Arcing Chamber Patents (Class 218/76)
  • Patent number: 11289291
    Abstract: A gas circuit breaker includes: a fixed arc contact disposed on an axis of motion, whose tip is directed to one side in a first direction that is parallel to the axis of motion; a movable arc contact that can reciprocate along the axis of motion between a position when in contact with the tip of the fixed arc contact and a position when separated from the tip of the fixed arc contact; and a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet as a permanent magnet whose magnetic poles are aligned in a second direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The fixed arc contact has a shape that is gradually widened in a direction away from the axis of motion from the tip toward another side in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisaku Yamada, Koma Sato
  • Patent number: 11133653
    Abstract: A gas-insulated line is provided. The gas-insulated line defines an axial direction and includes an enclosure configured to surround a nominal conductor and a pressurized insulation gas in the enclosure, wherein the enclosure includes: a first attachment point and a second attachment point, the first attachment point and the second attachment point being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction; a rope element fixed between the first attachment point and the second attachment point and loaded with a pretension; and a flexible enclosure element arranged between the first attachment point and the second attachment point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: ABB Power Grids Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Markus Richter, HongBing Liao, Juerg Bryner, Markus Keller
  • Patent number: 11127551
    Abstract: A circuit breaker includes: first and second contacts moveable relative to each other along an axis of the circuit breaker between an open and closed configuration and defining an arcing region in which an arc is formed during current breaking operation; a nozzle directing a flow of quenching gas onto the arcing region during current breaking operation, a diffusor downstream of the nozzle for further transporting the quenching gas within the arcing region and/or downstream of the arcing region, and a mechanical swirling device arranged downstream of the nozzle and at least partially in the diffusor for imparting a swirl onto the quenching gas flowing along the diffusor, the mechanical swirling device having an axial overlap with the second contact in the open configuration of the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: ABB Power Grids Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Xiangyang Ye, Bernardo Galletti, Mahesh Dhotre, Manuel Gotti, Martin Seeger
  • Patent number: 8878092
    Abstract: A gas-insulated switchgear includes a fixed-side electrode having a tubular fixed-side-conducting contact and a fixed-side shield for housing the fixed-side-conducting contact, and a movable-side electrode having a movable conductor driven by a driving unit to be connected to and separated from the fixed-side-conducting contact, facing each other in a container filled with an insulating gas. The switchgear includes a fixed-side-arc shield in the form of a circular plate, which is made of an arc-resistant member and has an opening of a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the movable conductor, the opening being formed on the side of the fixed-side shield facing the movable-side electrode. The fixed-side-arc shield is formed into a thin plate so as to cause an arc current to flow outward in a radial direction during contact parting of the fixed-side-conducting contact and the movable conductor to generate magnetic flux on a surface thereof in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shimizu, Hitoshi Sadakuni
  • Patent number: 8525061
    Abstract: A self-pressurized arc diverter includes a vessel configured to enclose a fusible member disposed in a conductor and a pressure-activated arc diverter. The pressure-activated arc diverter is configured to provide access to a preferred arc path when actuated by pressure in the vessel caused by an arc that is created when the fusible member opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: John Joseph Shea, Paul Kimball Parker, James Edward Smith, Michael H. Abrahamsen
  • Patent number: 8520368
    Abstract: An object is to provide gas insulated switchgear that is able to inhibit heat generation of a pressure container. Electrically-conductive members that are non-magnetic and have higher electric conductivity than that of the material of which the pressure container is made, are provided on the inside and on the outside of the pressure container, while being positioned along a main bus and being attached via a flange of the pressure container. Thus, eddy current that occurs when an electric current flows through the main bus are caused to flow through the electrically-conductive members having higher electric conductivity than that of the pressure container. Also, a current return path for the eddy current is formed by a flow path including the electrically-conductive members. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the eddy current flowing on the pressure container and to inhibit an increase in the temperature of the pressure container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuki Takahashi, Mitsuru Tsukima, Hitoshi Sadakuni
  • Patent number: 8232496
    Abstract: A switch disconnector is disclosed. The switch disconnector has a main contact point and an arc interruption contact point, of which the main contact point opens before the arc interruption contact point during a disconnection operation and is closed after the arc interruption contact point during connection, with a stationary and a moving contact-piece arrangement, with the stationary contact-piece arrangement having a pot contact piece with contact fingers and with the moving main contact point having a contact cylinder which is connected to a contact mount, and with the arc interruption point having a contact pin as the stationary contact piece and an annular contact piece as the moving contact piece. The contact pin has a section composed of interruption-resistant material, whose external diameter is greater than the external diameter of the rest of the pin area. The contact pin has at least one slot which runs in the longitudinal direction and splits the pin into at least two pin fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Ole Granhaug, Jan-Henrik Kuhlefelt, Pal Skryten
  • Patent number: 8063333
    Abstract: A limited flash-over electric power switch uses a dielectric gas regulator and a flash-over arrestor to greatly diminish the occurrences of high voltage flash-over during operation of a circuit interrupter. The dielectric gas regulator prevents the flow of the dielectric gas into the arc gap during an initial portion of the opening stroke of the interrupter contacts. Once the arc gap is sufficiently wide to greatly diminish the likelihood of a high voltage flash-over, the dielectric gas regulator allows the dielectric gas to flow into the arc gap to extinguish the arc. The flash-over arrestor snubs out incipient flash-over that may occur as the arc attempts to reform across the arc gap. The flash-over arrestor may be a conductive ring located on the interior surface of the nozzle in the region of the orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Southern States, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Rostron, Bradley J. Schafer, Soung Hwan Lyu, Brian Roberts, Richard Burge
  • Patent number: 8063334
    Abstract: The switching device of at least one embodiment includes at least two switching contacts for interruption of a current path, with the switching contacts being arranged in a quenching chamber in order to quench an arc which is struck on opening. The quenching chamber opens into a gas outlet channel for overpressure which is produced during the striking of the arc to escape from. A pressure sensor for pressure detection is provided in the gas outlet channel and trips a switching mechanism, which is at least indirectly connected thereto, of the switching device on reaching a predeterminable pressure value. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, the gas outlet channel includes a Venturi nozzle. A reduced pressure, which is created in the Venturi nozzle as the gas flow passes through, is detectable by way of the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jörg-Uwe Dahl
  • Patent number: 7956306
    Abstract: A high-voltage switch has a metal container filled with insulating gas, and a quenching chamber installed in the container. The quenching chamber contains a housing which is aligned along an axis, an arcing contact arrangement which is held in the housing, an exhaust volume which is bounded by the housing, and an outlet channel which is passed through the wall of the housing for exhaust gases. The outlet channel opens with a mouth section which is aligned predominantly axially into the container. The mouth section is bounded on the inside by a tubular section of the housing and on the outside by a tubular housing attachment which surrounds the housing section at a distance from it. An electrically shielded edge which is passed in an annular shape around the axis is arranged on one end face of the housing attachment on which edge a flow, which emerges from the outlet channel of the exhaust gases is detached from the housing attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Xiangyang Ye, Martin Kriegel, Andreas Dahlquist, Fredrik Jonsson
  • Patent number: 7532097
    Abstract: A circuit breaker includes a housing, separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a power conductor including a first conductor and a second reverse loop conductor, the second reverse loop conductor carrying one of the separable contacts, and a slot motor. The slot motor includes a first slot motor portion, and a second slot motor portion including a plurality of generally U-shaped slot motor laminations, a first insulative housing portion, and a second insulative housing portion. The first and second insulative housing portions interlock with one another to form a generally U-shaped insulative slot motor housing. The first and second insulative housing portions cooperatively receive the generally U-shaped slot motor laminations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Richard P. Malingowski, William G. Eberts, Mark A. Janusek
  • Publication number: 20080135522
    Abstract: A high-voltage switch has a metal container filled with insulating gas, and a quenching chamber installed in the container. The quenching chamber contains a housing which is aligned along an axis, an arcing contact arrangement which is held in the housing, an exhaust volume which is bounded by the housing, and an outlet channel which is passed through the wall of the housing for exhaust gases. The outlet channel opens with a mouth section which is aligned predominantly axially into the container. The mouth section is bounded on the inside by a tubular section of the housing and on the outside by a tubular housing attachment which surrounds the housing section at a distance from it. An electrically shielded edge which is passed in an annular shape around the axis is arranged on one end face of the housing attachment on which edge a flow, which emerges from the outlet channel of the exhaust gases is detached from the housing attachment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiangyang Ye, Martin Kriegel, Andreas Dahlquist, Fredrik Jonsson
  • Patent number: 6163001
    Abstract: Arranged in the continuation of an arcing chamber (16) bounded by consumable rings (32a, 32b) are pressure chambers (25a, 25b) which are connected in each case to a heating volume (18), which concentrically surrounds the arcing chamber (16), via a return channel (28; 28b), which is rotationally symmetrical with reference to the switching axis and is at least initially of increasing cross section, and a non-return valve (29a; 29b). A circumferential blowout slot (19) opening into the arcing chamber (16) between the consumable rings (32a, 32b) issues from the heating volume (18). The pressure chambers (25a, 25b) are, moreover, connected via in each case a plurality of exhaust tubes (34a, 34b) to exhaust volumes (30a, 30b) and to one of them also via a pressure relief valve (37).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Lukas Zehnder, Kurt Kaltenegger, Lutz Niemeyer, Thomas Schoenemann, Gunter Speckhofer
  • Patent number: 5850065
    Abstract: A dielectric gas produced at the time of current interruption is exhausted into an exhaust structure 1 through an opening 8 formed on a fixed-side support member 6 combined with a fixed arcing contact 4. The exhaust structure 1 has an enlarged portion with a gas flow cross section formed at least before a position at 1/2 of the overall length of the exhaust structure 1 that is uniformly enlarged toward the rear of the exhaust structure 1 with respect to the joint between the exhaust tube 1 and the fixed-side support member 6. As a result, the gas is immediately exhausted into the exhaust structure 1 and the interelectrode insulation recovery performance is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Yaginuma, Masanori Tsukushi, Makoto Yano, Katsuhiko Shiraishi, Youichi Ohshita
  • Patent number: 5616898
    Abstract: A medium-voltage or high-voltage circuit-breaker including, in a casing filled with a dielectric gas, an interrupting chamber in which metal plates are disposed for splitting up an electric arc into a multitude of smaller or "elementary" arcs under the action of a magnetic field, the circuit-breaker including a helical insulating ramp winding around a central generator line, the ramp being disposed on the inside peripheral portion of the chamber and around a conductive electrode, and the metal plates being disposed along the ramp, around and at a distance from the conductive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom T & D SA
    Inventor: Jean Maineult