The
current distribution is achieved mechanically by a device (A) in which a current-carrying shaft (1) with a laterally arranged convex carbon contact (2) rotates and successively contacts a desired number of circularly arranged concave carbon brushes (3). In this process, the current is rapidly routed through the respective brushes (3) via power cables to the respective
exposure zones and then completely interrupted. The special feature here is that the rotating convex carbon contact (2) is slightly larger or longer than the stationary concave carbon brushes. This allows the nearest carbon
brush to make
minimal contact even while the main current is still flowing into the current
brush – see Figure 1. The amount of current transferred to the nearest carbon
brush is so small that no sparking occurs upon initial contact.Similarly, with further rotation, at the end of the
contact time the carbon contact has only a small point of contact with the carbon brush, while the main current is already flowing at the subsequent carbon brush – see drawing 2. Due to the small current and the smooth transition, no sparking occurs during the break-off. The presented device consists of a round, enclosed housing (4), ideally made of a stable and non-combustible material such as steel, suitable plastic, or glass. Within this housing, the carbon pickups (3) are arranged in a circular line on insulators (5) and spaced apart to prevent contact. Current is conducted to the respective pickups via appropriately sized power cables (6) passing through the pressure-tight insulators. The current-carrying
vertical axis (1) is supplied with power from below via a sliding ring contact (7). The current-carrying
vertical axis is driven directly or indirectly on the opposite upper side by a frequency-controlled
electric motor (8) and is separated from the drive
system by an insulator (9).The adjustable rotational speed allows the current pulses, and consequently the pause times, to be made shorter or longer. The housing can ideally be designed to be gas-tight with plastic cable glands that are gas-tight up to a pressure of 10 bar. The rotating shaft is fitted with a mechanical seal and is also gas-tight. The housing can then be filled with an
inert gas. 3 The gas must be filled to completely prevent any sparking. The gas SF6 (
sulfur hexafluoride), previously used for such applications in control cabinets, wind turbines, and electrical installations, should not be used due to its extreme environmental hazards.