Patent Application
20240321541
This disclosure generally relates to a medium voltage fuse assembly and methods of manufacture, and more specifically to the manufacture of medium voltage fuse assembly employing glass rod winding fixtures and spiral wound elements.
Medium and high-voltage fuses are typically constructed with long fuse elements that are configured by linear accordion-shaped bends or helical spiral forms. Fuse elements that are configured in the helical form are typically wound on a star- or spider-shaped ceramic core. Additional fuse elements may be configured in parallel by placing the elements at angular intervals about the core diameter, limited by the spacing requirements for separating arcs along and between the fuse elements. When even more fuse elements are needed, an outer winding of elements can be incorporated at a greater diameter of the first core windings. However, the outer winding of elements is difficult to incorporate because the outer windings must be separated a certain distance from the inner winding. Conventional techniques typically place removable fixtures within the fuse assembly, wind the fuse elements onto the fixtures, fill the fuse assembly with compacted sand, and then remove the fixtures from the fuse assembly. Such conventional techniques face issues of maintaining the outer winding of fuse elements symmetrically spaced apart from the inner winding of fuse elements, for example, because the sand filler can drift and move within the fuse assembly due to dimensional influences over time from thermal cycling and shock and vibration. Over time the outer elements can also drift and move resulting in the outer elements being positioned either too close to the inside wall of the fuse tube or too close to adjacent parallel elements. In such conditions, the fuse may become hazardous and risk the safety of those relying on the fuse.
Thus, there is a need for an improved arrangement of fuse elements in a fuse assembly that can eliminate the drifting of the fuse elements. Also, there is a need to cost cut and reduce the total materials for manufacturing the fuse assembly.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the present named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a medium and/or high voltage fuse employing spiral wound elements and glass rod winding fixtures. In particular, embodiments provide a fuse assembly with a plurality of glass rods. Each glass rod may be elongated, and each end of each glass rod may be coupled to an end plate. For example, a first end of each glass rod may be coupled to a first end plate, and a second end of each glass rod may be coupled to a second end plate. In an embodiment, each end of each glass rod may be coupled to the respective end plate through a plurality of anchor points, where each anchor point may be configured to couple an end of each glass rod. Such a way of coupling each end of each glass rod with one anchor point positions each glass rod of the plurality of glass rods detached from other glass rods and radially spaced from each of the other glass rods. In an embodiment, the plurality of glass rods may be wound by a fuse element in a helical fashion. In an embodiment, the plurality of glass rods together may be wound by a plurality of fuse elements where each fuse element may be parallel to another fuse element. Each end of the fuse element may be conductively coupled to the first end plate and the second end plate, respectively.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fuse assembly having a first set of a plurality of glass rods corresponding to an outer portion of the fuse assembly and a second set of a plurality of glass rods corresponding to an inner portion of the fuse assembly. Each glass rod in the first set may be detached and radially spaced from the other glass rods. Each glass rod in the second set may be detached and radially spaced from other glass rods of the second set. In an embodiment, end plates may be configured with anchor points to which glass rods can be secured to. Fuse elements may be wound around the glass rods, respectively to the inner and outer portions. The fuse elements may be conductively coupled to the end plates. In an embodiment, one or more rod support spacers may be configured between, for example, the glass rods corresponding to the inner portion to support the radial structure of the glass rods. In an embodiment, the fuse assembly may be encased in a housing or a casing that may be filled with compact fuse fillers. The fuse elements may be wound around the rods, and the rods may provide structural support to the fuse elements. The fuse assembly may be filled with arc quenching sand fillers, which may provide further structural support to the fuse elements.
The embodiments disclosed herein are only examples, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited to them. Particular embodiments may include all, some, or none of the components, elements, features, functions, operations, or steps of the embodiments disclosed herein. The dependencies or references back in the attached claims are chosen for formal reasons only. However, any subject matter resulting from a deliberate reference back to any previous claims (in particular multiple dependencies) can be claimed as well, so that any combination of claims and the features thereof are disclosed and can be claimed regardless of the dependencies chosen in the attached claims. The subject matter which can be claimed comprises not only the combinations of features as set out in the attached claims but also any other combination of features in the claims, wherein each feature mentioned in the claims can be combined with any other feature or combination of other features in the claims. Furthermore, any of the embodiments and features described or depicted herein can be claimed in a separate claim and/or in any combination with any embodiment or feature described or depicted herein or with any of the features of the attached claims. Additional objects and advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. The objects and advantages will also be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the claimed invention.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following Figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various drawings unless otherwise specified.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.
In an embodiment, one or more rods in the outer portion and/or the inner portion may be configured with an inner chamber. The inner chamber in the rod may be filled with an arc-quenching filler. The arc-quenching filler acts as an arc-quenching medium, examples of which include quartz silica sand and liquid sodium silicate binder. The arc-quenching liquid in the inner chamber of the rods provides improved performance by reducing the impact of arc events.
In an embodiment, a fuse assembly 400 may be configured with one or more rod support spacers 422. For example,
In an embodiment, fuse elements may be wound around the rods. For example, in
In particular embodiments, the rods may be configured to be placed between two end plates 482. In an embodiment, the end plates may be metal plates that are welded or soldered in place. In other embodiments, the end plates may be made of any other conductive material suitable for fuse operations.
In an embodiment, a fuse assembly 400 may be configured with anchor points to which rods may be secured to. For example,
In an embodiment, a fuse assembly 400 may be filled with an arc quenching filler (e.g., compacted sand). In an embodiment, the fuse assembly 400 may be filled with the filler material before the end plates 482 and/or the end cap covers 492 are fitted to the fuse assembly 400. In some embodiments, the end plates 482 may be configured with holes through which the filler material may be inserted into. As discussed previously, the rod spacers may be configured with one or more holes 420, as shown in
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide medium or high voltage fuses that employ spiral wound elements supported by rods, which may replace the usages of a ceramic core. In particular, the use of rods to wind and fix spiral fuse elements provides increased reliability by minimizing the fuse elements from drifting within the fuse assembly.
Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B” means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.
The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates respective embodiments herein as including particular components, elements, feature, functions, operations, or steps, any of these embodiments may include any combination or permutation of any of the components, elements, features, functions, operations, or steps described or illustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Furthermore, reference in the appended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative. Additionally, although this disclosure describes or illustrates particular embodiments as providing particular advantages, particular embodiments may provide none, some, or all of these advantages.
