EXTINGUISH CHAMBER FOR BIDIRECTIONAL DC, SWITCHING SYSTEM AND AERIAL

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting chamber, as well as a cutting system and an aircraft.

[0002] The invention is particularly applicable to high voltages, for example from 800V, such as those that may be present on board an aircraft. Technological background

[0003] A bidirectional direct current switching chamber generally comprises: first and second fixed contacts; a movable contact designed to move between: a closed position in which the movable contact is in contact with the fixed contacts, respectively in first and second contact zones, and an open position in which the movable contact is away from the fixed contacts.

[0004] Such a breaking chamber is called a double breaking chamber because the moving contact separates from two fixed contacts.

[0005] When the breaking chamber opens, an electric arc occurs between the moving contact and each contact area. If these electric arcs were to remain in place, they could, over time, damage the contacts.

[0006] Magnetic blowing is a technique used to move the electric arc away from contacts, specifically to direct it to an arc dispersion unit. This technique involves using a magnetic field so that the Laplace force displaces the electric arc.

[0007] Indeed, the Laplace force is given by: dF = I · dl ∧ B , with F the force applied to the electric arc, I the current of the electric arc, l the element through which the electric arc passes, B the magnetic field to which the electric arc is subjected.

[0008] It may be desirable to reduce the compactness of the contactor.

[0009] US patent application published under number US 2014 / 166620 A1 describes a double-cut chamber, as does US patent application US 2014 / 360982 A1. Japanese patent application JP 2016 004622 A describes a single-cut chamber. Summary of the invention

[0010] Therefore, a bidirectional direct current interruption chamber is proposed, according to claim 1.

[0011] Thanks to the invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the magnetic field generation device by overlapping the guiding zones. This improves the compactness of the cutoff chamber. Furthermore, when two such cutoff chambers are combined, the dispersion units of one can be positioned opposite the dispersion units of the other, leaving a central space between them for easy venting of ionization gases.

[0012] Optional features of this cutting chamber are specified in claims 2 to 5.

[0013] A cutting system according to claim 6 and an aircraft according to claim 7 and claim 8 are also proposed. Brief description of the figures

[0014] The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: there figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of an example of a cutting chamber according to the invention, the figure 2 is a three-dimensional view of the contacts in the switching chamber of the figure 1 , there figure 3 is a top view of the cutting chamber of the figure 1 , there figure 4 is a view of one side of the cutting chamber of the figure 1 , there figure 5 is a view from the other side of the cutting chamber of the figure 1 , there figure 6is a side view with the first and second pairs of guides superimposed, to see their overlap, and the figure 7 is a top view of a cutting system according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0015] With reference to the figure 1 An example of a 100 mm cutting chamber according to the invention will now be described. In the following description, the terms "fixed" and "mobile" are to be taken in relation to each other.

[0016] The breaking chamber 100 is for direct current (DC) and bidirectional operation. It has two fixed contacts 102, 104, and one moving contact 106. The latter is designed to move, relative to the fixed contacts 102, 104, along a direction of movement 108 between two positions. The first of these two positions is a closed position in which the moving contact 106 is in contact with the fixed contacts 102, 104, respectively in two contact zones (visible on the figure 2 and respectively bearing the reference numbers 102* and 104*). The second of these two positions is an open position in which the moving contact 106 is away from the fixed contacts 102, 104 (as illustrated in the figure 1 ).

[0017] The 100 cut-off chamber also includes a device (visible on the figure 3and bearing the reference 302) for generating a magnetic field 112. The magnetic field 112 has a constant direction and, preferably, a constant amplitude. The generation device 302 includes, for example, a permanent magnet.

[0018] The generation device 302 is arranged for example so that the two contact zones 102*, 104* follow one another in the direction of the magnetic field 112, for example so that they are aligned in the direction of the magnetic field 112.

[0019] The breaking chamber 100 further comprises, for each contact zone 102*, 104*, two arc-dispersing units 102A, 102B and 104A, 104B, such as two fin blocks. Specifically, each fin block is designed to receive an electric arc and increase its voltage above a voltage applied between the two fixed contacts 102, 104 by a voltage source (not shown). To achieve this, the fins are designed to deionize the electric arc.

[0020] The dispersion units 102A, 102B, 104A, 104B are all located on the same side of the breaking chamber 100, and more precisely on the same side of the contacts 102, 104, 106. This means, for example, that they are located on the same side of a plane (visible on the figure 3and bearing the reference 304) crossing the contact zones 102*, 104* and defined by the direction of the magnetic field 112 and the direction 108 of displacement of the moving contact 106. Preferably, the dispersion units 102A, 102B, 104A, 104B follow one another along the direction of the magnetic field 112. They are for example aligned along the direction of the magnetic field 112.

[0021] The cutoff chamber 100 further comprises, for each contact zone 102*, 104*, first and second pairs of electric arc guides (called "runners"), designated 102A1, 102A2 and 102B1, 102B2 for contact zone 102* and 104A1, 104A2 and 104B1, 104B2 for contact zone 104*. A guiding space is defined by the two guides of each pair. This guiding space is swept by the electric arc when its two feet (i.e., the two ends of the electric arc) respectively follow the two guides.

[0022] For the contact area 102*, the guides 102A1, 102A2 of the first pair extend from the moving contact 106 and the contact area 102* respectively to an arc entry face of the first dispersion unit 102A. The guides 102B1, 102B2 of the second pair extend from the contact area 102* and the moving contact 106 respectively to an arc entry face of the second dispersion unit 102B.

[0023] Similarly, for the contact area 104*, the guides 104A1, 104A2 of the first pair extend from the contact area 104* and the moving contact 106 respectively to an arc entry face of the first dispersion unit 104A. The guides 104B1, 104B2 of the second pair extend from the moving contact 106 and the contact area 104* respectively to an arc entry face of the second dispersion unit 104B.

[0024] For each contact zone 102*, 104*, one of the two pairs of guides remains on the side (relative to plane 304) of the dispersion units, while the other of the two pairs of guides starts on the other side, goes around the fixed contact 102, 104 or the moving contact 106 (as in the illustrated example) by crossing plane 304, then ends on the side (relative to plane 304) of the dispersion units.

[0025] Furthermore, for each contact zone 102*, 104*, the two pairs of guides follow one another, at least partially, in the direction of the magnetic field 112. For example, the four pairs of guides follow one another at least partially along the direction of the magnetic field 112. On the figure 3 , the four pairs of guides follow one another on the left of plane 304 (that is to say on the side of dispersion units 102A, 102B, 104A, 104B).

[0026] Thus, the guide spaces overlap at least partially in the direction of the magnetic field 112. This overlap is visible on the figure 6 where the guide space 602 of one of the guide pairs (102A1, 102A2 or 104B1, 104B2) is hatched in one direction and the guide space 604 of the other guide pair (102B1, 102B2 or 104A1, 104A2) is hatched in the opposite direction. The overlap 606 corresponds to the area hatched in both directions. Thanks to this overlap 606, the area where the magnetic field 112 is to be generated is limited in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field 112. This simplifies the generation device 302 and, in particular, allows its size to be reduced.

[0027] Furthermore, the guides are, for example, fixed. To allow the movement of the moving contact, the guides extending from it are separated from the moving contact by a gap that the electric arc passes through without difficulty. Alternatively, these guides could slide along the moving contact as it moves.

[0028] An example of the operation of the 100 cut-off chamber will now be described.

[0029] When the breaking chamber 100 is opened, the moving contact 106 separates from the fixed contacts 102, 104. An electric arc appears at each contact zone 102*, 104*.

[0030] Due to the constant direction of the magnetic field 112, the electric arc is subject to the Laplace force and is then guided by one or the other ( figure 4 And figure 5) pairs of guide wires, following the direction of current flow (from the fixed contact 106 to the moving contact 102, 104 or vice versa). The pair of guide wires used by the electric arc then guides it to the associated dispersion unit.

[0031] For example, if current enters the breaking chamber 100 through the fixed contact 102 and exits through the fixed contact 104, the electric arc from the contact area 102* is guided by the pair of guides 102A1, 102A2 to the dispersion unit 102A and the arc from the contact area 104* is guided by the pair of guides 104B1, 104B2 to the dispersion unit 104B. If current enters the breaking chamber 100 through the fixed contact 104 and exits through the fixed contact 102, the electric arc from the contact area 102* is guided by the pair of guides 102B1, 102B2 to the dispersion unit 102B and the electric arc from the contact area 104* is guided by the pair of guides 104A1, 104A2 to the dispersion unit 104A.

[0032] Preferably, the guides extend substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the magnetic field 112, so that the Laplace force is maximized.

[0033] With reference to the figure 7, an example of a 702 double cutoff system according to the invention will now be described.

[0034] This 702 shut-off system has two shut-off chambers, like the 100 shut-off chamber. The components of these shut-off chambers will be designated by the same references as on the figures 1 to 5 , with an additional prime symbol “'” for one of them to distinguish them.

[0035] As can be seen on the figure 6The fact that the dispersion units of each cutoff chamber 100, 100' are on only one side is used to bring the cutoff chambers 100, 100' closer together. More precisely, the cutoff chambers 100, 100' are joined to each other along their side lacking dispersion units. Thus, the cutoff chambers 100, 100' are arranged so that the planes 304, 304' are opposite each other (for example, parallel to each other), so as to delimit a central space 702 between them. The dispersion units are then located outside this central space 702.

[0036] The presence of this central zone 702, devoid of dispersion units, allows for the easy evacuation of ionization gases to the outside of the cutoff chamber. This evacuation would be much more difficult, for example, if dispersion units were included in this central zone 702, due to the orientation of the opposing fin blocks.

[0037] In addition, preferably, the magnetic fields 112, 112' of the two cutoff chambers 100, 100' are in the same direction.

[0038] In conclusion, it is clear that a cutting chamber such as the one described above allows for gains in compactness.

[0039] It should also be noted that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above, in light of the information just disclosed to them.

[0040] For example, arc-dispersing units 102A, 102B, 104A, and 104B could be omitted. In this case, arc dispersion could be achieved simply by moving the guides of each pair further apart. However, this would result in a larger cutoff chamber than with the use of arc-dispersing units, such as fin blocks.

Claims

1. A quenching chamber (100) for two-way DC current, comprising: - first and second fixed contacts (102, 104); - a mobile contact (106) designed to move between: • a closed position in which the mobile contact (106) is in contact with the fixed contacts (102, 104) at first and second contact zones (102*, 104*) respectively, and • an open position in which the mobile contact (106) is moved away from the fixed contacts (102, 104); - a device (302) for generating a magnetic field (112) having a constant direction; - for each contact zone (102*, 104*): a first, respectively second, pair of guides (102A1, 102A2, 104A1, 104A2) extending from the mobile contact (106) and the contact zone (102*, 104*) under consideration, for guiding, under the action of the magnetic field (112), an electric arc of current flowing in one orientation, respectively in the other orientation, between the contact zone (102*, 104*) under consideration and the mobile contact (106); wherein the pairs of guides (102A1, 102A2, 102B1, 102B2, 104A1, 104A2, 104B1, 104B2) succeed one another in the direction of the magnetic field (112) and, with each pair of guides delimiting a guide zone (602, 604) between them, the guide zones (602, 604) overlap at least partially in the direction of the magnetic field (112), wherein the mobile contact (106) is designed to move along a direction of movement (118) between the open position and the closed position, and wherein the dispersion units (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B) lie on the same side of a plane (304) passing through the contact zones (102*, 104*) and defined by the direction of the magnetic field (112) and the direction of movement (118) of the mobile contact (106) characterized in that the guides are fixed (102A1, 102A2, 102B1, 102B2, 104A1, 104A2, 104B1, 104B2) and wherein the guides (102A1, 102B2, 104A2, 104B1) extending from the mobile contact (106) are continuous and separated from the mobile contact by a gap allowing movement of the mobile contact (106).

2. The quenching chamber (100) according to claim 1, wherein each of the guides (102A1, 102A2, 102B1, 102B2, 104A1, 104A2, 104B1, 104B2) belongs to only one of the pairs.

3. The quenching chamber (100) according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the two contact zones (102*, 104*) succeed one another in the direction of the magnetic field (112).

4. The quenching chamber (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising, for each contact zone (102*, 104*), first and second electric arc dispersion units (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B), up to which the first and second pairs of guides extend, respectively.

5. The quenching chamber (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the dispersion units (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B) comprise fin blocks.

6. A quenching system (700), comprising two quenching chambers (100, 100') according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the two planes (304, 304') delimit between them a central space (702) outside which the dispersion units (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B, 102A', 102B', 104A', 104B') are located.

7. An aircraft comprising a quenching chamber (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The aircraft comprising a quenching system (700) according to claim 6.