WO2015069831A1 - Joint déplaçable avec une surface d'amorçage en surface d'arc pour un disjoncteur à air - Google Patents

Joint déplaçable avec une surface d'amorçage en surface d'arc pour un disjoncteur à air Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2015069831A1
WO2015069831A1 PCT/US2014/064228 US2014064228W WO2015069831A1 WO 2015069831 A1 WO2015069831 A1 WO 2015069831A1 US 2014064228 W US2014064228 W US 2014064228W WO 2015069831 A1 WO2015069831 A1 WO 2015069831A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
arc
moving seal
contact
separable contacts
circuit breaker
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2014/064228
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Brian J. Schaltenbrand
Mark A. Janusek
Robert W. Mueller
James M. Smeltzer
William M. Randal
Original Assignee
Eaton Corporation
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 US14/074,754 external-priority patent/US9293282B2/en
Application filed by Eaton Corporation filed Critical Eaton Corporation
Publication of WO2015069831A1 publication Critical patent/WO2015069831A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/30—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H9/32—Insulating body insertable between contacts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H73/00—Protective overload circuit-breaking switches in which excess current opens the contacts by automatic release of mechanical energy stored by previous operation of a hand reset mechanism
    • H01H73/02—Details
    • H01H73/18—Means for extinguishing or suppressing arc
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
    • H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
    • H01H1/22—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact
    • H01H1/221—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact and a contact pressure spring acting between the pivoted member and a supporting member
    • H01H1/226—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact and a contact pressure spring acting between the pivoted member and a supporting member having a plurality of parallel contact bars

Definitions

  • a common type of circuit breaker is the air circuit breaker, which uses a flow of gas to extinguish the arc caused by separation of the contacts.
  • the flow of gas may be provided by a source of compressed gas or by air exiting a sealed arc chamber that is pressurized when the contac ts separate.
  • the jiressurization of the arc chamber may be accomplished by a moving seal that acts in cooperation with a contact carnage that carries the moveable contact away from the stationary contact. The moving seal moves into the arc chamber when the contacts separate, displacing air in the arc chamber.
  • the moving seal is typically positioned near the stationary contact so that it can properly extinguish the arc. However, this close proximity may allow the arc to creep up the moving seal and short to the contact carriage, causing a short circuit condition.
  • a moving seal for an air circuit breaker includes a sealing portion having an arc creepage surface that is positioned between first and second circuit breaker contacts when the sealing portion is fit into an inlet of an arc chamber enclosing the first and second circuit breaker contacts.
  • the arc creepage surface has a surface contour that increases the length of an arc tra vel path between the second circuit breaker contact and a contact carriage that carries the first circuit breaker contact, relative to a straight line distance between the second circuit breaker contact and the contact carriage.
  • the arc creepage surface may have a substantially concave surface contour that includes a single concave groove or a plurality of parallel concave urooves.
  • the moving seal also includes an actuation portion configured to co-act with the contact carriage, where the contact carriage is operable to separate the first and second circuit breaker contacts, in these example embodiments, the arc chamber is substantially closed and the inlet is formed between the first and second circuit breaker contacts when the contact carriage carries the first circuit breaker contact, away from the second circuit breaker contact.
  • the sealing portion of the moving seal is configured to fit within the inlet opening to seal the inlet and define a portion of the arc chamber.
  • the actuation portion is operable to selectively position the sealing portion in the inlet when the contact carriage carries the first circuit breaker contact away from the second circuit breaker contact.
  • an air circuit breaker in another embodiment, includes a substantially closed arc chamber enclosing a pair of separable contact assemblies.
  • the arc chamber includes an inl et that is formed between the pair of separable con tact assemblies when the separable contact assemblies are separated.
  • the air circuit breaker includes a moving seal configured to be fit within the inlet to close the inlet and define a portion of the arc chamber.
  • the moving seal includes an arc creepage surface that is positioned between the pair of separable contact assemblies when the moving seal is fit into the inlet.
  • the arc creepage surface has a surface contour that increases the length of an arc travel path between the pair of separable contact assemblies, relative to a straight line distance between the pair of separable contact assemblies.
  • the arc creepage surface may have a substantially concave surface contour that includes a single concave groove or a plurality of parallel concave grooves.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a prior art three pole air circuit breaker with a moving seal.
  • Figure I A is a perspective view of the moving seal in the air circuit breaker shown in Figure 1 ,
  • Figure 2 is a perspective view of a single circuit breaker pole that includes an example embodiment of a moving seal with an arc creepage surface.
  • Figure 2A is a perspective view of the moving seal with arc creepage surface in the pole shown in Figure 2.
  • Figure 3 is a front view of a three pole air circuit breaker that includes the pole shown in Figure 2 and that indicates a cross section to be shown in Figures 4-6.
  • fO011 J Figure 4 is a cross section of the air circuit breaker taken along 4-4 as indicated in Figure 3 with a pole assembly in a closed or conducting position.
  • Figure 5 is a cross section of the air circuit breaker taken along 4-4 as indicated in Figure 3 with a pole assembly in an intermediate contact separation position.
  • figure 6 is a cross section of the air circuit breaker taken along 4-4 as indicated in Figure 3 with a pole assembly in an open or non-conducting position
  • Figure 7 is a perspecti e view of another example embodiment of a moving seal that includes an arc creepage surface.
  • first element being coupled to a second element, e,g., an axle first end being coupled to a first wheel, means that the specific portion of the first element is disposed closer to the second element than the other portions thereof.
  • an object resting on another object held in place only by gravity is not “coupled” to the lower object unless the upper object is otherwise maintained substantially in place. That is, for example, a book on a table is not coupled thereto, but a book glued to a table is coupled thereto.
  • unitary means a component is created as a single piece or unit That is, a component that includes pieces that are created separately and which are then coupled together as a unit is not a “unitary” component or body.
  • the term "number” shall mean one or an integer greater than one (i.e., a plurality).
  • a "coupling assembly” includes two or more couplings or coupling components.
  • the components of a coupling or coupling assembly are generally not part of the same element or other component. As such, the components of a “coupling assembly” may not be described at the same time in the following description:.
  • a "coupling” or “coupling components/' is one or more components) of a coupling assembly. That is, a coupling assembly includes at least two components that are structured to be coupled together. It is understood that the components of a coupling assembly are compatible with each other. For example, in a coupling assembly, if one coupling component is a snap socket, the other coupling component is a snap pl ug, or, if one coupling component is a bolt, then the other coupling component is a nut.
  • association means that the elements are pari of the same assembly and/or operate together, or, act upon/with each other in some manner.
  • an automobile has four tires and four hub caps. While all. the elements are coupled as part of the automobile, it is understood that each hubcap is “associated” with a specific tire.
  • correspond indicates that two structural components ate sized and shaped to be similar to each other and may be coupled with a minimum amount of friction.
  • an opening which "corresponds" to member is sized slightly larger than the member so that the member ma pass through the opening with a minimum amount of friction. This definition is modified if the two
  • loosely correspond means that an opening is sized to be larger than an element disposed therein, i.e. there is a gap between the two elements, This means that the increased size of the slot or opening is intentional and is more than a manufacturing tolerance.
  • a "corresponding * ' shape means that surface features, e.g. curvature, are similar.
  • an "extended surface” is a surface that is non planar.
  • a planar surface extending between two parallel lines provides the shortest path between the two lines, e.g. a path extending generally perpendicular to the lines.
  • An "extended surface is non-planar and, as such, even a path extending generally perpendicular to the lines provides a longer path than a planar surface.
  • the air circuit breaker includes a housing assembly 3 (shown in dashed line) that forms three generally tubular pole chambers 4 ,5 ,6, each configured to house a circuit breaker pole 10 (only one pole 1.0 is shown in solid line in Figure 1 ).
  • An operating mechanism 15 is mounted to a front end of the housing assembly 3, The operating mechanism 15 is common to all three circui t breaker poles 10 and is connected to the individual poles by a pole shaft 33 that has a lobe 5 for each pole.
  • the operating mechanism 15 includes a.
  • the trip unit (not shown) that actuates the operating mechanism 15 to open all the poles of the circuit breaker 8 through rotation of the pole shaft 33 in response to predetermined characteristics of the current flowing through the circui t breaker, in addition, the operating mechanism 15 may be manually actuated b way of a switch lobe portion 36.
  • the switch lobe portion 36 is connected to a number of manually operable switches (not shown) that are accessible outside the housing assembly 3.
  • a. circuit breaker 8 includes a number of generally tubular pole chambers 4 ,5 ,6 ' , in each of which a pole 1 10 is disposed. A portion of each pole chamber 4 ,5 ,6 is an arc chamber 13 (figs, 4 and 5).
  • the pole 1.10 also includes a movable contact assembly 45 that is mounted to a contact carriage 40. The contact carriage 40 is operable to carry the moveable contact assembly 45 away from the stationary contact assembly 25.
  • the moveable contact assembly 45 includes a plurality of contact fingers 47 that are pivotaliy mounted to the contact carriage 40. When the circuit breaker 8 is closed, the moveable contact assembly 45 provides a current path between the stationary contact assembly 25 and a load conductor connector assembly 65 configured to be connected to a load conductor (not shown).
  • each pole 1 10 includes a number of pairs of separable contacts 20.
  • Each pair of separable contacts 20 includes a stationary first contact 27 and a movable second contact 42, wherein each pair of contacts 20 move betwee an open, first position and a closed, second position.
  • each contact 27, 42 includes a generally pianar surface, or "face" 28, 29, respectively, wherein the contacts 27, 2 are directly coupled.
  • Each pole 1 10, and therefore, each pai of separable contacts 20 is disposed in an associated pole chamber 4 ,5 ,6.
  • the number of pairs of contacts 20 define a plane of separation, i.e. a plane that extends through all the contacts 20 when the contacts 20 are in the first position.
  • the plane of separation is generally perpendicular to the planes defined by the contact faces 28, 29.
  • the plane of separa tion of the separable contacts 20 extends generally laterally across the housing assembly 3.
  • the contact carriage 40 moves between a first position and a second position corresponding to the separable contact 20 first and second positions.
  • a number of moving seals 50 are also pivotaiiy coupled to the moveable contact carriage 40.
  • the moving seal 50 includes a body 51.
  • the moving seal body 5! includes a sealing surface 52 that forms one portion of a sealed arc chamber (not visible in Figure 1.).
  • the moving seal 50 moves between a first position, wherein the moving seal body 51 is disposed in a medial portion of an associated pole chamber 5, and a second position, wherein the moving seal body 51 is disposed in an offset portion of the associated pole chamber 5. That is, when the contact carriage 40 separates, moves from the second position to the first position, each moving seal 50 pressurizes the arc chamber 13 and extinguish the arc.
  • the sealing surface 52 of a prior art moving sea! 50 is substantially planar and presents a straight line path for the arc to travel when the contacts 20 are separated. This may cause the moving seal 50 to be susceptible to shorting due to arc creepage as discussed in the background section. This is because the planar sealing surface 52 provides a relatively short straight line path, labeled "IX" between the contact carriage 40 and the stationary contact 27 during contact separation. It is noted that not all portions of the moving seal 50 are exposed to the arc. That is, as the arc only forms after the contacts 27. 42 separate, i.e. when the moving sea! is moving from the second position to the first position, a forward facing portion 48 of the moving seal 50 is not exposed to the arc .
  • any portion of the moving seal 50 that is generally in, or "above” (wherein the moving seal 50 moves “up” when moving from the second position to the first position) the plane of the contact faces 28, 29 when the contacts 20 are in the second position, is not part of the "sealing surface" 52 or the "arc creepage surface.”
  • Figure 2 illustrates a circuit breaker pole 1 10 that includes many of the same components as the pole 10 shown in Figure 1 and. which are assi ned the same reference numeral as in Figure 1.
  • the contact carriage 40' includes a moving seal 150 including a body 151 with an are creepage surface 1.52, two lateral siclewalls 1 4, 156 as well as an upper sidewa!l 158, and a lower sidewali 160.
  • a moving seal 150 including a body 151 with an are creepage surface 1.52, two lateral siclewalls 1 4, 156 as well as an upper sidewa!l 158, and a lower sidewali 160.
  • the width of the moving seal body 151 substantially corresponds to the widt of a pole chamber 5.
  • the arc creepage surface 152 is an extended surface.
  • the arc creepage surface 152 is configured to increase the distance ("D'"), relative to the distance presented by the p!anar sealing surface 52, that the arc must travel along the arc creepage surface 152 before shorting to the contact carriage 40 * while still providing an adequate amount of ressurizaticm of the arc chamber to extinguish the arc, it will be appreciated that the arc creepage surface 152 could be embodied in any configuration that increases the distance, relative to the straight line distance D presented by the planar sealing surface 52, that the arc must travel along the moving seal 150 before shorting to the contact carriage 40', Farther, the moving seal 150 includes a sealing portion 190 and an actuation portion 192.
  • the sealing portion 1 0 includes the arc creepage surface 152 as well as fins 1 9 that extend behind the arc creepage surface 152. it is noted, however, that the fins 1 9 are not part of the creepage surface 152. 10032) in an exemplary embodiment, the arc creepage surface 152 includes a concave portion 162 relative to the separable contacts 20. As used herein, "concave” means a cavity, or other generally empty space, wherein the surface defining the cavity extends away from the contacts 20 when the moving seal 1.50 is in the first position, described below.
  • the arc creepage surface 152 is an arcuate surface 170 that extends substantially between the moving seal body upper sidewall 158 and the lower sidewall 160. Stated alternately, there is a single laterally extending groove. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the arc creepage surface 152 includes a planar portion 172. The arc creepage surface planar portion 172 extends generally perpendicular to the plane of separation of the separable contacts. In an exemplar embodiment, the arc creepage surface concave portion 1 2 is generally smooth.
  • Figure 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a moving seal 250 with an arc creepage surface 252 that includes a. plurality of generally lateral, generally parallel concave grooves 255.
  • the grooved are creepage surface 252 increases the distance, relati e to the distance D presented by the planar sealing surface 52 ( Figure 1A), that the arc must travel along the moving seal 250 before shorting to the contact fingers 47 ( Figures 4- 6).
  • the plurality of parallel conca ve grooves 255 are defined by one of a number of ridges extending from a generally planar arc creepage surface, or, a number of channels in said generally planar arc creepage surface.
  • a "generally" planar surface includes the plurality of parallel concave grooves 255
  • a planar surface without a plurality of parallel concave grooves 255 is “substantially” planar.
  • the arc creepage surface concave portion 162, shown in Figure 2 A includes a plurality of generally lateral, generally parallel concave grooves 255 as shown in Figure 7.
  • arc creepage surface could be embodied in any configuration that increases the distance that the arc must travel along the moving seal before shorting to the contact fingers 47.
  • the sealing portion 1 0 is structured to be positioned adjacent the
  • the stationary contact 27 when the contact carriage 40 is in the first position. That is, as the contacts 20 move from the second position to the first, and as the contact carriage 40' moves from the second position to the first, the moving seal 150 moves from its second position to its first position. In this position, the arc creepage surface 152 defines a portion of the arc chamber when the arc is being extinguished ( Figure 5). Stated alternately, the are creepage surface 152 defines a medial wall 180 ( Figure 6) within a pole chamber 5. As the width of the moving seal body 151 substantially corresponds to the width of the pole chamber 5, the medial wall I SO substantiall fills the pole chamber 5 adjacent the contacts 20 when the moving seal is in the second position.
  • the actuation portion 1 2 includes spaced legs 1 5 that have circular recesses 185 that engage the ends of a pivot pin 53 ( Figure 4) to secure the moving seal 150 to the contact carriage 40' as seen in Figure 2.
  • the pivot pin 53 is also used to pivotally mount the contact fingers 27 to the contact carriage 40 ⁇
  • the moving sea! 150, b wa of the actuation portion co-acts with the contact carriage 40' to position the moving seal 150 between the contact carriage and the stationary contact 27 when the contacts separate.
  • the fins 1 9 on the moving seal 150 extend between the contact fingers 47 and align with fins (not shown) arranged between the contact fingers on ihe contact carriage 40' to form a seal which prevents the Sow of arc gases from passing through the spaces between the contact fingers 47,
  • Figure 3 is a front view of an air circuit breaker 1 that houses three poles 1 10 shown in Figure 2.
  • Section 4-4 is indicated in Figure 3 and will be used for the cross section views of a pole 1 10 shown in Figures 4-6.
  • the pole 1 10 can be seen positioned within a. pole chamber 5 with the contacts 20 in an arc chamber 13.
  • the arc chamber 13, which is substantially closed so that it can be pressurized, includes an outlet 18 through which arc gases may pass, in Figure 4 the contacts 20 are in the second position, as are the other movable elements, In the closed, second position current may be conducted from the stationary contact assembly 25 to the load connector assembl 65.
  • the contact fingers 4? on the moveable contact assembly 45 are positioned so that the moveable contacts 42 are directly coupled to the stationary contacts 27.
  • Springs 74 urge the contact fingers 47 into the closed position.
  • the moveable contacts 42 are fixed to the contact fingers 47 about midway between the pivot pin 53 and a first or free end 41.
  • a shunt connection feature 49 on the contact fingers 47 is adapted to be connected to a flexible shunt (not shown) that connects the contact finaers 47 to the load conductor connector assembly 65.
  • Adjacent to the free end 41 of the contact fingers is an arc toe 43 that, forms a moveable arcing contact which cooperates with an arc runner 34 to guide the arc into an arc chute 1.7 in the arc chamber 13 to be extinguished.
  • the moving seal 150 is also pi votally mounted to the pi vot pin 53 on the contact carriage 40'. hi the second position, the moving seal 150 is positioned substantially below the stationary contact
  • Figure 5 illustrates the circuit breaker pole 1 10 as it begins to open in response to rotation of the shaft 33 tha acts upon the linkage between the lobe 35 and Sink 37 to rotate the contact carriage 40'.
  • An arc chamber inlet 16 is created by the movement of the contact carriage 40 ⁇
  • the contact carriage 40' begins to rotate counter clockwise and the springs 74 rock the contact fingers 47 clockwise so that arc toe 43 contacts the arc runner 34 while the moveable contacts 42 are separated from the stationary contac t 27.
  • the moving seal 150 is positioned to seal between the contact fingers 47 and to place the arc creepage surface 152 just below the stationary contact 27 to close off the arc chamber inlet 16 so that the arc can be extinguished,

Landscapes

  • Arc-Extinguishing Devices That Are Switches (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un joint déplaçable (150) pour un disjoncteur à air (8), qui fournit une surface d'amorçage en surface d'arc (152) qui est positionnée entre une paire d'ensembles de contacts séparables (20) lorsque le joint déplaçable (150) est encastré dans une entrée (16) de la chambre d'arc (13). La surface d'amorçage en surface d'arc (152) possède un contour de surface qui augmente une longueur d'un chemin de déplacement d'arc entre les ensembles de contacts séparables (20), par rapport à une distance de ligne droite entre les ensembles de contacts séparables (20).
PCT/US2014/064228 2013-11-08 2014-11-06 Joint déplaçable avec une surface d'amorçage en surface d'arc pour un disjoncteur à air WO2015069831A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/074,754 2013-11-08
US14/074,754 US9293282B2 (en) 2010-06-16 2013-11-08 Moving seal with arc creepage surface for an air circuit breaker

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2015069831A1 true WO2015069831A1 (fr) 2015-05-14

Family

ID=51947501

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2014/064228 WO2015069831A1 (fr) 2013-11-08 2014-11-06 Joint déplaçable avec une surface d'amorçage en surface d'arc pour un disjoncteur à air

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2015069831A1 (fr)

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2398033A2 (fr) * 2010-06-16 2011-12-21 Eaton Corporation Joint mobile avec surface de fluage à arc pour disjoncteur à air
EP2541573A1 (fr) * 2011-06-30 2013-01-02 Eaton Corporation Isolateur de liaison de support pour disjoncteur

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2398033A2 (fr) * 2010-06-16 2011-12-21 Eaton Corporation Joint mobile avec surface de fluage à arc pour disjoncteur à air
EP2541573A1 (fr) * 2011-06-30 2013-01-02 Eaton Corporation Isolateur de liaison de support pour disjoncteur

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
BRYAN A. GAMER: "A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage", 1995, pages: 624

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