JPH02100216A - Liquid metal switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To absorb liquid metal drops generated at contacts by a method wherein liquid metal infiltrating portions are formed at the contact part of an electrode of a liquid metal switch and the corresponding contact part of a driver which forces the liquid metal to turn current on/off in the switch. CONSTITUTION:A driver 3 consists of a magnetic body 4 such as iron and an insulator 5 which surrounds the magnetic body 4. When the driver 3 and electrode 1 are facing each other, a liquid metal infiltrating portion 6 made of sintered metal, etc., is formed. By eliminating a magnetic field with current to an electromagnet 10 suspended, the driver rises up due to buoyancy since its density is smaller than that of liquid metal 8, the liquid surface of the liquid metal lowers, and the liquid metal 8 comes off the electrode 1 to have the current shut. Liquid metal drops generated on the electrode 1 are absorbed with the liquid metal infiltrating portions 6 on the electrode 1 and the driver 3 contact with each other. That is, even if liquid metal drops are generated at a contact, they are absorbed and combined by surface tension of the liquid metal if they contact the liquid metal infiltrating portions of the electrode and the driver, respectively.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention performs reliable and high-speed current intermittent operation by preventing liquid metal droplets from remaining on the contacts of a switch, and This invention relates to a liquid metal switch that exhibits high durability.

[Conventional technology]

In general, a liquid metal switch that uses liquid metal as a medium for intermittent current has a plurality of electrodes, a liquid metal that conducts current, a driver made of a non-conducting magnetic material that allows the liquid metal to perform an intermittent operation of current, and a driver. It consists of a magnet that drives the The switch is operated by moving a driver using a magnetic field generated by a magnet and bringing liquid metal into contact with both contacts. Switches based on this principle are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 60-50820 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-214233.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional structure, droplets of liquid metal remain around the electrode contacts when the switch operates on and off. As a result, the electric field is concentrated and sparks are generated locally, especially when the switch is operated at high voltage and large current, making it impossible to reliably perform the current intermittent operation of the switch. In addition, durability problems arose during long-term use due to wear due to flying sparks and wear on the contact portion due to collision of the driving body with the contact. For these reasons, it has not been possible to increase the operating speed of the switch. Such problems can be solved by preventing liquid metal droplets from existing near the electrode contacts.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a means for absorbing or removing liquid metal droplets generated at the contacts of a switch electrode.

The second object of the present invention is to vibrate the components of the liquid metal switch to generate liquid metal droplets at the contacts of the switch electrodes, and even if the droplets are generated, they are easily absorbed. The goal is to provide the means to do so.

A third object of the present invention is to generate liquid metal droplets at the contact portion of the switch electrode by stirring the fluid used in the liquid metal switch, and also to absorb the generated droplets. The purpose is to provide a means to make it easier to

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a means for making it difficult for liquid metal droplets to form at the contact portion of a switch electrode.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide means for absorbing liquid metal droplets at liquid metal switch contacts by vibrating the liquid metal switch components so that liquid metal droplets are less likely to be generated and the generated droplets can be absorbed efficiently. It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for further increasing the droplet absorption effect by combining means for achieving good results.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a means for absorbing liquid metal droplets at the contacts of a liquid metal switch by stirring the fluid used in the liquid metal switch to generate liquid metal droplets at the contacts of the switch electrode. The object of the present invention is to provide a means for increasing the droplet absorbing effect by combining means for efficiently absorbing the generated droplets while being difficult to absorb.

A seventh object of the invention is to provide a means for absorbing liquid metal droplets at the contacts of the liquid metal switch by vibrating the liquid metal switch components and by agitating the fluid used in the liquid metal switch. A combination of means that makes it difficult to generate liquid metal droplets at the contact portion of the switch electrode and efficiently absorbs the generated droplets, and further,
By combining the means for increasing the droplet absorption effect with means for making it difficult for liquid metal droplets to be generated at the contact portion of the switch electrode, a means for making it difficult for liquid metal droplets to exist at the electrode contact portion is provided. It is about providing.

A third object of the present invention is to vibrate the liquid metal switch components and agitate the fluid used in the liquid metal switch so that liquid metal droplets are less likely to be generated at the contacts of the switch electrodes. Furthermore, by combining a means for efficiently absorbing generated droplets with a means for increasing the droplet absorption effect, a means for making it difficult for liquid metal droplets to exist at the electrode contact portion is provided. There is a particular thing.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above main purpose is achieved by forming liquid metal infiltration parts at the contact points of the electrodes of the liquid metal switch and at the respective contact points of the drive body that causes the liquid metal in the switch to perform an on/off operation of current. .

The second objective is achieved by adding a device such as an ultrasonic transducer to vibrate the liquid metal switch components.

The third objective is achieved by using a rotating magnetic field or the like to drive the driver, and by modifying the shape of the driver, such as by attaching wings or the like, so that the liquid in the switch can be stirred.

The fourth objective is achieved by using a liquid metal and a viscous insulating liquid having a lower density than the liquid metal as the liquid in the switch.

The fifth purpose is to form a liquid metal infiltration area at the contact points of the electrodes of the liquid metal switch and the contact points of the drive body, and to use an ultrasonic vibrator or the like to vibrate the liquid metal switch components. This is achieved by adding additional equipment.

The sixth purpose is to form a liquid metal infiltration area at the contacts of the electrodes of the liquid metal switch and at the contact points of the drive body, and to use a rotating magnetic field etc. to drive the drive body, and to This is achieved by making the shape of the switch capable of stirring the liquid in the switch to which wings etc. are attached.

In addition to the first means, the fifth means, and the sixth means, the seventh object is achieved by using a liquid metal and a viscous insulating liquid having a lower density than the liquid metal as the liquid in the liquid metal switch. Ru.

In addition to the fifth and sixth means, the above-mentioned object is achieved by using a liquid metal and a viscous insulating liquid having a lower density than the liquid metal as the liquid in the liquid metal switch.

[Effect]

First, due to the action of the first means, since the electrodes of the liquid metal switch and the contact part of the driver are made of a material that soaks liquid metal, the contact part of the electrode of the switch is exposed to liquid metal during operation of the switch. Even if droplets are generated, if they come into contact with the electrode and the liquid metal infiltrated portion of the driver, they will be absorbed and coalesced by the surface tension of the liquid metal.

The action of the second means causes the entire liquid metal switch component to vibrate, increasing the probability of contact between the liquid metal droplet and the liquid metal infiltration area, making it easier for the liquid metal droplet to be absorbed, and Droplet formation is also suppressed.

As the liquid in the liquid metal switch is stirred by the action of the third means, the liquid metal droplets around the electrode contact portion are disturbed, the probability of contact with the liquid metal infiltrated portion increases, and the liquid metal droplets are absorbed. This makes it easier to use, and the generation of droplets can also be suppressed.

The fourth means suppresses the formation of liquid metal droplets due to the viscosity of the surrounding liquid.

In the action of the fifth means, the liquid metal droplets are effectively absorbed by the action of the first means and the action of the second means, and the generation of droplets is suppressed.

In the action of the sixth means, the liquid metal droplets are effectively absorbed and the generation of droplets is suppressed by the action of the first means and the action of the third means.

In the action of the seventh means, the liquid metal droplets are effectively absorbed by the action of the first means and the action of the second or third means, and the generation of droplets is suppressed;
Furthermore, the formation of liquid metal droplets is suppressed by the action of the fourth means.

In the action of the second means, the liquid metal droplets are absorbed and the generation of droplets is suppressed by the action of the second or third means, and further, the liquid metal droplets are absorbed by the action of the fourth means. The generation of is suppressed.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of an embodiment of the present invention in which vibration by an ultrasonic vibrator is used as a means for dissipating droplets of liquid metal remaining on an electrode. A pair of electrodes 1 to which electric wires 11 are connected
, the electrode 2, and the insulator 7 form a closed container, in which a liquid metal 8 such as mercury, an insulating liquid 9 such as liquid paraffin having a density lower than that of the liquid metal 8, and a liquid metal 8 having a density lower than that of the liquid metal 8 are contained. A driving body 9 that is small and has a higher density than the insulating liquid 9 is housed. The driving body 3 is composed of a magnetic material 4 such as iron, and an insulator 5 surrounding the magnetic material 4.

Drive body 3. A liquid metal infiltration section made of sintered metal or the like is formed at a location where the electrodes 1 face each other. Also,
A driver driving electromagnet is attached around the lower part of the electrode 2, and an ultrasonic transducer 12 is attached to the lower part of the electrode 2 and connected to an ultrasonic transducer driving device 13.

FIG. 1 shows the state when the switch is conducting; a magnetic field is generated by the current flowing through the electromagnet 10, and the driver 3 is most attracted towards the electrode 2. From this state, when the current to the electromagnet 10 is stopped and the magnetic field is eliminated,
Since the driving body 3 has a lower density than the liquid metal 8, it rises due to buoyancy. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid level of the liquid metal falls, the liquid metal 8 and the electrode 1 are separated, and current is no longer conducted. At this time, the liquid metal level falls below the liquid metal infiltration part 6 of the driving body 3, and no current flows to the electrode 1 through the liquid metal infiltration part 6.

At this time, the liquid metal droplets generated on the electrode 1 are absorbed by the contact between the electrode 1 and the liquid metal infiltrated portion 6 of the driver 3. This effect occurs because the electrode 1 is vibrated by the operation of the ultrasonic vibrator 12.

It gets even bigger. Therefore, since liquid metal droplets are less likely to exist on the electrode 1, electric field concentration does not occur during current intermittent operation of the switch, and sparks are less likely to fly. Also, electrical wear due to sparks is reduced. Furthermore, since the liquid metal infiltration portion 6 is formed at the contact portion between the electrode 1 and the drive body 3 where mechanical contact is made, mechanical wear is also reduced. Therefore, the liquid metal switch having the structure of this embodiment operates reliably without causing sparks even when the current is intermittent at high speed, and exhibits high durability.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which a rotating magnetic field 14 is used as the driving magnetic field instead of the ultrasonic vibrator used to vibrate the components of the switch in the first embodiment.

The blades 13 are attached to the driving body 3, and the shape is devised so that the liquid metal and the insulating fluid can be efficiently stirred.
This shows a case where the liquid is indirectly stirred by rotating the electrode 1. In this case, when the liquid metal is in contact with the electrode 1 and the current is flowing, the liquid metal is leaving the electrode 1 and the current is cut off.

Even if a liquid metal droplet is formed on the electrode 1, the movement of the surrounding disturbed liquid causes the liquid metal droplet to move to the electrode 1. as well as,
It immediately comes into contact with the liquid metal infiltrated part of the driving body and disappears. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment.

In this embodiment as well, since liquid metal droplets are less likely to exist around the electrode 1, electric field concentration is less likely to occur and sparks are less likely to occur even if the switch is switched on and off at high speed. Therefore, even during high-speed operation, it operates stably and has high durability.In Figure 0, 15 is a rotating magnetic field coil.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which the number of driving bodies 3, which was one in the first and second embodiments, is smaller and a plurality of them are provided.

In this case, the driving body 3 is spherical and has a density lower than that of the liquid metal, and the magnetic body 4 is surrounded by an insulating layer 5, which is further covered with a liquid metal infiltration layer. Then, the driving body 3 is attracted to the lower part of the liquid metal switch by the magnetic field created by the electromagnet 10 and sinks into the liquid metal. The liquid metal level rises and contacts the electrode 1, causing the switch to conduct current.

When the external magnetic field generated by the electromagnet is removed, the driving body rises due to buoyancy, and the electrode 1 and the liquid metal infiltrated part of the driving body 3 come into contact, and the liquid metal droplets generated around the electrode 1 are removed from the first embodiment. It is absorbed into the liquid metal infiltrated area by the same action as in the example. Therefore, even during high-speed operation, sparks do not fly and stable operation is achieved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The liquid metal infiltration portion formed at the contact portion of the liquid metal switch electrode of the present invention can absorb or remove liquid metal droplets generated around the electrode.6 Vibration of the components of the liquid metal switch of the present invention allows the switch to Liquid metal droplets generated around the contact portion of the electrode can be extinguished or easily absorbed.

By stirring the fluid used in the liquid metal switch of the present invention, liquid metal droplets generated around the contact portions of the switch electrodes can be extinguished or easily absorbed.

In addition to the liquid metal of the present invention, the use of an insulating viscous fluid having a lower density than the liquid metal has the effect of making it difficult to generate liquid metal droplets at the contact portion of the liquid metal switch electrode.

The formation of a liquid metal infiltration region at the contact portion of the liquid metal switch electrode and the vibration of the components of the liquid metal switch in the present invention can increase the liquid metal droplet absorption effect.

Effect of absorbing liquid metal droplets generated at the contact part of the switch electrode by forming a liquid metal infiltration part at the contact part of the liquid metal switch electrode in the present invention and stirring the liquid used in the liquid metal switch. can be increased.

In the present invention, the contacts of the switch electrode are formed by forming a liquid metal infiltrated part at the contact part of the liquid metal switch electrode, and by vibrating the components of the liquid metal switch or stirring the liquid used in the liquid metal switch. In addition, by using an insulating viscous liquid, which has a lower density than the liquid metal, in addition to the liquid metal,
Liquid metal droplets are less likely to be generated at the contact portions of the liquid metal switch electrodes, and liquid metal droplets are less likely to exist at the electrode contact portions.

Vibration of the components of the liquid metal switch according to the invention, or
By stirring the fluid used in liquid metal switches,
By increasing the absorption effect of liquid metal droplets generated at the contact area of the switch electrode, and by using insulating viscous fluid, which has a lower density than the liquid metal, in addition to the liquid metal, the liquid metal droplet is absorbed at the contact area of the liquid metal switch electrode. When droplets are generated,
It is possible to make it difficult for liquid metal droplets to exist at the electrode contact portion.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view of a third embodiment of the invention. , FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 1.2... Electrode 1.3... Drive body, 4... Magnetic body, 5... Drive body magnetic body, 6... Liquid metal infiltration part, 7
...Insulator, 8...Liquid metal, 9...Insulating liquid,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Electromagnet, 11... Conductive wire, 12... Ultrasonic transducer, 13... Ultrasonic transducer drive device, 14...
Driving body, 15... Rotating magnetic field coil. High school 3rd figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a closed space formed by a plurality of electrodes and an insulator,
In a liquid metal switch including a liquid metal and a driver that conducts current to the liquid metal, an infiltration portion of the liquid metal is formed at each of the contact points of the electrode and the contact portion of the driver. A liquid metal switch featuring 2. The liquid metal switch according to claim 1, further comprising an ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates the components of the liquid metal switch. 3. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein a rotating magnetic field is used to drive the driving body, and the driving body is shaped with blades so that it can stir the liquid in the switch. metal switch. 4. The liquid metal switch according to claim 1, wherein the liquid in the metal switch is a viscous insulating liquid having a lower density than the liquid metal and the liquid metal. 5. A liquid metal switch according to claim 1, further comprising an ultrasonic vibrator for vibrating the components of the liquid metal switch. 6. The liquid metal switch according to claim 1, wherein a rotating magnetic field or the like is used to drive the driving body, and the driving body is shaped such that a blade is attached to the liquid metal switch so that the liquid in the liquid metal switch can be stirred. A liquid metal switch characterized by: 7. The liquid metal switch according to claim 1, 5, or 6, characterized in that the liquid in the liquid metal switch is a liquid metal and a viscous insulating liquid whose density is lower than that of the liquid metal. liquid metal switch. 8. The liquid metal switch according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the liquid in the liquid metal switch is a liquid metal and a viscous insulating liquid whose density is lower than that of the liquid metal. metal switch.