Breaker Racking Tool with Angle Drive for Operator Safety
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The current methods for racking electrical circuit breakers pose a risk of serious injury or fatality due to live bus faults during operations, and existing automated solutions are costly and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A racking tool with a gripping mechanism, angle drive mechanism, and elongate shaft that allows operators to rotate the racking screw between connected and disconnected positions from a safe side, reducing exposure to potential flash injuries, featuring a selectively-releasable engagement mechanism and adaptable design for various breaker types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators perform racking operations manually on energized systems, then the operation is simple and direct, but operators are exposed to flash injury risks and must wear protective suits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary tool consisting of a shaft and gripping mechanism that allows operators to rack breakers from a safe distance. The shaft acts as a mediator, transmitting rotational force from the operator's position outside the flash boundary to the breaker's racking screw, thereby eliminating direct exposure to electrical hazards while maintaining operational control
2Reliability
If an automated robot with racking wrench is used, then operator safety is improved by remote operation, but the device becomes costly and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential safety function from complex automated robotic systems and implements it through a simple mechanical shaft-based tool. By removing unnecessary automation components and retaining only the critical distance-creating mechanism, the solution achieves operator protection without the cost and complexity of full robotic automation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a simple, inexpensive shaft-based tool that can be easily manufactured and replaced if needed, contrasting with expensive robotic systems. This approach prioritizes cost-effectiveness and simplicity while achieving the same safety outcome, treating the tool as a straightforward mechanical aid rather than a complex automated system
3Ease of operation
If operators stand within the flash boundary during racking operations, then direct control over breakers is maintained, but serious injury or fatality can occur if faults happen
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft serves as an intermediary that transmits mechanical force and rotational motion from the operator to the breaker's racking screw. This allows operators to maintain full control over the racking operation while standing outside the hazardous flash boundary, as the shaft faithfully transfers the operator's input to the breaker without requiring close proximity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a racking tool for use with a breaker having a frontwardly-projecting racking screw, the screw being rotatable, about a frontwardly-orientated screw axis, between connected and disconnected positions. The racking tool comprises: a gripping tool that, in use, engages said screw and is rotatable about the screw axis to drive the screw between the connected and disconnected positions; an angle drive mechanism coupled to the gripping tool: and a shaft having a first end operatively coupled to the drive mechanism, a second end and a shaft axis extending from the first to the second end, the shaft, in use, being angularly orientated to the screw axis and adapted such that, with the gripping tool engaged with said racking screw, the screw can be rotated between the connected and disconnected positions by a user standing to one side of the breaker and rotating the shaft about its axis.