A circuit interrupter includes a sensor structured to output a sensor signal, a control unit structured to receive an external control signal, the control unit including: a communication interface structured to receive the external control signal, and a waveform generator structured to generate a waveform equivalent to the sensor signal in response to the external control, and a signal processing circuit structured to receive and process the sensor signal or the generated waveform and to output the processed sensor signal or generated waveform to the control unit.

An enclosure of a circuit breaker that includes an interior region and a pass-through. The interior region can be sized to house a circuit interrupter and a dielectric insulating medium. The pass-through can include a pathway having a first open end and a second open end, the first and second open ends being in direct fluid communication with each other through the pathway. The first and second open ends can be secured to the enclosure such that the pass-through is integral to the enclosure, such as, for example, being part of a monolithic structure or constructed to form a unitary body. Additionally, the pathway may not be in direct fluid communication with the interior region of the enclosure. Further, the pass-through can be offset from, or extend directly into, the interior region of the enclosure.

A system for isolating a fault in a direct current (DC) grid using thermionic arc extinction. The system includes a DC grid that includes a transmission line. The DC grid also includes a plurality of current interrupters disposed on the transmission line. Each of the plurality of current interrupters on the transmission line are electrically coupled to one another in series. At least one of the current interrupters includes a fixed terminal end and a moveable terminal end. Further, at least one of the current interrupters has an arc shield housing at least two arcing contacts. At least one of the arcing contacts comprises a first conducting material that has a first vaporizing point.

The invention relates to an electric arc-blast nozzle (5) for a circuit breaker comprising a middle portion (7) forming a throat defining internally an axial passage (13) for interrupting an electric arc, and two end portions (9, 11) extending on either side of the middle portion (7) and being designed to receive respective arcing contacts (1) and (3) that are movable axially relative to each other.

The middle portion (7) and the two end portions (9, 11) are made of a same dielectric material obtained from a composition comprising a fluorocarbon polymer matrix, at least one inorganic filler and micro-capsules of liquid heptafluoro-iso-butyronitrile.

The invention also relates to a circuit breaker including such a nozzle (5).

A contact device includes a fixed contact, a movable contact, a housing, and an arc extinguishing member. The movable contact moves between a closed position where the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and an open position where the movable contact is separate from fixed contact. The housing houses the fixed contact and the movable contact. The arc extinguishing member is disposed in the housing and discharges an arc extinguishing gas. The arc extinguishing member is disposed facing a gap between the fixed contact and the movable contact when the movable contact is in the open position. The arc extinguishing member has a shape that tapers toward the gap.

A contact device includes a fixed contact, a movable contact, a housing, and an arc extinguishing member. The movable contact moves between a closed position where the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and an open position where the movable contact is separate from fixed contact. The housing houses the fixed contact and the movable contact. The arc extinguishing member is disposed in the housing and discharges an arc extinguishing gas. The arc extinguishing member is disposed facing a gap between the fixed contact and the movable contact when the movable contact is in the open position. The arc extinguishing member has a shape that tapers toward the gap.

A housing includes a first space, a second space, a first hole, a second hole, and an arc extinguishing member. A fixed contact and a movable contact are arranged in the first space. The second space is partitioned from the first space. The first hole communicates the first space and the second space. The second hole communicates the second space with a space outside the second space. The arc extinguishing member releases an arc extinguishing gas into the first space. The second hole has a smaller opening area than the first hole.

A housing includes a first space, a second space, a first hole, a second hole, and an arc extinguishing member. A fixed contact and a movable contact are arranged in the first space. The second space is partitioned from the first space. The first hole communicates the first space and the second space. The second hole communicates the second space with a space outside the second space. The arc extinguishing member releases an arc extinguishing gas into the first space. The second hole has a smaller opening area than the first hole.

An interrupter unit for a circuit breaker includes a gas-insulated housing, which is fillable with a quenching gas, and a gas-guiding structure, which is disposed in the housing and has a guide tube and at least one diverting element. The guide tube extends in tubular manner about a longitudinal axis of the interrupter unit in order to guide hot gas, which is created in an electric arc region of the interrupter unit by the heating of quenching gas by an electric arc, away from the electric arc region. The at least one diverting element is configured to set hot gas exiting from the guide tube in a circular flow running around the longitudinal axis.

The present disclosure provides a gas-insulated high or medium voltage circuit breaker including a first arcing contact and a second arcing contact, wherein at least one of the two arcing contacts is axially movable along a switching axis, wherein during a breaking operation, an arc between the first arcing contact and the second arcing contact is formed in an arcing region; a nozzle including a channel directed to the arcing region, for blowing an arc-extinguishing gas to the arcing region during the breaking operation; a diffuser portion adjacent to the nozzle, for transporting the gas from the arcing region to a region downstream of the diffuser portion; a buffer volume directly downstream of the diffuser portion; and an enclosure confined within a housing of the circuit breaker.