Circuit Breaker with Segmented Current Paths for Arc Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circuit breakers experience energy losses and arc formation during fault interruption, leading to contact burning and increased temperature, which can cause malfunctions due to the mutual influence of protective switching devices in the system.
Innovation Solution
A circuit breaker design with two parallel current paths, where an interrupter and tripping insert in the secondary current path interrupts the secondary circuit during a short circuit, triggering a switching mechanism to open and fix the contact device without arcing, and incorporating a fusible link that melts to hold a firing pin and trigger the switching mechanism, ensuring reliable interruption and minimizing power losses by integrating a fuse in the auxiliary current path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact point in the main current path is opened during a short circuit, then the short-circuit current is interrupted, but an arc forms causing contact burning and energy losses
Solution Approach 1:
The current path is segmented into a main current path and a secondary current path. During normal operation, current flows through the main path. During a short circuit, the secondary path is activated to carry the fault current, allowing the main contact point to remain closed and avoid arcing, while the secondary contact point handles the interruption without affecting the main circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
A secondary current path with its own contact point acts as an intermediary during fault conditions. This secondary path provides an alternative route for fault current, enabling the main contact point to stay closed and avoid arc formation, while the secondary contact point serves as the sacrificial element for fault interruption.
2Loss of energy
If energy losses are minimized in normal operation, then power consumption is reduced, but arc formation and contact burning occur during fault interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit breaker is divided into two parallel current paths: a main current path for normal operation with minimal energy loss, and a secondary current path for fault conditions. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for low power consumption during normal operation while providing a dedicated path for handling fault currents without affecting the main circuit contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary current path serves as an intermediary mechanism that activates only during fault conditions. It provides a separate route for fault current, enabling the main contact point to remain closed and avoid arcing, while the secondary contact point handles the interruption process.
3Ease of repair
If a fuse is integrated in the auxiliary current path, then the interrupter and tripping insert can be easily replaced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse is merged with the interrupter and tripping insert assembly in the secondary current path. This combination allows the entire assembly to be replaced as a single unit, simplifying repair operations. The fuse serves both as a protective element and as part of the trip mechanism, reducing the number of separate components that need to be handled during maintenance.
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 solution effectively minimizes energy losses and prevents arc formation during fault interruption, ensuring reliable and safe operation by maintaining the main current path closed and avoiding arcing, while allowing for easy replacement of the interrupter and tripping insert, thus enhancing the overall performance and safety of the circuit breaker.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a fusible link that melts to hold a firing pin and trigger the switching mechanism
Implementation Method 2
a contact device with a coil of a magnetic release
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a circuit breaker having two parallel current paths each with a contact point (15, 18; 15, 22) which, as the main and secondary current paths (19, 21), are connected, via a contact device (15, 17, 18, 22), in series with a coil (11) of a magnetic trip (10), the armature (12) of which, in the event of a fault, opens the contact point (15, 18) of the main current path (19) which is formed exclusively only by the series circuit of the contact device (15, 17, 18) with the coil (11). In order to provide a further circuit breaker which, in the case of energy losses which are minimized during normal continuous operation, prevents the formation of an arc when the circuit is interrupted in the event of a fault and therefore also largely prevents contacts from burning away, provision is made, in the case of a circuit breaker according to the invention, for an interrupter and trip insert (24) to be arranged in the secondary current path (21), which insert, in the event of a short circuit, interrupts the secondary current path and trips a switching lock (30) to open and secure the contact device (15, 17, 18, 22).