Interrupter unit for a circuit breaker

Abstract

An interrupter unit for a circuit breaker has two electrically conductive arcing contact pieces, which can be moved relative to one another along a switching path. An insulating nozzle has a nozzle channel through which the switching path runs. A heating volume is connected to the nozzle channel. A separating housing divides the heating volume into a cold gas region and a hot gas region. A cold gas duct runs through a nozzle channel end section of the nozzle channel and is connected to the cold gas region. A hot gas duct runs through the nozzle channel end section and is connected to the hot gas region.

Claims

1. An interrupter unit for a circuit breaker, the interrupter unit comprising: two electrically conductive arcing contact pieces that are movable relative to one another along a switching path between a switch-off position, in which said arcing contact pieces are separated from one another by said switching path, and a switch-on position, in which said arcing contact pieces are in electrical contact with one another; an insulating nozzle at least partially surrounding said switching path and having a nozzle channel that passes through said insulating nozzle and through which said switching path passes; a heating volume connected to said nozzle channel; a compression wall disposed to separate a compression volume from said heating volume; a separating housing disposed to split said heating volume into a cold gas region and a hot gas region, said separating housing having at least one connecting opening formed therein connecting said cold gas region to said hot gas region; an overflow valve configured to close said at least one connecting opening between said cold gas region and said hot gas region when a pressure in said heating volume is lower than a pressure in said compression volume; a cold gas channel extending through a nozzle channel end section of said nozzle channel and being connected to said cold gas region of said heating volume; and a hot gas channel extending through said nozzle channel end section of said nozzle channel and being connected to said hot gas region of said heating volume.

2. The interrupter unit according to claim 1, wherein said arcing contact pieces include a first arcing contact piece having a contact end formed with a contact opening, and a second arcing contact piece configured to move into said contact opening of said contact end in the switch-on position, and wherein said hot gas channel surrounds said contact end of said first arcing contact piece and said cold gas channel surrounds said hot gas channel.

3. The interrupter unit according to claim 1, comprising a channel separating wall separating said cold gas channel and said hot gas channel from one another.

4. The interrupter unit according to claim 3, wherein said channel separating wall is substantially in a form of a hollow cylinder.

5. The interrupter unit according to claim 3, wherein said channel separating wall protrudes into said nozzle channel end section, and said cold gas channel is delimited by an outer surface of said channel separating wall and an inner surface of said insulating nozzle delimiting said nozzle channel end section.

6. The interrupter unit according to claim 3, wherein said channel separating wall is a part of said separating housing.

7. The interrupter unit according to claim 6, wherein said channel separating wall forms a housing end section, facing said switching path, of said separating housing.

8. The interrupter unit according to claim 6, wherein said separating housing is funnel-shaped, wherein said channel separating wall forms a housing neck, which protrudes into said nozzle channel end section and which is adjoined by a housing body, which is arranged in said heating volume and has an inner diameter greater than said housing neck.

9. The interrupter unit according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle channel widens toward said nozzle channel end section.

10. The interrupter unit according to claim 1, wherein: said compression wall is coupled to one of said arcing contact pieces in order to reduce a size of said compression volume upon a relative movement of said arcing contact pieces from the switch-on position into the switch-off position.

11. The interrupter unit according to claim 1, wherein said cold gas channel protrudes farther into said nozzle channel than said hot gas channel.

12. An interrupter unit for a circuit breaker, the interrupter unit comprising: two electrically conductive arcing contact pieces that are movable relative to one another along a switching path between a switch-off position, in which said arcing contact pieces are separated from one another by said switching path, and a switch-on position, in which said arcing contact pieces are in electrical contact with one another; an insulating nozzle at least partially surrounding said switching path and having a nozzle channel that passes through said insulating nozzle and through which said switching path passes; a heating volume connected to said nozzle channel; a separating housing disposed to split said heating volume into a cold gas region and a hot gas region, said separating housing having at least one connecting opening formed therein connecting said cold gas region to said hot gas region; a cold gas channel extending through a nozzle channel end section of said nozzle channel and being connected to said cold gas region of said heating volume; a hot gas channel extending through said nozzle channel end section of said nozzle channel and being connected to said hot gas region of said heating volume; a compression wall separating a compression volume from said heating volume, said compression wall being coupled to one of said arcing contact pieces in order to reduce a size of said compression volume upon a relative movement of said arcing contact pieces from the switch-on position into the switch-off position; said compression wall having at least one compression wall opening formed therein and an overflow valve closing said compression wall opening when a pressure in said heating volume in a region of said overflow valve is higher than a pressure in said compression volume; and wherein said overflow valve is configured to close at least one connecting opening between said cold gas region and said hot gas region when the pressure in said heating volume is lower than the pressure in said compression volume.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the way and manner in which these are achieved will become clearer and more readily understandable in connection with the description below of exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail in connection with the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective sectional illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of an interrupter unit, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of an interrupter unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) Mutually corresponding parts have been provided with the same references in the figures.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a perspective sectional illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of an interrupter unit 100 for a circuit breaker.

(6) The interrupter unit 100 has a substantially rotationally symmetrical structure, which extends about a longitudinal axis 1. The interrupter unit 100 has a first arcing contact piece 5 and a second arcing contact piece 6. A first rated current contact piece 3 is assigned to the first arcing contact piece 5. A second rated current contact piece 4 is assigned to the second arcing contact piece 6. The rated current contact pieces 3, 4 and the arcing contact pieces 5, 6 are each formed so as to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis 1 and are arranged coaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis 1.

(7) The first arcing contact piece 5 is in the form of a tube and has a contact end 20, which faces the second arcing contact piece 6 and has a tulip-shaped contact opening 21, as well as a protective sleeve 9, which surrounds an end section and consists of an electrically insulating material. The second arcing contact piece 6 is in the form of a pin in order to be capable of moving, with electrical contact, into the contact opening 21 in the first arcing contact piece 5. The second rated current contact piece 4 has a multiplicity of contact fingers 22, which are elastically deformable and can be brought onto a lateral surface 23 of the first rated current contact piece 3 in order to make contact with the first rated current contact piece 3. The first rated current contact piece 3 and the first arcing contact piece 5 are associated with one another and always have the same electrical potential irrespective of a switching state of the interrupter unit 100. The second rated current contact piece 4 and the second arcing contact piece 6 are likewise associated with one another and always have the same electrical potential irrespective of the switching state of the interrupter unit 100.

(8) The rated current contact pieces 3, 4 and the arcing contact pieces 5, 6 are movable relative to one another along the longitudinal axis 1 between a switch-off position (illustrated in FIG. 1) and a switch-on position. In the switch-off position, the two arcing contact pieces 5, 6 are separated from one another by a switching path 2. Correspondingly, in the switch-off position, the two rated current contact pieces 3, 4 are separated from one another.

(9) In the switch-on position, the second arcing contact piece 6 has been moved into the contact opening 21 in the first arcing contact piece 5 and the contact fingers 22 of the second rated current contact piece 4 bear against the lateral surface 23 of the first rated current contact piece 3. In this case, during a switch-on operation the arcing contact pieces 5, 6 come into contact with one another temporally prior to the rated current contact pieces 3, 4. During a switch-off operation, first the rated current contact pieces 3, 4 and temporally thereafter the arcing contact pieces 5, 6 are separated.

(10) On contact-making between and separation of the arcing contact pieces 5, 6, in each case an arc is produced between the arcing contact pieces 5, 6. In order to direct and conduct the arc, an insulating nozzle 7 is provided. The insulating nozzle 7 has a nozzle channel 8. The nozzle channel 8 is rotationally symmetrical and has a channel constriction 24 having a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the second arcing contact piece 6.

(11) The insulating nozzle 7 at least partially surrounds the switching path 2 and is aligned coaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis 1. The nozzle channel 8 widens toward a nozzle channel end section 25, into which the first arcing contact piece 5 protrudes.

(12) On the outer lateral surface side, the insulating nozzle 7 has a peripheral nozzle collar 26, which runs in the form of a ring around the first arcing contact piece 5 and is mounted in a mirror-inverted cutout in the first rated current contact piece 3.

(13) A heating volume 10 adjoins the nozzle channel end section 25, said heating volume surrounding a section of the first arcing contact piece 5. The heating volume 10 extends radially with respect to the longitudinal axis 1 between an outer surface of the first arcing contact piece 5 and an inner surface of the first rated current contact piece 3. The heating volume 10 extends axially with respect to the longitudinal axis 1 between an end of the insulating nozzle 7 which is remote from the second arcing contact piece 6 and a compression wall 27, which separates the heating volume 10 from a compression volume 28.

(14) The compression wall 27 is connected to the first arcing contact piece 5 and, during a switch-off operation, moves with the first arcing contact piece 5 away from the second arcing contact piece 6, wherein the compression volume 28 reduces in size during the movement and compresses insulating gas in the compression volume 28. The compression wall 27 has a plurality of compression wall openings 29 to the heating volume 10.

(15) A separating housing 11 splits the heating volume 10 into a cold gas region 31 and a hot gas region 25. In addition, the separating housing 11 splits the nozzle channel end section 25 into a cold gas channel 33, which is connected to the cold gas region 31, and a hot gas channel 34, which is connected to the hot gas region 32. The separating housing 11 is designed so as to be substantially rotationally symmetrical about the longitudinal axis 1 and surrounds an end section of the first arcing contact piece 5, said end section having the contact end 20.

(16) The separating housing 11 is in the form of a funnel having a housing body 30 arranged in the heating volume 10 and a housing neck protruding into the nozzle channel end section 25.

(17) The housing neck has a hollow-cylindrical channel separating wall 35 between the cold gas channel 33 and the hot gas channel 34 and a housing opening 36 in the separating housing 11 on the switching path side. The cold gas channel 33 is delimited by an outer surface of the channel separating wall 35 and an inner surface, delimiting the nozzle channel end section 25, of the insulating nozzle 7. The hot gas channel 34 is delimited by an inner surface of the channel separating wall 35 and an outer surface of the first arcing contact piece 5.

(18) The housing body 30 of the separating housing 11 is formed by a housing jacket 37, a housing shoulder 38 and a housing collar 39. The housing jacket 37 is in the form of a hollow cylinder, whose cylinder axis is the longitudinal axis 1 and which has a greater inner diameter than the channel separating wall 35. The housing shoulder 38 connects the housing jacket 37 to the channel separating wall 35. The housing collar 39 forms an end of the separating housing 11, said end being remote from the switching path 2 and facing the compression volume 28. The housing collar 39 protrudes inwards from the housing body 30 and extends from the housing body 30 up to the first arcing contact piece 5, which has been passed through the housing collar 39. The housing collar 39 runs parallel to the compression wall 27 and is spaced apart from the compression wall 27. The housing collar 39 has a plurality of connecting openings 40, which are opposite the compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27. That region of the heating volume 10 which is surrounded by the separating housing 11 forms the hot gas region 32 of the heating volume 10, and the remaining region of the heating volume 10 forms the cold gas region 31.

(19) An overflow valve 41 is arranged between the compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27 and the connecting openings 40 in the housing collar 39, said overflow valve running in the form of a ring around the first arcing contact piece 5. The overflow valve 41 is movable between a first valve position (illustrated in FIG. 1) and a second valve position. In the first valve position, the overflow valve 41 closes the compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27, and in the second valve position, the overflow valve 41 closes the connecting openings 40 in the housing collar 39. The valve position of the overflow valve 41 is dependent on the pressure difference between the pressure in the compression volume 28 and the pressure in the heating volume 10 in the region of the overflow valve 41. If the pressure in the compression volume 28 is lower than this pressure in the heating volume 10, the overflow valve 41 assumes the first valve position. If the pressure in the compression volume 28 is higher than the pressure in the heating volume 10, the overflow valve 41 assumes the second valve position.

(20) A pressure release chamber 42 is arranged downstream of the compression volume 28, said pressure release chamber having an excess pressure valve 43 to the compression volume 28. If the pressure in the compression volume 28 exceeds a pressure threshold value, the excess pressure valve 43 opens, with the result that insulating gas can flow out of the compression volume 28 into the pressure release chamber 42 and out of the pressure release chamber 42 through chamber openings 45 in the pressure release chamber 42. The excess pressure valve 43 in this exemplary embodiment is spring-loaded, with the result that the pressure threshold value is determined by a prestress of a spring 44.

(21) During operation of the interrupter unit 100, the interrupter unit 100 is filled with an insulating gas, for example with sulfur hexafluoride, nitrogen or another suitable gas. Insulating gas is located in particular in the nozzle channel 8, the heating volume 10 and the compression volume 28.

(22) During a switch-off operation, in which the arcing contact pieces 5, 6 are separated from one another, burning of an arc between the two arcing contact pieces 5, 6 occurs. The arc heats insulating gas located in its vicinity, and this insulating gas then expands and flows predominantly through the hot gas channel 34 into the hot gas region 32 of the heating volume 10 since the hot gas channel 34 is unblocked prior to the cold gas channel 33 on separation of the arcing contact pieces 5, 6. The insulating gas flowing into the hot gas region 32 increases the pressure in the hot gas region 32. At the same time, on separation of the arcing contact pieces 5, 6, the insulating gas in the compression volume 28 is compressed owing to the movement of the compression wall 28 and the pressure in the compression volume 28 is increased.

(23) The pressure increase in the hot gas region 32 is dependent on the flow intensity. In the case of low flow intensities, the pressure increase in the hot gas region 32 is relatively small, with the result that the pressure generated in the compression volume 28 becomes higher than the pressure in the hot gas region 32 and the overflow valve 41 assumes the second valve position, in which it closes the connecting openings 40 in the housing collar 39 of the separating housing 11. As a result, the cold gas region 31 is separated from the hot gas region 32 and is connected to the compression volume 28 via the compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27, with the result that insulating gas flows out of the compression volume 28 into the cold gas region 31. Once the cold gas channel 33 has been unblocked, the insulating gas flows out of the cold gas region 31 through the cold gas channel 33 to the arc and finally quenches the arc. Since the hot gas region 32 in this case has been closed by means of the overflow valve 41, the insulating gas flowing out of the compression volume 28 reduces the available space in the heating volume 10 to the cold gas region 31, as a result of which, advantageously, the pressure in the insulating gas and therefore the quenching effect of the insulating gas are increased in comparison with a situation in which insulating gas flows out of the compression volume 28 into the entire heating volume 10.

(24) In the case of high flow intensities, the pressure increase in the hot gas region 32 is correspondingly great, with the result that the pressure in the hot gas region 32 is higher than the pressure generated in the compression volume 28 and the overflow valve 41 assumes the first valve position, in which it unblocks the connecting openings 40 in the housing collar 39 of the separating housing 11 and closes the compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27. As a result, heated insulating gas flows through the connecting openings 40 out of the hot gas region 32 into the cold gas region 31 and increases the pressure in the cold gas region 31. If the arc loses intensity and the backflow of insulating gas out of the heating volume to the arc begins, insulating gas flows both out of the cold gas region 31 through the cold gas channel 33 and out of the hot gas region 32 through the hot gas channel 34 to the arc and finally quenches the arc. In this case, the interaction between the cold gas channel 33 and the hot gas channel 34 improves the quenching effect of the insulating gas by virtue of enlarging the axial extent over which insulating gas flows over the arc. A hazardous excess pressure arising in the compression volume 28 is dissipated via the pressure release chamber 42.

(25) FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of an interrupter unit 100 for a circuit breaker. This exemplary embodiment differs from the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 substantially only in the configuration and arrangement of the separating housing 11 and the shape of the nozzle channel end section 25 as well as the associated configuration of the cold gas region 31, the hot gas region 32, the cold gas channel 33 and the hot gas channel 34.

(26) The separating housing 11 is in the form of a funnel with a housing body 30 arranged in the heating volume 10 and a housing neck protruding into the nozzle channel end section 25.

(27) The housing neck differs from the housing neck of the separating housing 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 in that the end of the housing neck has the same wall thickness as the remaining housing neck, whereas the end of the housing neck of the separating housing 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a greater wall thickness than the remaining housing neck. In addition, the end of the housing neck is bent back slightly toward the contact end 20 of the first arcing contact piece 5.

(28) The housing body 30 differs from the housing body 30 of the separating housing 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 in that it does not have a housing collar 39, in that the housing jacket 37 has a plurality of connecting openings 40 to the cold gas region 31, and in that the housing shoulder 38 is less steep. The housing jacket 37 is connected to the compression wall 27. The compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27 open directly into the hot gas region 32. The overflow valve 41 is arranged in front of the compression wall openings 29 in the hot gas region 32.

(29) The overflow valve 41 is movable between a first valve position (illustrated in FIG. 2) and a second valve position. In the first valve position, the overflow valve 41 closes the compression wall openings 29 in the compression wall 27, and in the second valve position, the overflow valve 41 opens the compression wall openings 29, wherein said overflow valve is spaced apart from the compression wall openings 29. The valve position of the overflow valve 41 is dependent on the pressure difference between a pressure in the compression volume 28 and a pressure in the hot gas region 32. If the pressure in the compression volume 28 is lower than the pressure in the hot gas region 32, the overflow valve 41 assumes the first valve position. If the pressure in the compression volume 28 is higher than the pressure in the hot gas region 32, the overflow valve 41 assumes the second valve position.

(30) In contrast to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the connecting openings 40 in the separating housing 11 which connect the hot gas region 32 to the cold gas region 31 cannot be closed.

(31) Correspondingly, during a switch-off operation, insulating gas always flows out of the hot gas region 32 into the cold gas region 31, in particular even at low flow intensities. As in the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the overflow valve 31 closes the compression wall openings 29 in the event of high flow intensities, with the result that the arc in this case is only quenched by insulating gas from the cold gas region 31 and the hot gas region 32. In the case of low flow intensities, insulating gas from the compression volume 28 also takes part, and this insulating gas enters the hot gas region 32 through the compression wall openings 29 and from there is directed through the overflow valve 41 arranged in front of the compression wall openings 40 predominantly to connecting openings 40 and flows through these connecting openings 40 into the cold gas region 31, with the result that the insulating gas flowing out of the compression volume 28 flows predominantly into the cold gas region 31.

(32) Although the invention has been illustrated and described in more detail by preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived herefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.