Gas Circuit Breaker Exhaust Flow Split for Pressure Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reducing the dimensions of high voltage gas circuit breakers while maintaining efficient gas flow management leads to increased pressure in the insulating chamber and fixed side exhausts, preventing hot gases from escaping and resulting in inadequate breaking performance.
Innovation Solution
The circuit breaker design includes two arcing contacts surrounded by an insulating nozzle, with insulating gas flowing into a first and second gas flow of opposite directions. The second gas flow is partitioned into a smaller first portion and a larger second portion, with the first portion directed to the main gas chamber and the second portion to an exhaust gas chamber, ensuring balanced pressure and efficient gas evacuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the dimensions of the circuit breaker are reduced, then the device size is decreased, but the gas pressure in the insulating chamber increases to too high a value
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is segmented into two separate exhaust channels (first exhaust channel and second exhaust channel) with different flow resistance characteristics. This segmentation allows independent control of gas flow paths, enabling the small chamber to vent through a low-resistance path while the large chamber vents through a high-resistance path, thus maintaining balanced pressure distribution in a compact device.
Solution Approach 2:
Different exhaust channels are designed with different flow resistance characteristics tailored to their specific chamber requirements. The first exhaust channel has lower flow resistance optimized for the small insulating chamber, while the second exhaust channel has higher flow resistance optimized for the large main gas chamber. This local quality differentiation enables effective pressure management in each region despite the overall reduced device dimensions.
2Stress or pressure
If the gas pressure in the insulating chamber is increased, then the counter-balancing effect is improved, but hot gases cannot escape from the arcing contacts area
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is divided into separate channels with different resistance characteristics, allowing the insulating chamber to maintain higher pressure for counter-balancing while the arcing chamber can effectively vent hot gases through its dedicated exhaust path with appropriate resistance, thus preserving breaking performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented exhaust channels act as intermediaries that mediate between the conflicting requirements of maintaining high pressure for counter-balancing and enabling hot gas escape for breaking performance. Each channel is optimized to serve its specific function, allowing both objectives to be achieved simultaneously.
3Volume of moving object
If the gas flow management is improved for reduced dimensions, then the device size is decreased, but the pressure distribution becomes unbalanced
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow management system is segmented into separate exhaust channels with different flow resistance characteristics, allowing independent optimization of pressure distribution in each chamber. This segmentation enables the maintenance of balanced pressure distribution despite the reduced overall device dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
Each exhaust channel is designed with local quality characteristics (different flow resistances) tailored to the specific volume and pressure requirements of its associated chamber. This local differentiation ensures balanced pressure distribution throughout the compact device structure.
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 effectively manages gas flow, reducing pressure in the main gas chamber and allowing for efficient escape of hot gases, thereby enhancing the breaking performance of the circuit breaker while maintaining reduced dimensions.
Implementation Method 1
insulating gas flowing from a storage chamber and heated by an electric arc in a region between the two arcing contacts
Implementation Method 2
heated by an electric arc in a region between the two arcing contacts
Data Source
AI summary
A high-voltage circuit breaker. The high voltage circuit breaker filled with insulating gas having a main axis A, including arcing contacts and an insulating nozzle, wherein an insulating gas flowing from a storage chamber and heated by an electric arc between the two arcing contacts is partitioned into a first gas flow and a second gas flow conducted outside of the insulating nozzle from opposite directions toward a main gas chamber, wherein the first gas flow flows through a first intermediary gas chamber and the second gas flow flows through a second intermediary gas chamber and is partitioned in a first portion directed to the main gas chamber and a second portion directed to an exhaust gas chamber, characterized in that the first portion of the second gas flow is smaller than the second portion of the second gas flow.