Air Circuit Breaker Contact Spring Layout for Stable High-Current Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air circuit breakers face challenges in maintaining stable contact between movers and stationary elements due to increased electric repulsive forces from large currents, leading to unintended current blockage and reduced durability.
Innovation Solution
The air circuit breaker employs a design with varying elastic forces exerted by contact springs, where first contact springs exert greater forces at the outer regions and lesser forces at the center regions, using different lengths and elastic moduli to stabilize movers during current flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a strong force is exerted on the mover to prevent deviation caused by electric repulsive force, then the mover can maintain stable contact with the stationary element, but the durability of the mover decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the elastic forces exerted on different movers based on their positions. First contact springs exert greater elastic forces on outer movers that experience larger electric repulsive forces, while second contact springs exert lesser elastic forces on center movers. This localized differentiation ensures each mover receives appropriate force to maintain contact without excessive force that would reduce durability.
2Reliability
If the mover is separated from the stationary element to block current during safety accidents, then current flow is blocked, but unintended current blockage occurs during normal operation due to electric repulsive force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the elastic force parameters of contact springs according to the position of movers. The first contact springs have greater elastic forces than the second contact springs, creating a gradient of force parameters that matches the gradient of electric repulsive forces. This ensures that during normal operation, all movers maintain stable contact despite varying repulsive forces, while during safety accidents, the system can still reliably block current when needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design ensures stable contact without excessive force on all movers, preventing durability issues and maintaining effective current flow.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of contact springs accommodated within the body portion and exerting elastic forces to the plurality of movers, respectively
Implementation Method 2
an electric repulsive force is generated at a contact surface of the mover that is in contact with the stationary element, thereby causing the mover to deviate from the stationary element
Data Source
AI summary
An air circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a body portion provided with an opening having one open side; a plurality of movers which are rotatably coupled to the body portion and inserted in the opening; and a plurality of contact springs which are accommodated in the body portion and provide the plurality of movers respectively with an elastic force, wherein the plurality of contact springs comprise a plurality of first contact springs, and a plurality of second contact springs arranged among the plurality of first contact springs. The plurality of first contact springs may provide the plurality of movers with greater elastic force as compared with the plurality of second contact springs.