Gas Circuit Breaker with Segmented Flow for Arc Interruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current puffer type gas circuit breakers face challenges in improving current interruption performance, particularly in the small to medium current region, due to dielectric breakdown caused by high-temperature gas directly being blown into the arc space, which reduces the effectiveness of pressure buildup by heat energy.
Innovation Solution
A gas circuit breaker design that includes a cylindrical movable-side main conductor with an insulation cylinder, an exhaust shaft, a piston, and a heat puffer chamber, featuring a separation cylinder and a check valve to direct arc-extinguishing gas from the machine puffer chamber into the arc space while bypassing the heat puffer chamber, ensuring efficient gas flow and pressure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-temperature gas from the heat puffer chamber is directly guided into the arc space, then pressure buildup is enhanced for large current interruption, but dielectric breakdown occurs in small to medium current region deteriorating interruption performance
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow path is segmented into multiple channels: a first release path for low-temperature insulation gas and a second release path for high-temperature heat gas. The separation cylinder divides the heat puffer chamber into inner and outer circumferential spaces, allowing selective guidance of appropriate temperature gas to the arc space based on current magnitude, thereby preventing dielectric breakdown while maintaining interruption effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts gas flow characteristics based on operating conditions. The release valve and separation cylinder configuration enable the circuit breaker to automatically select between cold gas flow (for small/medium currents) and hot gas flow (for large currents), optimizing performance across different current ranges and preventing harmful dielectric breakdown in the small to medium current region.
2Use of energy by moving object
If heat energy of arc is used for pressure buildup, then operational energy for interruption is reduced, but pressure buildup is insufficient for small to medium current interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges two pressure generation mechanisms: mechanical compression from the puffer chamber and thermal pressure from the heat puffer chamber. The separation cylinder and release valve system combines cold gas flow from mechanical compression with hot gas flow from arc heating, enabling sufficient pressure buildup for small to medium currents while maintaining energy efficiency through arc heat utilization.
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 enhances current interruption performance for small to medium currents by preventing dielectric breakdown and optimizing gas flow, while also preventing unnecessary pressure buildup during large current interruptions, thus improving overall operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing the heat energy of arc for generating a pressure for applying a blast of arc-extinguishing gas
Implementation Method 2
the heat energy of arc is proportional to the fault current... the arc has such large heat energy as to generate a high pressure
Implementation Method 3
a high-pressure gas flow is generated by mechanically compressing an arc-extinguishing gas... The resultant gas flow is blown onto an arc generated between the movable arc contact and a stationary arc contact so that an electric current is interrupted
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a gas circuit breaker designed to achieve further improvement in interruption performance for a small to medium current. The gas circuit breaker according to the present invention includes: an operation mechanism 1; a heat puffer chamber 19; a machine puffer chamber 32; a release valve 34; a movable main contact 5 and movable arc contact 11; a stationary main contact 6 and stationary arc contact 12; a movable-side leading conductor 14; and a stationary-side leading conductor 15, and features: a separation cylinder 21 for radially partitioning the heat puffer chamber 19; an inner circumferential flow path 24 formed on an inner circumferential side of the separation cylinder 21; and a check valve 22 for opening or closing a communication hole 23.