A circuit breaker, comprising an enclosure comprising: at least two arcing contacts that are movable axially relative to each other, between an open position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are separated from each other and a closed position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are in contact with each other; and a gas inlet configured to blow an arc-control gas in order to interrupt an electric arc that is likely to form during movement of the arcing contacts from the closed position to the open position of the circuit breaker, wherein the arc-control gas comprises at least 80% of carbon dioxide; wherein the enclosure further comprises an adsorbing material, which adsorbs carbon monoxide that forms after ionization of the carbon dioxide during arcing, said adsorber being a metal-organic framework comprising nickel and/or iron.

The invention relates to medium- or high-voltage, gas-insulated electrical apparatus (10) comprising: a hermetically sealed chamber (12) filled with a dielectric gas, the gas containing at least one of fluoronitrile, carbon dioxide, dinitrogen or dioxygen; at least two electrical contacts (16, 20) arranged coaxially with a main axis (A) of the chamber (12), of which at least one (20) can move axially inside the chamber (12) between a closed position in which the two contacts (16, 20) are in electrical contact with one another and an open position in which the contacts (16, 20) are located at a distance from one another; and a cut-off mechanism (14) for extinguishing the electric arc that forms between the two contacts (16, 20) as the at least one moving contact (20) moves from the closed position into the open position. The cut-off mechanism is of the rotating arc type.

A gas-insulated load break switch and a gas-insulated switchgear having a gas-insulated load break switch. The gas-insulated load-break switch has a housing defining a housing volume for holding an insulation gas at an ambient pressure; a first main contact and a second main contact, the first and second main contacts being movable in relation to each other in the axial direction of the load break switch; a first arcing contact and a second arcing contact, the first and second arcing contacts being movable in relation to each other in an axial direction of the load break switch and defining an arcing region in which an arc is formed during a current breaking operation, wherein the arcing region is located, at least partially, radially inward from the first main contact; a pressurizing system having a pressurizing chamber for pressurizing a quenching gas during the current breaking operation; and a nozzle system arranged and configured to blow the pressurized quenching gas onto the arc formed in the quenching region during the current breaking operation, the nozzle system having a nozzle supply channel for supplying at least one nozzle with the pressurized quenching gas. The first main contact includes at least one pressure release opening formed such as to allow a flow of gas substantially in a radial outward direction, wherein the total area of the at least one pressure release opening is configured such that during a supply of the pressurized quenching gas, a reduction of the flow of gas out of the pressure release opening is suppressed.

The application relates to a method for determining a property of a fluid component of a fluid present in a compartment of an electrical apparatus by means of a measurement device arranged outside the compartment and comprising a chamber for receiving a quantity of the fluid from the compartment. Amongst other steps of the method, an optical path in the chamber is illuminated by a light source and a first intensity of light is measured by a light detector. Then fluid is released from the compartment into the chamber and a second intensity (Ix) of light is measured. Based on these measurements the property of the fluid component is determined.

The present invention relates to an electrical insulation system having a low environmental impact comprising two fundamental elements: a) a gaseous medium formed by one or more highly fluorinated fluoroketones having between 4 and 12 carbons, at least another additional dielectric gas, other than the fluoroketones, with a vapor pressure greater than 500 mbar and less than 15000 mbar at 0 C., such as fluoronitrile (CF.sub.3).sub.2CFCN, for example, and one or more vector gases; and b) a molecular sieve capable of discriminating water molecules from molecules of other gases present in the gaseous medium of the system. The invention also relates to the use of the insulation system and to the medium- or high-voltage electrical switchgear comprising a complete enclosure in which there are arranged live electrical components and an electrical insulation system according to the invention.

The present application relates to an apparatus for the generation, transmission, distribution and/or usage of electrical energy, the apparatus including a housing enclosing an insulation space and an electrically conductive part arranged in the insulation space, wherein the insulating space contains a dielectric fluid including carbon dioxide and oxygen. In the apparatus an oxidation catalyst is arranged that includes noble metal particles coated onto or embedded into a carrier and serves for the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide.

The present invention relates to an electrical apparatus for generation, transmission, distribution and/or usage of electrical energy, comprising a housing enclosing an electrical apparatus interior space, at least a portion of which forms at least one insulation space having an electrical component and containing a surrounding insulation medium comprising an amount of carbon dioxide m.sub.co2. The insulation space is formed by at least one insulation space compartment, in which an adsorber for reducing or eliminating the amount of water m.sub.H2O and optionally further contaminants from the insulation medium is arranged. The amount of adsorber m.sub.ads arranged in the at least one insulation space compartment complies with the formulae (I) and (II). $\begin{array}{cc}{m}_{\mathrm{ads}}\frac{m_{H_{2}O}}{k_{\mathrm{ads},H_{2}O}}& \left(I\right)\\ m_{\mathrm{ads}}0.1\frac{m_{{\mathrm{CO}}_2}}{k_{\mathrm{ads},{\mathrm{CO}}_2}}& \left(\mathrm{II}\right)\end{array}$

The invention relates to the use of a gas as a medium for electrically isolating and/or extinguishing electric arcs, said gas comprising a hexafluorobutene. The invention also relates to an electric device comprising a sealed chamber inside which electric components and said gas are located.

The present invention relates to a process for treating a polyamide-based material comprising silica fibers and/or fillers, by impregnation with at least one hydrophobic additive in supercritical CO.sub.2. The invention also relates to a polyamide-based material comprising silica fibers and/or fillers and impregnated with at least one hydrophobic additive, obtained via such a process, and to the use thereof as an electrically insulating component in an electrical device, in particular in a circuit breaker.

A switching device for an encapsulated electric power distribution switchgear and an electric power distribution switchgear with at least one such switching device are disclosed. The switching device has a first electrically conducting housing which encloses an actuator mechanism for a first contact assembly and a second electrically conducting housing which encloses a second contact assembly. The first electrically conducting housing is arranged at a distance from the second electrically conducting housing. The switching device further has a third housing which is electrically insulating and arranged between the first electrically conducting housing and the second electrically conducting housing. The switching device is a puffer type switch.