Circuit Breaker Contact Composite With Ordered Ceramic Microparticles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Noble metal contacts, particularly silver, in residential circuit breakers face issues such as soldering, reduced contact area, increased temperature, and high cost, along with low wear resistance, leading to performance deficiencies and increased maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A metal contact composite material comprising a copper alloy and ordered ceramic microparticles, such as tungsten carbide, is used, where the ceramic particles are sintered and infiltrated with liquid metal to create a homogeneous, three-dimensional porous structure, enhancing wear resistance and electrical conductivity while reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silver is used as metal contact material, then electrical conductivity is improved, but wear resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material consisting of a copper alloy matrix with dispersed ceramic particles (such as tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, or boron carbide). This composite structure combines the high electrical conductivity of copper with the high wear resistance of ceramic particles, resolving the contradiction between electrical conductivity and wear resistance that plagues pure silver contacts.
2Reliability
If silver is used as metal contact material, then electrical conductivity is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive silver with a cheaper copper alloy base material while maintaining acceptable electrical conductivity through the addition of conductive ceramic particles. This substitution significantly reduces material cost while preserving the essential electrical performance required for circuit breaker contacts.
3Ease of manufacture
If copper alloy is used to reduce cost, then cost is reduced, but wear resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the copper alloy with dispersed ceramic particles (tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, boron carbide, etc.) that provide high wear resistance. This composite approach allows the use of cheaper copper alloy base material while compensating for its lower wear resistance through the reinforcement provided by the ceramic particles.
4Strength
If ceramic particles are added to metal alloy, then wear resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sintering process to create a metal matrix composite where ceramic particles are distributed within a copper alloy matrix. The sintering technique allows for the incorporation of ceramic particles without requiring complex manufacturing steps, as the process naturally facilitates particle distribution and bonding through controlled heating and pressure application.
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 copper alloy with ceramic microparticles composite material offers improved wear resistance and electrical conductivity, reducing the price of circuit breakers by 15% compared to silver contacts and extending their service life, while maintaining competitive performance.
Implementation Method 1
first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size
Implementation Method 2
then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement
Data Source
AI summary
A metal contact of a residential circuit breaker with ordered ceramic microparticles is provided. The metal contact comprises an electrical contact material comprising a metal alloy and ceramic particles to form a metal matrix composite material. Both materials the metal alloy and the ceramic particles are present together as a metal compound but without forming an alloy. The metal compound is a matrix and reinforcement being the ceramic particles such that first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size obtained by pressing a particle size of about few micrometers of the ceramic particles and then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement and the homogenous distribution results in ordered microstructures.