Baffle Plate Particle Trap for Circuit Breaker Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Narrow passage openings in switching gas cooling arrangements of low-voltage circuit breakers tend to clog over time due to particles carried in the blow-out gases, reducing the cooling effect and affecting pressure and switching conditions.
Innovation Solution
A particle trap arrangement, comprising a baffle plate with a cross-section equal to or larger than the switching chamber exit window, is placed downstream of the switching chamber outlet window to deflect and trap metal particles, preventing them from entering the switching gas cooling arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If narrow passage openings are used in the switching gas cooling arrangement to achieve high cooling capacity, then the cooling effect is improved, but the passage openings become clogged by particles carried in the blow-out gases
Solution Approach 1:
A particle trap arrangement is introduced as an intermediary component between the switching chamber outlet window and the switching gas cooling arrangement. This mediator captures particles from the blow-out gases before they can enter and clog the narrow passage openings of the cooling arrangement, thereby protecting the cooling effect while preventing reliability degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a particle trap zone with a flow element that captures particles, and a cooling zone with narrow passage openings that maintains cooling effect. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other
2Power
If narrow passage openings are used in the switching gas cooling arrangement, then the cooling capacity is optimized, but the flow cross section is reduced and cooling effect deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The particle trap arrangement performs preliminary action by capturing particles before they reach the cooling arrangement. This preventive measure ensures that the narrow passage openings remain clear and functional throughout the operational duration, maintaining cooling capacity over time
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
The particle trap arrangement effectively prevents clogging of the switching gas cooling system, maintaining the cooling effect and pressure conditions by allowing gases to flow around the baffle plates while depositing particles, thus ensuring continuous operation of the low-voltage circuit breakers.
Implementation Method 1
Metal particles have a greater mass inertia than gases. If a suitable flow element is placed in the exhaust jet, the particles fly straight towards the obstacle formed by the flow element.
Implementation Method 2
The material of the cooling arrangement has a high thermal conductivity and a high heat capacity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a system of a switching gas cooling arrangement and a particle capture arrangement for switching gases (30) which appear after a short-circuit switching procedure in electrical service devices, in particular in low-voltage power switches. The system is formed by a switching gas cooling arrangement and a particle capture arrangement. Downstream of the flow path of the switching gases (30) issuing from at least one switching chamber outlet window (15), a switching gas cooling arrangement (10) is arranged in a blow-out chamber. In the space behind the at least one switching chamber outlet window (15) and prior to entry of the switching gases (30) into the switching gas cooling arrangement (10), there is arranged a flow element (20) around which the switching gases can flow and which has a cross section (16'') which corresponds to or is greater than the cross section (16') of the switching chamber outlet window (15). The flow elements (20) act as a particle capture arrangement and thus as a protection device for the switching gas cooling arrangement.