The present invention relates to the field of devices for protecting electrical circuits and more precisely protection devices associated with current-breaker devices of the circuit-breaker or switch type used to protect electrical circuits, for example medium-voltage, high-voltage, and very-high-voltage electrical networks.
This pair 2 of contacts is able to assume an open position or a closed position. In
The electrical circuit 3 may be a power transformer or a medium-voltage, high-voltage, or very-high-voltage line, for example, such as an overhead or underground line or a cable connection of some other type. A trigger coil 5 is connected in series with the pair 4 of signaling contacts. This trigger coil 5 operates in a similar way to the coil of an electromagnet; it releases a member, for example a very powerful spring (not shown), that leading to opening of the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20.
The protection device 1 includes a device 1.1 for measuring the current and/or voltage delivered by the secondaries of current and voltage transformers in the electrical circuit 3, not shown and referred to as measurement transformers, plus at least one pair 6 of trigger contacts 6.1, 6.2 and a device 1.2 for commanding operation of the pair 6 of trigger contacts as a function of the measured values. The control device 1.2 may include an electromagnet-type element (not shown); it holds the pair 6 of trigger contacts in the open position in the absence of a fault and in the closed position if a fault is detected. This pair 6 of trigger contacts is connected in series with the pair 4 of signaling contacts 4.1, 4.2 and the trigger coil 5. Thus in the absence of a fault the trigger coil 5 is not energized, because it is not supplied with current. In the absence of fault in the electrical circuit 3, the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 are in the closed position, as are the pair 4 of signaling contacts.
At time t4 the fault has disappeared, and because the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 are in the open position, the current flowing in the electrical circuit 3 is broken.
At time t5, the measurement device 1.1 of the protection device 1 detects that the current has been broken in the electrical circuit 3 and the control device 1.2 commands opening of the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device 1. At time t6, the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device 1 open. The notation dt1 denotes the triggering time of the protection device 1, i.e. the time between the time t0 of appearance of the fault and the time t2 of closing the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device 1. The notation dt2 denotes the off-delay time of the trigger contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts, i.e. the time between the time t4 of the fault disappearing and the time t6 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device opening.
The situation in
The sequence of operations is identical to that described above between times t0 and t2. The pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 are not opened or not opened sufficiently at time t3 since the current-breaker device 20 is inoperative. In this situation, the fault is eliminated at time t3 by opening the contacts of another current-breaker device (not shown) upstream of the faulty current-breaker device 20.
The pair of contacts of this upstream current-breaker device are opened after an upstream protection device associated with them has detected the fault and commanded opening, as described with reference to
At time t4, the measurement device 1.1 of the protection device 1 detects that the current in the electrical circuit 3 has been broken and commands the opening of the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device 1. The time interval between times t1 and t4 is of the order of 300 milliseconds (ms) to 500 ms, for example. At time t5, the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device are opened. However, the pair 4 of signaling contacts have not been opened because they are mechanically coupled to the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20, which in this situation is faulty. Current therefore flows in the trigger coil 5. The contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts must therefore break this current when they are opened. The current flowing in the trigger coil 5 is generally greater than the break capacity of the contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts. On breaking this current, the contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts will be damaged. It is of course possible to replace them each time they are damaged after failure of the contacts 2.1, 2.2 of the current-breaker device 20 to open. That solution is costly since it requires a specific maintenance operation. Moreover, if the operator fails to replace the pair of trigger contacts, there is a very high risk of the pair of trigger contacts not closing in the event of a new fault.
This problem of damaging the trigger contacts 6.1, 6.2 can be solved by further providing in the protection device 1 an intermediate relay 7 having a coil 7.3 in series with the contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts and at least one pair of contacts 7.1, 7.2 connected in series with the pair 4 of signaling contacts and the trigger coil 5 (see
Another known solution is to introduce into the protection device 1 a surveillance device 8 for monitoring the current feeding the trigger coil 5 (see
The drawback of this configuration is again its cost and the degraded reliability of the protection device.
The present invention relates to a protection device to be associated with a device for breaking a current flowing in an electrical circuit, the current-breaker device including at least one pair of trigger contacts and having an increased service life.
The invention also relates to a protection device of the above kind in which the risk of damage is low and of cost that is also low, compared to the prior art solution that entails adding components. The invention further relates to a protection device of the above kind of reliability that is improved relative to the prior art solution that entails adding components.
To achieve this, the present invention proposes, in the event of a fault, to provide a time-delay for detecting failure of the current-breaker device and, if the fault persists at the end of the time-delay, to prevent opening of the pair of trigger contacts pending operator intervention. This time-delay is independent of the implementation of means for actuating an upstream breaking and protection device, but it is used for its action on the trigger contacts of the trigger coil for opening the protection device according to the invention.
To be more precise, the present invention provides a protection device to be associated with a current-breaker device in an electrical circuit, this current-breaker device including at least one pair of electrical contacts; in particular, the electrical circuit comprises a trigger coil in series with contacts intended to break the current in said coil when the circuit breaker is opened. The protection device includes a measuring device for detecting a fault in the electrical circuit, at least one pair of trigger contacts adapted to assume a closed position or an open position and to energize a trigger coil adapted to operate the pair of contacts of the current-breaker device and a control device which commands the pair of trigger contacts depending on a signal from the measuring device. The control device commands launching of a time-delay by the time-delay means and closing of the pair of trigger contacts in the event of detection of a fault by the measuring device at the end of the time-delay, in the event of disappearance of the fault detected by the measuring device, opening of the pair of trigger contacts, at the end of the time-delay, in the event of the fault persisting detected by the measuring device, barring of opening pending intervention by an operator, the time-delay being sufficiently long for the pair of contacts of the current-breaker device to have had time to open before it ends and beginning sufficiently soon for the pair of contacts of the current-breaker device not to have had time to open when it is launched, if the current-breaker device is operational.
A typical value of the time-delay lies in the range approximately 100 ms to 150 ms.
Launching the time-delay and commanding closing of the pair of trigger contacts is substantially simultaneous.
The present invention also provides a method of protecting at least one pair of trigger contacts of a protection device to be associated with a current-breaker device in an electrical circuit, this current-breaker device including at least one pair of contacts, the method including a step of detecting a fault in the electrical circuit, a step of closing the pair of trigger contacts adapted to energize a trigger coil adapted to operate the pair of contacts of the current-breaker device to open it. It includes further
The step of opening the pair of trigger contacts may be executed only if the fault has disappeared at the end of the time-delay
Alternatively, the step of opening the pair of trigger contacts may executed if the fault disappears while the time-delay is still running.
It is preferable for the step of launching the time-delay and the step of closing the pair of trigger contacts to be substantially simultaneous. The time-delay is provided so that the presence or absence of a fault can be verified after the current-breaker device has received a command to open.
The present invention can be better understood after reading the following description of embodiments of the invention given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
Well-known structures are not shown in detail in order not to burden the following description to no purpose.
The
As soon as a current and/or voltage fault is detected and the triggering criteria are met, these criteria being for example simply an overcurrent or an overcurrent combined with a low voltage, the control device 1.2 of the protection device 1 commands closing of the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device (block 402). A time-delay is then launched, preferably simultaneously with the command to close the pair 6 of trigger contacts (block 403). The protection device 1 knows the time at which it commands the closing of the pair of trigger contacts. In contrast, it does not know the time at which the pair of trigger contacts will actually close.
Alternatively, it may be envisaged that the time-delay begins a little later, after the command to close the pair of trigger contacts, or a little sooner, between detecting the fault and the command to close the pair 6 of trigger contacts.
In all circumstances, the time-delay begins before the pair of contacts of the current-breaker device have had time to open. This timing naturally applies to satisfactory operation of the current-breaker device. Thus the time-delay begins before the pair 4 of signaling contacts have actually been able to open.
Moreover, the time-delay has a sufficient duration so that, once it has ended, the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 have had sufficient time to open if the current-breaker device 20 is not faulty.
The time-delay is set with a comfortable margin to prevent it ending before the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 have opened sufficiently to break the current in the electrical circuit 3, in particular if the relative movement of the contacts 2.1, 2.2 is slow. In practice, the time-delay may have a duration lying in the range 100 ms to 150 ms if it is considered that, when the current-breaker device is operative, about 60 ms elapse after the closing of the pair of trigger contacts 6 before its pair of contacts open and the fault current is broken. The typical duration tbreak of the time-delay TA is given in the description of
Closing the pair 6 of trigger contacts energizes the trigger coil 5 which opens the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 if said device is not faulty; opening the pair 2 of contacts of the breaker device 20 leads to opening of the pair 4 of signaling contacts.
In
Alternatively, if in the block 404 the measurement device 1.1 still detects a fault in the electrical circuit 3, this means that the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 have not been opened. The current-breaker device 20 is faulty. The pair 4 of signaling contacts are therefore not opened either, because they are mechanically connected to the pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20. The control device 1.2 of the protection device 1 prohibits opening of the pair 6 of trigger contacts pending operator intervention (block 406). This barring of opening ensures that the contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts will not be damaged when they are immobilized in the closed position. An alarm may be actuated to alert an operator to the necessity for intervention. The operator must intervene for the pair of trigger contacts to return to a condition favorable to opening, i.e. without current flowing in the trigger coil 5 and thus in the pair 6 of trigger contacts. The operator commands this opening. The risk of damage will have disappeared as the pair 6 of trigger contacts will no longer be carrying current.
The flowchart of
At time t0, a fault occurs in the electrical circuit downstream of the current-breaker device. The shapes of the current and voltage in the measurement device in the electrical circuit are indicated. A fault current appears but has not yet been detected by the protection device. At time t1, the measurement device of the protection device detects the fault. The control device of the protection device is activated and at time t2 the pair of trigger contacts are closed, energizing the trigger coil. In this example, the time-delay also begins at this time t2. It could begin sooner or later, as explained above. The trigger coil 5 is energized by the flow of current following closing of the pair 6 of trigger contacts. At time t3, the pair of contacts of the current-breaker device and the pair 4 of signaling contacts are opened. Opening the pair 4 of signaling contacts breaks the energization current flowing in the trigger coil 5. Its contacts 4.1, 4.2 are dimensioned for this purpose, i.e. to withstand the inevitable electrical arc that appears when the contacts open.
At time t4 the fault has disappeared, signifying that the current-breaker device 20 has broken the current in the electrical circuit 3.
At time t5 the measuring device of the protection device detects that the current has been broken in the electrical circuit 3 and that the fault has disappeared. However, the pair 6 of trigger contacts of the protection device cannot open before the end of the time-delay TA. It is at the end of the time-delay TA that the pair of trigger contacts are either actuated or not.
Time t6 marks the end of the time-delay TA. No fault is detected by the measuring device 1.1 as the current-breaker device 20 has broken the current in the electrical circuit 3. At time t7, the pair 6 of trigger contacts are opened. The pair 6 of trigger contacts may be opened because the control device was activated as soon as the disappearance of the fault before the end of the time-delay TA was detected, but this activation was without effect as the time-delay TA had not ended.
The trigger coil 5 is no longer energized because no current is flowing, having been broken at time t3 on opening of the pair 4 of signaling contacts. There is no risk of damaging the contacts 6.1, 6.2 of the pair 6 of trigger contacts.
In the variant shown in
In
Referring to
The situation in
The chaining of the operations is identical to that described above between times t0 and t2. The time-delay also begins at time t2. The pair 2 of contacts of the current-breaker device 20 are not opened at the time shown as t3 in
Before effecting this opening operation, the operator must ensure that the current in the trigger coil is broken, for example by disconnecting the supply or opening the current-breaker device manually.
The protection device of the invention is reliable and does not introduce any additional hardware cost compared to known solutions such as those shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 53659 | May 2010 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP11/57544 | 5/10/2011 | WO | 00 | 1/3/2013 |