Direct-current circuit breaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10403449-B2
Application number	US-201515505173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A direct-current circuit includes: a breaker that is inserted into the direct-current line and becomes a path for direct current when in a steady state; a resonance circuit connected in parallel with the breaker and superimposing resonance current on the direct current; and a first disconnector and a second disconnector connected to first and second connection points of the breaker and the resonance circuit, respectively, and forming a path for the direct current together with the breaker. The resonance circuit includes a series circuit that includes a capacitor and a reactor and generates the resonance current, a charging resistor for charging the capacitor with a direct-current potential of the direct-current line, a high-speed switch connected in series with the series circuit on the capacitor side and superimposing the resonance current on the direct current, and an arrester connected in parallel with the capacitor and the high-speed switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A direct-current circuit breaker that creates a current zero point by superimposing a resonance current on a direct current flowing along a direct-current line and interrupts the direct current at the current zero point, the direct-current circuit breaker comprising:
a breaker that is inserted into the direct-current line and becomes a path for the direct current when in a steady state;
a resonance circuit that is connected in parallel with the breaker and superimposes a resonance current on the direct current after the breaker is opened;
a first disconnector that is connected at one end to a first connection point where the breaker and the resonance circuit are connected and that forms a path for the direct current together with the breaker when in a steady state; and
a second disconnector that is connected at one end to a second connection point where the breaker and the resonance circuit are connected and that forms a path for the direct current together with the breaker and the first disconnector when in a steady state, wherein
the resonance circuit includes
a series circuit that includes a capacitor and a reactor and generates the resonance current,
a charging resistor that is used for charging the capacitor with a direct-current potential of the direct-current line when in a steady state,
a high-speed switch that is connected in series with the series circuit on the capacitor side and superimposes the resonance current on the direct current after the breaker is opened, and
an arrester that is connected at one end to the first connection point and is connected at another end to a connection point where the capacitor and the reactor are connected, that is connected in parallel with the capacitor and the high-speed switch, and that limits a current flowing into the capacitor from the direct-current line.

2. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein, after the direct current is interrupted by superimposing the resonance current on the direct current, at least one of the first disconnector and the second disconnector is opened.

3. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein, when the high-speed switch is closed, the high-speed switch electrically connects a movable electrode and a stationary electrode by causing a discharge across a gap between the movable electrode and the stationary electrode that are maintained in a non-contact state.

4. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the charging resistor is connected at one end to a connection point where the capacitor and the high-speed switch are connected and is grounded at another end.

5. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the resonance circuit includes a grounding switch for discharging a residual charge in the resonance circuit after the breaker is opened and a direct current flowing along the direct-current line is interrupted.

6. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising a Rogowski current transformer that is inserted into the direct-current line and is used for detecting a fault current.

7. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the breaker is a mechanical switch.

8. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising a spring-type operating device as an operating device for the breaker, an operating device for the first disconnector, and an operating device for the second disconnector.

9. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising an electromagnetic-coil-type operating device as an operating device for the breaker, an operating device for the first disconnector, and an operating device for the second disconnector.

10. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising an operating device having a configuration in which a closing operation method is different from an opening operation method as an operating device for the breaker, an operating device for the first disconnector, and an operating device for the second disconnector.

11. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 10 , wherein the operating device has a configuration in which an operation method using an electromagnetic coil and an operation method using a spring are combined.

12. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller that controls the breaker, the first disconnector, and the second disconnector, wherein, when the direct-current circuit breaker on the direct-current line is closed, the controller closes the breaker, then, closes one of the first disconnector and the second disconnector that is connected to the series circuit side so as to cause charging of the capacitor with a direct current flowing along the direct-current line to be started, and, after the capacitor is completely charged, closes another of the first disconnector and the second disconnector that is open.

13. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the breaker, the first disconnector, the second disconnector, and the high-speed switch are configured to include a vacuum valve.

14. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the breaker, the first disconnector, the second disconnector, and the high-speed switch is configured to include a vacuum valve and remaining of the breaker, the first disconnector, the second disconnector, and the high-speed switch is configured such that an insulating gas is enclosed.

15. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the series circuit that includes the capacitor and the reactor generates a resonance current with which a current zero point is able to be created in both of a case where a direction of a current flowing along the direct-current line is a first direction and a case where a direction of a current flowing along the direct-current line is a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

16. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising an iron-core reactor that is connected in series with the breaker and forms a path for the direct current when in a steady state.

17. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller that controls the high-speed switch, wherein, after the high-speed switch is closed so as to superimpose the resonance current on the direct current, the controller opens the high-speed switch in a state where a voltage having a same polarity as an initial charging state remains in the capacitor.

18. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for moving a movable electrode of the breaker and a movable electrode of the high-speed switch at a same time, wherein
one operating device performs switching control such that when the breaker is closed, the high-speed switch is opened at a same time, and, when the breaker is opened, the high-speed switch is closed at a same time.

19. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the breaker is configured such that a plurality of switches are connected in series with each other.

20. The direct-current circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the resonance circuit includes a switch that is connected in series with the charging resistor and is used for stopping charging of the capacitor when a charging voltage applied to the capacitor exceeds a threshold.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Ka Shiken
• Ito Hiroki
• Kikuchi Kunio
• Miyashita Makoto
• Tahata Kazuyori
• Tokoyoda Sho
• Kamei Kenji

Classifications

• H01H89/00

  Combinations of two or more different basic types of electric switches, relays, selectors and emergency protective devices, not covered by any single one of the other main groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H01H2009/543

  third parallel branch comprising an energy absorber, e.g. MOV, PTC, Zener · CPC title

• H01F38/40

  for DC · CPC title

• H01H33/66

  Vacuum switches · CPC title

• H01H71/24

  Electromagnetic mechanisms · CPC title