US3679851A - Autoextinguishing interrupters - Google Patents

Autoextinguishing interrupters Download PDF

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Publication number
US3679851A
US3679851A US48118A US3679851DA US3679851A US 3679851 A US3679851 A US 3679851A US 48118 A US48118 A US 48118A US 3679851D A US3679851D A US 3679851DA US 3679851 A US3679851 A US 3679851A
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United States
Prior art keywords
arc
contacts
gas
movable contact
electrode
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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
US48118A
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English (en)
Inventor
Andre Latour
Giacomo Fumagalli
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.)
Magrini Fabbriche Riunite Magrini Scarpa e Magnano MSM SpA
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Magrini Fabbriche Riunite Magrini Scarpa e Magnano MSM SpA
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Publication of US3679851A publication Critical patent/US3679851A/en
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    • 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
    • H01H33/70—Switches with separate means for directing, obtaining, or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid
    • H01H33/7015—Switches with separate means for directing, obtaining, or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid characterised by flow directing elements associated with contacts
    • H01H33/7023—Switches with separate means for directing, obtaining, or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid characterised by flow directing elements associated with contacts characterised by an insulating tubular gas flow enhancing nozzle

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT The invention relates to a self-extinguishing interrupter in [52] U.S. Ci ..200/ 148 A, 200/150 G hi one of the contacts is mounted in the upstream portion [51] Int. Cl.
  • FIG. 4A is a diagrammatic representation of FIG. 4A
  • the gases formed by the volatilization of the insulating tube usually made of an organic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) are much cooler and in addition, because of their electronegative characteristics, regain very quickly their dielectric strength. Their eventual presence in the arc gap is thus much less prejudicial than is that of the metallic vapors.
  • Teflon polytetrafluoroethylene
  • Yet another object of our invention is to provide a circuit breaker for high-voltage alternating-current systems of the plug-and-socket type with improved arc-extinguishing means of the gas-blast type.
  • this result is obtained by limiting the total section of passage of the conduit or conduits. which are concentric to the contacts and bring the compressed gas to the tube, to a size between 1 and l/3.5 times the size of the section of passage of the neck of the tube.
  • the invention attains the surprising and unexpected result of doubling, even tripling the breaking power of the known devices while nevertheless reducing the gas blast by arrangement whose essential role is that of reducing the quantity of gas fed back by operating in a selective manner on the most conductive vapors.
  • the invention envisages also several auxiliary means which can eventually be combined with the means described above for further increasing efiiciency.
  • auxiliary means which can eventually be combined with the means described above for further increasing efiiciency.
  • section described above can be obtained by means of a body filling the gap left between the principal contact and the arcing contact.
  • Another means according to the invention for making the evacuation of the driven-back gas quicker comprises the provision of an auxiliary channel communicating with the compression cylinder and opening obliquely into the channel leading the gas to the tube.
  • the invention also provides, at the base of the arcing electrode, holes connected to a conduit opening to the exterior of the compressor cylinder-piston arrangement.
  • vanes are mounted in the grooves separating the contact fingers.
  • our present invention is based upon the discovery that the delay in arc extinction can be avoided or reduced and the extinguishing gas rendered effective more rapidly by dimensioning the arc-extinguishing duct between the aforementioned neck or constriction and the inlet of the extinguishing gas of a flow cross-section C 0.2850 where c is the flow cross-section of the neck or constriction and C is the flow cross-section of the gas-blast chamber between the extinguishing-gas inlet and the arc gap.
  • the self-extinguishing circuit breaker of the present invention comprises a fixed contact and a movable contact shiftable axially with respect to the fixed contact, the contacts being preferably of the plug-andsocket type in which one of the contacts is received within the other and is embraced thereby.
  • the contacts are disposed with annular clearance in a tube defining the gas-blast chamber which has a mouth open axially away from the direction of displacement of the movable contact in the circuit-opening direction.
  • the movable contact is formed as an arcing electrode which projects beyond the movable contact in the direction of the stationary contact so that the circuit-breaking arc is concentrated between the arcing electrode and the fixed switch contact.
  • Ahead of the arcing electrode, the inner wall of the tube and, consequently, the wall of the gas-blast chamber projects inwardly to define a neck or constriction having the effective flow cross-section c noted earlier, this constriction being disposed between the arcing electrode and the fixed contact.
  • the constriction lies along that portion of the gas-blast chamber in which the circuitopening arc is formed.
  • the tube and movable-contact assembly is provided with a piston arrangement designed, upon retraction of this assembly, to drive the arc-extinguishing gas into this chamber and through the tube and constriction.
  • the inlets from the piston-and-cylinder arrangement may be constituted by one or more ports communicating with the chamber at the base of the movable contact and arcing electrode so that the tube and assembly housing define a duct extending along the movable contact and arcing electrode and communicating axially with the chamber in the region of the arcing electrode.
  • This duct has at its most constricted portion, the effective crosssection C formed by a filler body whose external diameter is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the socket contact and is dimensioned to so constrict the duct as to achieve the aforestated relationship of the flow cross-section.
  • the filler body or bodies extend axially over a substantial portion of the duct between the extinguishing-gas inlet and the arcing electrode.
  • the term substantial portion is here intended to designate an axial length of at least one third of the length of the duct.
  • the movable contact is a multifinger contact of the socket type, i.e., is constituted by a cylindrical array of contact fingers adapted to hug the tubular fixed plug contact, the interior of which receives the arcing electrode.
  • the latter which is coaxially and spacedly surrounded by the fingers of the movable contact, projects beyond the fingers into the region in which the duct described earlier communicates with the gas-blast chamber.
  • FIG. 1 shows an axial section through an interrupter of the known type according to the generic definition given at the beginning of this text
  • FIG. 2 shows in axial section, an interrupter according to the invention
  • FIG. 2A is a section along line IIA IIA of FIG. 2;
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 show in axial section, auxiliary means of different forms applied in combination with the principal feature of the invention.
  • FIG. 4A is a section along line IVA IVA of FIG. 4.
  • the interrupter of the known type shown in FIG. 1 comprises a fixed tubular contact 1 cooperating with an annular mobile contact formed by an array of elastic contact fingers 2 surrounding an arcing electrode 3. In the closed position the contact 1 is surrounded by the contact fingers 2 while the electrode 3 fits into the tubular part of the contact I. Electrode 3 and contact 2 are fixed on a cylinder 4 slidable on a piston 5 fixed by means of a control rod 6 which also projects from the conductor for the current.
  • the upper end of the cylinder has an insulating tube 7 or nozzle (FIG. I) which completely surrounds the contacts and which, by means of holes or orifices 8 formed in the end of the cylinder 4, can receive the gases compressed by the cylinder-piston arrangement.
  • the lower bore of the tube 7 forms with the annular contact 2 a gap 9 that forms a first passage for the compressed gases; a second passage 10 is formed by the gap left between the body of the arcing contact 3 and the fingers 2 of the annular contact; finally a third passage 11 is made by the spaces separating the annular contact fingers 2 from one another.
  • the whole of the interrupter is fixed in a housing (not shown) containing a compressed gas, for example sulfur hexafluoride (SF)
  • SF sulfur hexafluoride
  • FIGS. 2 and 2A show the application of the invention to the known apparatus of FIG. I.
  • the arcing electrode is provided with a thickened part 14 that completely fills the gap 20 which separates the annular contact fingers 2 with the exception of the upper region 15 necessary for the penetration of the contact I.
  • the passage 10 of FIG. I is also shown almost entirely eliminated.
  • the inside bore 16 of the tube 7 and bore 17 of the support which follows it is reduced such that it defines with the annular contact 2 and the gaps between the contact fingers 2 a total passage section smaller in crosssectional area than the section of the passage of the neck 12 of the tube 7 preferably greater than to l/ 3.5 times the section of passage of the neck (i.e., 10 C l/3.5 c), the nozzle diverges in opposite axial directions away from the constriction.
  • the inside walls of the insulating tube 7 vaporize and envelop every part of the end of the arcing electrode 3 so that it is the metallic vapors which escape. Due to the restriction formed by the thickening l4 and the reduced dimensions of the passages, the totality of the gases and vapors disengaged cannot be driven back unlike the situation with the prior-art system. The result is a rise in the pressure upstream of the neck 12 which has the effect of carrying the excess gases and vapors toward the mouth.
  • FIG. 3 shows an improvement on the preceding device.
  • the annular contact 2 is surrounded by a frustoconical body 18 which, with the contact 2, defines a passage 19 situated in the continuation of the passage 20 leading the gas to the tube 7.
  • the passage 19 communicates with the compressing cylinder-piston assembly by means of orifices or holes 21.
  • the piece 18 defines with the support 22 of the tube 7 an auxiliary canal 23 communicating with the compression cylinder 4 through holes or orifices 24 and opening obliquely into the channel 20 conducting gases to the tube 7.
  • FIG. 4 is another improvement on the device shown in FIG.
  • the thickened portion 25 of the arcing electrode has a conduit 26 which, following the control rod 27, opens to the exterior of the compressing assembly.
  • this conduit 26 open the holes 28 opening at the base of the arcing electrode 3 in the region 29 into which the fixed contact penetrates. This permits, thus, a portion of the metallic vapors disengaged from the arcing electrode 3 to be evacuated definitively to the exterior without passing through the neck 12 of the tube 7. The dielectric regeneration of the intercontact gap is facilitated.
  • vanes 30 fixed in the grooves se arating the contact fingers 2 can be provided.
  • the tube can have a different shape and, for example, in a known manner can include adjacent its neck radially extending holes or can present on the surface of its diverging orifice circular grooves intended to improve its functioning.
  • a circuit breaker for high-voltage alternating current comprising an insulating nozzle defining an axially extending arc-extinguishing nozzle chamber; a pair of contacts disposed in said nozzle chamber, one of said contacts being movable relative to the other of said contacts axially to interrupt an electric circuit between said contacts; inlet means coupled with the movable contact for forcing an arc-extinguishing gas through said nozzle chamber upon opening of said circuit, said nozzle chamber being formed at an intermediate location along the length with a constriction ahead of said arc-extinguishing gas through said nozzle chamber and between both said contacts in an open-circuit position thereof; and means defining an axially extending duct connecting said inlet means with said nozzle chamber and having a flow cross-section traversed by said are extinguishing gas which is between I and l /35 time the cross-section of said constriction.
  • circuit breaker defined in claim 1, further comprising an arcing electrode coupled with said movable contact and extending therebeyond in the direction of the other contact, said constriction being located ahead of said electrode, said movable contact coaxially surrounding said electrode and the lastmentioned means including a filler body in the gap between said electrode and said movable contact.
  • said inlet means include a gas displacement cylinder operable upon movement of said movable contact and provided with at least one opening for introducing said arc-extinguishing gas axially through said duct and along said movable contact, and said body.
  • circuit breaker defined in claim 3 wherein said electrode is formed with at least one passage extending away from said chamber and communicating with the exterior for venting back-blast ionized gas from said chamber.

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US48118A 1969-06-23 1970-06-22 Autoextinguishing interrupters Expired - Lifetime US3679851A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR6920971A FR2050727A5 (it) 1969-06-23 1969-06-23

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US3679851A true US3679851A (en) 1972-07-25

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DE (1) DE2030605C3 (it)
FR (1) FR2050727A5 (it)

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3909572A (en) * 1973-08-31 1975-09-30 Hitachi Ltd Circuit breaking section of a gas circuit breaker of the puffer type
US3941962A (en) * 1973-01-12 1976-03-02 Sprecher & Schuh Ag Gas blast circuit breaker
US3946180A (en) * 1974-04-22 1976-03-23 I-T-E Imperial Corporation Downstream injection nozzle for puffer circuit interrupter
US3970811A (en) * 1974-09-16 1976-07-20 I-T-E Imperial Corporation Nozzle and contact arrangement for puffer type interrupter
US3996439A (en) * 1974-01-16 1976-12-07 Hitachi, Ltd. Puffer-type gas-blast circuit breaker
JPS5222570U (it) * 1976-08-06 1977-02-17
JPS5293472U (it) * 1975-12-31 1977-07-12
US4139751A (en) * 1975-09-25 1979-02-13 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Puffer-type compressed-gas circuit interrupter
US4224490A (en) * 1978-11-06 1980-09-23 General Electric Company Fluid blast circuit breaker
US4243860A (en) * 1977-03-24 1981-01-06 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Circuit interrupter with pressure limiting
JPS56123434U (it) * 1980-02-20 1981-09-19
US4293747A (en) * 1976-08-11 1981-10-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp. High-voltage puffer-type compressed-gas circuit-interrupter assemblage
US4320270A (en) * 1979-04-12 1982-03-16 Sprecher & Schuh Ag Gas-blast switch

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2349263C2 (de) * 1973-10-01 1982-08-26 Brown, Boveri & Cie Ag, 6800 Mannheim Elektrischer Druckgasschalter
ES8205077A1 (es) * 1980-02-28 1982-05-16 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Interruptor automatico del tipo de extincion de arco por chorro de gas
DE102009019771A1 (de) * 2009-04-29 2010-11-04 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Gleitkontaktanordnung

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE700729C (de) * 1934-02-14 1940-12-28 Aeg Druckgasschalter
US2781435A (en) * 1951-03-18 1957-02-12 Heilmann Philipp Arc-extinguishing mechanism for electric switches
US2957063A (en) * 1958-03-07 1960-10-18 Westinghouse Electric Corp Pumped-gas circuit interrupter
US3331935A (en) * 1964-12-21 1967-07-18 Westinghouse Electric Corp Gas-blast circuit breaker having dual piston means providing double-acting puffer arrangement

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR793127A (it) * 1934-08-31 1935-01-15
DE1011035B (de) * 1953-03-31 1957-06-27 Licentia Gmbh Elektrischer Hochleistungsschalter
US2981815A (en) * 1957-12-10 1961-04-25 Westinghouse Electric Corp Circuit interrupter
DE1244917B (de) * 1966-04-27 1967-07-20 Siemens Ag Druckgasschalter
DE1765153A1 (de) * 1967-04-13 1971-07-01 Magrini Fab Riun Scarpa Selbstloeschender elektrischer Gasdruckschalter mit Schaltkammer mit einer Muendungsoeffnung

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE700729C (de) * 1934-02-14 1940-12-28 Aeg Druckgasschalter
US2781435A (en) * 1951-03-18 1957-02-12 Heilmann Philipp Arc-extinguishing mechanism for electric switches
US2957063A (en) * 1958-03-07 1960-10-18 Westinghouse Electric Corp Pumped-gas circuit interrupter
US3331935A (en) * 1964-12-21 1967-07-18 Westinghouse Electric Corp Gas-blast circuit breaker having dual piston means providing double-acting puffer arrangement

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3941962A (en) * 1973-01-12 1976-03-02 Sprecher & Schuh Ag Gas blast circuit breaker
US3909572A (en) * 1973-08-31 1975-09-30 Hitachi Ltd Circuit breaking section of a gas circuit breaker of the puffer type
US3996439A (en) * 1974-01-16 1976-12-07 Hitachi, Ltd. Puffer-type gas-blast circuit breaker
US3946180A (en) * 1974-04-22 1976-03-23 I-T-E Imperial Corporation Downstream injection nozzle for puffer circuit interrupter
US3970811A (en) * 1974-09-16 1976-07-20 I-T-E Imperial Corporation Nozzle and contact arrangement for puffer type interrupter
US4139751A (en) * 1975-09-25 1979-02-13 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Puffer-type compressed-gas circuit interrupter
JPS5293472U (it) * 1975-12-31 1977-07-12
JPS5222570U (it) * 1976-08-06 1977-02-17
US4293747A (en) * 1976-08-11 1981-10-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp. High-voltage puffer-type compressed-gas circuit-interrupter assemblage
US4243860A (en) * 1977-03-24 1981-01-06 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Circuit interrupter with pressure limiting
US4224490A (en) * 1978-11-06 1980-09-23 General Electric Company Fluid blast circuit breaker
US4320270A (en) * 1979-04-12 1982-03-16 Sprecher & Schuh Ag Gas-blast switch
JPS56123434U (it) * 1980-02-20 1981-09-19
JPS6224925Y2 (it) * 1980-02-20 1987-06-25

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2030605B2 (de) 1981-05-07
DE2030605A1 (de) 1971-02-25
FR2050727A5 (it) 1971-04-02
DE2030605C3 (de) 1982-01-07

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