Vacuum Interrupter Contact Materials for Welding-Resistant Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum interrupters face challenges in achieving high short circuit switching performance while preventing contact welding between contacts.
Innovation Solution
The use of contact pieces made from different materials and/or shapes, such as CuCr, WCu, and WAg alloys, with specific compositions and additives, to enhance short circuit switching performance and welding resistance, and to reduce production costs by varying sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact pieces are made from the same material and shape, then manufacturing is simple and costs are low, but short circuit switching performance and welding resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different materials and/or shapes to different contact pieces based on their specific functional requirements. The first contact piece and second contact piece can have different materials (e.g., CuCr, WCu, WAg alloys with specific compositions) and/or shapes to optimize their individual performance characteristics for switching and welding resistance, rather than using a uniform design throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by using different alloy compositions for the contact pieces, such as CuCr, WCu, and WAg alloys with specific chromium, copper, and silver content ratios. These composite material selections provide enhanced short circuit switching performance and welding resistance through the synergistic properties of different metal combinations.
2Reliability
If contact pieces are made from different materials and shapes, then short circuit switching performance and welding resistance improve, but manufacturing complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different materials and/or shapes to different contact pieces based on their specific functional requirements. The first contact piece and second contact piece can have different materials (e.g., CuCr, WCu, WAg alloys with specific compositions) and/or shapes to optimize their individual performance characteristics for switching and welding resistance, rather than using a uniform design throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the material composition parameters (alloy ratios of CuCr, WCu, WAg with specific chromium, copper, and silver content) and geometric parameters (shapes and sizes) of contact pieces to achieve optimal welding resistance and switching performance while managing manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum interrupter includes a first contact carrier; a first contact piece; a second contact carrier; and a second contact piece; wherein the first contact piece is connected to the first contact carrier; wherein the second contact piece is connected to the second contact carrier; wherein a shape of the first contact piece is different to a shape of the second contact piece and/or a material of the first contact piece is different to a material of the second contact piece; wherein in a deactivated state the vacuum interrupter is configured to hold the first contact piece spaced from the second contact piece; and wherein in an activated state the vacuum interrupter is configured to bring the first contact piece and the second contact piece into contact with one another.