An energy harvesting circuit for harvesting energy from a medium voltage power line. The energy harvesting circuit includes an input capacitor electrically coupled to the power line and storing power therefrom, and a flyback converter including a primary coil and a secondary coil. The harvesting circuit further includes a switching circuit electrically coupled in series with the primary coil and being operable to electrically connect and disconnect the input capacitor to and from the primary coil, where the switching circuit includes an input voltage regulation feedback circuit for regulating an input voltage provided to the switching circuit from the input capacitor. The harvesting circuit also includes an output capacitor electrically coupled to the secondary coil and the actuator, where the output capacitor is charged by the secondary coil when the switching circuit is closed to provide power to an actuator to close a vacuum interrupter.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a grid influencing system for a power supply grid comprising: a current-conducting grid influencing component; and a vacuum circuit breaker including a vacuum circuit breaker tube containing an at least partly integrated pre-arcing device for actively generating an arc between two contacts.

Disclosed herein is a switching apparatus for medium voltage electric systems, said switching apparatus including one or more electric poles. For each electric pole, said switching apparatus includes: a first pole terminal, a second pole terminal, and a ground terminal; a first fixed contact member and a first movable contact member, said first fixed contact member being electrically connected to said first pole terminal and including a first fixed contact, said first movable contact member being electrically connected to said second pole terminal and including a first movable contact; a second fixed contact member and a second movable contact member, said second fixed contact member being electrically connected to said first pole terminal and including a second fixed contact, said second movable contact member including a second movable contact; a vacuum chamber, in which said second fixed contact and said second movable contact are enclosed; and a motion transmission mechanism.

A medium voltage load break switch includes a main contact and a knife. The knife is rotatable about a pivot point to connect to and be in contact with the main contact and to rotate about the pivot point to disconnect from and be spaced from the main contact. The load break switch also comprises a vacuum interrupter that has a fixed contact and a moveable contact. A lever rotates about a rotation point and a shaft of the moveable contact is aligned along an axis of the vacuum interrupter, and the shaft of the moveable contact is linked to the lever.

A switch including a first electrical terminal, the first electrical terminal including a blade pivotable between an open position and a closed position, and a rod extending from the first electrical terminal parallel to the blade. The switch further includes a second electrical terminal configured to receive the blade when in the closed position, the second electrical terminal including a vacuum interrupter, wherein the vacuum interrupter engages the rod when in the closed position. Rotating the first electrical terminal in a first direction causes the blade to disengage from the second electrical terminal at a first point, and further rotating the first electrical terminal in the first direction causes the rod to disengage from the vacuum interrupter at a second point.

A vacuum valve includes: a vacuum vessel; a cylinder; a partition wall separating an inside of the vacuum vessel from an inside of the cylinder; a movable conductor penetrating the partition wall being movable in an axial direction; a fixed contact fixed inside the vacuum vessel; a moving contact integrated with the movable conductor and being capable of separating from the fixed contact and coming into contact with the fixed contact in association with movement of the movable conductor; a lid that covers an end of the cylinder, the end being on a side opposite to the partition wall; a connecting rod penetrating the lid and coupled to the movable conductor via an insulating rod as an insulator; and a holder that holds the connecting rod while preventing movement of the connecting rod toward the fixed contact in a state where the moving contact is separated from the fixed contact.

A vacuum interrupter module for a tap changer includes an insulation plate having a first main side and a second main side opposite of the first main side, a vacuum interrupter assembly, a bypass switch assembly, and a control cam. The vacuum interrupter assembly includes a vacuum interrupter and a driving mechanism coupled with the vacuum interrupter, the vacuum interrupter and the driving mechanism being arranged on the first main side of the insulation plate. The bypass switch assembly includes two bypass contacts, each one mechanically connected to a corresponding bypass lever, the two bypass contacts and the two corresponding bypass levers being arranged on the first main side of the insulation plate. The control cam is arranged on the first main side of the insulation plate and configured to actuate both the driving mechanism and, through the corresponding bypass levers, the two bypass contacts.

A switching device, including: a main switch configured to be displaced between a closed position of a main circuit and an open position, a vacuum interrupter including: a fixed electrode, a mobile electrode, configured to be displaced between: a first, so-called closed, position and a second, so-called open, position, in which the electrodes are apart, a palette configured to make the mobile electrode switch over from the first position to the second position and comprising an electrically conductive plate, the main switch being configured to drive the palette via the plate, a connection wire electrically linking the plate and the mobile electrode, the wire being in electrical contact with a tube disposed in an accommodating recess of the plate,
wherein the accommodating recess comprises a wall exerting an elastic holding force on the tube.

A vacuum circuit breaker includes: a grounded tank; a vacuum valve including a vacuum container housing a movable contact and a stationary contact, a movable conductor that is connected to the movable contact and extends out of the vacuum container, and a tubular bellows; a tubular movable-side bushing conductor; a slider movably set inside the movable-side bushing conductor; a movable-side frame that communicates with a space inside a tube of the bellows and electrically connects the movable-side bushing conductor to the movable conductor; an operation rod having one end protruding to an outside of the grounded tank and an opposite end connected to the movable conductor; an operating device that moves the operation rod; a movable-side support plate covering an end of the grounded tank where the operation rod extends out of the grounded tank; and a packing set in a hole.

The present invention discloses a system for limiting a peak current of short-circuit current, which comprises a first a first high-frequency branch configured to provide a first high-frequency current to a first switch (1SKa) of a first phase branch of a three-phase AC when the first phase branch occurs a short-circuit, wherein the first high-frequency current is configured to cause a zero-crossing point of a short-circuit current to appear before a zero-crossing point of the three-phase AC; a second high-frequency branch configured to provide a second high-frequency current to a second switch (1SKc) of a second phase branch of the three-phase AC when the second phase branch occurs a short-circuit, wherein the second high-frequency current is configured to cause a zero-crossing point of a short-circuit current to appear before a zero-crossing point of the three-phase AC, a third phase branch of the three-phase AC connected in parallel with the first phase branch and the second phase branch and configured to always supply power. The present invention superimposes the high-frequency current on the original short-circuit current of the switch, thereby the total time from the arc generation to extinction at the zero-crossing point and then to the judgement by the control system is shorter than the time that the short-circuit current peak appears. Therefore, it can effectively lower the damage of the short-circuit current peak to the dynamic stability of the switch and lower the impact on system equipment.