Information
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Patent Grant
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6207917
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Patent Number
6,207,917
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Date Filed
Wednesday, December 29, 199924 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, March 27, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
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Original Assignees
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Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 218 43
- 218 45
- 218 46
- 218 51
- 218 52
- 218 53
- 218 54
- 218 57
- 218 59
- 218 60
- 218 61
- 218 62
- 218 63
- 218 64
- 218 65
- 218 118
- 218 120
- 218 154
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A compressed gas-blast is described having a first, actuatable arcing contact, a second, stationary arcing contact, a rated current path running concentrically to the contacts, as well as having a compression device, at least the first, actuatable arcing contact being supported by a switching tube. A discharge volume provided at the outlet of the switching tube is separated from an intake area by a separating wall, the discharge volume is connected to the low-pressure chamber via discharge openings.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker having a first, actuatable arcing contact, a second stationary arcing contact, a rated current path, running concentrically with regard to the arcing contacts, the rated (nominal) current path having a first, actuatable rated current contact and a stationary rated current contact, as well as having a compression device which can be connected via a fill-up valve to a low-pressure chamber arranged radially outside of the rated current path. At least the first, actuatable arcing contact has an annular configuration and is supported by a switching tube, through whose outlet switching gases resulting from the breaking operation arrive in a discharge volume. The discharge volume is connected to the low-pressure chamber via discharge openings provided radially with respect to the switching tube.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker of this type, regarding its contact arrangement and configuration, is described in, for example, German Patent No. 25 32 088. In this circuit breaker the first, actuatable arcing contact has an annular configuration and is supported by a switching tube through which switching gases resulting from the breaking operation arrive in a discharge volume, which is a low-pressure chamber. In this context, the contact arrangement has a compression device assigned to it, which can be connected to the discharge volume via a fill-up valve, as is also described in German Patent No. 26 18 087.
Irrespective of how compressed gas-blast circuit-breakers of this type are configured, i.e., even if the arcing contacts have a heating space assigned to them that is connected to the compression device via a non-return (stop) valve (a compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker of this type, for example, is described in German Patent 38 33 564), the flow of switching gases resulting from the breaking operation through the switching tube supporting the first, actuatable arcing contact into the discharge volume is always associated with a disadvantage affecting the breaking capacity of the compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker. This is true particularly because in response to a high-speed re-closing, it is unavoidable that the non-ionized quenching gas present in the fill-up valve mixes with the switching gas in the discharge volume contaminated by decomposition products and by vaporized materials.
SUMMARY
An object of the present invention is to provide a compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker in which, in response to a high-speed reclosing, the non-ionized quenching gas, present in the fill-up valve of the compression device and necessary for the subsequent breaking operation, is not polluted by the ionized and contaminated switching gas resulting from a breaking operation.
This objective is achieved by providing for an intake (suction) area between the cylinder base of the compression volume receiving the fill-up valve and the discharge volume, the intake area being spatially separated from the latter, and being connected to the low-pressure chamber via openings provided radially in the rated current path which runs concentrically with respect to the arcing contacts.
In this context, the additionally created intake area is spatially separated from the discharge volume by partitioning the latter from the intake area by a separating wall which is fixedly joined to the inner wall of the rated current path, configured particularly as a stationary compression cylinder. It is advantageous to configure the separating wall as a cowl (cover), which in its cylindrical area can be connected to the inner wall of the rated current path using a welding, soldering or adhesive connection.
If a high-speed re-closing occurs with a compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker configured in this way, the non-ionized quenching gas that is present in the fill-up valve of the compression device and is necessary for the subsequent breaking operation is made available to the compression device via the intake area without being polluted in the process by the ionized and contaminated quenching gas resulting from the breaking operation. Instead, the ionized quenching gas arrives in a discharge volume that is spatially separated from the intake area, before it is fed to the low-pressure chamber.
As a result of the fact, moreover, that in this compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker, the rated current path, in the area of the discharge openings assigned to the discharge volume and provided radially with respect to the switching tube, is surrounded at a distance from the openings by a baffle, it is at the same time achieved that the polluted quenching gas is additionally swirled and, in particular, does not directly encounter the interior wall of the housing. The quenching gas resulting from a breaking operation, however, is temporally delayed with respect to the initiation of the filling operation of the compression device and is fed, in response to a high-speed re-closing, via the intake area to the low-pressure chamber as de-ionized quenching gas, which then is available for further use after being mixed together with the cold quenching gas located here.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The FIGURE shows a partial view of a compressed gas-blast circuit breaker according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to the present invention is illustrated in the FIGURE. In this FIGURE, the circuit-breaker is shown in relation to switch axis
1
, half in the closed position and half in the open position. That is, the left side of the axis
1
shows the movable switch parts in the switch-off position; the right side of the; axis
1
shows the moveable switch parts in the on position. The moveable switch parts include the switching tube
12
having a movable arcing contact
2
, the movable rated current contact
5
, and the insulating nozzle body
10
. In this context, the compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker is includes a first, actuatable arcing contact
2
, a second, stationary arcing contact
3
, a rated current path
4
, running concentrically to the contacts and having a first, actuatable rated current contact
5
. In addition, provision is made for a stationary rated current contact
6
as well as for a heating chamber
7
partially surrounding first, actuatable arcing contact
2
. The heating chamber is connected via a non-return valve
8
to a compression device
9
. The first, actuatable arcing contact
2
is connected to an insulating nozzle body
10
, which has a gas duct
12
that can connect arcing chamber
11
to heating chamber
7
after the initiation of a breaking operation, the gas duct discharging into arcing chamber
11
. The arcing contact is configured as a tulip contact and is supported by a switching tube
13
, which is connected to switch rod
14
.
The FIGURE further shows a external cylinder wall
30
, an interior cylinder wall
31
, and a base area
32
. The parts (i.e.,
30
,
31
and
32
) form a piston that can be moved in a cylinder formed by the rated current path
4
, the switching tube
13
and the cylinder base
21
.
As can further be seen from the FIGURE, after the separation of arcing contacts
2
,
3
in a breaking operation, outlet
15
, formed by a radial opening of switching tube
13
, is located in a discharge volume
16
, so that the quenching gas resulting from a breaking operation, including the at least partially cooled quenching gas, flowing back in the last phase of a breaking operation from heating chamber
7
via gas duct
12
into arcing chamber
11
, arrives via switching tube
13
into discharge volume
16
. This quenching gas is fed via discharge openings
17
within rated current path
4
to low-pressure chamber
18
arranged radially outside rated current path
4
. In order that this quenching gas, as ionized quenching gas, be swirled before being fed into low-pressure chamber
18
, which is bordered at its outer periphery by an insulating body
19
, rated current path
4
in the area of discharge openings
17
is surrounded by a baffle
20
, which is arranged with clearance with respect to discharge openings
17
.
The FIGURE also shows that an intake area
23
immediately adjoins cylinder base
21
of compression volume
22
of compression device
9
, the intake area being also connected to low-pressure chamber
18
via openings
24
radially provided in rated current path
4
. In this context, intake area
23
is spatially partitioned off from discharge volume
16
by a partition wall
26
fixedly connected to inner wall
25
of rated current path
4
, the partition wall, configured as a cowl, being connected in a gas-tight manner at its cylindrical area
27
to inner wall
25
of rated current path
4
.
If, after a breaking operation, a high-speed re-closing should take place using this compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker, then directly upon the initiation of the closing operation after the opening of fill-up valve
28
provided in cylinder base
21
(cylinder base
21
also has pressure relief valve
29
) non-ionized quenching gas is fed via intake area
23
to compression volume
22
of compression device
9
from low-pressure chamber
18
. Although at this time point, there is still at least partially ionized quenching gas in discharge volume
16
resulting from the breaking operation, this does not influence the non-ionized quenching gas fed to compression volume
22
via intake area
23
. However this means that the compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker in response to a high-speed re-closing, is also distinguished by a breaking performance of undiminished quality.
Claims
- 1. A compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker, comprising:an actuatable arcing contact having an annular configuration; a stationary arcing contact; a rated current path concentric with the actuatable arcing contact and the stationary arcing contact, the rated current path including an actuatable rated current contact, and a stationary rated current contact, intake area openings being provided radially in the rated current path and concentrically with the actuatable arcing contact and the stationary arcing contact; a compression device connectable via a fill-up valve to a low-pressure chamber arranged radially outside of the rated current path, the compression device including a cylinder base accommodating the fill-up valve; and a switching tube supporting the first actuatable arcing contact, the switching tube having an outlet through which switching gases resulting from a breaking operation arrive in a discharge volume, the discharge volume being connected to the low-pressure chamber via discharge openings provided radially with respect to the switching tube, an intake area being provided between the cylinder base of the compression device and the discharge volume, the intake area being separated spatially from the discharge volume and connected to the low-pressure chamber via the intake area openings in the rated current path.
- 2. The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to claim 1, further comprising:a separating wall partitioning the discharge volume from the intake area, the separating wall being fixedly connected to an inner wall of the rated current path.
- 3. The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to claim 2, wherein the separating wall is configured as a cowl.
- 4. The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to claim 3, wherein the separating wall includes a cylindrical area connected to the inner wall of the rated current path using one of a welded connection, solder, and an adhesive.
- 5. The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to claim 4, wherein the discharge openings are surrounded by a baffle at a distance from the discharge openings.
- 6. The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to claim 1, wherein the intake area and the discharge volume are sealed from each other in a gas-tight manner.
- 7. The compressed gas-blast circuit-breaker according to claim 2, wherein the separating wall separates the intake area and the discharge volume in a gas-tight manner.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
297 06 202 U |
Mar 1997 |
DE |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/DE98/00921 |
|
WO |
00 |
12/12/1999 |
12/12/1999 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO98/43265 |
10/1/1998 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5723840 |
Bojic et al. |
Mar 1998 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (11)
Number |
Date |
Country |
574 162 |
Mar 1976 |
CH |
25 32 088 |
May 1976 |
DE |
26 18 087 |
Oct 1977 |
DE |
28 44 323 |
Jun 1979 |
DE |
30 12 964 |
Oct 1980 |
DE |
31 32 825 |
Jan 1983 |
DE |
33 15 622 |
Dec 1983 |
DE |
38 33 564 |
Jun 1989 |
DE |
195 47 522 |
Jan 1997 |
DE |
0 436 951 |
Jul 1991 |
EP |
2 011 718 |
Jul 1979 |
GB |