US2166828A - Alternating current circuit interrupter - Google Patents

Alternating current circuit interrupter Download PDF

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Publication number
US2166828A
US2166828A US216271A US21627138A US2166828A US 2166828 A US2166828 A US 2166828A US 216271 A US216271 A US 216271A US 21627138 A US21627138 A US 21627138A US 2166828 A US2166828 A US 2166828A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
arc
gap
alternating current
current
flux
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US216271A
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English (en)
Inventor
Fred L Stone
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.)
General Electric Co
Original Assignee
General Electric Co
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
Priority to BE435091D priority Critical patent/BE435091A/xx
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
Priority to US216271A priority patent/US2166828A/en
Priority to GB18843/39A priority patent/GB530602A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2166828A publication Critical patent/US2166828A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime 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

Definitions

  • My invention relates to circuit interrupters, more particularly to alternating current circuit interrupters, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved alternating current are interrupter that is effective to interrupt arcing without causing appreciable extension or lengthenlng of the arc beyond the arc gap determined by separation of the interrupter electrodes or It is well known that the arc energyincreases with increase in the length of the arc, and that such increase in energy is often undesirable since it requires the dissipation of a considerable amount of heat during the arc-interrupting operation.
  • this method of arc interruption is commonly used in the conventional magnetic blow-out type breaker since lengthening and subsequent cooling of the arc within the arc chute are also relied upon to increase the arc resistance so that interruption can take place at a current zero
  • a blow-out coil in series with the circuit to be interrupted is usually employed so that the alternating magnetic blow-out flux, causes continuous transverse movement of the are through the chute.
  • the arc is extended or looped into the chute so as appreciably to increase the arc length and, consequently, the heat to be dis-
  • an alternating current are is subjected to a substantially constant and direct or unidirectional blow-out flux whereby the arc, instead of being extended or moved continuously in a transverse direction, is subjected to a force tending to oscillate it within comparatively narrow limits at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the are
  • the rapid oscillation of the arc and are roots across the contact surfaces serves to deionize the arc and to facilitate interruption within substantially the arc length determined by the gap formed by the separated interrupter electrodes, or contacts.
  • Fig. 1 is a partly diagrammatic view of an alternating current circuit breaker embodying the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is an end view of the breaker shown in Fig. 1
  • Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly broken away of another form my invention may assume.
  • a load circuit I for supplying current to apparatus, such as a motor 2 is energized from I an alternating current power circuit indicated at 3.
  • a circuit breaker embodying the present invention is indicated at 4 for controlling the load circuit I, and comprises in the present instance a pair of relatively movable contacts 5 and 6 op- 10 erable within an insulating housing I that is open at the opposite ends thereof as illustrated.
  • the load circuit I is suitably connected to the breaker contacts by the terminals 4'.
  • the contacts 5 and 6 in the specific arrange- 5 ment shown are arcuate in form and are adapted to engage in abutting contact at the surfaces 5' and 6' respectively in the closed circuit position.
  • the fixed contact 5 and the coacting movable contact 6 form 80 with the insulating housing I a pair of oppositely extending diverging arc passages extending from the arc gap defined by the contact surfaces 5' and 6'. Accordingly, when the breaker is opened by downward movement of the contact 6 to the position shown, an arc is formed at the central or narrowed part of the arc passage.
  • a magnet core 8 having depending pole pieces 9 extending along the insuiting housing I at opposite sides of the arc gap is provided with an energizing coil III that is connected in any suitable manner with a direct current source.
  • the coil I0 is shown diagrammatically as energized from the main alternating current power circuit through a full wave rectifier II.
  • the flux between the pole pieces 9 across the arc gap 5'-6 is therefore direct or unidirectional in character as contrasted with the alternating arc current and furthermore is not dependent on the magnitude of the arc current. This is an advantage Where the arc current is weak.
  • the unidirectional flux tends to oscillate the are as long as it persists back and forth within the arc passage between the contacts 5 and B.
  • the rate of oscillation is of course dependent on the frequency of the circuit to be interrupted.
  • thearc roots themselves are rapidly moved back and forth along the conducting surfaces of the contacts 5 and 6 so that the formation of metallic vapor is minimized. This is an important consideration since intertion of the are are undoubtedly present.
  • ruption of the arc is made more difilcult by the presence of a large amount oimetallic vapor caused by a stationary arc root. Rapid oscillation of the arc roots also serves to increase the life of the contacts.
  • the deionizing efiect of rapidly oscillating the are by a substantially constant and steady fiux within predetermined limits is an important factor in causing interruption of the arc although other factors likewise tending to cause extinc-
  • the above deionizing effect is of course enhanced by the presence of the strong blow-out flux when the arc current passes through the zero value. This is not the case in the conventional magnetic blowout breaker.
  • Movement of the contact 6 can be effected in any suitable manner, a simple arrangement being diagrammatically illustrated for this purpose.
  • -A closing solenoid I2 is connected through an operating rod l3 and a resilient or wipe con-nection at I4 to the contact 6.
  • the solenoid l2 can be energized from the source 3 through a push button control iii to close the breaker, the same .being heldin closed circuit position by a latch and detent lfi-ll.
  • a current transformer I8 causes energization of the trip coil l9 so as to actuate the releasing latch l6 whereupon the contact 6 moves downward to the open circuit position shown.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates a simplified form of the alternating current are interrupter wherein the constant unidirectional magnetic flux is produced by a permanent magnet, preferably of the precipita- This type of permanent magnet has a comparatively large magnetomotive force and is particularly eifect'ive at low values of the arc current, as'contrasted with the conventional magnetic blow-out air circuit break- .er wherein the blow-out flux is obviously dependent on the magnitude of the current to be interstantially the same as described in connection.
  • .permanent magnet 20 having depending pole pieces 2
  • a permanent magnet of the character above described is effective to project a strong, constant unidirectional flux across the arc gap at all values of the arc current so that the arc is oscillated in the manner above described at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the arc current.
  • An alternating current are interrupter comprising arc forming means for defining an arc gap, means for subjecting the arc in said gap to a unidirectional flux whereby said are tends to oscillate with respect to said gap'at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the arc current, and means for maintaining said are in said gap substantially at constant length.
  • An alternating current are interrupter comprising are forming means for defining an arc gap of substantially predetermined length, means for subjecting the arc in said gap to a substantially constant unidirectional flux whereby said are tends to oscillate in said gap at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the arc current, and means for restricting said are to a length not appreciably in excess of the width of said gap.
  • An alternating current arc' 'lnterrupter comprising are forming means for defining an arc gap, , a magnet for projecting a substantially steady, constant and unidirectional flux across said gap whereby said are and the roots thereof tend to oscillate within said gap at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the arc current,
  • An alternating current are interrupter comprising coacting electrodes for defining an arc stantially constant magnetomotive force for projecting a unidirectional flux across said gap so that said are is acted upon by an oscillating force, said flux being of blow-out magnitude in said gap when the arc current passes through the zero value, and means for restricting said arcto a length not appreciably in excess of the width of said gap.
  • An alternating current are interrupter comprising a pair of elongated contacts separable transversely of the longitudinal axes thereof to form an arc gap, and a permanent magnet having poles extending along opposite sides of said gap for projecting a constant unidirectional flux across said gap whereby said are is subjected to an oscillating force tending toprevent appreci able lengthening thereof.

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  • Arc-Extinguishing Devices That Are Switches (AREA)
US216271A 1938-06-28 1938-06-28 Alternating current circuit interrupter Expired - Lifetime US2166828A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE435091D BE435091A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1938-06-28
US216271A US2166828A (en) 1938-06-28 1938-06-28 Alternating current circuit interrupter
GB18843/39A GB530602A (en) 1938-06-28 1939-06-28 Improvements in and relating to alternating current electric circuit breakers with magnetic blow-out

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US216271A US2166828A (en) 1938-06-28 1938-06-28 Alternating current circuit interrupter

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2166828A true US2166828A (en) 1939-07-18

Family

ID=22806426

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US216271A Expired - Lifetime US2166828A (en) 1938-06-28 1938-06-28 Alternating current circuit interrupter

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US2166828A (enrdf_load_html_response)
BE (1) BE435091A (enrdf_load_html_response)
GB (1) GB530602A (enrdf_load_html_response)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2506991A (en) * 1946-04-01 1950-05-09 Bendix Aviat Corp Circuit breaker

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2125626B (en) * 1982-08-07 1986-04-03 Terence Henry Taylor Arc interruption in air break switch
DE19914773B4 (de) * 1999-03-31 2009-04-30 Aeg Niederspannungstechnik Gmbh & Co Kg Lichtbogenlöschhilfe

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2506991A (en) * 1946-04-01 1950-05-09 Bendix Aviat Corp Circuit breaker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE435091A (enrdf_load_html_response)
GB530602A (en) 1940-12-16

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