Vacuum circuit breaker
The vacuum circuit breaker incorporates a cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism to manage impact energy and heat, addressing oscillations and improving performance and longevity by integrating a movable member with elastic connections, enhancing energy absorption and heat dissipation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAMEN HONGFA ELECTRIC POWER CONTROLS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing vacuum circuit breakers experience closing and opening 'bounce' phenomena due to oscillations between movable and static conductive assemblies, leading to poor radiating effects and reduced product life, primarily due to lack of effective energy absorption and heat dissipation mechanisms.
A vacuum circuit breaker with an embedded pole featuring a cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism, including a movable member connected to the static conductive portion through elastic connecting assemblies, which absorbs impact energy during closing and dissipates heat, utilizing a movable connection design to manage surplus energy without altering the original design parameters.
The design effectively reduces closing and opening overshoots, enhances heat dissipation, and prolongs the product's life by absorbing excess energy, maintaining operational stability and compliance with performance standards.
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Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present disclosure claims priority based on the Chinese application with application number 202311139927.9 submitted on September 5, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of electrical control device technology, particularly to a vacuum circuit breaker.BACKGROUND
[0003] In today's world, unprecedented changes are accelerating, with climate change and instability posing severe challenges to the survival and development of all humanity. The global energy industry chain and supply chain are severely impacted, international energy prices are fluctuating at high levels, the energy supply and demand map is deeply adjusted, and a new round of technological and industrial revolutions is deepening. The safe and efficient, green and low-carbon transformation, and digital and intelligent technological innovation of the energy and power system have become global development trends.
[0004] The new power system currently advocated and vigorously developed in China is a power system for the new era, which is based on ensuring energy and power security as the basic premise, meeting the electricity demand for high-quality economic and social development as the primary goal, constructing a high proportion of new energy supply and consumption system as the main task, providing strong support for multi-directional coordination and flexible interaction between source, grid, load, and storage, using a strong, intelligent, and flexible power grid as the hub platform, and relying on technological innovation and institutional mechanism innovation as the basic guarantee. It is an important component of the new energy system and a key carrier for achieving the "dual-carbon" goal.
[0005] The core goal of building the new power system is clean and low-carbon. In the new power system, non-fossil energy generation will gradually transform into the main body of installed capacity and electricity generation. Multiple clean energy sources such as nuclear, water, wind, solar, and storage will develop in synergy and complementarity. While the proportion of installed capacity and power generation of fossil energy generation will decrease, under the guidance of new low-carbon, zero carbon, and negative carbon technologies, the total carbon emissions of the power system will gradually meet the requirements of the "dual-carbon" target.
[0006] At present, the application of new energy technology in electricity has promoted the development of new energy, maintaining a high-speed growth trend in installed capacity and power generation of renewable energy. However, the large-scale integration of wind and solar new energy into the grid in the future poses great challenges to the safety, regulation capacity, and power quality of the current power grid operation. Currently, prominent problems that urgently need to be solved through technological development and innovation are highlighted. In the new power system, new energy is gradually transforming into the main power source of the system by improving its reliable support capability. Large power sources, large power grids, and distributed systems will be compatible, and multiple forms of power grids will coexist. At the same time, in the new power system, flexible power generation technologies for different types of units, flexible energy storage technologies for different time scales and sizes, flexible AC / DC and other new transmission technologies will be widely applied. The backbone grid has a higher degree of flexibility, supporting the access system and external transmission and consumption of high proportion new energy.
[0007] Switchgear containing circuit breakers is a critical device for control and protection in power systems. The new power system is a power system that is evolved from the conventional power system but has completely different characteristics. The equipment manufacturing attribute has greatly replaced the original resource attribute, and higher requirements have been put forward for transmission and power switchgear, requiring more breakthrough technologies.
[0008] However, during the closing and opening process of existing vacuum circuit breakers, the motion and force are transmitted by the operating mechanism to the movable conductive assembly of the main circuit. The movable conductive assembly collides with the static conductive assembly, and the force and energy are transmitted. This causes the movable and static conductive assemblies to oscillate back and forth during the closing process, manifested as the "bounce" phenomenon of circuit closing and opening in electrical terms, known as closing bounce or opening rebound. Moreover, the existing vacuum circuit breaker lacks radiating design for the embedded pole, resulting in poor radiating effect. Heat accumulates inside the embedded pole, leading to abnormal temperature, which can easily have a negative impact on the accuracy of the vacuum circuit breaker's functional operation and shorten the product life.SUMMARY
[0009] One of the main objectives of the present disclosure is to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art and provide a vacuum circuit breaker that can provide cushioning function for closing action.
[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solution: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum circuit breaker is provided, including an embedded pole, the embedded pole includes a static conductive portion and a movable conductive portion, the movable conductive portion is configured to adjustably move towards and contact the static conductive portion to achieve a closing action of the vacuum circuit breaker. The embedded pole further includes a cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes a movable member movably connected to the static conductive portion, and the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism is configured to absorb impact energy generated when the static conductive portion comes into contact with the movable conductive portion.
[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable member is provided with a through hole along a vertical direction; the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism further includes at least one elastic connecting assembly, the elastic connecting assembly includes a connecting member and an elastic member; the connecting member includes a limiting cap and a connecting rod, an outer diameter of the limiting cap is larger than an outer diameter of the connecting rod, the connecting rod is partially inserted into the through hole, an end of the connecting rod facing away from the static conductive portion extends out of the through hole and is connected to the limiting cap, and an end of the connecting rod facing the static conductive portion extends out of the through hole and is connected to the static conductive portion; the elastic member is connected between the limiting cap and a top opening of the through hole. The movable member is connected to the static conductive portion through the elastic connecting assembly.
[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable member is a radiator, and the radiator is located on a side of the static conductive portion facing away from the movable conductive portion.
[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable member is a radiator, and the radiator includes: a radiator base, located on a side of the static conductive portion facing away from the movable conductive portion and movably connected to the static conductive portion, the through hole is provided in the radiator base; and a plurality of radiator fins provided on the radiator base.
[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with a plane where a top surface of the static conductive portion is located as a reference plane, an orthographic projection of the radiator base covers an entire area of the top surface of the static conductive portion on the reference plane.
[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a side of the top of the static conductive portion is convex with an upper outlet terminal seat. The radiator is provided with an avoidance notch corresponding to a position of the upper outlet terminal seat for avoiding the upper outlet terminal seat.
[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent radiator fins and a top surface of the radiator base together form an accommodating groove, and a portion of the elastic connecting assembly located on a side of the through hole facing away from the static conductive assembly is accommodated in the accommodating groove, without extending beyond a top of the radiator fins.
[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cross-sectional area of the through hole is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the accommodating groove, such that a stepped surface is formed at a portion of a groove bottom of the accommodating groove where no through hole is provided. The elastic member is connected between the limiting cap and the stepped surface.
[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a material of the movable member is a thermal conductive material; and / or a surface of the movable member is provided with an insulation layer.
[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes at least two elastic connecting assemblies, and the at least two elastic connecting assemblies are arranged at intervals.
[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes at least three elastic connecting assemblies. With a plane where a top surface of the static conductive portion is located as a reference plane, orthographic projections of the at least three elastic connecting assemblies are respectively arranged at endpoints of a regular polygon path on the reference plane, and a number of sides of the regular polygon is equal to a number of the elastic connecting assemblies.
[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic connecting assembly further includes a washer, the washer is sleeved on the connecting rod and located at a bottom of the limiting cap, and the elastic member is connected between a bottom surface of the washer and a top opening of the through hole.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic connecting assembly further includes a positioning sleeve, the positioning sleeve is partially inserted into the through hole, an end of the positioning sleeve facing away from the static conductive portion extends out of the top opening of the through hole and abuts against a bottom surface of the washer to press the washer against a bottom surface of the limiting cap, and the connecting rod is inserted into the positioning sleeve.
[0023] From the above technical solution, it can be seen that the advantages and positive effects of the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure are: The vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure is provided with the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism on the static conductive portion. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes the movable member, which is movably connected to the static conductive portion. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism is used to absorb the impact energy generated when the static conductive portion comes into contact with the movable conductive portion. Through the above design, the present disclosure utilizes the movable connection design between the movable member and the static conductive portion to achieve cushioning function, thereby absorbing and consuming the surplus energy generated by the closing action and transmitted to the static conductive portion, alleviating "resonance" and avoiding the problem of characteristic parameter exceeding the standard.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective structural schematic view of the vacuum circuit breaker according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective structural schematic view of the embedded pole shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective structural schematic view of FIG. 2 from a top view; FIG. 4 is a sectional schematic view of the partial structure of the embedded pole shown in FIG. 2 in an unclosed state; FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of part A in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a sectional schematic view of the partial structure of the embedded pole shown in FIG. 2 in a closed state; FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of part B in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a travel displacement curve of the assemblies of the vacuum circuit breaker during the closing and opening; FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the elastic member; FIG. 10 is a schematic comparison diagram of the closing bounce time between the existing solution and the present disclosure; FIG. 11 is a schematic comparison diagram of the closing overshoot between the existing solution and the present disclosure; FIG. 12 is a schematic comparison diagram of the opening overshoot and rebound between the existing solution and the present disclosure.
[0025] List of reference marks: 100. base 200. embedded pole 210. static conductive portion 211. upper outlet terminal seat 220. movable conductive portion 230. arc-extinguishing chamber 240. corrugated tube 250. movable member 2501. through hole 2502. accommodating groove 2503. avoidance notch 2504. stepped surface 251. radiator base 260. elastic connecting assembly 261. connecting member 2611. limiting cap 2612. connecting rod 262. elastic member 263. positioning sleeve 264. washer 300. operation panel DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The example implementation will now be described more comprehensively with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be understood as limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, providing these implementations make the present disclosure comprehensive and complete, and fully conveys the concept of example implementations to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figure indicate the same or similar structures, therefore their detailed descriptions will be omitted.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, it representatively shows a perspective structural schematic view of the three-dimensional structure of the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure is illustrated using medium voltage circuit breaker equipment as an example. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes to be made to the specific embodiments described below in order to apply the relevant design of the present disclosure to other types of circuit breakers. These changes are still within the scope of the principle of the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure includes a base 100, an embedded pole 200, and an operation panel 300. The embedded pole 200 is provided on the base 100, and the number of embedded poles 200 is not limited to the three shown in the figure. The operation panel 300 is provided on the base 100 and located on a side of the embedded pole 200. The embedded pole 200 includes a static conductive portion 210, a movable conductive portion 220, an arc-extinguishing chamber 230, and a corrugated tube 240. The static conductive portion 210 and the movable conductive portion 220 are partially located inside the arc-extinguishing chamber 230, and the corrugated tube 240 is disposed at a lower end of the movable conductive portion 220. The static conductive portion 210 may include a static contact, a static conductive rod, and a static terminal structure. The movable conductive portion 220 may include a movable contact, a movable conductive rod, and a movable terminal structure. Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, FIG. 2 representatively shows a perspective structural schematic view of the embedded pole 200; FIG. 3 representatively shows a perspective structural schematic view of the partial structure of the embedded pole 200 from a top view; FIG. 4 representatively shows a cross-sectional schematic view of the partial structure of the embedded pole 200 in an unclosed state; FIG. 5 representatively shows an enlarged schematic view of part A in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 representatively shows a cross-sectional schematic view of the partial structure of the embedded pole 200 in the closed state; FIG. 7 representatively shows an enlarged schematic view of part B in FIG. 6. The following will provide a detailed explanation of the structure, connection methods, and functional relationships of the main components of the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure, in conjunction with the above figures.
[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the static conductive portion 210 is provided above the movable conductive portion 220, and the movable conductive portion 220 can be adjusted to move towards the static conductive portion 210 and contact the static conductive portion 210 to achieve the closing action of the vacuum circuit breaker. The embedded pole 200 further includes a cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes a movable member 250 located on a side of the static conductive portion 210 facing away from the movable conductive portion 220, and the movable member 250 is connected to the static conductive portion 210 in a movable manner. Based on this, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism can absorb the impact energy generated when the static conductive portion 210 comes into contact with the movable conductive portion 220, and use the movable member 250 to dissipate heat. Through the above design, the present disclosure utilizes the movable connection design between the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210 to achieve cushioning function, thereby absorbing and consuming the surplus energy generated by the closing action and transmitted to the static conductive portion 210, alleviating "resonance" and avoiding the problem of characteristic parameter exceeding the standard. Furthermore, in order to solve the problem of "resonance", compared with the existing solutions that use correlation design based on complex formula calculations for each component of the vacuum circuit breaker itself, the present disclosure directly utilizes the original radiating structure without affecting the original design parameters of the various components of the vacuum circuit breaker (such as the static conductive portion 210, the movable conductive portion 220, etc.), and changes its fixing method by introducing an elastic body to give it degrees of freedom, that is, using a "non-embedded" cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism to achieve both radiating and cushioning functions, without changing an original motion chain, insulation performance and heat dissipation performance of the original whole system.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable member 250 is provided with a through hole 2501 along the vertical direction. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism further includes at least one elastic connecting assembly 260, each elastic connecting assembly 260 includes a connecting member 261 and an elastic member 262. Specifically, the connecting member 261 has a limiting cap 2611 and a connecting rod 2612. An outer diameter of the limiting cap 2611 is larger than an outer diameter of the connecting rod 2612. The connecting rod 2612 is partially inserted into the through hole 2501, and an upper end of the connecting rod 2612 (i.e., an end of the connecting rod 2612 facing away from the static conductive portion 210) extends out of the through hole 2501 and is connected to the limiting cap 2611. A lower end of the connecting rod 2612 (i.e., an end of the connecting rod 2612 facing the static conductive portion 210) extends out of the through hole 2501 and is connected to the static conductive portion 210. The elastic member 262 is connected between the limiting cap 2611 and the top opening of the through hole 2501. On this basis, the movable member 250 is movably connected to the static conductive portion 210 through the elastic connection assembly 260. When the vacuum circuit breaker is not closed, the elastic member 262 is in a compressed state. Through the above design, the present disclosure adopts the elastic member 262 for elastic connection, thereby achieving the design of "the movable member 250 is carried on the static conductive portion 210, and the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210 are movably connected through the connecting member 261 and the elastic member 262".
[0031] Specifically, due to the use of elastic member 262 in the radiating-cushioning assembly of the present disclosure, the radiating-cushioning assembly has one degree of freedom, which exists between the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210. Accordingly, in the initial state, that is, when the vacuum circuit breaker is not closed, the elastic member 262 is in a compressed state. Under the action of a pre-compression force F0, the elastic member 262 can maintain pressure on the movable member 250, ensuring reliable contact between the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210. During the operation of the vacuum circuit breaker, taking a closing operation as an example, the operating mechanism of the vacuum circuit breaker transmits motion and force to the movable conductive portion 220, causing the movable conductive portion 220 to have a certain speed and move towards the static conductive portion 210 until they come into contact. At the moment of collision, due to the lack of direct connection between the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210, the movable member 250 will undergo a slight upward movement (such as an upward distance L of the movable member 250 relative to the static conductive portion 210 shown in FIG. 7) or be understood as an upward movement trend. During the contact process between the movable conductive portion 220 and the static conductive portion 210, the "collision" occurs between the movable conductive portion 220 and the static conductive portion 210. Due to the use of the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism, the energy of the collision is transmitted to the movable member 250 and the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism through the static conductive portion 210. The movable member 250 obtains the initial energy, and under the action of the elastic member 262, oscillations and collisions occur between the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210. Finally, the excess energy is completely absorbed and consumed through several collisions and frictions.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable member 250 can be a radiator, which is located on the side of the static conductive portion 210 facing away from the movable conductive portion 220. Through the above design, the present disclosure can utilize the radiator to simultaneously achieve cushioning energy-absorbing function as well as radiating function.
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radiator may include a radiator base 251 and a plurality of radiator fins. The radiator base 251 is located on the side of the static conductive portion 210 facing away from the movable conductive portion 220 and is movably connected to the static conductive portion 210. For example, the radiator base 251 may be movably connected to the static conductive portion 210 through the above-mentioned connecting member 261 and elastic member 262, and the above-mentioned through hole 2501 may be provided on the radiator base 251. The plurality of radiator fins are provided on the radiator base 251. Through the above design, the present disclosure can utilize the radiator base 251 to achieve the arrangement of the radiating-cushioning assembly, and can also use the plurality of radiator fins to increase the radiating area of the radiator, thereby further improving the heat dissipation performance of the vacuum circuit breaker. In some embodiments, the radiator can also adopt other radiating structures, such as coil shaped radiating structures, porous radiating structures, etc., and is not limited to this embodiment.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, with a plane where a top surface of the static conductive portion 210 is located as a reference plane, on this reference plane, an orthographic projection of the radiator base 251 covers an entire area of the top surface of the static conductive portion 210. It should be noted that one side of the static conductive portion 210 shown in the figures is provided with an upper outlet terminal seat 211, and the orthographic projection of the radiator base 251 does not completely cover the upper outlet terminal seat 211. It should be understood that since a main body of the static conductive portion 210 (i.e. other parts except for the upper outlet terminal seat 211) is the main heat generating structure, all the areas described above may be understood as the main body of the static conductive portion 210. Through the above design, the present disclosure can further enhance the heat transfer between the radiator and the static conductive portion 210, thereby further improving the heat dissipation performance of the vacuum circuit breaker. In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the radiator base 251 may also cover the upper outlet terminal seat 211 on the above-mentioned reference plane, and is not limited to this embodiment.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, based on a design of the orthographic projection of the radiator base 251 covering the entire area of the top surface of the static conductive portion 210, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the side surface of the top of the static conductive portion 210 is convex with an upper outlet terminal seat 211. On this basis, the radiator may be provided with an avoidance notch 2503 corresponding to a position of the upper outlet terminal seat 211, and an opening of the avoidance notch 2503 faces downwards. The avoidance notch 2503 can be used to avoid the upper outlet terminal seat 211. Through the above design, the present disclosure can avoid structural interference between the radiator and the upper outlet terminal seat 211while ensuring better heat dissipation effect, thereby further improving the structural rationality of the vacuum circuit breaker.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent radiator fins and a top surface of the radiator base 251 together form an accommodating groove 2502. On this basis, a top opening of the through hole 2501 may be located at a groove bottom of the accommodating groove 2502, and a portion of the elastic connecting assembly 260 located above the through hole 2501 (i.e., on a side of the through hole 2501 facing away from the static conductive portion 210), which includes, for example, the elastic member 262, the limiting cap 2611 of the connecting member 261, and a portion of the connecting rod 2612 and may further include a washer and a portion of a positioning sleeve described below, may be accommodated in the accommodating groove 2502 without extending beyond the top of the radiator fins. Through the above design, the present disclosure can utilize the accommodating groove 2502 to accommodate the above-mentioned structure of the elastic connecting assembly 260, thereby avoiding the elastic connecting assembly 260 from extending beyond the top of the overall structure of the embedded pole 200, further optimizing the structural integrity of the vacuum circuit breaker, and reducing space occupation.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cross-sectional area of the through hole 2501 may be smaller than a cross-sectional area of the accommodating groove 2502, such that a stepped surface 2504 is formed at a portion of the groove bottom of the accommodating groove 2502 where no through hole 2501 is provided. On this basis, an end of the elastic member 262, which is connected to the top opening of the through hole 2501, may specifically be connected to the stepped surface 2504. Through the above design, the present disclosure can further facilitate the arrangement of the elastic member 262 and optimize the force on the elastic member 262. Based on this, the elastic deformation of the elastic member 262 can be used to store surplus energy, and through repeated oscillation, the collision energy between the movable conductive portion 220 and the static conductive portion 210 can be more fully absorbed and consumed.
[0038] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a material of the movable member 250 may be a thermal conductive material, which may be, for example but not limited to, a metal material. Based on this, as the material of the movable member 250 is a thermal conductive material and it is in contact with the static conductive portion 210, the present disclosure can increase the heat transfer between the static conductive portion 210 and the movable member 250, thereby utilizing the movable member 250 for heat dissipation, further improving the heat dissipation performance of the vacuum circuit breaker, and ensuring that the temperature rise performance of the vacuum circuit breaker during normal operation meets the requirements of product use. In some embodiments, the thermal conductive material may alternatively utilize other materials such as non-metallic materials, which may be an insulating material with insulating properties. In this case, the movable member 250 can provide heat dissipation and ensure insulation performance.
[0039] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface of the movable member 250 may be provided with an insulating layer. Accordingly, the present disclosure can further enhance the insulation performance by utilizing the insulation layer.
[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism may include two elastic connecting assemblies 260 arranged at intervals. Through the above design, the present disclosure utilizes two elastic connecting assemblies 260 to make the cushioning energy-absorbing effect provided by the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism more uniform, optimize the stress state, and improve the overall stability of the structure. In some embodiments, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism may alternatively include only one elastic connecting assembly 260, or include three or more elastic connecting assemblies 260 arranged at intervals, and is not limited to this embodiment.
[0041] For example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism may include four elastic connecting assemblies 260, and two of the elastic connecting assemblies 260 may be observed in the cross-sectional structures shown in the above figures. Specifically, taking a plane where the top surface of the static conductive portion 210 is located as the reference plane, on this reference plane, orthographic projections of the four elastic connecting assemblies 260 are arranged at four endpoint positions of a square path respectively, that is, the four elastic connecting assemblies 260 are arranged respectively at the endpoints of a regular polygon path with the same number of sides as the number of elastic connecting assemblies 260. Through the above design, the present disclosure can utilize a plurality of elastic connecting assemblies 260 to make the cushioning energy-absorbing effect provided by the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism more uniform, optimize the stress state, and improve the overall stability of the structure. In some embodiments, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism may alternatively include three, five, or more elastic connecting assemblies 260, and the orthographic projections of these elastic connecting assemblies 260 are arranged respectively at the endpoints of a regular polygon path, with the number of sides of the regular polygon being equal to the number of elastic connecting assemblies 260. Certainly, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism may only include one or two elastic connecting assemblies 260, and is not limited to this embodiment.
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, each elastic connecting assembly 260 may further include a washer 264. Specifically, the washer 264 is sleeved on the connecting rod 2612 of the connecting member 261 and located at the bottom of the limiting cap 2611. The elastic member 262 is connected between the bottom surface of the washer 264 and the top opening of the through hole 2501. Accordingly, due to the compressed state of the elastic member 262 when the vacuum circuit breaker is not closed, under the action of the pre-compression force F0, the elastic member 262 presses the washer 264 against the bottom surface of the limiting cap 2611. Through the above design, the washer 264 in the present disclosure can be used to connect the elastic member 262, avoiding the difficulty of assembling the elastic member 262 due to the limiting cap 2611 of the connecting member 261 being too small. In some embodiments, the elastic member 262 may alternatively be directly connected to the bottom surface of the limiting cap 2611, and is not limited to this embodiment.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, each elastic connecting assembly 260 may further include a positioning sleeve 263. Specifically, the positioning sleeve 263 is partially inserted into the through hole 2501 of the movable member 250. An upper end of the positioning sleeve 263 (i.e., an end of the positioning sleeve 263 facing away from the static conductive portion 210) extends out of the top opening of the through hole 2501 and abuts against a bottom surface of the washer 264 to press the washer 264 against the bottom surface of the limiting cap 2611. The connecting rod 2612 is inserted into the positioning sleeve 263. Through the above design, when the vacuum circuit breaker is closed and the impact energy is transmitted to the elastic connecting assembly 260, the positioning sleeve 263 can ensure that the washer 264 will not undergo up and down displacement, that is, the relative position between an upper end of the elastic member 262 and the static conductive portion 210 remains unchanged, so that the excess energy generated and transmitted to the static conductive portion 210 during the closing action can be completely absorbed and consumed through multiple oscillation collisions and friction of the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism in the above-mentioned degrees of freedom, and at the same time, the structural stability of the vacuum circuit breaker can be improved.
[0044] Based on the above detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief introduction will be given to one of the theoretical foundations of the design concept of the present disclosure below.
[0045] Firstly, in the design process of the vacuum circuit breaker described in the present disclosure, the design approach adopted is still limited to "using correlation design based on complex formula calculations for each component of the vacuum circuit breaker itself". Specifically, this existing approach includes optimizing the design of various components of the circuit breaker, such as optimizing the pre-compression force of the contact spring and the closing spring force of the operating mechanism, selecting appropriate contact materials and structural forms, and changing the motion quality. The above design methods include analyzing multiple influencing factors such as "the influence of the initial pressure and closing speed of the closing contact on the closing bounce", "the influence of the asynchronous closing on the closing bounce", "other influencing factors", etc., and designing multiple complex mathematical models such as multi-physics field coupling for the analysis of the above factors. In the engineering solution process, one problem is solved while other secondary problems are often introduced. Based on this, the correlation design of the functional components of the vacuum circuit breaker in engineering is used as an engineering solution to "reduce the closing bounce time", which not only changes the original motion chain and dynamic design of the functional components of the vacuum circuit breaker, but also inevitably solves the problem of "long bounce time" in practical engineering applications while brings about secondary new problems such as changes in closing and opening speed and reduced circuit breaker life.
[0046] In comparison, the present disclosure adopts a "non-embedded" design, which changes the fastening form of the original structure without affecting the original design parameters of each component of the vacuum circuit breaker. By introducing an "elastic body" without changing the original transmission chain and dynamic characteristics, the original fixed structure has degrees of freedom and can absorb excess energy through oscillation during the collision process of close the movable and static contacts.
[0047] Specifically, the "non-embedded" energy cushioning and absorption device disclosed herein is designed using modal analysis methods. Modal is the inherent vibration characteristic of a structure, with each mode having a specific natural frequency, damping ratio, and modal shape. Vibration mode is an inherent and holistic characteristic of elastic structures. The characteristics of the main modes of the structure in a susceptible frequency range were analyzed using modal analysis methods, and the actual vibration response of the structure under various external or internal vibration sources within this frequency range was obtained.
[0048] Any structure has its own vibration modes, which can be summarized as follows: A structural system theoretically has an infinite number of vibration modes, and the high contribution of vibrations that affect the structure are usually from lower frequency vibration modes. Vibration modes include three important modal parameters, namely natural frequency, mode shape, and modal damping ratio. By changing the mode of the system, that is, introducing the elastic body, changing the rigid body mode and elastic mode, and altering its response at a specific frequency.
[0049] The modal analysis process is as follows: collect data and prepare the model: collect data on geometric shape and material property of the structure. Create finite element model: discretize the structure into small elements, define nodes, material properties, and boundary conditions. Establish stiffness matrix and mass matrix: calculate the stiffness matrix and mass matrix of each element based on the geometric shape and material properties of the structure. Assemble the global stiffness matrix and mass matrix: combine the element matrix into a global matrix based on the connections of nodes. Solve eigenvalue problems: use numerical solving methods (iterative method, Jacobi method, or Lanczos method) to solve the eigenvalue problems for a structure, where eigenvalues represent the natural frequency and mode shape of the structure. Calculate modal parameters: based on the obtained eigenvalues, calculate the natural frequency, period, and mode shape of each mode. Modal analysis results: analyze the first few modes of the structure to understand its vibration characteristics. Identify a main vibration mode. The overall mode of the circuit breaker can ultimately be transformed into a stationary and moving mass block, and the closing process is the impact of the moving part on the stationary part, with different vibration characteristics in different modes. Optimize structural design to improve the frequency or response of specific modes.
[0050] Based on the results of the modal analysis mentioned above, the present disclosure analyzes the corresponding influencing factors according to different specifications of circuit breakers without changing the transmission chain. By introducing the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism to change the overall static mass and stiffness, and by introducing one degree of freedom to absorb excess energy, the effect of reducing bounce time can be achieved.
[0051] Based on the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments disclosed above and a brief introduction to the theoretical basis of the design concept of the present disclosure, the vibration characteristics of the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure and its comparison and differences with existing solutions will be briefly introduced below.
[0052] As shown in FIG. 8, a travel displacement curve of a moving assembly of the vacuum circuit breaker during closing and opening is L3, where Ua represents closing and opening signals; L1, L2, and L3 represents contact closing and opening signals for a three-phase AC circuit breaker, with the rising edge indicating closing. A time difference between the just closed point of the contact of any phase and Ua is called a closing time G or an opening time H. A time difference between a moment when the contact of any phase is just closed and an initial moment when the contact is completely stable is called the closing bounce time T. A difference between the maximum and minimum values of the just closed points of the three phase is called the closing or opening synchronization. A difference between a highest point B of the moving assembly during the closing process and a position H after stable closing, known as "B-E", is called closing overshoot. During the closing process, a difference E in distance between the position of the just closed point and the final stable position is called the overtravel of the contact, which is the deformation of the contact spring to ensure that the movable and static contacts have sufficient holding force at the closing position.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 9, taking the elastic member of the cushioning energy-absorbing assembly as an example, such as a standard spiral compression spring, its free length is A, and the total number of turns and effective turns are N1 and N2, respectively. The outer diameter of the spring is B, and the wire diameter of the spring is d. The pre-compression force of the compression spring at the assembly position is F0, which is a key parameter for ensuring energy cushioning absorption devices. Depending on the specifications of the circuit breaker, F0 and other spring parameters also vary. When the energy absorption and cushioning device has a heat dissipation function, F0 is still an important parameter to ensure reliable contact and heat dissipation between the radiator and the static conductive assembly. The other parameters and stiffness of the spring have a significant impact on the stiffness matrix of the overall system mode. As shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 10 represents the closing bounce time (ms) of the existing circuit breaker and the present disclosure. The three lines from top to bottom represent the closing signals for the three phases A, B, C, respectively. Based on this, it can be seen that for the existing circuit breaker, the closing bounce time of the product is relatively large, even exceeding the tolerance (greater than 2ms). In contrast, the closing bounce phenomenon of the present disclosure is effectively eliminated.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 11 represents the closing overshoots (mm) of the existing circuit breaker and the disclosed circuit breaker. The three lines from top to bottom represent the closing signals for the three phases A, B, C, respectively. Based on this, it can be seen that for the existing circuit breaker, the closing overshoot of the product is relatively large, even exceeding the tolerance (greater than 2mm). In contrast, the closing overshoot phenomenon of the present disclosure is effectively eliminated.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 12, FIG. 12 represents the opening overshoots and rebounds (mm) of the existing circuit breaker and the disclosed circuit breaker. It can be seen that compared to existing circuit breakers, the amplitude of the opening rebound of the present disclosure is significantly reduced.
[0056] It should be noted that the vacuum circuit breaker shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the present specification is only a few examples among many vacuum circuit breakers that can adopt the principles disclosed herein. It should be clearly understood that the principles disclosed herein are by no means limited to any details or components of the vacuum circuit breaker shown in the drawings or described in the present specification.
[0057] In summary, the vacuum circuit breaker proposed in the present disclosure is provided with the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism on the static conductive portion 210. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes the movable member 250. The movable member 250 is located on the side of the static conductive portion 210 facing away from the movable conductive portion 220 and is movably connected to the static conductive portion 210. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism is used to absorb the impact energy generated when the static conductive portion 210 comes into contact with the movable conductive portion 220, and to dissipate heat using the movable member 250. Through the above design, the present disclosure utilizes the movable connection design between the movable member 250 and the static conductive portion 210 to achieve cushioning function, thereby absorbing and consuming the surplus energy generated by the closing action and transmitted to the static conductive portion 210, alleviating "resonance" and preventing characteristic parameters from exceeding the specified limits. At the same time, the present disclosure utilizes the movable member 250 for heat dissipation, which can improve the heat dissipation performance of the vacuum circuit breaker and ensure that the temperature rise performance of the vacuum circuit breaker during normal operation meets the requirements of product use.
[0058] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the static conductive portion is disposed above the movable conductive portion, and the movable conductive portion can be adjusted to move towards the static conductive portion and contact the static conductive portion to achieve the closing action of the vacuum circuit breaker. The embedded pole further includes the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes the first movable member and the second movable member. The first movable member is located on the side of the static conductive portion facing away from the movable conductive portion, that is, there is no direct connection between the first movable member and the static conductive portion. The second movable member is located on the side of the static conductive portion facing away from the movable conductive portion and is connected to the static conductive portion, and the second movable member is connected to the first movable member. On this basis, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism can absorb the impact energy generated when the static conductive portion comes into contact with the movable conductive portion. Through the above design, the present disclosure constructs a cushioning structure with two degrees of freedom by utilizing the movable connection design between the first movable member and the static conductive portion, and the movable connection design between the second movable member and the first movable member. Based on this, the cushioning function can be achieved in the above two degrees of freedom. When the vacuum circuit breaker is closed, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism undergoes multiple oscillatory collisions and friction in the above two degrees of freedom, thereby completely absorbing and consuming the excess energy generated and transmitted to the static conductive portion during the closing action, avoiding "resonance" and thus avoiding the problem of characteristic parameter exceeding the standard. Furthermore, in order to solve the problem of "resonance", compared to the existing solutions that use correlation design based on complex formula calculations for each component of the vacuum circuit breaker itself, the present disclosure directly utilizes the original heat dissipation structure without affecting the original design parameters of each component of the vacuum circuit breaker (such as the static conductive portion, movable conductive portion, etc.), and changes its fixing method by introducing the elastic body to give it degrees of freedom, that is, using a "non-embedded" cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism to achieve a cushioning function based on two degrees of freedom, which does not change the original motion chain and further improves the cushioning effect.
[0059] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first movable member is a radiator, which is provided with a through hole along the vertical direction. The cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism further includes at least one cushioning energy-absorbing assembly. Each cushioning energy-absorbing assembly includes a limiting sleeve, a connecting member, the second movable member mentioned above, and an elastic member. Specifically, the limiting sleeve is partially inserted into the through hole, and the upper end of the limiting sleeve (i.e. the end of the limiting sleeve facing away from the static conductive portion) extends out of the top opening of the through hole. The connecting member has a limiting cap and a connecting rod. The outer diameter of the limiting cap is larger than the outer diameter of the connecting rod. The connecting rod is partially inserted into the limiting sleeve. The upper end of the connecting rod (i.e. the end of the connecting rod facing away from the static conductive portion) extends out of the limiting sleeve and is connected to the limiting cap. The lower end of the connecting rod (i.e. the end of the connecting rod facing the static conductive portion) extends out of the limiting sleeve and is connected to the static conductive portion. The second movable member is a washer, which is sleeved on the connecting rod and located between the limiting cap and the limiting sleeve. A thickness of the washer is less than the distance between the limiting cap and the limiting sleeve. The elastic member is connected between the washer and the top opening of the through hole. On this basis, when the vacuum circuit breaker is not closed, the elastic member is in a compressed state, causing the washer to abut against the bottom of the limiting cap and have a gap with the limiting sleeve. Through the above design, the present disclosure adopts the radiator and washer as the first and second movable members respectively, and uses the limiting sleeve, the connecting member, and the elastic member for sliding sleeve connection and elastic connection, thereby achieving the design in which "the radiator is carried on the static conductive portion, the washer is provided on the top of the static conductive portion through the connecting member and is movably connected to the static conductive portion, and the washer and the radiator are movably connected through the elastic member".
[0060] Specifically, due to the use of the elastic member in the cushioning energy-absorbing assembly of the present disclosure, it has a second degree of freedom, namely, the cushioning energy-absorbing assembly has two degrees of freedom, one of which exists between the radiator and the static conductive portion, and the other degree of freedom exists between the washer, connecting member, and limiting sleeve. Accordingly, in the initial state, that is, when the vacuum circuit breaker is not closed, the elastic member is in a compressed state. Under the action of the pre-compression force F0, the elastic member can maintain pressure on the radiator, ensuring reliable contact between the radiator and the static conductive portion. During the operation of the vacuum circuit breaker, taking the closing operation as an example, the operating mechanism of the vacuum circuit breaker transfers motion and force to the movable conductive portion, causing the movable conductive portion to have a certain speed and move towards the static conductive portion until they come into contact. At the moment of collision, due to the lack of direct connection between the radiator and the static conductive portion, the radiator may experience a slight upward movement (such as the upward distance of the radiator relative to the static conductive portion) or be understood as an upward movement trend. During the contact process between the movable conductive portion and the static conductive portion, the movable conductive portion collides with the static conductive portion. Due to the use of the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism, the energy of the collision is transmitted to the radiator and the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism through the static conductive portion. The radiator obtains the initial energy, and under the action of the elastic member, according to the magnitude of the input energy, oscillations and collisions occur between the radiator and the static conductive portion, between the washer and the connecting member, and between the washer and the limiting sleeve. Finally, the excess energy is completely absorbed and consumed through several collisions and frictions. Due to the dual degrees of freedom of the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism of the present disclosure, the excess energy can be depleted in a shorter period of time by the simultaneous action of the dual degrees of freedom under the same surplus energy.
[0061] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to several typical embodiments, it should be understood that the terms used are illustrative and exemplary, not restrictive. As the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the disclosure, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the aforementioned details, but should be broadly interpreted within the spirit and scope defined by the accompanying claims. Therefore, all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalent should be covered by the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. A vacuum circuit breaker, comprising an embedded pole, the embedded pole comprising a static conductive portion and a movable conductive portion, the movable conductive portion being configured to adjustably move towards and contact the static conductive portion to achieve a closing action of the vacuum circuit breaker; wherein the embedded pole further comprises a cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism, the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism includes a movable member movably connected to the static conductive portion, and the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism is configured to absorb impact energy generated when the static conductive portion comes into contact with the movable conductive portion.
2. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is provided with a through hole along a vertical direction; the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism further comprises at least one elastic connecting assembly, the elastic connecting assembly comprises a connecting member and an elastic member; the connecting member comprises a limiting cap and a connecting rod, an outer diameter of the limiting cap is larger than an outer diameter of the connecting rod, the connecting rod is partially inserted into the through hole, an end of the connecting rod facing away from the static conductive portion extends out of the through hole and is connected to the limiting cap, and an end of the connecting rod facing the static conductive portion extends out of the through hole and is connected to the static conductive portion; the elastic member is connected between the limiting cap and a top opening of the through hole; wherein the movable member is connected to the static conductive portion through the elastic connecting assembly.
3. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable member is a radiator, and the radiator is located on a side of the static conductive portion facing away from the movable conductive portion.
4. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the movable member is a radiator, and the radiator comprises: a radiator base, located on a side of the static conductive portion facing away from the movable conductive portion and movably connected to the static conductive portion, the through hole is provided in the radiator base; and a plurality of radiator fins provided on the radiator base.
5. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 4, wherein with a plane where a top surface of the static conductive portion is located as a reference plane, an orthographic projection of the radiator base covers an entire area of the top surface of the static conductive portion on the reference plane.
6. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 5, wherein a side of the top of the static conductive portion is convex with an upper outlet terminal seat; wherein the radiator is provided with an avoidance notch corresponding to a position of the upper outlet terminal seat for avoiding the upper outlet terminal seat.
7. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 4, wherein adjacent radiator fins and a top surface of the radiator base together form an accommodating groove, and a portion of the elastic connecting assembly located on a side of the through hole facing away from the static conductive assembly is accommodated in the accommodating groove, without extending beyond a top of the radiator fins.
8. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 7, wherein a cross-sectional area of the through hole is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the accommodating groove, such that a stepped surface is formed at a portion of a groove bottom of the accommodating groove where no through hole is provided; wherein the elastic member is connected between the limiting cap and the stepped surface.
9. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein: a material of the movable member is a thermal conductive material; and / or a surface of the movable member is provided with an insulation layer.
10. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism comprises at least two elastic connecting assemblies, and the at least two elastic connecting assemblies are arranged at intervals.
11. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 10, wherein the cushioning energy-absorbing mechanism comprises at least three elastic connecting assemblies; wherein with a plane where a top surface of the static conductive portion is located as a reference plane, orthographic projections of the at least three elastic connecting assemblies are respectively arranged at endpoints of a regular polygon path on the reference plane, and a number of sides of the regular polygon is equal to a number of the elastic connecting assemblies.
12. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the elastic connecting assembly further comprises: a washer sleeved on the connecting rod and located at a bottom of the limiting cap, the elastic member being connected between a bottom surface of the washer and a top opening of the through hole.
13. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 12, wherein the elastic connecting assembly further comprises: a positioning sleeve partially inserted into the through hole, wherein an end of the positioning sleeve facing away from the static conductive portion extends out of the top opening of the through hole and abuts against a bottom surface of the washer to press the washer against a bottom surface of the limiting cap, and the connecting rod is inserted into the positioning sleeve.