WO2021160642A1 - Electrical interrupter with actuator - Google Patents
Electrical interrupter with actuator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2021160642A1 WO2021160642A1 PCT/EP2021/053145 EP2021053145W WO2021160642A1 WO 2021160642 A1 WO2021160642 A1 WO 2021160642A1 EP 2021053145 W EP2021053145 W EP 2021053145W WO 2021160642 A1 WO2021160642 A1 WO 2021160642A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- cavity
- bridge section
- section
- conductor
- housing
- Prior art date
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Classifications
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- 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
- H01H39/006—Opening by severing a conductor
-
- 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
- H01H2039/008—Switching devices actuated by an explosion produced within the device and initiated by an electric current using the switch for a battery cutoff
Definitions
- This relates to opening, or interrupting, a current conduction path.
- an electrical interrupter such as an electrical isolator or switch disconnector
- an actuator for opening a current conduction path
- a method for operating an electrical interrupter for operating an electrical interrupter.
- a first electrical interrupter apparatus is provided as defined in appended independent apparatus claim 1, with optional features defined in the dependent claims appended thereto.
- a method of operating the electrical interrupter of the first aspect is provided as defined in the first appended independent method claim, with optional features defined in the dependent claims appended thereto.
- a second electrical interrupter apparatus is provided as defined in the second appended independent apparatus claim, with optional features defined in the dependent claims appended thereto.
- an electrical interrupter for opening a current conduction path is described.
- the electrical interrupter comprises: a housing; a breakable conductor and a pyrotechnic charge.
- the housing has a first, sealed, cavity and a second cavity.
- the breakable conductor has connection contacts at either end.
- the connection contacts of the conductor extend through the housing.
- the conductor has a curved section extending between the connection contacts and having an inside curved face and an outside curved face.
- the inside curved face at least in part defines the first cavity.
- the curved section of the conductor comprises: first and second supported sections and a bridge section arranged to separate the first and second cavities.
- Each of the first and second supported sections (of the curved section) are connected to a respective one of the connection contacts and (partially or fully) supported along the outside curved face (i.e. along the outside curved face of the curved section) by the housing.
- the first and second supported sections are connected via the bridge section.
- the pyrotechnic charge is arranged, upon ignition, to release gas into the first cavity to break the conductor at the bridge section, and thereby to break a current conduction path through (or along) the conductor.
- a curved conductor section may experience both radial and hoop stresses at particular regions of the curved section, which stresses can be manipulated through the geometry of a conductor to facilitate faster breaking of the conductor and/or the breaking of the conductor with less force. Faster breaking of the conductor results in faster opening of the current conduction path and hence faster electrical interruption. A rapid electrical interrupter may therefore be provided.
- Facilitating the breaking of the conductor with less force may facilitate the use of a less powerful pyrotechnic charge. Less powerful pyrotechnic charges may themselves be cheaper and smaller. Furthermore, less powerful pyrotechnic charges exert less force on the housing facilitating the use of thinner housing than may otherwise need to be used.
- a thinner housing may be cheaper to manufacture as less materials may be used, and/ or may less expensive manufacturing processes may be used. A thinner housing may also facilitate the manufacturing of a smaller electrical interrupter.
- a thickness of the curved section may be variable.
- a thickness and/ or a width of the bridge section may be less than a thickness and/ or a width of the first and second supported sections. This may more effectively concentrate radial and hoop stresses at the bridge section, meaning that the conductor more reliably breaks at the bridge section.
- the ends and / or portions of the conductor proximate to the breakage may be pushed into the second cavity and away from one another. This may result in more reliable electrical interruption, as the likelihood or extent of arcing and the probability of undesired reconnection of the current conduction path are reduced.
- the bridge section may comprise at least one notched portion, and the bridge section may be configured to break at the at least one notched portion.
- the use of notched portions may facilitate faster breaking of the conductor and/or breaking of the conductor with less force. Faster breaking of the conductor and/or the breaking of the conductor with less force may have the advantages previously outlined.
- the notches may also ensure that the conductor reliably breaks at the same location.
- mechanical properties of the breakage are predictable. Examples of such mechanical properties include the manner, speed and extent to which the ends and/ or portions of the conductor proximate to the breakage bend and/or are displaced into the second cavity. Electrical properties of the electrical interrupter are dependent on these mechanical properties. Therefore, the electrical properties of the electrical interrupter maybe predictable. For example, the likelihood and/or extent of arcing maybe predicted to allow the reliable operation of the electrical interrupter up to a specified current. The speed at which the electrical interrupter breaks the current conduction path may also be ensured.
- the pyrotechnic charge may be configured to separate at least a portion of the bridge section from the first and second supported sections and displace the at least a portion of the bridge section into the second cavity to break/ open the current conduction path.
- This may be advantageous as the bridge section is distanced from the first and second supported sections, reducing the extent or probability of arcing. Reducing the extent or probability of arcing may facilitate the reliable operation of the electrical interrupter at greater currents. The probability of undesired reconnection of the current conduction path may also be reduced facilitating more reliable operation of the electrical interrupter. A safer switch may also be provided.
- the bridge section may comprise a notched portion at or proximate either end of the bridge section and the portion of the bridge section may be bounded by the notched portions.
- These notches bounding the bridged section may facilitate faster separation of the portion of the bridge section and/ or separation of the portion of the bridge section with less force. Faster separation of the portion of the portion of the bridge section may result in faster electrical interruption.
- the separation of the portion with less force may facilitate the use of a less powerful pyrotechnic charge which has several advantages as previously outlined, such as a smaller switch.
- the double break of the conduction path with the two notched portions also acts to reduce the formation of electrical arcs between the broken conductor ends.
- At least a portion of the inside face of the curved section may be an inscribe sector of a circle, e.g. part-circular, optionally, at least the inside face of the bridge section is an inscribe sector of a circle, e.g. part-circular.
- a biasing member may be coupled to the bridge section and may be arranged to urge or bias the portion of the bridge section towards the second cavity upon the separation of the portion of the bridge section from the first and second supported sections. This may facilitate faster separation of the portion of the bridge section, and allow for retention of the portion of the bridge section in the second cavity ⁇ Faster separation of the portion of the portion of the bridge section may result in faster electrical interruption. Retention of the portion of the bridge section in the second cavity may reduce the probability of undesired reconnection of the conduction path. By reducing the probability of undesired reconnection of the conduction path, the biasing member may facilitate the reliable operation of the electrical interrupter in circumstances where undesired reconnection of the current conduction path would otherwise be likely, e.g. where the electrical interrupter is rotated or is accelerated or decelerated. An orientation independent device may therefore be provided.
- arc extinguishing media may be arranged within the second cavity. This may reduce the extent and/ or likelihood of arcing, which has several advantages as previously outlined.
- the arc extinguishing media may be arranged within a capsule located inside the second cavity, and the capsule may be configured to release the arc extinguishing media upon rupture/breaking. The capsule may be ruptured by forces exerted on it due to the gas released upon ignition of the pyrotechnic charge. The use of the capsule may prevent the leakage of the arc extinguishing media prior to ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.
- the outside curved face of the bridge section may comprise at least one puncturing means arranged to puncture the capsule upon contact with the capsule to release the arc extinguishing media.
- puncturing means may facilitate the use of a stronger material for the capsule, reducing the likelihood of unintentional rupture of the capsule prior to ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.
- the arc extinguishing media may be a gelatinous arc extinguishing media, such as silica gel. The use of a gelatinous arc extinguishing may be beneficial since the high viscosity reduces the likelihood and/or amount of leakage of the arc extinguishing material out of the housing.
- a portion of the housing surrounding the second cavity comprises one or more vents extending at least partially through the housing for releasing gas from the second cavity.
- the one or more vents extend only partially through the housing and the portion of the housing at the end of each vent is arranged to break upon release of gas from the pyrotechnic charge into the second cavity.
- Such vents extending only partially through the housing facilitate sealing of the second cavity prior to ignition of the pyrotechnic charge while enabling the release of gas upon ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.
- the breaking of the portion of the housing may be visible from the outside of the electrical interrupter, indicating that the pyrotechnic charge has been ignited to a user upon visual inspection. This may facilitate easier maintenance of apparatus comprising the pyrotechnic charge, as the electrical interrupters should be replaced subsequent to ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.
- the vents may comprise one or more through holes. It maybe relatively simpler to manufacture a housing having through holes as compared to other gas releasing means. Through holes may also release gas from the second cavity more quickly than other gas releasing means.
- the one or more through holes may contain at least one of a mesh and a baffle. The mesh and/or baffle slow the release of gas from the second cavity. Therefore, through holes with a mesh and/or a baffle facilitate the release of gas from the second cavity while preventing high velocity jets of plasma and/ or high temperature gases, which could potentially damage components and/or equipment in the vicinity of the switch and/or pose a safety risk, being emitted.
- the curved section may extend at least 120 degrees around the first cavity.
- the curved section may extend at least 180 degrees around the first cavity.
- the curved section may extend at least 270 degrees around the first cavity.
- the conductor may be arranged in an “omega” shape, such that the curved section extends about 270 degrees, or more, and then straight portions extend in opposite directions away from the curved section.
- the housing may, therefore, be made relatively thinner, which has several advantages, as previously outlined.
- the curved section may extend 350 degrees or less around the cavity.
- the housing may have a third cavity
- the breakable conductor may comprise a second bridge section arranged to separate the first and third cavities.
- the first and second supported sections may be connected via the second bridge section.
- the pyrotechnic charge may be arranged to also break the second bridge section to break the current conduction path through the conductor.
- the first and second bridge section are in series, the use of multiple bridge sections provides redundancy in the breaking of the conduction path and consequently more reliable breaking of the conduction path.
- the first and second bridge sections are in parallel, -the current through the current conduction path is distributed between the bridge sections. As the current through the current conduction path is distributed between the bridge sections, there is relatively less current through each of the bridge sections, facilitating a reduction in the thickness of the conductor.
- the bridge sections may be broken with less force. Facilitating the breaking of the conductor with less force may facilitate the use of a less powerful pyrotechnic charge. Less powerful pyrotechnic charges may themselves be cheaper and smaller. Furthermore, less powerful pyrotechnic charges exert less force on the housing, facilitating the use of thinner housing than may otherwise need to be used, which has several advantages, as previously outlined.
- the curved section extends around the first cavity such that the inside face of the curved section defines the first cavity, and the third cavity is arranged on an opposite side of the first cavity from the second cavity.
- the conductor shields the housing from the forces exerted from ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.
- the housing may, therefore, be made relatively thinner, which has several advantages, as previously outlined.
- the first cavity may be substantially circular.
- the first cavity may have a semi-circular face opposite to the inside curve of the bridge section, the semi circular face formed by the housing.
- a substantially circular cavity and/or semi-circular faces formed by the housing may reflect shockwaves of the explosion resulting from the ignition of the pyrotechnic charge toward the bridge sections, thereby multiplying the forces exerted on the bridge sections by the explosion. This may facilitate the use of a less powerful pyrotechnic charge, which has several advantages as previously outlined, such as facilitating the provision of smaller switch.
- a method for operating an electrical interrupter is provided. The method is optionally a method for operating the electrical interrupter of the first aspect.
- the method comprises: igniting a pyrotechnic charge to release gas into a first sealed cavity of a housing; exerting, in dependence on the released gas, pressure on a bridge section of a curved section of a breakable conductor; and breaking, by the exerted pressure, the conductor at the bridge section to break a current conduction path through the conductor.
- the curved section has an inside curved face and an outside curved face section, the inside curved face at least in part defining the first cavity.
- the bridge section is arranged to separate the first cavity from a second cavity of the housing.
- First and second support sections of the curved section are electrically connected by the bridge section and (fully or partially) supported along their outside curved face by the housing.
- the method further comprises separating, by the exerted pressure, a portion of the bridge section from the first and second supported sections; and displacing, by at least the exerted pressure, the portion of the bridge section into the second cavity.
- the electrical interrupter comprises an actuator; a housing having a cavity; a breakable conductor; and a biasing member.
- the breakable conductor comprises: a first section and a second section, and a bridge section.
- a thickness of the bridge section maybe less than a thickness of the first and second sections. This may facilitate reliable separation of the portion of the bridge section from first and second conductor sections resulting in more reliable electrical interruption.
- the housing is configured to support the first and second sections in a second direction opposite the first direction.
- This may increase the stresses on the bridge section, facilitating faster breaking and/or breaking with a less powerful actuator.
- Faster breaking may reduce the likelihood and/or the extent of arcing.
- Less powerful actuators may be smaller and/or cheaper than more powerful actuators, facilitating the construction of smaller and/or cheaper electrical interrupters.
- Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-section of an example of an electrical interrupter in accordance with the first aspect, where the electrical interrupter is in a first, closed, position,
- Figure lB shows a schematic illustration of an example breakable conductor used in the electrical interrupter, and
- Figure 1C shows on exploded view of an electrical interrupter in accordance with the first aspect;
- Figure 2 Figures 2A and 2B show schematic cross-sections of embodiments of an electrical interrupter in accordance with the first aspect, where the electrical interrupter is in a second, open, position;
- Figure 3 Figures 3A-3F show schematic cross-sections of further examples of electrical interrupters in accordance with the first aspect,
- Figure 4 Figures 4A-4D show schematic cross-sections of example breakable conductors usable in embodiments of electrical interrupters in accordance with the first aspect;
- Figure 5A shows a schematic cross-section of an example electrical interrupter in accordance with an embodiment of a third aspect, where the electrical interrupter is in a first, closed, position, and Figure 5B shows a schematic cross section of the electrical interrupter of Figure 5A in a second, open, position; and Figure 6: Figures 6A and 6B illustrate a vehicle comprising an electrical interrupter as described herein.
- connection contacts 110a, 110b portions of the conductor 108 extend through the housing 102 of the electrical interrupter too for connection of the electrical interrupter to an external electrical circuit; these portions are herein called connection contacts 110a, 110b.
- the housing 102 is configured with slots into which the connection contacts may be fitted to extend out of the housing such that the connection contacts can be electrically connected to the external circuit.
- connection contacts 110a, 110b are arranged at either end of the conductor 108, and a curved section 130 of conductor 108 is arranged between the two connection contacts.
- the curved section may extend the entire way between the two connection contacts, or the conductor 108 may comprise one or more intermediate sections or portions (such as portions 132a, 132b) arranged between the curved section and the connection contacts 110, 110b (as is illustrated in Figure lB).
- the intermediate portions 132 are straight, but the intermediate section(s) or portion(s) may be any suitable geometry, depending on the size and shape of the device 100.
- the curved section 130 of the conductor 108 has an inside curved face 134 and an outside curved face 136 (the face on the inside of the curve and the face on the outside of the curve, respectively).
- the curved faces 134 and 136 extend along the entire length of the curved section of the conductor and are here shown as smooth faces, though it will be understood that the faces may be discontinuous in some examples, such as where the conductor is not formed as an integral component, as will be discussed in more detail below.
- the housing of the electrical interrupter 100 is arranged such that, when the conductor 108 is arranged within the housing 102, the housing is configured to support portions of the curved section 130 of the conductor 108 to form a first supported section 112a and a second supported section 112b of the conductor.
- the housing (partially or fully) supports each of the supported sections 112 along their outside curved face; in other words, the housing is arranged to support the outside curved face of the curved section of the conductor to form supported regions of the curved conductor section 130.
- the first supported section 112a is electrically connected to a first of the connection contacts, 110a.
- the second supported section 112b is electrically connected to a second of the connection contacts, 110b. As shown in Figure 1, the supported sections 112a,
- connection contacts 112b are integral with the connection contacts configured to extend outside of the housing 102, but the supported sections 112 may be formed separately from, and electrically connected to (via any suitable means), the connection contacts to define the current conduction path along or through the conductor.
- the first supported section 112a and the second supported section 112b are also electrically connected via a bridge section 114 of the curved section 130 of conductor 108, which bridge section 114 is unsupported by the housing.
- the bridge section 114 is illustrated as being integral with the supported sections 112 of the conductor, but it will be understood that the bridge section may be mechanically and electrically coupled to each of the supported sections in order to electrically connect the two supported sections via the bridge section.
- the bridge section maybe welded, brazed or joined with an electrically conducting adhesive in order to connect or couple the bridge section 114 to the first and second supported sections 112a, 112b.
- the curved faces 134 and 136 of the curved section 130 maybe discontinuous in the areas around the joins/coupling.
- the housing components 102a, 102b may each contain a single cavity 138.
- the conductor 108 can be arranged within the housing such that the bridge section 114 is not supported by the housing but is arranged to span the cavity 138 (i.e. to bridge the cavity 138 in the housing such that the supported regions 112 of the conductor either side of the cavity are connected via the bridge section 114).
- the bridge section 114 of the curved section 130 is arranged to separate the single cavity 138 to form a first cavity 104 and a second cavity 106 of the housing, such that the inside curved face 134 of the bridge section 114 at least partly defines the first cavity 104 of the housing 102.
- the circumference of the hrst cavity 104 may be completely defined by the inside curved face in the radial direction, such that the conductor is arranged in a cylinder, or cylindrical, shape; the hrst cavity 104 is within the cylinder, dehned by the inside volume of the cylinder (see e.g. Figure 3F). Where only a portion of the cavity 104 is defined by the inside curved face 134 of the curved section 130 of conductor 108, one or more faces of the first cavity 104 may be defined by the housing 102.
- the face(s) of the housing may be curved; depending on the particular device design, the face(s) defining the cavity may be substantially semi-circular, semi-circular, substantially hemispherical or hemispherical.
- the conductor 108 and housing 102 are thus arranged such that a substantially cylindrical first cavity 104 is formed within the housing. End portions of the substantially cylindrical shaped hrst cavity 104 are formed by the housing 102, and / or one or more sealing members, to form a sealed first cavity 104.
- Figure lC shows the flat end portion of the inside cavity 104 being defined by housing component 102b.
- the electrical interrupter 100 comprises a pyrotechnic actuator/charge 116 arranged within the first cavity 104.
- the pyrotechnic charge is placed into the first cavity during manufacture, and the first cavity is then sealed around the charge by appropriate means, for example using O-rings, rubberized sealant and/or overmoulding of the.
- the rubberized sealant may be a rubber solution applied during manufacture which then solidifies to provide sealing.
- the pyrotechnic charge is configured, upon ignition, to release gas into the first cavity; because the first cavity is sealed 104, the pressure increases within the cavity, and the force exerted on the inside curved face 134 of the curved conductor section 130 as a result of the increased pressure eventually causes the conductor 108 to break, thereby opening the current conduction path.
- Efficient breaking of the conductor is facilitated by the particular geometry of the conductor 108 and the housing 102.
- the portion of the inside face of the curved section 120 which at least partially defines the first cavity 104 of the housing 102 experiences both radial and hoop stresses when the charge 116 is ignited from the increased pressure within the cavity. These stresses can combine to cause the conductor 108 to break.
- Radial stress is stress in directions coplanar with, but perpendicular to, the symmetry axis.
- Hoop (or circumferential) stress is the value of stress in the tangential direction (e.g.
- a ‘length’ of the cylinder (here defined across a width 140 of the conductor) is reduced in the bridge section 114 as compared to the rest of the conductor 108. This acts to increase hoop stresses in the bridge section (see Equation 1, a shorter length means greater stresses for the same force), again leading to concentration of the forces in that region and thus breaking of the conductor at the bridge section 114.
- the conductor may have the same thickness and width across the entire length of the conductor (extending between the two connection contacts), or that a thickness and/or a width of the conductor may be variable at least in the curved section 130, optionally, when the thickness in the curved section is variable, a thickness and/or a width of the conductor may be less in the bridge section 114 than in the supported sections 112a, 112b.
- the housing 102 is arranged to be sufficiently strong to withstand the significant forces which arise from the increased pressure in the sealed first cavity 104 after ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 (e.g.
- the housing may be formed of plastic, optionally glass-reinforced thermoset polyester.
- the housing may be formed in any suitable manner, such as compression moulding.
- any other suitable material or method of manufacture maybe used, provided the housing 102 is able to retain/support the supported sections 112 of the conductor 108 after ignition of the charge 116.
- suitable materials include filled polymers, unfilled polymer, and any other non- conductive material. Examples of other suitable manufacturing processes include injection moulding and transfer moulding.
- the expanding gas Upon ignition of the pyrotechnic actuator, the expanding gas will exert a pressure in all directions on the walls of cavity 104.
- the shape of the first cavity 104 may cause the shockwaves from the explosion to be reflected toward the bridge section 114, multiplying the forces exerted on the bridge section 114 by the explosion.
- shockwaves may be reflected back to the unsupported bridge section 114, which will increase the force exerted on the bridge section in response to the ignition.
- Operation of the device comprises igniting the pyrotechnic charge 116 to release gas into the first sealed cavity 104 and exerting, in dependence on the released gas, pressure on the bridge section 114.
- the exerted pressure causes breaking of the conductor at the bridge section to open the current conduction path through the conductor 108.
- a portion of the bridge section is broken away from the rest of the conductor in order to break the conductor and open the current conduction path, thereby stopping or interrupting current flow around the external circuit to which device too is connected (as will be described below in more detail with reference to the examples of Figures 3B-3F).
- FIG. 2A is an illustration of an example of the electrical interrupter 100, subsequent to the ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 and the resultant breaking of at least a portion 118 of the bridge section 114 of the conductor 108 and the opening of the current conduction path. As is illustrated, the portion 118 of the bridge section has been pushed to the end of the second cavity 106 furthest from/ opposite to the first cavity 104 by the forces from the ignited charge 116.
- Figure 2B is an illustration of another example of the electrical interrupter 100 subsequent to the ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116, in which the portion 118 of the bridge section has again been displaced to the end of the second cavity 106 and is retained in that position by a biasing member 120.
- This approach can prevent accidental closing of the current conduction path due to movement of the portion 118, since the portion 118 cannot come back into electrical contact with the rest of the conductor 108 due to the urging of the biasing member in a direction away from the conductor 108.
- This arrangement may therefore facilitate provision of a more reliable disconnector/interrupter device.
- This arrangement can also provide an orientation independent device, since the portion 118 will not fall back towards the first cavity in response to gravity, for example.
- the displacement of the portion 118 of the bridge section in the manner described herein can also facilitate a reduction in the electric arc (or arc discharge) formed when the portion 118 of the bridge section 114 is broken away from the supported sections.
- An increased arc resistance causes a corresponding increase in arc voltage and a decrease in arc current (since electrical arcs exhibit negative resistance).
- the arc resistance can be quickly increased with time, and the current correspondingly reduced to such a value that heat formed by the current passing through the air is not sufficient to maintain the arc — the arc is thus extinguished.
- a more effective interruption of the electrical arc can be provided by the displacement of the bridge section, which interruption maybe further improved by the use of biasing member 120 to accelerate the portion 118 of the bridge section into the second cavity 126. A safer and more robust switch may therefore be provided.
- the conductor 108 has a curved section comprising a bridge section 114 which is thinner than the supported sections, but there is a smooth variation in thickness 142 along the length of the conductor 108.
- the conductor 108 may reliably break at the bridge section 114 due to that region of the conductor being unsupported by the housing and due to the relatively thinner cross section of the bridge section of this example compared to the supported sections 112a, 112b.
- Such an arrangement of conductor 108 maybe relatively cheap and simple to manufacture, as compared to more complex conductor geometries.
- one or more portions 118 of the bridge section may be blown out or broken away from the conductor 108 as a result of the ignition of the charge 116.
- the bridge section may break at a single point, causing the ends of the portions of the bridge section either side of the single break to be pushed outwards into the second cavity due to the actuating forces.
- These portions remain electrically and physically coupled to the supported sections 112a, 112b (the dashed lines indicate the boundaries of the supported sections of the conductor 108), but the physical gap between the ends causes the current conduction path to open.
- the single notched portion 140 may include a notch on the inside curved face, a notch on the outside curved face, or two notches: a notch on the inside curved face and on the outside curved face.
- the use of a notched portion thus reduces the force required to break the conductor, allowing a smaller, lower powered actuator to be used. A cheaper and smaller switch may therefore be provided.
- cuts e.g. rectangular cuts, and/or dents, e.g. triangular dents, from both edges or one edge of the curved section of the conductor at the notched portion 140.
- cuts and/or dents reduce force required to break the conductor, at least because the width of the conductor at the notched portion is reduced further concentrating forces at the notched portion 140.
- the notched portion 140 of this example may be positioned approximately at the centre of the bridge section 114 or at the centre, such that the notched portion is at the apex of the curve of the conductor.
- the forces exerted on the bridge section 114 cause the portions of the bridge section 114 either side of the notched portion 140 to bend away from each other and into the second cavity, as is described above with reference to Figure 4A; the physical gap between the ends of this portions causes opening of the current conduction path.
- the conductor 108 has a curved section having a bridge section 114 with two notched portions.
- Each of the two notched portions may include a notch on the inside curved face, a notch on the outside curved face, or two notches: a notch on the inside curved face and on the outside curved face.
- the two notched portions are proximate either end of the bridge section 114 and bound a portion 118 of the bridge section 114.
- the bridge section 114 is configured to break at each of the two notched portions upon the exertion of pressure on the bridge section 114, due to the reduced thickness 142 in these areas.
- the portion 118 bounded by the two notched portions is configured to be separated from the rest of the bridge section and from supported sections 112a, 112b on the exertion of pressure from the pyrotechnic charge 116, and to be displaced into the second cavity 106.
- the portion 118 may comprise all of the bridge section 114, or only a portion of the bridge section, depending on the position of the notch portions 140. Where the portion 118 comprises the whole of the bridge section 114, the notched portions may be positioned right at the edge of the bridge section, proximate the housing supporting the supported sections 112a, 112b. Where the portion 118 comprises a portion of the bridge section, the notched portions may be positioned equidistant from the edges of the bridge section such that the portion 118 is at the centre of the bridge section. By using two notched regions in this manner, double breaking of the conductor 108 can be achieved. This can reduce arc formation and allow circuits with higher current ratings to be interrupted using the device 100 described herein.
- the portion 118 may comprise at least 20%, at least 50% or at least 80% of the bridge section.
- the biasing member 120 may be coupled to the bridge section 114 at the centre of the portion 118.
- the biasing member 120 may be coupled to the housing 102 at an end of the second cavity 106 opposite to the outer curved face of the bridge section 114.
- the biasing member 120 may be coupled to each of the bridge section 114 and the housing 102 by lugs.
- arc extinguishing media is arranged within the second cavity 106 in a capsule 122.
- the arc extinguishing media may be in liquid, gel or powder form.
- the arc extinguishing media may be silica gel.
- the use of silica gel, or another gelatinous arc extinguishing media, may be beneficial as gelatinous materials are penetrable by the displaced portion 118 of the bridge section 114 during opening of the current path and interrupting of the circuit.
- the arc extinguishing media may be arranged, e.g. enclosed, within capsule 122 located in the second cavity 106.
- the capsule 122 may be formed from plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or nylon, or any other suitable material, e.g.
- the use of the capsule 122 may prevent leakage of the arc extinguishing media prior to the ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116.
- the capsule 122 is configured to release the arc extinguishing media upon breaking or rupture of the capsule to help attenuate the electric arc that may form around or between the broken ends of the conductor 108.
- the capsule 122 may be ruptured by forces (e.g. compressive forces) exerted on the capsule 122 by contact with the portion 118 of the bridge section 114 upon displacement of the portion 118 into the second cavity 106 after ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116.
- the portion 118 may optionally include one or more puncturing means arranged to puncture the capsule 122 upon contact with the capsule.
- the puncturing means may, for example, be a needle, spike, sharp fin, or a thin cylindrical protrusion.
- the capsule 122 is sufficiently strong to not rupture by the forces exerted on it before puncturing, but may be sufficiently weakened by the puncture to be ruptured, torn, burst, and/ or broken by these forces subsequent to puncturing.
- the portion of the housing 102 surrounding the second cavity 106 has one or more gas releasing means 124a, 124b, 126, 128, which may be used to release the gas generated upon ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 from the second cavity 106.
- the gas releasing means may include breakable wall vents 124a, 124b.
- the breakable wall vents 124a, 124b extend partially through the housing 102 with a portion of housing 102 at each end of each of the breakable wall vents 124a, 124b.
- the portions of housing 102 at each end of each of the breakable wall vents 124a, 124b, which may be referred to as breakable walls, are configured to break upon release of gas from the pyrotechnic charge 116 into the second cavity 106.
- Breakable wall vents 124a, 124b facilitate sealing of the second cavity prior to ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 while enabling the release of gas upon ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 to prevent damage to the electric interrupter too.
- the breaking of the breakable walls maybe visible from the outside of the electrical interrupter, acting as a visual indicator that the pyrotechnic charge 116 has been ignited and that the current conduction path has been opened. This may facilitate easier and cheaper maintenance and inspection for a user.
- the gas releasing means may additionally or alternatively include one or more through holes 126 extending completely through the housing 102. It may be simpler to manufacture a housing 102 having through holes as compared to other gas releasing means, facilitating the provision of a cheaper switch. Through holes may also release gas from the second cavity 106 more quickly than other gas releasing means, improving the gas release process and reducing the likelihood of damage to the housing.
- the one or more through holes 126 may, in some examples, include a rubber plug; the rubber plug maybe ejected from the through hole on the release of gas into the second cavity, providing a visual indicator that the pyrotechnic charge 116 has been ignited.
- the gas releasing means may additionally or alternatively include one or more through holes containing either or both of a mesh and/or a baffle 128.
- the mesh and/or baffle slow the release of gas from the second cavity. Therefore, through holes with a mesh and/or a baffle facilitate the release of gas from the second cavity while preventing high velocity jets of plasma and/or high temperature gases being emitted. Such high velocity jets could potentially damage components and/or equipment in the vicinity of the switch and / or pose a safety risk.
- the housing 102 has a third cavity 106b, where the second cavity is herein referred to as cavity 106a.
- the conductor 108 also has a second bridge section 114b arranged to separate the first cavity 104 from the third cavity 106b.
- a first supported section 112a and a second supported section 112b are electrically connected via the first bridge section 114a and the second bridge section 114b.
- the pyrotechnic charge 116 is arranged to break the second bridge section 114b, in addition to the first bridge section 114a, to break the current conduction path through the conductor 108.
- the second bridge section 114b may also have two notched portions, where the two notched portions are proximate either end of the bridge section 114b and bound a portion 118b of the bridge section 114b.
- the portion 118b bounded by the two notched portions is configured to be physically and electrically separated from the supported sections 112a, 112b on the exertion of pressure from the pyrotechnic charge 116; for example, the portion 118b may be broken away from the rest of conductor 108 and displaced into the third cavity 106b.
- the operation of opening the current conduction path through bridge section 114b is identical to the process described above for bridge section 114 more generally. In the example shown in Figure 3F, the sections 114a and 114b are arranged in parallel.
- the curved section of the conductor 108c may extend around the first cavity 104, e.g. extend 360° around the first cavity 104 such that the inside curved face of the curved section completely defines the circumference of the first cavity 104.
- the inside face of the curved section of the conductor 108c may be circular or substantially circular.
- a thinner housing maybe cheaper to manufacture as less materials are used, which may in turn reduce the cost and/ or allow for less expensive manufacturing processes.
- a thinner housing may also facilitate the manufacturing of a smaller electrical interrupter.
- the inside curved face of the second bridge section 114b may define part of the first cavity 104 opposite to the part defined by the inside curved face of the first bridge section 114a, but it will be understood that the cavities 106a, 106b, and bridge sections 114a, 114b may not be arranged opposite one another.
- Figure 4D shows a close-up illustration of a breakable conductor 108 having a curved section with two bridge sections 114a, 114b and several notched portions. Pairs of notched portions define portions 118a, 118b of the bridge sections 114a, 114b, which are configured to be separated from the conductor 108 in response to the forces exerted from ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.
- Another supported section 112c is located between the two bridge sections 114a, 114b, each of which spans a cavity 106a, 106b into which the respective portion of the bridge section may be displaced when the current conduction path is opened.
- a benefit of such a conductor is that by having a plurality of separable portions 118a, 118b in series, there are multiple points at which the conduction path along the conductor 108 may be broken. This can provide redundancy in the breaking of the conduction path and consequently more reliable breaking of the conduction path, and hence more reliable electrical interruption by the electrical interrupter too. Moreover, the increased number of conductor breaking points can reduce arc formation.
- a biasing or urging member as described may also be used, with respective biasing members urging the respective portions 118a, 118b of the respective bridge sections 114a, 114b into the respective cavities 106a, 106b.
- Arc extinguishing media as described above may also be used with these example embodiments, with arc extinguishing media arranged in either or both of the second cavity 106a and the third cavity 106b, optionally within capsules 122.
- an electrical interrupter 400 for opening a current conduction path is described.
- the current conduction path is defined along a breakable conductor 408 extending through a housing 404 of the electrical interrupter 400.
- Electrical interrupter 400 comprises a breakable conductor 408 (i.e. a conductor which is configured to break under force) arranged within a housing 404. Portions of the conductor 408 extend through the housing 402 of the electrical interrupter 400 for connection of the electrical interrupter to an external electrical circuit; these portions are herein called connection contacts 412a, 412b.
- the housing 402 is configured with slots into which the connection contacts may be fitted such that the connection contacts can be connected to the external circuit.
- connection contacts 412a, 412b are arranged at either end of the conductor 408, and are respectively part of a first section 410a and a second section 410b of the conductor. While described as being part of the first section 410a and the second section 410b, the first section 410a and the second section 410b may be formed separately from, and electrically connected to (via any suitable means), the connection contacts to define the current conduction path through the conductor 408.
- the housing 404 of the electrical interrupter 400 is arranged such that, when the conductor 408 is arranged within the housing 402, the housing 404 supports at least a portion of each of the first section 410a and the second section 410b.
- the housing supporting the first section 410a and the second section 410b may support the housing in a direction opposite to that in which an actuator 402 is arranged to exert a force (the arrow representing actuator 402 illustrates the direction of force exerted by the actuator in these examples).
- the first section 410a and the second section 410b are also electrically connected via a bridge section 414 of the conductor 108, where bridge section 414 is unsupported by the housing.
- the bridge section 414 defines at least a portion of a cavity 406 in the housing 404; in some examples, the cavity 406 may be a cuboid with five faces of the cavity defined by the housing 404 and the other face defined by the bridge section 414.
- the bridge section 414 is illustrated as being integral with the conductor 408, but it will be understood that the bridge section may be mechanically and electrically coupled to the first and second sections 410a, 410b in order to electrically connect the first and second sections 410a, 410b to form a conduction path along the conductor.
- the bridge section may be welded, brazed or joined with an electrically conducting adhesive in order to connect the bridge section 414 to the first and second sections 410a, 410b.
- the bridge section 414 maybe thinner than the first section 410a and the second section 410b.
- the bridge section 414 may have notched portions bounding a separable portion of the bridge section which is configured to separate from the rest of conductor 408 to open the current conduction path.
- actuator 402 is configured to exert a force on at least a portion of the conductor in a direction towards the second cavity 406 in order to break the conductor 408 and displace at least a portion of the bridge section 414 into the second cavity 406.
- actuator 402 may be any suitable type of actuator.
- actuator 402 is a pyrotechnic charge 116 of the type explained in relation to the electrical interrupter 100 with respect to Figure 1.
- another form of electrically actuated actuator, or a manually operated actuator may be used to break the conductor. It will be understood that the type of actuator used maybe dependent on a thickness of the conductor 408, since this thickness affects the force required to be applied to break the bridge section 414 and open the current conduction path.
- a biasing member 416 may optionally be connected to the bridge section 414 and arranged to urge the bridge section into the cavity 406 in the same direction in which the actuator exerts a force.
- the biasing member may be a resiliently deformable member.
- the resiliently deformable member may be a spring, e.g. a tensioned spring.
- the resiliently deformable member may be formed from an elastic material, such as rubber, elastic or another elastomer. The resilient deformable member is tensioned such that upon separation of the portion of the bridge section 414 the restoring force of the biasing member acts to urge or bias the portion into the cavity 406.
- the biasing member 416 may be coupled to the bridge section 414 at the centre of the bridge section 414 and the other end may be coupled to the end of the cavity 406.
- the biasing member 416 may be coupled to the bridge section 414 and the housing 402 by respective lugs.
- the forces exerted on the bridge section 414 by the biasing member 120 cause a quicker separation of the portion of the bridge section 414 from the first and second sections 410a, 410b and a faster displacement of the portion toward the cavity 406.
- the biasing member 416 also retains the portion in the cavity 406, thereby preventing any unwanted reestablishment of the current conduction path due to movement of the portion. An orientation independent device may therefore be provided.
- Figure 5A illustrates the state of the electrical interrupter 400 prior to actuation of the actuator 402.
- the actuator 402 exerts forces on the bridge section 414 in a given direction.
- the exerted forces act to break the conductor and separate at least a portion of the bridge section 414 from the first section 410a and the second section 410b of the conductor 408.
- the portion separated by the exerted forces may be this separable portion.
- the separable portion is the entire bridge section, depending on the positioning of the notches or notched portions.
- the use of the biasing member 416 may result in a quicker breaking of the conductor 408 and faster displacement of the bridge section, which acts to reduce arc formation.
- the biasing member also facilitates the separation of the portion from the conductor with less force, allowing for the use of smaller actuators, and thus a smaller device.
- the housing 404 may be sufficiently strong to withstand significant forces acting on the rest of the conductor 408, e.g. pressure forces resulting from actuation of a pyrotechnic actuator.
- Compression moulding is an example of a suitable method for manufacturing a sufficiently strong housing.
- the housing 404 may be formed from plastic, optionally a glass-reinforced thermoset polyester.
- a thinner housing may be used when different types of actuators 402 are used that do not exert significant pressure forces on the housing 404.
- a housing may be formed using any suitable manufacturing methods, e.g. injection moulding.
- a thinner housing maybe cheaper to manufacture as less materials are used, which may in turn reduce the cost and/ or allow for less expensive manufacturing processes.
- a thinner housing may also facilitate the manufacturing of a smaller electrical interrupter.
- FIG. 5B illustrates the state of the electric interrupter 400 subsequent to actuation of the actuator 402.
- the entire bridge section 414 has been urged into the cavity 406 by the biasing member 416 and is retained in the cavity 406 by the biasing member.
- the electrical interrupter such as device too or 400 comprising a biasing member has several advantages, as previously outlined. Faster separation of the at least a portion of the bridge section may result in faster electrical interruption. Retention of the separated portion in the cavity 406 may also reduce the probability of undesired reconnection of the conduction path. A safer switch may therefore be provided. Moreover, by reducing the probability of undesired reconnection of the conduction path, the biasing member may facilitate the reliable operation of the electrical interrupter in circumstances where undesired reconnection of the current conduction path would otherwise be likely, e.g. where the electrical interrupter is rotated or is accelerated or decelerated (for example, in a vehicle).
- biasing member 416 can prevent accidental closing of the current conduction path due to movement of the at least a portion of the bridge section 414 back into electrical contact with the rest of the conductor 408, and may facilitate provision of a more reliable electrical disconnector or interrupter device.
- This arrangement can also provide an orientation independent device, since the portion will not fall back towards the conductor in response to gravity, for example.
- powertrain 220 can be a powertrain for a vehicle 500; in regard to a vehicle (e.g. a motor vehicle, a ship or boat, or a plane, etc.), a powertrain encompasses the main components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, and the drive wheels (or other drive mechanism, such as a propeller). In an electric or hybrid vehicle, the powertrain 220 also includes battery 230 and an electric motor, for example.
- Electrical interrupter 100/400 maybe connected, via the connection contacts noa/4i2a, nob/4i2b of the breakable conductor 108/408, to an electrical circuit 250 within vehicle 500, which electrical circuit may optionally include the battery 230.
- electrical interrupter 100/400 is employed for another use within vehicle 500, which maybe an electrical vehicle.
- an ignition signal maybe provided to actuator 116, 420 from a remote controller, or a remote power distribution unit, 210 within the vehicle 500. Such an ignition signal maybe issued in response to an external event.
- an ignition signal maybe sent to the actuator 116, 420 in response to a collision of the vehicle; ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 or actuation of the actuator can cause the breaking of the conductor 108, 408 in order to open the electrical circuit 250 and prevent the flow of current through the battery 230.
- ignition of the pyrotechnic charge 116 or actuation of the actuator can cause the breaking of the conductor 108, 408 in order to open the electrical circuit 250 and prevent the flow of current through the battery 230.
- electrical interrupter too or electrical interrupter 400, and remote controller 210 can form a system which can be deployed in any other application where such breaking of a circuit is required. It is noted herein that while the above describes various examples of the electrical interrupter too and the electrical interrupter 400, these descriptions should not be viewed in a limiting sense.
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Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB2211718.8A GB2607503A (en) | 2020-02-10 | 2021-02-10 | Electrical interrupter with actuator |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IN202011005722 | 2020-02-10 | ||
IN202011005722 | 2020-02-10 | ||
GB2004270.1A GB2591826A (en) | 2020-02-10 | 2020-03-24 | Electrical interrupter with actuator |
GB2004270.1 | 2020-03-24 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2021160642A1 true WO2021160642A1 (en) | 2021-08-19 |
Family
ID=70546772
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2021/053145 WO2021160642A1 (en) | 2020-02-10 | 2021-02-10 | Electrical interrupter with actuator |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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GB (2) | GB2591826A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2021160642A1 (en) |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0936647A2 (en) * | 1998-02-17 | 1999-08-18 | Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. | Circuit breaking device |
US6448884B1 (en) * | 1999-08-27 | 2002-09-10 | Yazaki Corporation | Circuit breaker |
DE10209625A1 (en) * | 2002-03-05 | 2003-10-02 | Mbb Airbag Systems Gmbh | Pyrotechnic cutout for switching off a load e.g. in motor vehicle, has an ignition circuit, an operating current insulated from connection pieces and thermal separation between the connection pieces. |
US20130175144A1 (en) * | 2010-08-27 | 2013-07-11 | Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh | Electrical Disconnecting Device and Method for the Electrical Isolation of Connecting Parts with the Aid of a Disconnecting Device |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AT517907B1 (en) * | 2015-10-19 | 2019-06-15 | Hirtenberger Automotive Safety Gmbh & Co Kg | Pyrotechnic separator |
EP3401940B1 (en) * | 2017-05-09 | 2021-06-23 | ArianeGroup SAS | Pyrotechnic circuit breaker |
JP7037309B2 (en) * | 2017-09-15 | 2022-03-16 | 株式会社ダイセル | Electric circuit breaker |
-
2020
- 2020-03-24 GB GB2004270.1A patent/GB2591826A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2021
- 2021-02-10 WO PCT/EP2021/053145 patent/WO2021160642A1/en active Application Filing
- 2021-02-10 GB GB2211718.8A patent/GB2607503A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0936647A2 (en) * | 1998-02-17 | 1999-08-18 | Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. | Circuit breaking device |
US6448884B1 (en) * | 1999-08-27 | 2002-09-10 | Yazaki Corporation | Circuit breaker |
DE10209625A1 (en) * | 2002-03-05 | 2003-10-02 | Mbb Airbag Systems Gmbh | Pyrotechnic cutout for switching off a load e.g. in motor vehicle, has an ignition circuit, an operating current insulated from connection pieces and thermal separation between the connection pieces. |
US20130175144A1 (en) * | 2010-08-27 | 2013-07-11 | Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh | Electrical Disconnecting Device and Method for the Electrical Isolation of Connecting Parts with the Aid of a Disconnecting Device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2607503A (en) | 2022-12-07 |
GB202004270D0 (en) | 2020-05-06 |
GB202211718D0 (en) | 2022-09-28 |
GB2591826A (en) | 2021-08-11 |
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