US3548135A - Contacts for vacuum interrupters - Google Patents

Contacts for vacuum interrupters Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3548135A
US3548135A US641880A US3548135DA US3548135A US 3548135 A US3548135 A US 3548135A US 641880 A US641880 A US 641880A US 3548135D A US3548135D A US 3548135DA US 3548135 A US3548135 A US 3548135A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
contacts
silver
vacuum
silicon
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
US641880A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Allan John Wood
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.)
English Electric Co Ltd
Original Assignee
English Electric Co 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
Priority claimed from GB2378166A external-priority patent/GB1121385A/en
Application filed by English Electric Co Ltd filed Critical English Electric Co Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3548135A publication Critical patent/US3548135A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/02—Contacts characterised by the material thereof
    • H01H1/04—Co-operating contacts of different material
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C1/00—Making non-ferrous alloys
    • C22C1/04—Making non-ferrous alloys by powder metallurgy
    • C22C1/0466—Alloys based on noble metals
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C5/00—Alloys based on noble metals
    • C22C5/06—Alloys based on silver
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/02—Contacts characterised by the material thereof
    • H01H1/0203—Contacts characterised by the material thereof specially adapted for vacuum switches
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/02—Contacts characterised by the material thereof
    • H01H1/0203—Contacts characterised by the material thereof specially adapted for vacuum switches
    • H01H2001/0205—Conditioning of the contact material through arcing during manufacturing, e.g. vacuum-depositing of layer on contact surface

Definitions

  • the face of one contact is formed of silver-silicon and that of the other is formed of silver-nickel, these materials on arcing forming nonductile layers of nickel silicides on the faces, which markedly reduces the tendency of the contacts to weld together.
  • the face of one contact may be formed of high-purity zone-refined copper and that of the other of highpurity vacuum outgassed titanium.
  • nonductile films of copper-titanium compounds are formed.
  • a pair of cooperating contacts in or for a vacuum circuit interrupter has parts defining their respective cooperating faces, between which an arc is struck in operation, formed of dissimilar materials, each of which materials is mechanically strong and has high electrical and thermal conductivity, and which materials, on arching between said cooperating faces, become intermixed and form nonductile films.
  • the vacuum interrupter has a pair of metal endplates ll, 12 to which are bonded respectively in a vacuumtight manner a pair of tubular insulators l3, l4. Bonded to and trapped between the insulators l3, I4 is a flange 15 which forms part of and supports a cylindrical shield 16.
  • the fixed contact 17 is secured in a vacuumtight manner to the endplate 11 and is provided with an external terminal 18 for connection in an external circuit; the movable contact 19 slides in a bush 20 fixed to endplate l2, and is connected to an actuator (not shown) which moves it between the open position shown, and the closed position in which it abuts the fixed contact 17.
  • the movable contact 19 is connected, for example by means of a flexible conducting braid 21, to a second terminal; moreover, a flexible bellows device 22 is provided, one end of which is sealed to the movable contact 19, and the other end of which is sealed to the endplate 12.
  • a portion, including the arching face, of one of the cooperating contacts 17, 19, is formed of silver-silicon material, and a portion including the arching face, of the other of the contacts is formed of silvernickel material. It is immaterial whether the fixed contact 17 is formed of silver-silicon material and the movable contact 19 is formed of silver-nickel material or vice versa.
  • Each of the contacts l7, 19, is of cylindrical form, and they abut one another (when closed) at their cooperating, flat, circular end faces 23, 24; the are normally runs between these flat end faces.
  • a small radius is formed between the fiat, circular end faces 23, 24 and the respective cylindrical faces to avoid a sharp edge.
  • the silver-silicon contact was made by vacuum melting pure silver and pure silicon together in a pure graphic crucible.
  • the high vacuum was maintained by diffusion pumps with liquid nitrogen vapor traps, and clean conditions were adhered to.
  • the metals were heated by a radio frequency coil, using a molybdenum susceptor, for 30minutes at 1,050 C. and were then cast into ingots
  • the preferred proportions are 4-6 percent silicon and 96-94 percent silver by weight.
  • the ingots so produced were machined by normal machining methods to the form of the contact.
  • the silver-nickel contact was made by compacting nickel powder of about microns particle size in a hydraulic press at a pressure of tons per square inch, using a steel die and plunger. The compact was then sintered at high vacuum for minutes at 800 C. and the sintered compact was then infiltrated with pure silver at high vacuum in a graphite crucible for ID minutes at l,050 C. The infiltrated compact was machined to the form of the contact by normal machining methods. Analysis of a contact formed in this way showed that the operating face contained between 70 and 80 percent by weight of nickel. The preferred nickel content is between 65 and 85 percent by weight.
  • the silver-silicon contact may be formed by mixing silver powder and silicon powder (for example in the proportions percent silver, 10 percent silicon by weight); when the powders are thoroughly mixed, the resulting powder is compacted in a press at a pressure of 10 tons/sq. in., and the resulting compact is sintered in vacuo at 790 C. for 45 minutes.
  • This method overcomes certain difficulties which may occur with the vacuum melting and casting method described above, especially where an appreciable proportion, for example over 5 percent, of silicon is present.
  • a portion, including the arcing face, of one of the cooperating contacts l7, 19 is formed of high-purity zone-refined copper, and a portion, including the arcing face, of the other of the contacts is formed of high-purity vacuum-outgassed titanium.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter comprising an evacuated envelope and first and second contacts movable relatively to one another for contact engagement and disengagement within the envelope at cooperating contact regions, at said contact regions the first contact comprising nickel and the second contact comprising silicon; an arc struck between the contacts when separated during a circuit interruption causing the nickel and the silicon to mix with one another on the contact regions and to combine thereon to form surface films constituted by at least one nickel silicide, the material of the films forming a weld between the contacts when subsequently brought into engagement and being easily ruptured when the contacts are later separated.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter comprising an evacuated envelope and first and second contacts movable relatively to one another for contact engagement and disengagement within the envelope at cooperating contact regions, at the said contact regions the first contact comprising silver-silicon and the second contact comprising silver-nickel.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter according to claim 2, wherein at the respective contact region the first contact is a sintered particulate alloy of silver and silicon.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter according to claim 3, wherein the sintered particulate alloy comprises approximately 90 percent silver by weight, the remainder silicon.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter according to claim 2, wherein at the respective contact region the first contact is a cast alloy of pure silver and pure silicon.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter according to claim 5, wherein the cast alloy comprises 94-96 percent silver by weight, the remainder silicon.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter according to claim 2, wherein at the respective contact region the second contact is a sintered porous matrix of nickel having its pores infiltrated with silver.
  • a vacuum circuit interrupter according to claim 8, wherein the sintered porous matrix of nickel having its pores infiltrated with silver comprises -80 percent nickel by weight, the remainder silver.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
US641880A 1966-05-27 1967-05-29 Contacts for vacuum interrupters Expired - Lifetime US3548135A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2378166A GB1121385A (en) 1966-05-27 1966-05-27 Improvements in or relating to contacts for vacuum interrupters
AT405268A AT294962B (de) 1966-05-27 1968-04-25 Vakuum-Trennschalter
NL6806076A NL6806076A (xx) 1966-05-27 1968-04-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3548135A true US3548135A (en) 1970-12-15

Family

ID=27149773

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US641880A Expired - Lifetime US3548135A (en) 1966-05-27 1967-05-29 Contacts for vacuum interrupters

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3548135A (xx)
AT (1) AT294962B (xx)
AU (1) AU3683968A (xx)
BE (1) BE714486A (xx)
CH (1) CH460910A (xx)
DE (1) DE1640038A1 (xx)
NL (1) NL6806076A (xx)
SE (1) SE325943B (xx)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4378479A (en) * 1977-02-22 1983-03-29 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Permanent current switch for short circuiting a superconducting magnet
US5168139A (en) * 1988-09-22 1992-12-01 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Load-break switch having a vacuum interrupter and method of operation
US20100219162A1 (en) * 2007-09-05 2010-09-02 Abb Technology Ag Low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage switchgear assembly having a short-circuiting system
US20110163070A1 (en) * 2008-09-01 2011-07-07 Abb Technology Ag Low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage assembly

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1388283A (en) * 1972-05-18 1975-03-26 English Electric Co Ltd Vacuum type electric circuit interrupting devices
DE102020212377A1 (de) * 2020-09-30 2022-03-31 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Kompakte Vakuumschaltröhre

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4378479A (en) * 1977-02-22 1983-03-29 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Permanent current switch for short circuiting a superconducting magnet
US5168139A (en) * 1988-09-22 1992-12-01 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Load-break switch having a vacuum interrupter and method of operation
US20100219162A1 (en) * 2007-09-05 2010-09-02 Abb Technology Ag Low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage switchgear assembly having a short-circuiting system
US8692149B2 (en) * 2007-09-05 2014-04-08 Abb Technology Ag Low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage switchgear assembly having a short-circuiting system
US20110163070A1 (en) * 2008-09-01 2011-07-07 Abb Technology Ag Low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage assembly
CN102138194A (zh) * 2008-09-01 2011-07-27 Abb技术股份公司 低电压、中电压或高电压组件
US8455780B2 (en) * 2008-09-01 2013-06-04 Abb Technology Ag Low-voltage, medium-voltage or high-voltage assembly
CN102138194B (zh) * 2008-09-01 2015-08-19 Abb技术股份公司 低电压、中电压或高电压组件

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE325943B (xx) 1970-07-13
CH460910A (fr) 1968-08-15
DE1640038A1 (de) 1970-09-10
BE714486A (xx) 1968-09-16
AT294962B (de) 1971-12-10
AU3683968A (en) 1969-10-30
NL6806076A (xx) 1969-10-31

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3818163A (en) Vacuum type circuit interrupting device with contacts of infiltrated matrix material
US4686338A (en) Contact electrode material for vacuum interrupter and method of manufacturing the same
US4640999A (en) Contact material of vacuum interrupter and manufacturing process therefor
JP4759987B2 (ja) 電極および電気接点とその製法
JP2007018835A (ja) 真空遮断器用電気接点およびその製法
US3610859A (en) Composite contact structure for vacuum-type circuit interrupters
EP0155322B1 (en) Electrode of vacuum breaker
US3548135A (en) Contacts for vacuum interrupters
JP6051142B2 (ja) 真空バルブ用電気接点およびその製造方法
US3828428A (en) Matrix-type electrodes having braze-penetration barrier
KR890002304B1 (ko) 진공인터라프터의 접촉전극의 제조방법
US3821505A (en) Vacuum type electric circuit interrupting devices
US3985512A (en) Telluride containing impregnated electric contact material
US20060081560A1 (en) Vacuum circuit breaker, vacuum interrupter, electric contact and method of manufacturing the same
JP2766441B2 (ja) 真空バルブ用接点材料
US4501941A (en) Vacuum interrupter contact material
US3627963A (en) Vacuum interrupter contacts
US3596025A (en) Vacuum-type circuit interrupter with contacts containing a refractory metal
EP0178796B1 (en) Manufacture of vacuum interrupter contacts
US3590197A (en) Electrical contacts containing gettering material
JPH0510782B2 (xx)
JP2853308B2 (ja) 電極材料の製造方法
JP2000188045A (ja) 真空遮断器及びそれに用いる真空バルブとその電極
JPH04132127A (ja) 真空バルブ用接点
JPS6336090B2 (xx)