Method for operating a high-voltage pulse system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a high-voltage pulse system (1), preferably a system (1) for the fragmenting and/or weakening of material (2) by means of high-voltage discharges, with an energy store (3) for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device (4) for charging the energy store (3). According to the method, in the intended high-voltage pulse operation, a sequence of high-voltage pulses is generated with the system (1) and thereby the energy store (3) is discharged completely at each high-voltage pulse and is only after the expiry of a charging pause (LP) recharged again for the next high-voltage pulse by means of supplying charging energy with the charging device (4). By means of the operating method according to the invention, a time window is created between two successive high-voltage pulses each, in which the energy store(s) are substantially completely discharged and no charging-voltage is applied. Thereby it becomes possible to short-circuit or earth the energy store (3), respectively, without a short-circuiting or earthing current flowing thereby.

Claims

1. Method for operating a high-voltage pulse system for fragmenting and/or weakening of material by means of high-voltage discharges, the system comprising an energy store for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device for charging the energy store, the method comprising: generating a sequence of high-voltage pulses in a high-voltage pulse operation, completely discharging the energy store while generating each high-voltage pulse, recharging the energy store for a next high-voltage pulse only after the expiry of a first charging pause (LP), whereby recharging comprises supplying charging energy to the energy store with the charging device, and switching the system from the high-voltage pulse operation into a non-operating state, in which the energy store of the high voltage pulse system is discharged and protected against an unintentional charging, wherein switching comprises short-circuiting and/or earthing the energy store during a second charging pause (LP), wherein short-circuiting and/or earthing of the energy store comprises switching one or more short-circuiting or earthing switches to a closed state, wherein contacts of the one or more short-circuiting or earthing switches are arranged in oil, wherein the contacts of the one or more short-circuiting or earthing switches are arranged in a common oil-filled container together with the energy store.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein no more charging energy is supplied with the charging device to the short-circuited and/or earthed energy store after the short-circuiting and/or earthing of the energy store.

3. Method according to claim 1 further comprising monitoring the switching of the one or more short-circuiting or earthing switches with one or more sensors.

4. Method according to claim 1 further comprising monitoring the switching of the one or more short-circuiting or earthing switches with an optical switching state display.

5. Method according to claim 1 further comprising mechanically securing and/or locking the one or more short-circuiting or earthing switches in the closed state.

6. Method according to claim 1 wherein the high-voltage pulses are generated with a voltage of more than 50 kV, or a voltage of more than 100 kV.

7. Method according to claim 1 wherein the high-voltage pulses are generated with a sequence frequency of more than 1 Hz or a sequence frequency of more than 5 Hz.

8. Method according to claim 1 wherein short-circuiting and/or earthing of the energy store takes place without the use of a short-circuiting or earthing resistor.

9. Method according to claim 1 wherein switching one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches comprises switching at least two short-circuiting and/or earthing switches.

10. High-voltage pulse system for fragmenting and/or weakening of material by means of high-voltage discharges, the system comprising: a) an energy store for providing energy for high-voltage pulses, b) a charging device for charging the energy store, c) one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches for securing the energy store against an unintentional charging, and d) devices for controlling the system, wherein the system is controllable by the devices for: generating a sequence of high-voltage pulses with the energy store during a high-voltage pulse operation, completely discharging the energy store while generating each high-voltage pulse, recharging the energy store for a next high-voltage pulse only after the expiry of a first charging pause (LP), whereby recharging comprises supplying charging energy to the energy store with a charging device, and switching the system from the high-voltage pulse operation into a non-operating state, in which the energy store of the high voltage pulse system is discharged and protected against an unintentional charging, wherein switching comprises short-circuiting and/or earthing the energy store during a second charging pause (LP), wherein contacts of the short-circuiting and/or earthing switches are arranged in oil, wherein the contacts of the short-circuiting or earthing switches are arranged in a common oil-filled container together with the energy store.

11. System according to claim 10 wherein the devices for controlling the system are configured to receive a stop command and switch the one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches to the closed state during the second charging pause (LP), thereby switching the system into the non-operating state.

12. System according to claim 11 wherein the devices for controlling the system are configured to allow no more charging energy to be supplied to the energy store with the charging device after switching the one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches to the closed state.

13. System according to claim 10 wherein the system comprises at least two short-circuiting and/or earthing switches.

14. System according to claim 10 wherein the system comprises one or more sensors for monitoring a switching state of the one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches.

15. System according to claim 10 wherein the system comprises an optical switching state display for the visual monitoring of a switching state of the one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches.

16. System according to claim 10 wherein the system comprises devices for mechanically securing and/or locking the one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches in the closed state.

17. System according to claim 10 wherein the one or more short-circuiting and/or earthing switches is or are closed in a non-actuated or actuation-energy-free state.

18. System according to claim 10 wherein the high-voltage pulses have a voltage of more than 50 Kv or more than 100 kV.

19. System according to claim 10 wherein the high-voltage pulses have a sequence frequency of more than 1 Hz or of more than 5 Hz.

20. Use of the high-voltage pulse system according to claim 10 for the fragmenting of particularly electrically poorly conducting material or material composites of concrete, rock, ore rock, or slag by means of high-voltage pulses generated by the system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention result from the dependent claims and from the now following description with reference to the figures. Thereby show:

(2) FIG. 1 the circuit diagram of a first high-voltage pulse system for the fragmenting of material by means of high-voltage pulses according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 the voltage course of the energy store of the system of FIG. 1 in the intended high-voltage pulse operation; and

(4) FIG. 3 the circuit diagram of a second high-voltage pulse system for the fragmenting of material by means of high-voltage pulses according to the invention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows the system diagram of a high-voltage pulse system 1 according to the invention for the electrodynamic fragmenting of rock material 2 by means of high-voltage discharges.

(6) The system 1 comprises an energy store in the form of a capacitor 3 for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses as well as a charging device 4 for charging the capacitor 3, an output switch in the form of a spark gap 8, as well as a high-voltage electrode 9 which faces with a distance and in a process container filled with a processing liquid (water) a counter-electrode 10 which is formed by the bottom of the process container and earthed. Between the high-voltage electrode 9 and the counter-electrode 10, the to-be-fragmented material 2 is arranged, immersed in the processing liquid, in such a way that in the intended high-voltage pulse operation of the system, the high-voltage discharges (high-voltage pulses as claimed) generated between the two electrodes 9, 10 take place through the material 2, which is shown as a variable load resistor.

(7) Furthermore, the system 1 comprises a system controller 6 with a voltage measuring device 7, and an earthing switch 5 for the capacitor 3.

(8) In the intended fragmenting operation (high-voltage pulse operation as claimed), the system 1 generates a sequence of high-voltage discharges between the electrodes 9, 10 through the material 2. Thereby, the capacitor 3 is completely discharged at each high-voltage discharge.

(9) The course of the voltage U of the capacitor 3 over the time tin the intended fragmenting operation is shown in FIG. 2, namely over two charging cycles. Thereby, the voltage U at the time of the beginning of the discharge is approximately 100 kV, and each charging cycle including the associated charging pause LP takes about 300 ms.

(10) The system controller 6 detects with its voltage measuring device 7 the breakdown of the voltage U of the capacitor 3 at the respective high-voltage discharge and controls the charging device 4 in such a way that a charging pause (LP) follows the respective discharge, in which the charging device 4 does not provide any charging energy. Only after the expiry of the charging pause LP the capacitor 3 is recharged again by the charging device 4 such that it can provide the energy for the next high-voltage discharge.

(11) If the system 1 is to be switched from the intended fragmenting operation into a non-operating state in which the capacitor 3 is discharged and is protected against an unintentional charging by short-circuiting or earthing, respectively, the system controller 6 closes upon a stop command in a charging pause LP following the stop command the earthing switch 5 and controls the charging device 4 in such a way that, after earthing of the energy store 3, it no longer provides charging energy for the energy store 3.

(12) FIG. 3 shows the circuit diagram of a second high-voltage pulse system according to the invention for the fragmenting of material by means of high-voltage pulses, which differs from the system shown in FIG. 1 merely in that it comprises two earthing switches 5 for the capacitor 3 and that the switching state of each earthing switch 5 is monitored by the system controller 6 by means of a sensor 11.

(13) While there are described preferred embodiments of the invention in the present application, it is to be clearly pointed out that the invention is not limited thereto and can also be carried out in another manner within the scope of the following claims.