Arc Spinner Patents (Class 218/29)
  • Patent number: 11217408
    Abstract: A gas circuit breaker 1 includes an insulation nozzle 23 that guides arc-extinguishing gas to an arc between a first arc contactor 21 and a second arc contactor 41 when a trigger electrode 31 becomes an opened state relative to the first arc contactor 21. The second arc contactor 41 has an opening 41a for spraying the arc-extinguishing gas, and the opening 41a is closed by the trigger electrode 31 in the first half of a current breaking action, and is opened by separation of the trigger electrode in the latter half of the current breaking action. An opening area of a first exhaust port 41b formed between the second arc contactor 41 and the insulation nozzle 23 for exhausting the arc-extinguishing gas is 0.2 times or more and two times or less of an opening area of the opening 41a of the second arc contactor 41.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Uchii, Takanori Iijima, Tomoyuki Yoshino, Norimitsu Kato, Tsutomu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10643764
    Abstract: The invention relates to medium- or high-voltage, gas-insulated electrical apparatus (10) comprising: a hermetically sealed chamber (12) filled with a dielectric gas, the gas containing at least one of fluoronitrile, carbon dioxide, dinitrogen or dioxygen; at least two electrical contacts (16, 20) arranged coaxially with a main axis (A) of the chamber (12), of which at least one (20) can move axially inside the chamber (12) between a closed position in which the two contacts (16, 20) are in electrical contact with one another and an open position in which the contacts (16, 20) are located at a distance from one another; and a cut-off mechanism (14) for extinguishing the electric arc that forms between the two contacts (16, 20) as the at least one moving contact (20) moves from the closed position into the open position. The cut-off mechanism is of the rotating arc type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: François Biquez, Yannick Kieffel, Sébastien Silvant
  • Patent number: 10032582
    Abstract: A pair of fixed arc electrodes are arranged facing each other within a sealed container that is filled with arc-extinguishing gas 1. There are provided: a compression puffer chamber for accumulating pressurized gas that is obtained by elevating the pressure of the arc-extinguishing gas; and an insulated nozzle that directs the pressurized gas towards the arc discharge from the compression puffer chamber. A buffer chamber is provided, in which hot exhaust gas generated by the heat of the arc discharge is temporarily accumulated. A pressurized gas through-flow space is provided, communicating with the compression puffer chamber. In the pressurized gas through-flow space, an opening/closing section prevents inflow of hot exhaust gas by assuming a closed condition during the earlier half of the current interruption period, and in the latter half of the current interruption period the opening/closing section 41 is opened to allow flow of pressurized gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Uchii, Takeshi Shinkai, Takanori Iijima, Tadashi Mori, Tadashi Koshizuka, Norimitsu Kato, Hiroshi Furuta
  • Publication number: 20110042354
    Abstract: A magnetic interrupter consisting of a stationary and moving butt contacts that open an electric circuit in dielectric gas (e.g., SF6) contained in a sealed, pressurized insulating housing. One or both of the contacts contain a magnet with poles spaced apart in a radial plane perpendicular to the axial direction to spin the arc in the radial plane about the center of the contacts. Permanent magnets may be used to spin the arc so that the magnetic field is not affected by the magnitude of the arcing current, which makes the magnetic interrupter suitable for interrupting currents below fault level currents. One or both of the magnets may also be a field coil and a permanent magnet may be used in combination with a field coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Frank Clay Blalock, Joseph R. Rostron, Jeremy Andrew Stone
  • Patent number: 6943313
    Abstract: A rotating arc fault-current interrupter, also known as an arc spinner interrupter, is provided that establishes an easily visible open gap via a movable blade member having a first portion for engaging a stationary main contact and a second portion formed by an arcing electrode for engaging an auxiliary contact associated with an arc spinner assembly. The geometry, orientation and placement of the auxiliary contact is such that during opening of the movable blade member, the arcing electrode remains engaged with the auxiliary contact after the blade member and the stationary main contact are separated from each other whereby current is transferred through the auxiliary contact into the arc spinner assembly, i.e. the current is commutated into the arc spinner assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: S & C Electric Co.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Evans, Michael R. Smith, Roy T. Swanson, Martin Zeitler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5877464
    Abstract: An electric arc extinguishing mechanism for an electric current switching apparatus employs a plurality of splitter plates in a conventional arc chute arrangement. Each splitter plate has a pair of permanent magnet structures that produce a magnetic field which interacts with the arc causing the arc to move continuously about the surface of the splitter plate until the arc is extinguished. Such movement prevents the arc energy from being concentrated in one spot which could melt the splitter plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Peter K. Moldovan
  • Patent number: 5844189
    Abstract: A circuit breaker includes a cylindrical arcing chamber filled with an insulating medium. The arcing chamber has a power current path and an insulating housing. The insulating housing has a longitudinal axis and the power current path extends along the longitudinal axis of the insulating housing. The power current path includes a fixed contact arrangement and a contact arrangement. The fixed contact arrangement is attached to an electrically insulating guide part. The contact arrangement has a moving contact cage. The fixed contact arrangement and the contact arrangement have a first and second fixed erosion-resistant covering, respectively. The insulating housing has a blast volume for accumulating an increased pressure of the insulating medium which occurs when the moving contact cage breaks contact with the fixed contact arrangement. When the circuit breaker is in an on position, the contact cage contacts the fixed contact arrangement above the guide part and surrounds the guide part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventor: Lutz Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 5464956
    Abstract: A loadbreak switch is provided that utilizes a pivotally mounted movable jaw contact and a main stationary contact that is positioned in the middle of an arc runner. For operation at voltages 15 kV and above, the switch utilizes a shunt contact that bridges the arc runner and that is above and coplanar with the main stationary contact. A magnetic field is developed by the current that flows through a coil of wire disposed around the arc runner. This configuration when utilized in an environment of insulating gas, provides efficient extinguishing of arcs upon opening of the contacts. Further, the open jaw contact is easily visible to establish an open gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward A. Steele, James K. Niemira