US3128361A - High current switch arrangement for quick break - Google Patents

High current switch arrangement for quick break Download PDF

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Publication number
US3128361A
US3128361A US5066A US506660A US3128361A US 3128361 A US3128361 A US 3128361A US 5066 A US5066 A US 5066A US 506660 A US506660 A US 506660A US 3128361 A US3128361 A US 3128361A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
movable
stationary contacts
insulating barrier
disengaged position
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US5066A
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English (en)
Inventor
Kesselring Fritz
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.)
Siemens Schuckertwerke AG
Siemens Corp
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Siemens Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens Corp filed Critical Siemens Corp
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Publication of US3128361A publication Critical patent/US3128361A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/02—Details
    • H01H33/28—Power arrangements internal to the switch for operating the driving mechanism
    • H01H33/285—Power arrangements internal to the switch for operating the driving mechanism using electro-dynamic repulsion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H3/00—Mechanisms for operating contacts
    • H01H3/22—Power arrangements internal to the switch for operating the driving mechanism
    • H01H3/222—Power arrangements internal to the switch for operating the driving mechanism using electrodynamic repulsion
    • 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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a high speed circuit breaker having a high voltage rating and is more specifically directed to a high speed, high voltage circuit breaker of the electrodynamic type.
  • Electrodynamic circuit breakers are well known in the art and are described, for example, in copending application Serial No. 558,349, filed January 10, 1956, now Patent No. 2,951,188 entitled High Speed Contacting Device, and in US. Patent No. 2,916,579 to Kesselring et al.
  • the electrodynamic concept for the operating means of a circuit breaker results in extremely high speed circuit interruption whereby the recovery voltage during interruption at any instant is insufliicent to cause a breakdown over the distance between the movable and stationary elements.
  • the electrodynamic circuit breaker has had application mainly in connection with low voltage circuits.
  • this concept for high voltage circuits several problems arise.
  • the most important of these problems is that the stationary contacts must be sufficiently spaced from one another to prevent breakdown or restriking of the arc when the circuit breaker or interrupter is in its open position. Because of this and where the movable contact is of the bridging type, the mass of the movable contact is substantially increased since it must span this relatively large distance between the stationary contacts. Furthermore, the movable contact must retain the same current carrying cross-sectional area to prevent too high a temperature rise during normal operating conditions.
  • the principle of the present invention is to provide a high speed high voltage circuit breaker which operates on the electrodynamic principle wherein the movable contact is carried in an elongated insulating member which is interposed between the stationary contacts which are bridged by the movable contact.
  • This insulating barrier will, therefore, be interposed between the stationary contacts when the movable contact is moved to its open position and accordingly the stationary contacts may be more closely spaced than if the only dielectric between the stationary contacts were air.
  • typical commercially available solid insulat ing materials can be used for the insulating sheet which have a dielectric strength ten or more times greater than the dielectric strength of air at atmospheric pressure.
  • the distance which the movable contact must now span is substantially decreased. Furthermore, since the movable contact will generally have a small current carrying area in order to decrease its mass, its resistance is relatively high, but since the span of the contact is shorter, the net resistance introduced into the circuit by the movable contact is relatively lower so that the temperature increase of the circuit breaker may be decreased.
  • the insulating barrier may have a portion thereof connected to a short circuited winding which in turn is coupled to an operating winding.
  • an extremely high current will be induced in the short circuited winding whereby the short circuited winding and the insulating barrier which carries the movable contact will be accelerated toward the circuit breaker open position in the usual manner.
  • the primary object of this invention is to provide a novel high speed, high voltage circuit break-
  • Another object of this invention is to provide a novel high voltage circuit breaker using the electrodynamic operating principle.
  • a further object of this invention is to provide a novel high voltage circuit breaker which operates on the electrodynamic principle and utilizes an insulating follower for carrying the movable contact, whereby the insulating follower is interposed between a pair of stationary contacts.
  • a further object of this invention is to provide a novel high voltage circuit breaker wherein the movable contact is carried by an insulating sheet which is moved to a position interposed between a stationary contact and other points of different potential.
  • Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a novel insulating member for carrying the movable contact of an electrodynamic circuit breaker whereby the mass of the movable contact is substantially decreased.
  • FIGURE 1 shows a side cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGURE 2 shows a top plan view of FIGURE 1. 7
  • FIGURE 3 shows a side view of a second embodiment of a contact which can be used for the movable contact in the switch of FIGURE 1.
  • the circuit breaker of the invention is comprised of a first and second stationary contact 1 and 2, respectively, which are connected in a circuit to be protected (not shown) in any desired manner.
  • a bridging movable contact 3 has a prismatic cross-section and is elongated along the tapered contacting surface of the stationary contacts 1 and 2 bridges stationary contacts 1 and 2 as shown.
  • the movable contact 3 is carried by U-shaped insulating sheets 4 and 5 wherein the bottom legs of the U of the sheets are fastened by cementing and a slot is placed in this common bottom leg to accept movable contact 3.
  • the U-shaped strips -4 and 5, which comprise the insulating follower of the invention, are preferably formed to envelop either end of stationary contacts 1 and 2 as is best seen in FIGURE 2 and have their lower end rigidly connected in any desired manner to a short circuited winding 7 which may be a flat disc of conductive material such as copper or aluminum.
  • the disc 7 is normally supported by an insulating block 8 which is secured to some relatively fixed member and has an operating winding 9 embedded therein.
  • the circuit for energizing operating winding 9 may be derived from fault sensing elements associated with the circuit being protected as in the manner shown in above noted cope-nding application Serial No. 558,349 or by any method in accordance with the well-known principles of electrodynamic circuit breakers.
  • winding 9 When winding 9 is energized, an extremely high circulating current will be induced in short circuited winding 7. Since windings 7 and 9 are very closely coupled to one another, the magnetic fields generated by these windings will be extremely high and will repel one another with very great force.
  • mechanism 10 is comprised of an insulating housing 12 which has a central bore therein for carrying a com p-ression spring 13.
  • the compression spring 13 operates a plunger .14 which bears on an output link 15 which is pivoted at a relatively fixed pivot 16.
  • a similar output link 17 is provided for spring mechanism 11 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.
  • Each of the output links 15 and 17 bears directly upon the top of insulating members 4 and 5 to bias them downwardly to thereby drive movable contact 3 into high pressure contact engagement with stationary contacts 1 and 2.
  • members 15 and 17 will operate to hold insulating members 4 and 5 in an upward position when the movable switch structure is moved upwardly to a disengaged position.
  • the weight of the movable contact 3 was 1.8 grams, and the total Weight of the movable system not including disc 7 was approximately 40 grams.
  • the closing contact pressure from links 15 and 17 was 20 kilograms to give a contact resistance of 20 microohms. With this construction, the temperature rise in the movable contact was found to be 2 C. higher than the temperature of the stationary contacts 1 and 2. The operating time for this type of circuit breaker was found to be a fraction of a millisecond.
  • the shape of the movable contact 3 may, of course, assume many forms.
  • the movable contact is illustrated as being formed of a plurality of segments 18 cemented to a common plate 19 which may be of rubber which serves the purpose of plate 6 of FIGURE 1 as well as to provide a common support for segments 18.
  • the contact resistance was found to be decreased from 20 microohms for the solid movable contact of FIGURE 1 to approximately 10 micro-ohms.
  • the resistance of the movable contact may be reduced to values comparable to the contact resistance whereby the net resistance of the contact arrangement is reduced and the temperature rise is corre spondin'gly reduced.
  • parallel circuit means could be provided for stationary contacts 1 and 2 such as a resistor 20, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, which will reduce the rate of rise of recovery voltage during interrupting conditions.
  • a switching means may be connected in series with resistor 15 to achieve final circuit interruption of the current flow therethrough.
  • the resistor 15 could be replaced by a fuse which would operate first as a low resistor to control the recovery voltage across contacts 1 and 2 and thereafter serve as a final interrupting means for the circuit.
  • a high voltage circuit breaker comprising a pair of stationary contacts positioned in spaced relation with respect to one another and a movable bridging contact; an operating means for said movable bridging contact; said operating means being operable to move said movable contact between an engaged and disengaged position; said operating means being a high speed operating means operable to move said bridging contact to said contact disengaged position at a speed whereby recovery voltage at any instant is insufficient to cause breakdown from said movable contacts to said stationary contacts; and an insulating barrier means; said insulating barrier means being interposed between said pair of stationary contacts when said movable bridging contact is moved to said disengaged position; said pair of stationary contacts being relatively closely spaced with respect to one another relative to their required spacing in the absence of said insulating barrier whereby the mass of said movable contact is decreased; said movable bridging contact being carried by said insulating barrier; a spring biasing means; said spring biasing means being operatively connected to said insulating
  • a high voltage circuit breaker comprising a pair of stationary contacts positioned in spaced relation with respect to one another and a movable bridging contact; an operating means for said movable bridging contact; said operating means being operable to move said movable contact between an engaged and disengaged position; said operating means being a high speed operating means operable to move said bridging contact to said contact disengaged position at a speed whereby recovery voltage at any instant is insuificient to cause breakdown from said movable contacts to said stationary contacts; and an insulating barrier means; said insulating barrier means being interposed between said pair of stationary contacts when said movable bridging contact is moved to said disengaged position; said pair of stationary contacts being relatively closely spaced with respect to one another relative to their required spacing in the absence of said insulating barrier whereby the mass of said movable contact is decreased; said movable bridging contact being carried by said insulating barrier;
  • biasing means being operatively connected to said insulating barrier for biasing said movable contact toward said engaged position and for providing contact pressure; said biasing means being characterized in having its biasing force sharply decreased to Zero immediately after movement of said movable bridging contact toward its said disengaged position.

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US5066A 1959-02-17 1960-01-27 High current switch arrangement for quick break Expired - Lifetime US3128361A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DES0061785 1959-02-17

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US3128361A true US3128361A (en) 1964-04-07

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US (1) US3128361A (de)
CH (1) CH379599A (de)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3402272A (en) * 1965-07-22 1968-09-17 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Dual path current limiting circuit breaker
US3482070A (en) * 1965-12-03 1969-12-02 Asea Ab Vacuum d.c. breaker with relative contact movement interposing a non-conductor to extinguish arc
US3530304A (en) * 1968-08-21 1970-09-22 Ite Imperial Corp Driving circuit for impulse coils with capacitor shorting switch
US3542985A (en) * 1967-01-27 1970-11-24 Asea Ab Circuit breaker for high voltage direct current
US3558907A (en) * 1969-01-22 1971-01-26 Ite Imperial Corp Impulse coil system for transmitting shock wave through stationary rod
US4631508A (en) * 1984-09-07 1986-12-23 Ferraz Electro-mechanical devices incorporating fuse cartridges

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE59009511D1 (de) * 1990-03-28 1995-09-14 Siemens Ag Schnellschalter.

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1894543A (en) * 1931-09-15 1933-01-17 Trumbull Electric Mfg Co Electric switch
US2130589A (en) * 1937-07-19 1938-09-20 American Electric Switch Corp Spring action rotary switch
US2277422A (en) * 1940-03-08 1942-03-24 Gen Electric Electric circuit breaker
US2284347A (en) * 1938-09-08 1942-05-26 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Circuit interrupter
US2450256A (en) * 1945-07-31 1948-09-28 Trumbull Electric Mfg Co Electric switch
US2890309A (en) * 1957-06-26 1959-06-09 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Multiple break electric switch
US2916579A (en) * 1954-03-11 1959-12-08 Siemens Ag Electrodynamic circuit breaker
US2971130A (en) * 1956-01-10 1961-02-07 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Electro-dynamic switching device

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1894543A (en) * 1931-09-15 1933-01-17 Trumbull Electric Mfg Co Electric switch
US2130589A (en) * 1937-07-19 1938-09-20 American Electric Switch Corp Spring action rotary switch
US2284347A (en) * 1938-09-08 1942-05-26 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Circuit interrupter
US2277422A (en) * 1940-03-08 1942-03-24 Gen Electric Electric circuit breaker
US2450256A (en) * 1945-07-31 1948-09-28 Trumbull Electric Mfg Co Electric switch
US2916579A (en) * 1954-03-11 1959-12-08 Siemens Ag Electrodynamic circuit breaker
US2971130A (en) * 1956-01-10 1961-02-07 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Electro-dynamic switching device
US2890309A (en) * 1957-06-26 1959-06-09 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Multiple break electric switch

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3402272A (en) * 1965-07-22 1968-09-17 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Dual path current limiting circuit breaker
US3482070A (en) * 1965-12-03 1969-12-02 Asea Ab Vacuum d.c. breaker with relative contact movement interposing a non-conductor to extinguish arc
US3542985A (en) * 1967-01-27 1970-11-24 Asea Ab Circuit breaker for high voltage direct current
US3530304A (en) * 1968-08-21 1970-09-22 Ite Imperial Corp Driving circuit for impulse coils with capacitor shorting switch
US3558907A (en) * 1969-01-22 1971-01-26 Ite Imperial Corp Impulse coil system for transmitting shock wave through stationary rod
US4631508A (en) * 1984-09-07 1986-12-23 Ferraz Electro-mechanical devices incorporating fuse cartridges

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH379599A (de) 1964-07-15

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