Hydraulic Storage Module for High-Voltage Circuit Breakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic stored-energy spring mechanisms for high-voltage circuit breakers face challenges in managing pressure changes over the storage stroke, particularly with coil springs which can lead to strong pressure variations, unlike disk springs, affecting the reliability and efficiency of the hydraulic drive.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic storage module with a pressure-tight housing, a coil spring as the energy store, and a movable storage piston that projects into the housing, where the housing forms a pressurized reservoir connected via sub-channels, allowing the storage piston to close a sub-region from a specific piston stroke, thereby controlling fluid flow and adapting the dynamic pressure/stroke characteristic curve to match the requirements of high-voltage circuit breakers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If coil springs are used as energy store instead of disk springs, then manufacturing cost and availability are improved, but pressure change over storage stroke becomes too strong
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-channel is divided into multiple sections along the piston stroke path. The storage piston closes different sub-regions of the sub-channel at different stroke positions, creating segmented flow restriction zones that progressively adjust fluid resistance during compression, thereby moderating the pressure change rate
Solution Approach 2:
The storage piston dynamically adjusts the effective cross-sectional area of the sub-channel during its stroke. By moving along the sub-channel and closing different sub-regions, the piston creates a dynamically varying flow resistance that adapts to the compression stage, transforming the static channel into a dynamic flow control element
2Stress or pressure
If the storage piston closes a sub-region of the sub-channel, then pressure change is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage piston serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the energy storage actuator, a flow control element, and a pressure regulation mechanism. By integrating these functions into a single component that moves along the sub-channel, the design avoids adding separate control valves or flow restrictors
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the energy storage function with the flow control function by having the storage piston directly interact with the sub-channel geometry. The piston's movement along and closure of sub-regions of the sub-channel combines mechanical energy storage with hydraulic flow regulation in a unified mechanism
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 solution improves the pressure change over the storage stroke, adapting the dynamic pressure/stroke characteristic curve to the specifications of heavy-duty circuit breaker drives, reducing hydraulic losses and enhancing the available energy during actuation, while maintaining a simple structure and avoiding additional components like seals.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid for transferring energy of the spring element by the movable storage piston to a piston rod for actuating a high-voltage switch
Implementation Method 2
the pressure-tight housing is filled with the fluid and the housing forms a pressurized storage reservoir for the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A storage module for a hydraulic stored-energy spring mechanism for operating a high-voltage switch, for example a high-voltage circuit breaker, having a spring element which acts to store energy and having a fluid for transmitting the energy of the spring element, by a moving storage piston, to a piston rod for operating the high-voltage switch, wherein the storage piston projects into the housing which is filled with fluid and the housing forms a pressurized storage reservoir for the fluid. The pressurized storage reservoir is connected to a hydraulic system of the stored-energy spring mechanism by at least one channel element which projects into the pressurized storage reservoir and a pressurized channel which is connected to the channel element. The storage piston closes a subregion of the channel element starting from a specific piston stroke “s”.