Solid-State Circuit Breaker Handle Stops for Accurate Trip Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a mechanical switch for solid-state circuit breakers that meets the requirements of short breaking time, no arc upon breaking, long electrical life, and no noise is a challenging task in the industry.
Innovation Solution
A solid-state circuit breaker is proposed, featuring an electronic switch and a mechanical switch connected in series. The mechanical switch includes a housing, a handle with defined positions, movable and stationary contacts, and a transmission assembly that ensures clear indication of the switch's state through handle positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical switch is designed for solid-state circuit breaker, then the circuit breaker can achieve short breaking time and no arc upon breaking, but the handle position indication may become unclear or incorrect during tripping and resetting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The handle's motion path is segmented into distinct positions (off position, charged position, on position) with dedicated stopping mechanisms. The transmission assembly is segmented into a tripping state and a non-tripping state, each with specific handle positions. This segmentation ensures that the handle clearly indicates the circuit breaker's state at each phase of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission assembly acts as an intermediary between the handle and the circuit breaking mechanism. It includes a tripping mechanism that can force the handle to the off position regardless of manual operation, ensuring that the handle position always reflects the actual circuit state. The tripping mechanism mediates between user intent and safety requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the transmission assembly is designed to allow manual opening from on to off position, then ease of operation is improved, but the handle may fail to stop at the correct off position during tripping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The tripping mechanism is designed to preemptively override manual opening operations when tripping is required. Before the handle can be manually moved to an incorrect position, the tripping mechanism activates to force the handle to the correct off position. This preliminary anti-action prevents the handling precision problem before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission assembly is pre-configured with a tripping state that automatically engages when tripping is needed. This preliminary action ensures that the handle is already positioned correctly before any manual operation occurs, eliminating the need for precise manual positioning during critical tripping operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a solid-state circuit breaker, including an electronic switch and a mechanical switch connected in series, the mechanical switch includes: a housing; a handle, rotatably installed to the housing and capable of stopping at an on position, an charged position, and an off position between the on position and the charged position; a movable contact and a stationary contact; and a transmission assembly, configured to transmit a motion of the handle to the movable contact to achieve contact and separation with the stationary contact; upon the handle being in the on position, the mechanical switch is on; upon the handle being in the off position, the mechanical switch is off, and the transmission assembly is in a tripping state; upon the handle being in the charged position, the mechanical switch is off, and the transmission assembly is in a non-tripping state.