Pluggable Surge Arrester Contact Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pluggable surge arresters face issues with high demands on surge current carrying capacity leading to fused plug contacts, making removal difficult without mechanical aids, and excessive forces are required for insertion and removal.
Innovation Solution
A compact pluggable surge arrester design featuring two chambers with screw-connected plug-in contact surfaces and a stabilizing offset, along with a U-shaped base part and contact counterparts for potential-free remote indication, allowing for high surge current carrying capacity without excessive mechanical forces, and facilitating easy insertion and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact forces of the opposing contact elements are increased to achieve high surge current carrying capacity, then the surge current carrying capacity is improved, but the surge arrester becomes difficult to remove without mechanical aids
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element is divided into two separate parts: a first contact element with a first contact surface and a second contact element with a second contact surface. This segmentation allows each contact surface to be optimized independently - the first contact surface can be designed for high surge current carrying capacity while the second contact surface can be designed for easy engagement and disengagement, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
A contact force transmission element is introduced as an intermediary between the two contact elements. This mediator transmits the contact force from the first contact element to the second contact element, allowing the high contact force needed for surge current carrying capacity to be achieved without requiring the second contact element to be difficult to remove
2Reliability
If the plug contacts are designed for high surge current carrying capacity, then the reliability is improved, but excessive mechanical forces occur during insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the contact element into two separate contact elements, the mechanical forces during insertion and removal are distributed differently. The first contact element can be designed to handle surge currents while the second contact element handles the mechanical insertion/removal forces, preventing excessive forces on a single contact structure
Solution Approach 2:
The function of transmitting contact force is extracted from the contact elements themselves and assigned to a dedicated contact force transmission element. This allows the contact elements to be optimized for their primary function of carrying surge current without being subjected to excessive mechanical forces during insertion and removal
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a pluggable surge arrester comprising one or several overvoltage protection elements which are disposed within a structural unit comprising an optical fault indicator. The inventive surge arrester further comprises a thermal overcurrent protector (5) that encompasses an actuator for triggering a remote signalisation contact in order to indicate a fault. The structural unit comprises two chambers. The first lower chamber (1) accommodates an encapsulated spark gap or similar arrangement and the front sides of the lower chamber (1) are formed or delimited by plug-in contact surfaces (3) which are, respectively, electrically connected to the spark gap (2). A second upper chamber (4) accommodates the overcurrent protector. A partition (6) that fixes a wiring support (7) is provided between the lower and upper chambers. The plug-in contact surfaces (3) comprise a stabilisation bend (8) and extend into at least two connection lugs (9), the lower edges thereof respectively comprising a sliding or insertion ramp (10), the connection lugs (9) of the respective front sides being parallel in relation to each other.