Circuit breaker system with heating radiator and particle trap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10121619-B2
Application number	US-201615265497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2016
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A circuit breaker system has an SF6 tank having a wall, and an SF6 heating system. The SF6 heating system includes a heater disposed externally of the tank, and a radiator disposed on the wall inside the SF6 tank. The radiator is thermally coupled to the heater via the wall. The heating system is constructed to conduct heat from the heater through the wall to the radiator. The radiator is constructed to radiate the heat to the SF6 in the tank. A circuit breaker system has an SF6 tank having a wall, and a particle trap. The particle trap has a spar extending radially inward from the wall and a wing extending outward from each side of the spar. Each wing is spaced apart from the wall and forms a region having no electric field at the bottom of the tank adjacent the spar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated circuit breaker system, comprising:
a tank constructed to hold a quantity of SF6, the tank having a wall for containing the SF6, the wall defining a shell having two ends and a length extending between the two ends;
a circuit breaker having contacts insulated by the SF6; and
an SF6 heating system having a heater extending lengthwise parallel to the length of the shell and a radiator thermally coupled to the heater via the wall, the heater being disposed on the wall outside the tank, and the radiator being disposed on the wall inside the tank and opposite the heater, wherein the heating system is constructed to conduct heat from the heater through the wall to the radiator; wherein the wall is disposed between the heater and the radiator, and defines a conduction path that conducts the heat from the heater to the radiator; and wherein the radiator is constructed to radiate heat, received from the heater by conduction along the conduction path, to the SF6 in the tank.

2. The circuit breaker system of claim 1 , wherein the radiator is constructed to trap particles at a bottom of the tank.

3. The circuit breaker system of claim 2 , wherein the radiator is in electrical communication with the tank and at a same potential as the tank.

4. The circuit breaker system of claim 2 , the tank having two ends and a shell having a length extending between the two ends, wherein the radiator has a length corresponding substantially to the length of the shell.

5. A sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated circuit breaker system, comprising:
a tank constructed to hold a quantity of SF6, the tank having a wall for containing the SF6;
a circuit breaker having contacts insulated by the SF6; and
an SF6 heating system having a heater and a radiator thermally coupled to the heater via the wall, the heater being disposed on the wall externally of the tank and the radiator being disposed on the wall inside the tank and opposite the heater, wherein the heating system is constructed to conduct heat from the heater through the wall to the radiator; and wherein the radiator is constructed to radiate heat received from the heater via the wall to the SF6 in the tank,
wherein the radiator is constructed to trap particles at a bottom of the tank; and
wherein the radiator has a spar extending radially inward from the wall, and a wing extending from each side of the spar, each wing being spaced apart from the wall and forming a region having no electric field at the bottom of the tank adjacent to the spar and between the wing and the wall.

6. The circuit breaker system of claim 5 , wherein each wing culminates in a tip; wherein a top of the radiator is convex, and wherein the top of the radiator is defined by a radius substantially larger than a distance between the tips.

7. The circuit breaker system of claim 2 , wherein the radiator is disposed in a well formed at the bottom of the tank.

8. The circuit breaker system of claim 1 , wherein the radiator is formed of a nonmagnetic metallic material or a metallic material having a low magnetic permeability.

9. The circuit breaker system of claim 8 , wherein the radiator is black anodized aluminum.

10. A sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated circuit breaker system, comprising:
a tank constructed to hold a quantity of SF6, the tank having two ends and a shell having a length extending between the two ends, the shell having a wall for containing the SF6;
a circuit breaker having contacts insulated by the SF6; and
a particle trap mounted on the wall, the particle trap having a spar extending radially inward from the wall and a wing extending outward from each side of the spar, each wing being spaced apart from the wall and forming a region having no electric field at a bottom of the tank adjacent the spar, wherein the particle trap has a length corresponding substantially to the length of the shell; and wherein the particle trap is constructed to trap particles at the bottom of the tank to prevent flashover with the circuit breaker.

11. The circuit breaker system of claim 10 , wherein a top of the particle trap is convex.

12. The circuit breaker system of claim 11 , wherein each wing culminates in a tip; and wherein the top of the particle trap is defined by a radius substantially larger than a distance between the tips.

13. The circuit breaker system of claim 10 , wherein the particle trap is grounded to the tank.

14. The circuit breaker system of claim 10 , wherein the particle trap is constructed to form a radiator to radiate heat to the SF6 in the tank.

15. The circuit breaker system of claim 14 , further comprising a heater, wherein the radiator is thermally coupled to the heater via the wall, the heater being disposed adjacent the wall outside the tank, and the radiator being disposed on the wall inside the tank opposite the heater and being constructed to radiate heat received from the heater to the SF6 in the tank.

16. The circuit breaker system of claim 10 , wherein the wing extends from the spar at least twice a distance that the wing is spaced apart from the wall.

17. The circuit breaker system of claim 10 , wherein a width of the particle trap is at least three times a height of the particle trap.

18. The circuit breaker system of claim 10 , further comprising a well formed in the bottom of the tank, wherein the particle trap is disposed in the well.

19. A sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated circuit breaker system, comprising:
a tank constructed to hold a quantity of SF6, the tank having a wall for containing the SF6;
a heater operative to supply heat for heating the SF6, wherein the heater is disposed outside the tank;
a circuit breaker having contacts insulated by the SF6; and
combined means for radiating heat to the SF6 in the tank and means for trapping particles at a bottom of the tank,
wherein the wall is disposed between the heater and the combined means for radiating heat and means for trapping particles, and separates the heater from the combined means for radiating heat and means for trapping particles; wherein the wall defines a conduction path that conducts the heat from the heater to the combined means for radiating heat and means for trapping particles; and wherein the combined means for radiating heat and means for trapping particles radiates heat, received from the heater by conduction along the conduction path, to the SF6 in the tank.

20. The circuit breaker system of claim 19 , wherein the wall defines a shell having two ends and a length extending between the two ends; wherein the heater extends lengthwise parallel to the length of the shell; and wherein the combined means is thermally coupled to the heater via the wall.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Vladuchick Paul
• Cuppett Matt D
• Dahm Beth L
• Johnston Jared P

Classifications

• H01H33/562

  Means for avoiding liquefaction or for disposing of liquefaction products · CPC title

• H01H33/765

  the gas-evolving material being incorporated in the contact material · CPC title

• H01H33/56 Primary

  Gas reservoirs · CPC title

• H01H33/22

  Selection of fluids for arc-extinguishing · CPC title

• H01H33/563 Primary

  comprising means for monitoring the density of the insulating gas · CPC title