Conductive Compression Cylinder in Gas-Insulated Circuit Breakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medium voltage gas-insulated circuit breakers face challenges with complex and costly electric pole units that require long dielectric distances, leading to overheating and high manufacturing costs, while also needing to match vacuum circuit breaker configurations for switchgear size reduction.
Innovation Solution
The electric pole unit features an insulating housing filled with dielectric gas, a fixed contact assembly, a moving contact assembly, and sliding contact means, which simplifies the structure and reduces size, ensuring excellent conductivity and insulation with shorter dielectric distances, allowing for interchangeable bushings and reduced assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas-insulated circuit breakers use long dielectric distances for electric insulation, then insulation performance is improved, but switchgear size increases and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary conductive connection structure (contact spring) between the stationary conductor element and the movable separating element. This intermediary element enables effective electrical connection while maintaining compact dimensions, resolving the contradiction between insulation performance and switchgear size by providing a controlled conductive path that doesn't require excessive spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the conductive connection by using a spring-based contact mechanism that maintains optimal electrical contact pressure and conductivity. This parameter optimization allows for reduced dielectric distances while maintaining insulation performance, thereby reducing overall switchgear size without compromising reliability.
2Volume of stationary object
If gas-insulated circuit breakers use complex configurations for short dielectric distances, then switchgear size is reduced, but current path resistivity increases causing overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The contact spring serves as an intermediary conductive element that maintains low-resistance electrical connection between stationary and movable contacts. This intermediary structure ensures adequate current carrying capacity even in compact configurations, preventing overheating while enabling reduced switchgear dimensions through optimized contact geometry and material properties.
3Volume of stationary object
If gas-insulated circuit breakers use complex configurations for short dielectric distances, then switchgear size is reduced, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive connection structure with contact spring serves multiple functions simultaneously: providing electrical connection, maintaining contact pressure, enabling compact configuration, and ensuring current carrying capacity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby simplifying manufacturing processes and reducing overall manufacturing costs while achieving compact switchgear design.
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 achieves improved conductivity and insulation performance with a compact, cost-effective structure, suitable for switchgears with short contact distances, and simplifies industrial manufacturing and installation.
Implementation Method 1
a dielectric gas (as an example SF 6 ) is contained... having excellent arc-quenching properties... for electric insulation purposes
Implementation Method 2
current breaking is obtained by separating electric contacts in a dielectric gas medium (typically SF 6 ) having excellent arc-quenching properties
Implementation Method 3
sliding contact means, which electrically couple the moving contact assembly and the compression cylinder
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric pole unit (1) for a MV gas-insulated circuit breaker characterised in that it comprises: - an insulating housing (2) defining an internal volume (3), in which a dielectric gas is contained; - a first pole terminal (11) and a second pole terminal (12); - an interruption unit (6), which is positioned in the internal volume of said electric pole unit, said interruption unit comprising: - a fixed contact assembly (4), which is electrically coupled to said first pole terminal (11); - a moving contact assembly (5), which is adapted to be coupled with or separated from said fixed contact assembly during a switching operation of said circuit breaker; - a compression cylinder (7), which is adapted to define a gas compression chamber (62) of said interruption unit, said moving contact assembly being operatively coupled with said compression cylinder so as to move along said compression chamber during a switching operation of said circuit breaker. Said compression cylinder (7) is at least partially made of conductive material and is electrically coupled with said second pole terminal (12). Said electric pole unit comprises sliding contact means (8) electrically coupling said moving contact assembly (5) and said compression cylinder.