Pyrotechnic Fuse for Fast Power Electronics Circuit Interruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power industrial drive devices, such as wind turbines, face significant mechanical destruction and safety hazards due to explosive energy discharges from defective power electronics components, with existing fuses and circuit breakers failing to interrupt current flows quickly enough to prevent damage to adjacent components.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating pyrotechnic fuses with a propellant charge directly in the voltage circuit or adjacent to power electronics components, allowing for extremely fast irreversible interruption of the voltage circuit, typically in less than one millisecond, to prevent mechanical destruction and reduce the risk of arc hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fuses or circuit breakers are used to interrupt excess current, then the voltage circuit can be disconnected, but the interruption time is too slow (30-70 milliseconds or longer) allowing mechanical destruction to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical operation of conventional fuses and circuit breakers with a pyrotechnic system. The pyrotechnic fuse uses chemical energy from a propellant charge to drive a plunger that mechanically disconnects the voltage circuit, achieving interruption in less than one millisecond compared to the 30-70 milliseconds of mechanical systems. This substitution of mechanical actuation with pyrotechnic actuation resolves the contradiction between reliability and speed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the switch cabinet is reinforced to ensure fault arc resistance, then operator safety is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the arc hazard containment function from the switch cabinet structure and relocates it to the pyrotechnic fuse itself. The fuse is designed to contain the arc and plasma within its own housing, preventing hot plasma escape without requiring reinforced switch cabinet doors. This extraction of the safety function from the cabinet to the fuse resolves the contradiction between protection and complexity.
3Reliability
If pyrotechnic fuses are used for fast interruption, then adjacent components are protected from damage, but the fuse creates a permanent disconnection requiring replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protection function by placing individual pyrotechnic fuses at specific locations in the voltage circuit close to power electronics components. This localized segmentation allows the fuse to protect only the critical adjacent components without creating a complete system shutdown requiring full replacement. The modular segmentation of protection zones resolves the contradiction between component protection and repair ease.
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 pyrotechnic fuses effectively prevent damage to adjacent components by localizing the disconnection at the defect site, reducing power loss, and minimizing the need for complete fuse replacement, while maintaining high safety without additional housing reinforcement.
Implementation Method 1
the fuse comprises at least one pyrotechnic fuse with a propellant charge for the irreversible interruption of the voltage circuit
Implementation Method 2
The propellant charge (14) drives a disconnection element (15) to disconnect the current path
Data Source
AI summary
Electric drive devices having at least one power electronics module including at least one voltage circuit having power electronics components such as a converter, transformer, frequency inverter, power capacitor, circuit breaker and the like, and at least one fuse for interrupting the voltage circuit in the event of excess currents and/or voltages. The invention also relates to a wind turbine and similar large industrial electrical systems having such a drive device. The device can comprise at least one pyrotechnic fuse with a propellant charge for the irreversible interruption of the voltage circuit, wherein the pyrotechnic fuse is arranged in the voltage circuit of the power electronics module or immediately adjacent to at least one power electronics component such as a converter, frequency inverter, transformer, power capacitor or circuit breaker.