Vacuum circuit interrupter with actuation having active damping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10580599-B1
Application number	US-201816106772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

A circuit interrupter system includes a vacuum circuit interrupter having a vacuum chamber that contains a fixed contact and a moveable contact. A non-conductive rod extends from the moveable contact. One or more Thomson coils are wound around the rod, and one or more armatures are connected to the rod. When a driver energizes one of the Thomson coils, a corresponding armature will be repelled from that Thomson coil and move the rod to open or close the contacts of the vacuum circuit interrupter. The system also may include a damper that provides an active damping force rod when the rod is moved to open and/or close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit interrupter system, comprising:
a vacuum circuit interrupter that comprises a fixed contact and a moveable contact contained within a vacuum chamber;
a non-conductive rod that is connected to the moveable contact and that extends from the vacuum chamber;
an actuator that is connected to the non-conductive rod and that is configured to selectively move the non-conductive rod in a first direction that will drive the moveable contact toward the fixed contact, and in a second direction that will drive the moveable contact away from the fixed contact, wherein the actuator comprises:
a first Thomson coil that is wound around the non-conductive rod,
a first armature that is connected to the non-conductive rod, and
a driver that is configured to energize the first Thomson coil; and

a damper that comprises a solenoid and a plunger that provides an active damping force to the non-conductive rod when the non-conductive rod is moved in the first direction, the second direction, or both the first direction and the second direction.

2. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the plunger comprises a permanent magnet.

3. The circuit interrupter system of claim 1 , further comprising a solenoid actuator that is electrically connected to the solenoid and that is configured to vary damping force of the damper by varying a level of voltage or current provided to the solenoid.

4. The circuit interrupter system of claim 1 , wherein:
the damper is connected to the non-conductive rod; and
the actuator is positioned between the damper and the vacuum circuit interrupter.

5. The circuit interrupter system of claim 1 , wherein:
the damper is connected to the non-conductive rod; and
the damper is positioned between the actuator and the vacuum circuit interrupter.

6. A method of operating a vacuum circuit interrupter, the method comprising:
actuating an actuator to operate a vacuum circuit interrupter that comprises a fixed contact and a moveable contact contained within a vacuum chamber, wherein:
the actuator is connected to a non-conductive rod that is connected to the moveable contact and that extends from the vacuum chamber,
the actuator comprises a first Thomson coil that is wound around the non-conductive rod, a first armature that is connected to the non-conductive rod, and a driver that is configured to energize the first Thomson coil, and
the actuating comprises, by the driver, energizing the first Thomson coil so that when the first Thomson coil is energized the first armature will be repelled from the first Thomson coil and move the non-conductive rod to open the vacuum circuit interrupter; and

causing a damper that is attached to the non-conductive rod to apply an active damping force to the non-conductive rod when the non-conductive rod is moved.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the actuator further comprises a second Thomson coil that is wound around the non-conductive rod; and
the actuating further comprises, by the driver, energizing the second Thomson coil so that when the second Thomson coil is energized, the first armature will be repelled from the second Thomson coil and move the non-conductive rod to close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the actuator further comprises a second Thomson coil that is wound around the non-conductive rod and a second armature that is connected to the non-conductive rod; and
the actuating further comprises, by the driver, energizing the second Thomson coil so that when the second Thomson coil is energized the second armature will be repelled from the second Thomson coil and move the non-conductive rod to open the vacuum circuit interrupter.

9. A circuit interrupter system, comprising:
a vacuum circuit interrupter that comprises a fixed contact and a moveable contact contained within a vacuum chamber;
a non-conductive rod that is connected to the moveable contact and that extends from the vacuum chamber;
an actuator that is connected to the non-conductive rod, wherein the actuator comprises:
a first Thomson coil that is wound around the non-conductive rod,
a first armature that is connected to the non-conductive rod, and
a driver that is configured to energize the first Thomson coil so that when the first Thomson coil is energized, the first armature will be repelled from the first Thomson coil and will move the non-conductive rod to open the vacuum circuit interrupter; and

a damper that comprises a solenoid and a permanent magnet that is configured to provide an active damping force to the non-conductive rod when the non-conductive rod is moved to open the vacuum circuit interrupter.

10. The circuit interrupter system of claim 9 , wherein:
the actuator further comprises a second Thomson coil that is wound around the non-conductive rod;
the first armature is positioned between the first Thomson coil and the second Thomson coil; and
the driver is also configured to selectively energize the first Thomson coil and the second Thomson coil so that when the second Thomson coil is energized, the first armature will be repelled from the second Thomson coil, and the first armature will move the non-conductive rod to close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

11. The circuit interrupter system of claim 10 , wherein the damper is also configured to provide an active damping force to the non-conductive rod when the non-conductive rod is moved to close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

12. The circuit interrupter system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first armature is positioned between the first Thomson coil and the vacuum circuit interrupter;
the actuator also comprises:
a second armature that is connected to the non-conductive rod, and
a second Thomson coil that is positioned between the second armature and the first Thomson coil; and

the driver is also configured to selectively energize the first Thomson coil and the second Thomson coil so that when the second Thomson coil is energized, the second armature will be repelled from the second Thomson coil, and the second armature will move the non-conductive rod to close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

13. The circuit interrupter system of claim 12 , wherein the damper is also configured to provide an active damping force to the non-conductive rod when the non-conductive rod is moved to close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

14. The circuit interrupter system of claim 9 , further comprising a solenoid actuator that is electrically connected to the solenoid and that is configured to vary damping force of the damper by varying a level of voltage or current provided to the solenoid.

15. The circuit interrupter system of claim 9 , wherein:
the damper is connected to the non-conductive rod; and
the actuator is positioned between the damper and the vacuum circuit interrupter.

16. The circuit interrupter system of claim 9 , wherein:
the damper is connected to the non-conductive rod; and
the damper is positioned between the actuator and the vacuum circuit interrupter.

17. The circuit interrupter system of claim 9 , wherein the damper is connected to a second non-conductive rod that is connected to the fixed contact and that extends from the vacuum chamber.

18. A circuit interrupter system, comprising:
a vacuum circuit interrupter that comprises a fixed contact and a moveable contact contained within a vacuum chamber;
a non-conductive rod that is connected to the moveable contact and that extends from the vacuum chamber;
an actuator that is connected to the non-conductive rod

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Hongbin
• Chen Steven Zhenghong
• Yu Li
• Rockhill Andrew A
• Mueller Robert W
• Rohn David R

Classifications

• H01F2007/1692

  Electromagnets or actuators with two coils · CPC title

• H01F7/1638 Primary

  Armatures not entering the winding · CPC title

• H01F7/123

  by ancillary coil · CPC title

• H01F7/081

  Magnetic constructions · CPC title

• H01H33/666 Primary

  Operating arrangements · CPC title