Circuit breaker comprising a ceria-based catalyst for CO conversion into CO2

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11056300-B2
Application number	US-201816614436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A circuit breaker, comprising an enclosure comprising: —at least two arcing contacts that are movable axially relative to each other, between an open position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are separated from each other and a closed position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are in contact with each other; and —a gas inlet configured to blow an arc-control gas in order to interrupt an electric arc that is likely to form during movement of the arcing contacts from the closed position to the open position of the circuit breaker, wherein the arc-control gas comprises at least 80% of carbon dioxide; wherein the enclosure further comprises a catalytic material, which converts carbon monoxide that forms after ionization of the carbon dioxide during arcing, into carbon dioxide, said catalytic material comprising ceria and a precious metal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit breaker, comprising an enclosure comprising:
at least two arcing contacts that are movable axially relative to each other, between an open position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are separated from each other and a closed position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are in contact with each other,
an inlet to the enclosure, the inlet configured to blow an arc-control gas in order to interrupt an electric arc that is likely to form during movement of the arcing contacts from the closed position to the open position of the circuit breaker, the arc-control gas being oxygen-free, comprising at least 80% of carbon dioxide, wherein the arc-control gas is a gas mixture comprising CO 2 and at least one fluorinated compound, wherein the arc-control gas comprises from 90 to 97% by volume of carbon dioxide and from 3 to 10% by volume of the at least one fluorinated compound,
wherein the enclosure is at least below 100° C., further comprising a catalytic material, which converts carbon monoxide that forms after ionization of the carbon dioxide during arcing, into carbon dioxide, the catalytic material comprising ceria and a precious metal, and the catalytic material being supported by a substrate comprising a ceramic substrate.

2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the precious metal is gold.

3. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the precious metal is platinum.

4. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material comprises 0.5% to 20% by weight of precious metal.

5. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material is comprised of particles.

6. The circuit breaker according to claim 5 , wherein the particles have a diameter from 1 mm to 10 mm.

7. The circuit breaker according to claim 6 , wherein the particles have a diameter from 1 mm to 5 mm.

8. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material is supported by a cordierite substrate.

9. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material comprises a metal oxide.

10. The circuit breaker according to claim 9 , wherein the metal oxide is ZrO 2 .

11. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material comprises a lanthanide.

12. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the arc-control gas is constituted by carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

13. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluorinated compound is chosen among 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-propanenitrile, 1,1,1,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-2-butanone, 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, and 1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene or fluorooxirane.

14. An air-insulated switchgear (AIS) comprising the circuit breaker as defined in claim 1 .

15. A gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) comprising the circuit breaker as defined in claim 1 .

16. A circuit breaker, comprising an enclosure comprising:
at least two arcing contacts that are movable axially relative to each other, between an open position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are separated from each other and a closed position of the circuit breaker in which the arcing contacts are in contact with each other,
an inlet to the enclosure, the inlet configured to blow an arc-control gas in order to interrupt an electric arc that is likely to form during movement of the arcing contacts from the closed position to the open position of the circuit breaker, the arc-control gas being oxygen-free, comprising at least 80% of carbon dioxide,
wherein the enclosure is at least below 100° C., further comprising a catalytic material, which converts carbon monoxide that forms after ionization of the carbon dioxide during arcing, into carbon dioxide, the catalytic material comprising ceria and a precious metal;
wherein the arc-control gas is a gas mixture comprising CO 2 and at least one fluorinated compound; and
wherein the arc-control gas comprises from 90 to 97% by volume of carbon dioxide and from 3 to 10% by volume of the at least one fluorinated compound.

Assignees

• General Electric Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Kieffel Yannick
• Maksoud Louis

Classifications

• H01H33/22 Primary

  Selection of fluids for arc-extinguishing · CPC title

• H01H2033/566

  Avoiding the use of SF6 · CPC title

• B01D53/864

  Removing carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons · CPC title

• H02B13/055

  Features relating to the gas · CPC title

• H01H33/74

  wherein the break is in gas (in air at atmospheric pressure H01H33/73) · CPC title