter comprises a first conductor comprising: a base portion, a top face opposite the base portion, one or more sides extending from the base portion to the top face, wherein the base portion and the one or more sides define a cavity, and a first connection contact electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more sides. A second conductor comprising a second connection contact is also provided, the second conductor electrically connected to the base portion of the first conductor to define a current conduction path. A sealing member is arranged to seal the top face of the first conductor to seal the cavity. The electrical interrupter also comprises an actuator arranged at least partially within the sealed cavity; upon actuation, the actuator is configured to increase a pressure (optionally a fluid pressure) within the sealed cavity to cause separation of at least part of the base portion of the first conductor from the one or more sides to open the current conduction path. A method for operating the electrical interrupter is also described.

Claims

1. An electrical interrupter (100), comprising: a first conductor (102), comprising: a base portion (104), a top face (106) opposite the base portion, one or more sides (108) extending from the base portion to the top face, the one or more sides meeting the base portion to define a corner region (110) of the first conductor, wherein the base portion and the one or more sides define a cavity, and a first connection contact (102a) electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more sides; a second conductor (116) comprising a second connection contact (116a), the second conductor electrically connected to the base portion of the first conductor to define a current conduction path; a sealing member (114) arranged to seal the top face of the first conductor to seal the cavity, an actuator (120) arranged at least partially within the sealed cavity wherein, upon actuation, the actuator is configured to increase a pressure within the sealed cavity to cause separation of at least part of the base portion of the first conductor from the one or more sides to open the current conduction path.

2. The electrical interrupter of 1, wherein the first and second conductors are electrically connected by a flexible, electrically conducting, shunt (118).

3. The electrical interrupter of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a thickness of at least one of the base portion (146) or the one or more sides (148) is reduced in the corner region of the first conductor .

4. The electrical interrupter of claim 3, wherein the corner region of the first conductor comprises one or more notched portions (122).

5. The electrical interrupter of any preceding claim, wherein the base portion and the at least one or more sides meet in the corner region at an angle Q, wherein Q is between 75 and 105 degrees, optionally wherein Q is between 85 and 95 degrees, optionally wherein Q is substantially 90 degrees, optionally wherein Q is 90 degrees.

6. The electrical interrupter of any preceding claim, wherein the base portion and the one or more sides are integrally formed .

7. The electrical interrupter of any of claims l to 5, wherein the base portion and the one or more sides are mechanically coupled at the corner region.

8. The electrical interrupter of any preceding claim, wherein the base portion is circular, and the one or more sides comprise a cylindrical side extending around the base portion.

9. The electrical interrupter of any preceding claim, further comprising a piston (128) arranged between the actuator and the base portion, within the sealed cavity, wherein the piston is configured to exert a force on the base portion of the first conductor in response to actuation by the actuator to move the base portion towards the second conductor.

10. The electrical interrupter of claim 9, wherein the piston is shaped so as to concentrate the force in at least a portion of the corner region of the first conductor.

11. The electrical interrupter of claim 9, further comprising an arc extinguishing media (142) arranged between the piston and the base portion

12. The electrical interrupter of any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the piston comprises a latch mechanism (500), comprising: first (130a) and second (130b) moveable members; and a biasing member (132) retained by the piston and coupled to each of the first and second moveable members; the biasing member configured to urge the first moveable member in a first radial direction (138a) and to urge the second moveable member in a second radial direction (138b) opposite the first radial direction, such that upon separation of the base portion from the one or more sides the first and second moveable members extend further in the radial direction than the one or more sides.

13. The electrical interrupter of any preceding claim, wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator arranged to release gas into the sealed cavity upon ignition.

14. The electrical interrupter of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the sealed cavity comprises a fluid and the actuator is configured to compress the fluid to exert a force on the first conductor.

15. The electrical interrupter of claim 14, wherein the fluid is a liquid .

16. The electrical interrupter of any preceding claim, further comprising a housing (124), the housing configured to confine the one or more sides.

17. The electrical interrupter of claim 16, further comprising one or more vents (150a, 150b, 150c) extending at least partially through the housing.

18. An electrical interrupter (200), comprising an actuator; a housing comprising a first cavity (212) and a second cavity (226), the second cavity wider than the first cavity; a conductor (210), comprising: a first section (210b) and a second section (210c), the first and second sections comprising connection contacts, and a bridge section defining at least a portion of the first cavity, the first and second sections connected via the bridge section to define a current conduction path along the conductor; and a latch mechanism (500) disposed within the first cavity and comprising: a body member (220, 218), first (130a) and second (130b) moveable members, and at least one biasing member (132) retained by the body member and coupled to the first and second moveable members, wherein the at least one biasing member is configured to urge the first moveable member outward in a first radial direction (138a) and to urge the second moveable member outward in a second radial direction (138b) different to the first radial direction, the first cavity configured to confine the first and second moveable members; wherein the actuator is configured, upon actuation, to exert a force on the bridge section in a first direction (230) to separate a portion (210a) of the bridge section from the first and second conductor sections so as to open the current conduction path, and to displace the latch mechanism and the separated portion of the bridge section in the first direction towards the second cavity, wherein, when the latch mechanism is in the second cavity, the first moveable member is extended outward in the first radial direction and the second moveable member is extended outward in the second radial direction .

19. The electrical interrupter of claim 18, wherein the at least one biasing member is a resiliently deformable member, optionally a spring.

20. The electrical interrupter of claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the bridge section is arranged to separate the first and second cavities.

21. The electrical interrupter of claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein the body member comprises a piston (128) arranged to contact the bridge section to separate the portion of the bridge section from the first and second conductor sections .

22. A system comprising the electrical interrupter (too, 200) of any preceding claim; and a controller (910) arranged to provide a signal to the actuator.

23. A vehicle (900) comprising the electrical interrupter (too, 200) of any one of claims 1 to 21 or the system of claim 22, optionally, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle.

24. A method for operating an electrical interrupter, comprising: actuating an actuator (120) to increase a pressure within a sealed cavity formed by a first conductor (102), the first conductor comprising a base portion (104), a top face (106) opposite the base portion, one or more sides (108) extending from the base portion to the top face, and a first connection contact (102a) electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more sides, wherein the base portion and the one or more sides define the cavity; exerting, by the increased pressure, pressure on the base portion of the first conductor; separating, by the pressure on the base portion, at least part of the base portion from the one or more sides; opening a current conduction path, defined through the first conductor and a second conductor electrically coupled to the base portion of the first conductor, by the separating.

25. A method for operating an electrical interrupter, comprising: actuating an actuator arranged in a first cavity of a housing; exerting, by the actuator, pressure on a bridge section of a conductor (210), the bridge section defining at least a portion of the first cavity, the conductor comprising a first section (210b) and a second section (210c), the first and second sections comprising connection contacts and being connected via the bridge section to define a current conduction path along the conductor; displacing, by the pressure, the bridge section and a latch mechanism into a second cavity of the housing, the second cavity being wider than the first cavity; opening, by the displacement, the current conduction path; and opening the latch mechanism in the second cavity to retain the bridge section in the displaced position.