A breaking device for interrupting current includes an electrically conducting outer member, an electrically conducting inner member arranged radially inside the outer member with respect to a breaking axis and an electrically insulating or semiconducting breaking member arranged radially between the outer member and the inner member with respect to the breaking axis, where the breaking member is arranged to move along the breaking axis from a starting position to a protruding position in which the breaking member protrudes from a space within the outer member for interrupting a current between the outer member and the inner member io and the breaking member includes a first tubular including a first insulating material and a second insulating material, where the first insulating material has a higher wear resistance than the second insulating material.

A breaking device for interrupting current includes an electrically conducting outer member, an electrically conducting inner member arranged radially inside the outer member with respect to a breaking axis and an electrically insulating or semiconducting breaking member arranged radially between the outer member and the inner member with respect to the breaking axis, where the breaking member is arranged to move along the breaking axis from a starting position to a protruding position in which the breaking member protrudes from a space within the outer member for interrupting a current between the outer member and the inner member and the breaking member includes an inner tubular element and an outer tubular element, where the outer tubular element is joined to an outer surface of the inner tubular element thereby defining a recess between the outer tubular element and the inner tubular element.

Systems of automatic transfer switches (ATS) are disclosed herein. One apparatus includes at least two automatic transfer switches coupled together. Each automatic transfer switches has contacts to couple a power source to a load. For each switch, an electromagnetic force biasing the contacts to each other is present if an electrical current flows through the switch. The automatic transfer switches may be on separate cassettes or on a single cassette. The power source of each switch may be the same or different.

An automatic transfer switch includes a first conduction bar selectively coupled with a first power source and a load conduction bar; a second conduction bar selectively coupled with a second power source and the load conduction bar; a first blade assembly electrically coupled to the first conduction bar; and a second blade assembly electrically coupled to the second conduction bar. The first blade assembly is electrically coupled to a first source conduction bar in a closed position, and a first electromagnetic force induced by a first current flowing through the first blade assembly and the first conduction bar repulses the first blade assembly. The second blade assembly is electrically coupled to a second source conduction bar in a closed position, and a second electromagnetic force induced by a second current flowing through the second blade assembly and the second conduction bar repulses the second blade assembly.

A switch system includes a mechanical switch for switching electrical currents, the mechanical switch operating in one of a closed state and an open state; the system further including an actuator configured to change the state of the mechanical switch, wherein the actuator comprises a Thomson-coil system including a Thomson coil, and wherein the mechanical switch and the Thomson coil are electrically connected in series.

A circuit breaker includes a vacuum interrupter. The interrupter includes a first movable electrode to which a first contact is connected and a second movable electrode to which a second contact is connected. The interrupter is operable between an open state and a closed state. In the open state, the first contact and the second contact are separated by a contact gap distance. In the closed state, the first contact and the second contact touch each other. The circuit breaker includes an ultrafast actuator operatively connected to each of the first and second movable electrodes. The ultrafast actuator is configured to change the vacuum interrupter from the closed state to the open state by simultaneously moving the first contact in a first direction along a first distance portion of the contact gap, and the second contact in a second direction along a second distance portion of the contact gap.

An actuator, which is a part of a combination that includes a pair of circuit interrupters, advantageously employs a plurality of Thomson coils that are electrically connected in parallel and that interact with a corresponding set of Thomson plates of a rotatable armature in order to perform useful work in a rapid fashion. In one embodiment, the useful work is to commutate current from one circuit interrupter to the other.

A switch system includes a mechanical switch for electrical currents. The mechanical switch operates in a conductive state and in a non-conductive state. A first actuator is configured to change the state of the mechanical switch, wherein an actuation of the first actuator is based on a Thomson coil system. A second actuator is also configured to change the state of the mechanical switch and includes a loaded spring system locked by a latch system. Each of the first and second actuators is configured to change the state of the mechanical switch depending on a property of an electrical current passing through the mechanical switch.

A system including an arc flash sensor that detects an arc flash event and an arc flash mitigation device in communication with the sensor. The mitigation device includes a path of least resistance having a path input and a path output. The arc flash sensor is located downstream the output. The mitigation device includes an electro-mechanical switch between the input and the output and an actuator. The mitigation device also includes a bypass power switch device that includes a solid-state circuit interrupter and that conduct current between the input and the output in response to an open-circuit condition of the switch. A system controller is provided to generate a trigger to activate the actuator to generate the open-circuit condition of the switch, which causes the power switch device to interrupt a fault current associated with a fault event in response to detection of the arc flash event.

A closing spring assembly for an electrical switching device is provided. The closing spring assembly is configured to exert a closing force on a moving contact of the switching device. The closing force helps to maintain physical and electrical contact between the moving contact and an associated stationary contact, so that the moving and stationary contacts form a path for conducing electric current through the switching device. The closing spring assembly is configured so that the closing force remains constant or decreases as the moving contact is driven away from the stationary contact during switching of the current path away from the moving and stationary contacts.