Abstract: The invention relates to a power circuit breaker that is suitable for switching electrical voltages. The power circuit breaker according to the invention comprises two main electrodes, to each of which a respective pole of the voltage to be switched can be connected. During the switching process, at least one of said main electrodes follows a switching path. The power circuit breaker is characterized in that secondary electrodes are additionally provided, which protrude into the vicinity of the switching path and are designed and arranged in such a way that arcs can be produced (a) between the main electrodes and the secondary electrodes and (b) between the individual secondary electrodes during the switching process. The power circuit breaker according to the invention can be advantageously used in vehicles and in ultra-high-voltage AC and HVDC (high-voltage direct current) transmission systems and causes arcs to be extinguished as early as possible during the switching process.

Abstract: A switching system has a first contact and a second contact which can be moved in relation to each other in an opening direction. The switching system contains a quenching chamber and a drive element for driving an arc into the quenching chamber. The quenching chamber contains a quenching element made of a porous material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a power circuit breaker that is suitable for switching electrical voltages. The power circuit breaker according to the invention comprises two main electrodes, to each of which a respective pole of the voltage to be switched can be connected. During the switching process, at least one of said main electrodes follows a switching path. The power circuit breaker is characterized in that secondary electrodes are additionally provided, which protrude into the vicinity of the switching path and are designed and arranged in such a way that arcs can be produced (a) between the main electrodes and the secondary electrodes and (b) between the individual secondary electrodes during the switching process. The power circuit breaker according to the invention can be advantageously used in vehicles and in ultra-high-voltage AC and HVDC (high-voltage direct current) transmission systems and causes arcs to be extinguished as early as possible during the switching process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a suitable apparatus for determining the state of a rechargeable battery and for checking contact resistances in a battery system. According to the invention, an impedance curve is determined using signals at different frequencies and a value for an area, which results from the impedance curve, is then calculated from a predetermined threshold value and an x axis. The value for the area is a measure of the ageing of the battery. A control signal is generated on the basis thereof. In one preferred embodiment, said control signal is used to drive a signaling apparatus and thus to present the state of the battery to a user. The present invention can be used, for example, in motor vehicles that are electrically driven.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the quality of filler gases, in particular of sulfur hexafluoride (SF.sub.6), in a gas-filled installation, in particular in gas-insulated switch units, such as high and medium voltage switches, a solution is provided which enables a continuous monitoring of the quality of filler gases in the gas-filled installation, which simultaneously enables to possibly determine the location of a fault and a type of the fault in such an installation. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the filler gas of the installation, at least for the time of the analysis, is in a condition of a constant gas exchange with an ion-mobility spectrometer, in which the filler gas is ionized, and the ions are finally analyzed in the drift channel of the ion-mobility spectrometer.