Medium Voltage Switchgear Single Vacuum Bottle Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medium voltage switchgear designs face challenges in reducing costs and size while avoiding the use of SF6 gas, which requires costly vacuum bottle solutions or limited full-load operations with alternative gases like CO2 or air.
Innovation Solution
A compact three-position medium voltage switchgear using vacuum break technology with a single vacuum bottle for two switches, oriented vertically to share the breaking system, reducing the number of vacuum bottles and optimizing space and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vacuum bottle solutions are used to avoid SF6 gas, then current breaking performance is maintained, but cost and device complexity increase due to requiring two vacuum bottles per phase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the breaking functions of two switches into a single shared vacuum bottle. The vacuum bottle contains a movable contact and stationary contact that serve both switches, eliminating the need for separate vacuum bottles for each switch while maintaining reliable current breaking performance for both circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The single vacuum bottle is designed to perform multiple functions by serving as the breaking medium for two independent switches. The movable contact within the vacuum bottle can be actuated by either switch to interrupt current in its respective circuit, making the vacuum bottle a universal breaking component.
2Volume of stationary object
If SF6 gas is used for insulation and breaking, then compact design and low cost are achieved, but environmental concerns arise due to high GWP
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the breaking function from the SF6 gas medium and relocates it to a vacuum environment. The SF6 gas is retained only for insulation purposes in the switchgear, while the actual current breaking operation occurs in the vacuum bottle, eliminating the need for SF6 to perform both functions and reducing environmental impact.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If alternative gases like CO2 or air are used instead of SF6, then environmental impact is reduced, but the number of full load operations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the breaking medium from gaseous (CO2 or air) to vacuum. This parameter change enables unlimited full load operations because vacuum does not degrade with use like alternative gases, while still maintaining low environmental impact since vacuum requires no refrigeration or special handling.
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 solution enables cost-effective and space-efficient current breaking with high performance, maintaining reliability and reducing the footprint similar to SF6 equipment, while allowing increased rated voltage without expanding the switchgear's width or depth.
Implementation Method 1
said breaking system uses vacuum break technology such as a vacuum bottle
Implementation Method 2
one or each switch uses gas-insulated technology such nitrogen, C02, air, fluorinated gases...and so on
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a medium voltage switchgear comprising per phase, two switches A,B, each switch comprising means for performing the disconnection function and means for performing the breaking function. This switchgear is characterized in that it comprises per phase, one single breaking system (2), said breaking system being adapted to be operated, independently relative to each other, by either one or the other of two mechanisms M,N, said mechanisms being operated respectively by said two switches A,B, said switches belonging respectively to two independent medium voltage power electrical circuits C1 ,C2.