US3736545A - High-speed commutation device for heavy power applications - Google Patents

High-speed commutation device for heavy power applications Download PDF

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Publication number
US3736545A
US3736545A US00061601A US3736545DA US3736545A US 3736545 A US3736545 A US 3736545A US 00061601 A US00061601 A US 00061601A US 3736545D A US3736545D A US 3736545DA US 3736545 A US3736545 A US 3736545A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
electrodes
commutator
insulating means
explosive
insulating
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
US00061601A
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English (en)
Inventor
J Refouvelet
J Pontico
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.)
Gouvernement de la Republique Francaise
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Gouvernement de la Republique Francaise
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Publication of US3736545A publication Critical patent/US3736545A/en
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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
    • H01H33/002—Very heavy-current switches
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H39/00—Switching devices actuated by an explosion produced within the device and initiated by an electric current
    • H01H39/004—Closing switches

Definitions

  • Pressure is obtained in the form of a pressure wave generated by the detonation of an explosive excited by an electric detonator.
  • the core of insulating material is located between two electrodes under the explosive charge and the transit of the shock wave causes a heavy fall of resistivity which establishes a contact of low 'residual resistance between the two electrodes.
  • the invention is applied to the construction of starting switches and other similar devices and to switching methods,
  • An object of the present invention is to provide for the commutation and switching of large currents, for example, of the order of megamperes A) with short commutation periods of, for example, lower than 200 nanoseconds (2.10" sec.).
  • shock waves generated by explosives allows pressures of 100 to 500 kilobars to be obtained in extremely short periods of, for example, lower than 100 ns (10 sec.).
  • Another object-of the present invention is the provision of an improved commutator founded on the aforesaid properties.
  • One aspect of the invention consists of using a shock wave generated by detonation of an explosive to induce pressures of the order of several hundred kilobars in an initially insulating material, the effect of such pressures being a very considerable decrease in the resistivity of the material.
  • the shock wave produced by detonation of a small amount of explosive, can strike the material directly on issuing from the explosive or after passing into a metal anvil which can serve as a contact electrode or by reflection from a plate or anode.
  • This last system permits obtaining much higher pressures of, for example, up to more than a megabar (10 bars).
  • the insulating material located between the two electrodes of the contact can, by way of nonrestrictive example, be I a mineral semi-conductor, either a single element or an intrinsic or doped compound (such as S, Se, Si, Te, GaP, GaS, etc.)
  • a'PN junction plain diodes, Zener diodes, Tunnel diodes
  • These materials are obtainable in the form of oriented monocrystals, such as polycrystals, compressed powders or thin coatings.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 show diagrammatically principles of the device FIG. 1 showingconduction in direction of the shock and FIG. 2 showing conduction'in a direction at right angles to the shock direction;
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a commutator provided in accordance with one of the embodiments of the invention.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively longitudinal and trans- I verse sections of a contact cell employed in accordance with the invention.
  • the device of the invention (see FIGS. 3-5) consists of three principal parts 2 a fixed frame l6,a contact cell 17 and a pyrotechnic box 18.
  • the fixed frame 16 comprises base 1 with a detachable anvil 2 and the body 3 carrying contact cell 17 with'the pyrotechnic box 18.
  • Contact cell 17 is formed by two electrodes 12 separated from each other by insulating core 13 and between which current is to be passed upon explosion. This cell 17 is coated in a molded insulator 14 which is practically insensitive to pressure. Said cell can be easily changed after each firing.
  • Pyrotechnic box 18 includes a body 4 which is screwed onto body 3 of the fixed frame 16 and carries the pyrotechnic device 9 with detonator 10 and explosive charge 11.
  • Body 4 also carries centering collar 7 and shield ring 8.
  • the cover 5 carries the co-axial plug 15 connected to the firing arrangement.
  • Gasket 6 guarantees the impermeability of the box which can be very easily replaced after each firing for recharging under prescribed safety conditions.
  • the different variants of this commutator include transmission of the shock wave direct or through an anvil or plate reflection accelerated by explosive detonation.
  • the variants include the insulating materials subjected to pressure. Without limit the scope of the invention, the following materials can may be used: mineral and organic semi-conductors, PN junctions, insulators, thin coatings of metal, semi-metals, metal oxides and organic polymers.
  • Another variant is the fitting of the commutator, which can be altered to enhance electrical reliability (firability), resistance to shock, simplicity of making it operative, and the performance efficiencies of the apparatus.
  • Example performance data for the apparatus or switching or commutation method are given hereunder by way of example a.
  • the said commutator can be used in all branches of impulse electrical engineering pertaining to heavy current and high powers, especially where there are requirements for highspeed commutation.
  • electrodes 12 may, for example, include spaced and parallel ends 30 and 31 between which insulating core 13 is positioned or spaced, coplanar ends 32 and 33 between which core 13 is positioned.
  • a commutator comprising two electrodes and, between said electrodes, insulating means including insulating material which becomes a conductor when subjected to critical pressure; and explosive means in operative association with said insulating means for selective operation of the latter.
  • a commutator as claimed in claim 1 comprising anvil means, said insulating means being sandwiched between said anvil means and explosive means.
  • a commutator as claimed in claim 1 comprising an insulator covering said electrodes and insulating means and forming a detachable, replaceable cell therewith.
  • a commutator as claimed in claim 1 comprising a frame detachably supporting said electrodes, insulating means and explosive means, and ignition means on said frame for selectively igniting said explosive means.
  • a commutator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said insulating means is selected from the groiip consisting of mineral semi-conductor, a metal coating, a semimetallic coating, a metal oxide coating, an organic semi-conductor, a PN junction, and an organic polymer.
  • a switching method comprising placing between two electrodes an insulator which responds to pressure by becoming a conductor, and selectively detonating an explosive adjacent the insulator to enable current to flow between the electrodes.
  • a commutator comprising two electrodes and, between said electrodes, insulating means which becomes and remains a conductor upon being subjected to a critical pressure.

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  • Thermistors And Varistors (AREA)
  • Color Printing (AREA)
  • Motor Or Generator Current Collectors (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)
US00061601A 1969-08-27 1970-08-06 High-speed commutation device for heavy power applications Expired - Lifetime US3736545A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR6929291A FR2057552A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1969-08-27 1969-08-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3736545A true US3736545A (en) 1973-05-29

Family

ID=9039432

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00061601A Expired - Lifetime US3736545A (en) 1969-08-27 1970-08-06 High-speed commutation device for heavy power applications

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3736545A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE752279A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2040623A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2057552A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1299946A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7011742A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19916327A1 (de) * 1999-04-12 2000-10-19 Moeller Gmbh Kurzschließer

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3129157A (en) * 1960-06-15 1964-04-14 Litton Systems Inc Space-charge field precipitation method
US3197335A (en) * 1962-04-09 1965-07-27 Stanley W Leszynski Surface-mounted electrical resistance structure and method for producing same
US3484627A (en) * 1968-03-06 1969-12-16 Us Navy Explosive pulse generator
US3518508A (en) * 1965-12-10 1970-06-30 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Transducer
US3522459A (en) * 1965-08-25 1970-08-04 Harry Eugene Stubbs Explosively generating electric pulses
US3577884A (en) * 1968-07-31 1971-05-11 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Pressure-measuring device

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3129157A (en) * 1960-06-15 1964-04-14 Litton Systems Inc Space-charge field precipitation method
US3197335A (en) * 1962-04-09 1965-07-27 Stanley W Leszynski Surface-mounted electrical resistance structure and method for producing same
US3522459A (en) * 1965-08-25 1970-08-04 Harry Eugene Stubbs Explosively generating electric pulses
US3518508A (en) * 1965-12-10 1970-06-30 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Transducer
US3484627A (en) * 1968-03-06 1969-12-16 Us Navy Explosive pulse generator
US3577884A (en) * 1968-07-31 1971-05-11 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Pressure-measuring device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2057552A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-05-21
BE752279A (fr) 1970-12-01
GB1299946A (en) 1972-12-13
DE2040623A1 (de) 1971-03-04
NL7011742A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-03-02

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