Controllable vacuum interrupt valve and assembly, and method for voltage distribution among multiple vacuum interrupt valves

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum shutoff valve (1) for opening and closing a voltage. The vacuum shutoff valve (1) comprises at least one housing (2) and at least two contacts (3, 4), the at least one housing (2) comprising at least one insulator segment (6). The at least one insulator segment (6) is formed as a control element. Furthermore, the present invention includes an assembly (10) having at least two of the aforementioned vacuum shutoff valves (1) electrically connected in series, and a method for voltage distribution of a plurality of vacuum shutoff valves (1), the voltage distribution being performed by the plurality of insulator segments (6) as control elements.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum interruption valve for switching voltage, comprising at least one housing and at least two contacts, the at least one housing comprising at least one insulator segment. The present invention also includes an assembly comprising at least two of the above-described vacuum interruption valves, and a method for distributing voltage among a plurality of vacuum interruption valves.

[0002] A vacuum interruption valve or a vacuum circuit breaker comprising an assembly of vacuum interruption valves is, for example, an electric power switchgear in which a plurality of switching contacts movable relative to one another are arranged in at least one vacuum interruption chamber. In high-voltage technology, such vacuum interruption valves are used for switching in the high-voltage range, in particular voltages above 52 kV, and / or for switching large currents in the range of up to several tens of kiloamperes. In particular, vacuum interruption valves included in switching assemblies require little maintenance, have a long lifespan, and are easily and reliably actuated, in particular via spring-activated drives. For high-voltage requirements, for example, assemblies with a plurality of vacuum interruption valves are used, whose switching paths are electrically connected in series, as is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,699,491. Alternatively, for example, a plurality of vacuum interruption valves are used, in particular with a plurality of switching paths within one vacuum interruption valve.

[0003] In the case of multiple vacuum shut-off valves, voltage distribution suitable for the multiple vacuum shut-off valves is desired to avoid overloading of the individual vacuum shut-off valves when the opening and closing paths of the vacuum shut-off valves are open. In particular, when there are multiple vacuum shut-off valves with multiple opening and closing paths within a single vacuum shut-off valve, voltage distribution suitable for these opening and closing paths is desired to avoid overloading when the opening and closing paths of the vacuum shut-off valves are open. For example, in the case of multiple vacuum shut-off valves or multiple opening and closing paths that are identically designed and connected one after another in series, voltage distribution as even as possible for the vacuum shut-off valves or opening and closing paths is desired to avoid overloading.

[0004] To achieve the desired voltage distribution for multiple vacuum interruption valves or multiple switching circuits, passive electrical components, such as control resistors, are connected in parallel to a single vacuum interruption valve at separate locations. However, these components increase the installation space required for a vacuum interruption valve or for an assembly of multiple vacuum interruption valves. In particular, in the case of vacuum interruption valves that use clean, dehumidified compressed air as the insulating gas surrounding the vacuum interruption valve, a significant insulation distance is required between the vacuum interruption valve and a passive electrical component, and between the passive electrical component and the metal circuit breaker housing of an assembly of one or more vacuum interruption valves. This is because the insulating strength of compressed air is weaker than that of other insulating gases, such as sulfur hexafluoride. To achieve sufficient insulation between multiple vacuum interruption valves and a circuit with multiple passive components, it is possible to arrange an assembly of multiple vacuum interruption valves and the connected passive components in separate housings. However, these configurations require a large installation space and are expensive. Special voltage distribution across the individual components of the vacuum shutoff valve is not possible with such an arrangement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102013208419A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to enable voltage distribution in one vacuum shut-off valve and / or in an assembly including multiple vacuum shut-off valves in a space-saving manner and / or to provide a space-saving and / or low-cost method for voltage distribution of multiple vacuum shut-off valves, in particular with a special, predetermined voltage distribution across the individual components of one or more vacuum shut-off valves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by a vacuum shut-off valve for switching voltages having the features of claim 1, an assembly according to claim 11 comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned vacuum shut-off valves, and / or a voltage distribution method according to claim 13 for a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves, in particular a plurality of the above-mentioned vacuum shut-off valves. Advantageous embodiments of the vacuum shut-off valve according to the invention for switching voltages and / or the assembly according to the invention comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned vacuum shut-off valves are set out in the dependent claims. The subject matter of the main claim may be combined with the features of the dependent claims, and the features of several dependent claims may be combined with each other.

[0008] A vacuum shut-off valve for switching voltage according to the present invention comprises at least one housing and at least two contacts, the at least one housing comprising at least one insulator segment, the at least one insulator segment being formed as a control element.

[0009] The multiple control elements allow for a defined, predetermined voltage distribution across the vacuum shut-off valve when the electrical contacts are open, i.e., when both contacts of the vacuum shut-off valve are separated. In particular, an even voltage distribution across the entire vacuum shut-off valve is possible, which avoids damage due to overvoltage and ensures stable and reliable functioning of the vacuum shut-off valve over the long term. Using at least one insulator segment of the vacuum shut-off valve as a control element allows for a compact, space-saving, and low-cost vacuum shut-off valve, especially in a spatially optimized housing filled with, for example, clean air, reducing the risk of electrical flashover. The compact construction of the vacuum shut-off valve with the insulator segment as the control element allows for material savings, especially a small housing size and the saving of additional control elements, reducing costs, allowing the use of alternative switching gases such as clean air in a compact assembly, and enabling simple and environmentally friendly use of the vacuum shut-off valve. The good voltage distribution of the compact vacuum shut-off valve allows for reliable opening and closing in the high-voltage range, especially in the range of several kilovolts, without electrical flashover, especially in a compact outer housing.

[0010] The at least one housing may have two or more insulating segments, each connected via at least one metal shield. The use of two or more insulating segments as control elements allows for good voltage distribution, particularly over the entire length of the vacuum shut-off valve, which is simple, reliable, and inexpensive.

[0011] These insulator segments have a dielectric constant ε r is in the range of 15 to 10,000, in particular in the range of 15 to 2,000, and / or a plurality of different dielectric constants ε rThe insulating segments may be formed from and / or contain a plurality of materials having different capacitances. These, in particular, a plurality of different capacitances, together providing a precise and defined voltage distribution along the longitudinal axis and / or along the circumference of the vacuum interrupt valve, in particular for high voltages in the range of 52 kV or higher. For this purpose, the total capacitance of the insulating segments may be in the range of 10 to 4000 pF, in particular in the range of 500 to 4000 pF.

[0012] The at least one insulator segment can be made of and / or contain glass, ceramic, and / or glass ceramic. These materials are well suited, for example, as control elements for preventing electrical flashover across vacuum interruption valves, e.g., as capacitors and / or resistors with insulating properties. To obtain the required electrical properties, in particular for precise voltage distribution, defined concentrations of foreign substances can be precisely introduced into the insulating material, in particular by doping.

[0013] The at least one insulator segment can be configured to vacuum-tightly seal the housing against the outside. This allows the insulator segments to provide a stable vacuum in the switching chamber or housing, enabling reliable, long-term, stable functioning of the vacuum shut-off valve. Additional control elements for voltage distribution, such as additional external resistors and / or capacitors, are not required, thereby saving labor, costs, installation space, and materials. A compact design of the voltage-distributable vacuum shut-off valve is possible, suitable for a particularly compact external housing that requires less protective or insulating gas, such as clean air and / or SF6. The dual function of the insulator segments as elements of the vacuum shut-off valve housing and as voltage distribution elements eliminates the need for control elements attached to the housing and / or in the external outer housing for voltage distribution, especially at high voltages, resulting in the aforementioned advantages.

[0014] At least one insulator segment can be formed as a hollow cylinder, in particular with a cylindrical cross section, so that in the case of a hollow cylindrical vacuum shut-off valve, this insulator segment can form part of the jacket and / or can encase several insulator segments in a space-saving manner, for example in the form of a multi-layer composite element, in particular with a mating joint. The cylindrical element has a high mechanical stability with a minimal or optimized wall thickness.

[0015] At least one enclosure can have multiple insulator segments of different lengths along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum shutoff valve and / or multiple insulator segments, particularly with different widths in cross section and / or with a predetermined wall thickness. This allows the insulator segments to be used as control elements, particularly made of a single material, with different electrical properties, such as different electrical resistances and / or capacitances. This allows the vacuum shutoff valves to be manufactured in a predetermined, defined shape, particularly with the electrical properties of the enclosure required for voltage distribution depending on the maximum voltage and / or current to be switched. One length of the insulator segments can be, for example, in the range of 10 to 100 millimeters, a second length can be, for example, in the range of 20 to 200 millimeters, and / or a third length can be, for example, in the range of 30 to 300 millimeters. The diameter of the insulator segments can be, for example, in the range of 10 to 40 centimeters, and the wall thickness of the insulator segments can be, for example, in the range of 10 to 80 millimeters. This allows for different circuits of the control elements with different values, for example capacitance and / or ohmic resistance, which allows for a predetermined desired voltage distribution across the area of ​​the entire vacuum interrupt valve.

[0016] Each of the at least one insulator segment may have a conductivity within the range of resistive voltage control, particularly in the kilohm and / or megaohm range, and / or each of the at least one insulator segment may have a capacitance within the range of capacitive voltage control, particularly in the range of 10 to 10,000 pF. These insulator segments with such values ​​are well suited to allow voltage distribution of the vacuum interruption valve due to their insulating properties, i.e., without electrical flashover over the entire length of the vacuum interruption valve, particularly for switching voltages in the range of several thousand volts, for example 52 kV or more.

[0017] The at least two contacts may include at least one spatially fixed contact and at least one spatially movable contact, in which case the movable contact is vacuum-tightly guided into the at least one housing, in particular via at least one bellows, and / or at least two cover parts close both ends of the vacuum shut-off valve, and / or a plurality of insulator segments with these cover parts vacuum-tightly close the vacuum shut-off valve from the outside by means of at least one bellows, in which case the insulator segments are connected to one another, in particular via a plurality of metal shields, which may function as or be formed as steam shields inside the vacuum shut-off valve.

[0018] The defined interconnection of the ceramic segments as control elements can be achieved via the metal shields and their electrical contact with one another. This allows for cost-effective and simple implementation of voltage control or distribution over the length of the vacuum shut-off valve, particularly with defined different values ​​of the control elements when the electrical contacts are open, i.e., when the contacts are spaced apart, and can be connected in any desired, i.e., defined manner, via the metal shields. This prevents overvoltages in the individual insulator segments, thereby extending the service life of the vacuum shut-off valve and enabling long-term stable operation without failures or even breakages due to overvoltages in the ceramic segments. The vacuum-sealed housing allows for long-term stable and reliable operation of the vacuum shut-off valve.

[0019] The vacuum interrupt valves can be configured to open and close voltages in the high voltage range, particularly in the range of 52 kV and above. This voltage distribution through multiple insulator segments allows these vacuum interrupt valves to open and close high voltages without electrical flashover, particularly across the outer envelope of the vacuum interrupt valve, and without failure that could lead to irreversible destruction of the vacuum interrupt valve.

[0020] The assembly according to the present invention, which includes a plurality of the aforementioned vacuum interrupter valves, comprises at least two, in particular three or more, vacuum interrupter valves electrically connected in series, in particular connected in series with a plurality of insulator segments, electrically connected via at least one metal shield and / or via a plurality of metal shields, and / or the plurality of vacuum interrupter valves are electrically connected in series via a plurality of contacts of the vacuum interrupter valves. In this way, switching of high voltage levels, in particular high voltages in the range of 52 kV or higher, can be performed cost-effectively and simply using a plurality of vacuum interrupter valves. The aforementioned voltage distribution, in particular by a plurality of insulator segments as control elements arranged along the longitudinal axis of the plurality of vacuum interrupter valves, allows voltage distribution to the plurality of vacuum interrupter valves and precise voltage distribution of the individual vacuum interrupter valves connected in series. This makes it possible to achieve the aforementioned advantages, in particular with a cost-effective, simple, space-saving, and compact configuration or assembly.

[0021] The assembly according to the invention may include a metal tank housing and / or an insulator housing in which a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves are arranged, and the housing is filled with, in particular, clean air as insulating gas.

[0022] The use of multiple insulator segments of this vacuum shut-off valve or multiple vacuum shut-off valves as control elements results in a compact configuration, allowing for a compact metal tank housing and / or insulator housing with less material usage and lower cost, which reduces the risk of electrical flashover, reduces the amount of switching gas, and / or allows for the use of climate-friendly or climate-neutral insulating gases such as clean air in a compact, e.g., inexpensively available standard housing.

[0023] In the voltage distribution method according to the invention for a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves, in particular for a plurality of the aforementioned vacuum shut-off valves and / or for an assembly comprising a plurality of the aforementioned vacuum shut-off valves, the voltage distribution is carried out using a plurality of insulator segments as control elements, in particular a plurality of capacitors and / or a plurality of resistors, which are part of a plurality of housings for the plurality of vacuum shut-off valves and / or which are arranged in a housing comprising a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves and / or in a housing comprising a plurality of insulator segments for a plurality of different vacuum shut-off valves connected in series, in order to surround the housing around the respective housing, in particular as a ring. The advantages of the voltage distribution method according to claim 13 of the present invention for a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves, in particular for a plurality of the above-mentioned vacuum shut-off valves and / or for an assembly comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned vacuum shut-off valves, and the advantages of the assembly according to claim 11 of the present invention comprising a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves, are similar to the advantages of the vacuum shut-off valve according to claim 1 of the present invention for voltage switching, and vice versa.

[0024] In the following, several embodiments of the invention are illustrated schematically and explained in more detail. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic oblique side view of a vacuum shut-off valve 1 according to the invention for switching voltage, in which several insulating segments 6 of the housing 2 are arranged as control elements. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows an assembly 10 according to the present invention in which two vacuum shutoff valves of the type shown are connected in series, and the assembly 10 is contained in a single housing 11, which is filled with an insulating gas 12, for example clean air. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum shut-off valve 1 according to the present invention, as seen obliquely from the side, for switching voltages, particularly high voltages in the range of 52 kV or higher. The vacuum shut-off valve 1 has an outer casing 2, which includes, among other things, a central main shield 5 and a plurality of insulator segments 6 adjacent to the central main shield 5 on either side. The main shield 5 and the insulator segments 6 are formed in a hollow cylindrical or tubular shape. The adjacent insulator segments 6, three on each side of the main shield 5 in the example of FIG. 1, are connected to one another by a plurality of metal shields 5. The metal shields 5 may, for example, be formed as steam shields inside the casing 2 and / or simply as rings that connect the cylindrical insulator segments 6 to one another and allow for electrical interconnection.

[0027] At both ends of the vacuum shut-off valve 1, hollow cylindrical insulator segments 6 are fluid-tightly sealed by cover portions 8 and 9. The interior of the vacuum shut-off valve 1 is evacuated, i.e., a vacuum is created. Contacts 3 and 4 protrude from both ends of the vacuum shut-off valve 1 into a cylindrical housing 2 of the vacuum shut-off valve 1, with the fixed contact 3 protruding from one side, e.g., the base surface of the cylindrical housing 2, and the movable contact 4 protruding from the other side, e.g., the cover surface of the cylindrical housing 2, into the vacuum shut-off valve 1.

[0028] The main shield 5 is made of, for example, a metal, in particular copper and / or steel, and is provided with, for example, several evaporation or vapor shields therein, which are not shown in the figures for the sake of simplicity. The hollow cylindrical insulator segments 6 are made of, for example, sintered ceramic, in particular surface-treated. Alternatively, the insulator segments 6 can be made of, for example, glass and / or glass ceramic, or can contain them. These insulator segments 6 are formed as control elements, in particular as capacitors and / or resistors. For this purpose, for example, dopants are introduced into the material of the insulator segments 6. This allows the insulator segments 6 to have a dielectric constant ε of, for example, in the range of 15 to 10,000, in particular in the range of 15 to 2,000.r Due to the defined voltage distribution over the entire length of the vacuum shut-off valve 1, different dielectric constants ε r It is possible to use multiple insulator segments 6 having the following structure.

[0029] Insulator segments 6 configured as resistors have electrical conductivity in the resistive voltage control range, particularly in the kilo-ohm and / or mega-ohm range, thereby achieving good insulating properties. Insulator segments 6 configured as capacitors have capacitance in the capacitive voltage control range, particularly in the 10-10,000 pF range. These insulator segments 6 can be doped entirely or, for example, only on the outer surface. In the latter case, these insulator segments 6 are pure insulators on the inside and capacitors and / or resistors on the outside. This doping can also be performed at the depth of a particular insulator segment with a defined layer thickness. For example, different doping of the insulator segments 6 and / or different lengths, widths, and / or thicknesses of the insulator segments 6 can produce different resistances or capacitances. The insulator segments 6 can be configured as a stack with insulator segment elements of different resistance and / or capacitance values. In particular, several rings or hollow cylinders can be arranged stacked on top of or inside each other.

[0030] The insulator segments 6 may have a length in the range of, for example, 10 to 100 millimeters, a second length in the range of, for example, 20 to 200 millimeters, and / or a third length in the range of, for example, 30 to 300 millimeters. Other lengths and / or various combinations of insulator segments 6 of different lengths are possible. All or individual insulator segments may have the same length. The diameter of the insulator segments 6 may be in the range of, for example, 10 to 40 centimeters, and the wall thickness of the insulator segments 6 may be in the range of, for example, 10 to 80 millimeters. Different diameters and / or wall thicknesses of the insulator segments 6, as well as combinations of different diameters and / or wall thicknesses, are also possible, or all insulator segments may have the same dimensions.

[0031] As mentioned above, the insulator segments 6 are connected to one another via the metal shields 5 in a mechanically stable and electrically contactable manner. This connection is made during the manufacture of the vacuum shutoff valve 1, for example, during a soldering process in an oven at several hundred degrees Celsius. In this case, for example, dopants can be introduced into the insulator segments 6 and / or their defined diffusion at high temperatures is also possible. These dopants can also be introduced beforehand, for example, during the sintering process of the insulator segments 6 or during a separate manufacturing process. The metal shields 5 are made, in particular, of copper and / or steel and are, for example, ring-shaped and / or hollow cylindrical. Inside the vacuum shutoff valve 1, the metal shields 5 include, for example, evaporation or vapor shields, which are not shown in the figures for simplicity's sake. These metal shields 5 protrude outward, for example, in the form of flat rings, from the vacuum shutoff valve 1 or beyond the outer periphery of the insulator segments. In this case, the main shield 5 is, for example, a hollow cylindrical metal body arranged between the two rings. The electrical contact or interconnection for the voltage distribution of this vacuum shut-off valve 1 is made, for example, via the outer area of ​​the metal shield 5 .

[0032] The contacts 3 and 4 are made of, for example, copper and / or steel and are formed inside the vacuum shut-off valve 1 in the shape of a bolt, in particular with slit, dished ends. The fixed contact 3 is fluid-tightly connected to a first cover part 8 at one end of the vacuum shut-off valve 1, which cover part 8 is made of, for example, metal, in particular copper and / or steel, as a vacuum-sealing part of the vacuum shut-off valve 1. The movable contact 4 is fluid-tightly connected to a second cover part 9 at the other end of the vacuum shut-off valve 1 and is movably attached, for example, via a bellows, which is not shown in FIG. 1 for simplicity's sake. The cover part 9 is made of, for example, metal, in particular copper or steel, as a vacuum-sealing part of the vacuum shut-off valve 1.

[0033] The vacuum interrupter valve can be electrically contacted via bolts guided outwardly by the fixed contact 3 and the movable contact 4. The movable contact 4 makes or breaks the electrical circuit by moving towards the fixed contact 3, i.e., closing the gap between the dished contact ends of the contacts 3 and 4 when making a circuit, and by moving away from the fixed contact 3, i.e., creating a gap between the dished contact ends of the contacts 3 and 4 when opening a circuit. The gap created between the contact ends of the contacts 3 and 4, as well as the contact ends themselves, are located in the evacuated interior of the vacuum interrupter valve 1, so that a gap ranging from a few millimeters to a few centimeters is sufficient, especially for interrupting high voltages. The vacuum interrupter valve 1 has a length in the range of 30 to 100 centimeters and a circumference in the range of, for example, a few centimeters to several meters, in particular 10 to 150 centimeters.

[0034] A plurality of insulating segments 6 are electrically connected in series, for example along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum interrupter 1, and are in particular electrically connected to each other via a plurality of successive metal shields 5. These insulating segments 6 can also be optionally connected, as defined, via a plurality of metal shields 5, for example to cables and / or external circuits, in particular via a plurality of insulating segments of different lengths, widths and / or thicknesses and / or different dopings. This allows for good voltage distribution of the vacuum interrupter 1 according to the application, in particular depending on the current and / or voltage values ​​and / or the environment of use.

[0035] In FIG. 2, two vacuum interruption valves 1 according to FIG. 1 of the present invention are arranged in series according to an assembly 10 of the present invention consisting of a plurality of vacuum interruption valves 1. The interconnection of the plurality of insulator segments 6, i.e., the electrical contact and connection of the plurality of insulator segments 6, is carried out via the plurality of metal shields 5 between the contacts 3 and 4 for each vacuum interruption valve 1. In this case, a series connection as shown in FIG. 2 is possible. Other external connections are possible via the electrical contact and interconnection of the plurality of metal shields 5, in particular according to a desired predetermined voltage distribution or voltage allocation across the plurality of vacuum interruption valves 1. For this purpose, for example, the plurality of metal shields can be configured in two parts, with an insulating material arranged between at least two of these parts. This allows adjacent insulator segments to be electrically connected to each other separately, each electrically connected to a specific part of the metal shield.

[0036] 2 are electrically and mechanically connected to one another via two fixed contacts 3, in particular via one commonly formed fixed contact 3, or via contacts 3 joined by, for example, screws, adhesive, solder, welding and / or press-fitting. The vacuum interruption valves 1 can also be connected to one another via two or one movable contact and one fixed contact 3, 4, but this is not shown for the sake of simplicity. For example, a motor-type and / or spring-type drive is provided to drive the movable contact 4 during electrical opening and closing, but this is not shown for the sake of simplicity.

[0037] These vacuum shut-off valves 1 are arranged in, i.e., enclosed by, a housing 11. This housing 11 can be, for example, a gas-tight metal tank housing and / or a gas-tight insulator housing. The metal tank housing is made of, for example, steel and / or aluminum and is, in a dead-tank configuration, particularly at earth potential. The insulator housing is made of, for example, ceramic, silicone, and / or composite materials and has, in particular, a ribbed outer surface to extend the leakage current path. The housing 11 is filled with, for example, clean air as a climate-neutral insulating gas 12. Alternatively or additionally, insulating gases 12 such as SF6 and / or CO2 can be used.

[0038] The above-described embodiments can be combined with one another and / or with prior art. Thus, for example, three or more vacuum shut-off valves 1 can be interconnected, in particular in series and / or in parallel. The insulator segments 6 can have different shapes, in particular cylindrical, cylindrical with an oval base and top surface, rectangular, square, and / or with a convex and / or concave surface. The surface of these insulator segments 6 can be structured, for example, in particular with a ribbed and / or wavy structure.

[0039] The vacuum shut-off valve 1 according to the invention described above, and in particular the assembly 10 according to the invention in which several vacuum shut-off valves 1 are connected in series, allow voltage distribution across several vacuum shut-off valves 1 by means of several insulator segments 6 formed as resistors and / or capacitors. These voltages can be predetermined equally or differently and distributed across several vacuum shut-off valves 1 or elements thereof by selecting the insulator segments 6 and their interconnection. By using several insulator segments 6 as several resistors and / or several capacitors, which in this case can be considered as insulators since they have electrical insulating properties with particularly very high resistance values, a compact and space-saving construction is possible, which allows for a cost-effective and spatially minimized housing 11, in particular the use of an insulating gas 12 such as clean air in conjunction with a housing 11 having small or minimized and / or standard dimensions. By distributing the voltage, particularly the high voltage, across one or more vacuum interruption valves 1 in this manner, overvoltage and damage or even destruction of the vacuum interruption valve 1 and / or assembly 10 comprising the vacuum interruption valves 1 is prevented when the contacts are open, i.e. when the contacts 3, 4 are separated from each other. In particular, when using multiple insulator segments of different sizes as capacitors and / or resistors, and in particular when using insulator segments 6 of different lengths, widths and / or thicknesses and / or dopings, any desired voltage distribution is possible by means of different circuits or interconnections. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Vacuum shutoff valve 2 Outer cover 3 Fixed contacts 4 Movable contacts 5 Metal shield, e.g. main shield 6 insulator segments 7 Bellows 8 First cover part 9 Second cover part 10 Assembly with multiple vacuum shutoff valves 11 Metal tank housing or insulator housing 12 Insulating gas, e.g. clean air

Claims

1. A vacuum interruption valve (1) for opening and closing a voltage, comprising at least one housing (2) and at least two contacts (3, 4), A vacuum shut-off valve (1) in which the at least one outer casing (2) comprises a plurality of insulator segments (6), The plurality of insulator segments (6) are formed as control elements, The plurality of insulator segments (6) have a dielectric constant ε r in the range of 15 to 10,000, and are formed of or contain a plurality of materials having a plurality of different dielectric constants ε r . A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

2. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, Each of the plurality of insulator segments (6) is connected via at least one metal shield (5). A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

3. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, the plurality of insulator segments (6) are made of and / or comprise glass, ceramic and / or glass ceramic; A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

4. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, The plurality of insulator segments (6) are formed to vacuum seal the outer casing (2) against the outside. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

5. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, The plurality of insulator segments (6) are formed as hollow cylinders. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

6. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, the at least one outer jacket (2) comprises a plurality of insulator segments (6) of different lengths along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum shut-off valve (1) and / or a plurality of insulator segments (6) of different widths and / or of a predetermined wall thickness in cross section; A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

7. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, The plurality of insulator segments (6) each have a resistive voltage-controlled range of conductivity; and / or the plurality of insulator segments (6) each have a capacitance within a range of capacitive voltage control; A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

8. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, The at least two contacts (3, 4) comprise at least one spatially fixed contact (3) and at least one spatially movable contact (4), the at least one movable contact (4) is guided vacuum-tight into the at least one outer casing (2) via at least one bellows (7), and / or at least two cover parts (8, 9) close both ends of the vacuum shut-off valve (1), and / or the plurality of insulator segments (6) with the cover parts (8, 9) close the vacuum shut-off valve (1) vacuum-tight from the outside by means of the at least one bellows (7), The plurality of insulator segments (6) are connected to each other via a plurality of metal shields (5). A vacuum shut-off valve (1) characterized by:

9. A vacuum shut-off valve (1) according to claim 1, It is configured to switch voltages in the range of 52 kV or more. A vacuum shutoff valve (1) characterized by:

10. 10. An assembly (10) comprising a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves (1) according to claim 1, At least two vacuum shutoff valves (1) are electrically connected in series and connected in series with a plurality of insulator segments (6); electrically connected via at least one metal shield (5) and / or via multiple metal shields (5); and / or The plurality of vacuum shutoff valves (1) are electrically connected in series via their plurality of contacts (3, 4). Assembly characterized by:

11. Assembly (10) according to claim 10, The vacuum shutoff valve (1) includes one metal tank housing and / or one insulator housing (11) in which the plurality of vacuum shutoff valves (1) are arranged, and the housing is filled with clean air as an insulating gas (12). Assembly characterized by:

12. A method for voltage distribution of a plurality of vacuum shut-off valves (1) according to claim 1 and / or an assembly (10) according to claim 10 comprising a plurality of said vacuum shut-off valves (1), comprising: The voltage distribution is performed by the plurality of insulator segments (6) as control elements; the plurality of insulator segments (6) are part of the plurality of casings (2) of the plurality of vacuum shut-off valves (1) and / or comprise the plurality of vacuum shut-off valves (1); and / or The insulator segments (6) of the different vacuum shutoff valves (1) connected in series are arranged in a housing around each of the outer casings (2) as a ring surrounding the outer casing (2). A voltage distribution method comprising:

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