Dual thomson coil-actuated, double-bellows vacuum circuit interrupter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11152174-B2
Application number	US-202016902735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A vacuum interrupter including a first movable contact and electrode contained within a vacuum chamber, a second movable contact and electrode contained within the vacuum chamber, a first actuator operably coupled to the first movable contact, and a second actuator operably coupled to the second movable contact. The vacuum interrupter also includes a first bellows and first bellows plate operably coupled to the first movable electrode, as well as a second bellows and second bellows plate operably coupled to the second movable electrode. Additionally, the vacuum interrupter includes a first pressure chamber located between the first actuator and the vacuum chamber, and a second pressure chamber located between the second actuator and the vacuum chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vacuum interrupter comprising:
a first movable contact contained within a vacuum chamber;
a first movable electrode connected to the first movable contact;
a second movable contact contained within the vacuum chamber;
a second movable electrode connected to the second movable contact;
a first actuator operably coupled to the first movable electrode;
a second actuator operably coupled to the second movable electrode;
a first bellows and first bellows plate operably coupled to the first movable electrode;
a second bellows and second bellows plate operably coupled to the second movable electrode;
a first pressure chamber located between the first actuator and the vacuum chamber; and
a second pressure chamber located between the second actuator and the vacuum chamber,
wherein the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber are filled with a pressurized gas.

2. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the first bellows, the first bellows plate, the second bellows, and the second bellows plate are configured to hold the respective first movable contact and the second movable contact in a closed position when the first actuator and the second actuator are not energized.

3. The vacuum interrupter of claim 2 , wherein the first bellows plate and the second bellows plate are sized such that pressure from the respective first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber is sufficient to hold the first movable contact and the second movable contact in the closed position.

4. The vacuum interrupter of claim 3 , wherein the first bellows plate has a diameter between 1.5 and 10 times larger than a diameter of the first movable contact, and the second bellows plate has a diameter between 1.5 and 10 times larger than a diameter of the second movable contact.

5. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator comprises a first Thomson coil and the second actuator comprises a second Thomson coil.

6. The vacuum interrupter of claim 5 , wherein the first actuator further comprises a first conductive plate operatively coupled to the first movable contact, and further wherein the second actuator comprises a second conductive plate operatively coupled to the second movable contact.

7. The vacuum interrupter of claim 6 , wherein the first conductive plate is operatively coupled to the first movable contact by a first non-conductive stem, and further wherein the second conductive plate is operatively coupled to the second movable contact by a second non-conductive stem.

8. The vacuum interrupter of claim 7 , wherein the first non-conductive stem passes through the first Thomson coil and the second non-conductive stem passes through the second Thomson coil.

9. The vacuum interrupter of claim 6 , further comprising a third Thomson coil and a fourth Thomson coil, wherein the third Thomson coil is configured to decelerate the first conductive plate when the first Thomson coil is energized, and wherein the fourth Thomson coil is configured to decelerate the second conductive plate when the second Thomson coil is energized.

10. The vacuum interrupter of claim 5 , further comprising at least one first shock absorber positioned along the first Thomson coil and at least one second shock absorber positioned along the second Thomson coil.

11. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the first movable electrode is coupled to a first connector extending outside of the vacuum interrupter, and further wherein the second electrode is coupled to a second connector extending outside of the vacuum interrupter.

12. The vacuum interrupter of claim 11 , wherein the first electrode is coupled to the first bellows plate and the second electrode is coupled to the second bellows plate such that movement of the first bellows plate causes corresponding movement of the first electrode and movement of the second bellows plate causes corresponding movement of the second electrode.

13. A vacuum interrupter comprising:
a first movable contact contained within a vacuum chamber;
a first movable electrode connected to the first movable contact;
a second movable contact contained within the vacuum chamber;
a second movable electrode connected to the second movable contact;
a first Thomson coil, wherein the first Thomson coil, when energized, is configured to move the first movable electrode in a first direction;
a second Thomson coil, wherein the second Thomson coil, when energized, is configured to move the second movable contact in a second direction opposite the first direction;
a first bellows and first bellows plate operably coupled to the first movable electrode;
a second bellows and second bellows plate operably coupled to the second movable electrode;
a first pressure chamber located between the first Thomson coil and the vacuum chamber; and
a second pressure chamber located between the second Thomson coil and the vacuum chamber,
wherein the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber are filled with a pressurized gas.

14. The vacuum interrupter of claim 13 , wherein the first bellows, the first bellows plate, the second bellows, and the second bellows plate are configured to hold the respective first movable contact and the second movable contact in a closed position when the first Thomson coil and the second Thomson coil are not energized.

15. The vacuum interrupter of claim 14 , wherein the first bellows plate and the second bellows plate are sized such that pressure from the respective first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber is sufficient to hold the first movable contact and the second movable contact in the closed position.

16. The vacuum interrupter of claim 15 , wherein the first bellows plate has a diameter between 1.5 and 10 times larger than a diameter of the first movable electrode, and the second bellows plate has a diameter between 1.5 and 10 times larger than a diameter of the second movable electrode.

17. The vacuum interrupter of claim 13 , further comprising a first conductive plate operatively coupled to the first movable electrode and a second conductive plate operatively coupled to the second movable electrode, wherein the first Thomson coil, when energized, causes the first conductive plate to move in the first direction and the second Thomson coil, when energized, causes the second conductive plate to move in the second direction.

18. The vacuum interrupter of claim 17 , wherein the first conductive plate is operatively coupled to the first movable electrode by a first non-conductive stem that passes through the first Thomson coil, and further wherein the second conductive plate is operatively coupled to the second movable electrode by a second non-conductive stem that passes through the second Thomson coil.

19. A vacuum interrupter comprising:
a first movable contact contained within a vacuum chamber;
a first movable electrode connected to the first movable contact;
a second movable contact contained within the vacuum chamber;
a second movable electrode connected to the second movable contact;
a first actuator operably coupled to the first movable electrode;
a second actuator operably coupled to the second movable electrode;
a first bellows and first bellows plate operably coupled to the first movable electrode;
a second bellows and second bellows plate operably coupled to the second movable electrode;
a first pressure chamber located between the first actuator and the vacuum chamber; and
a second pressure chamber located between the second

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Leccia Brad Robert
• Chen Steven Zhenghong
• Holp Tyler

Classifications

• H01H33/6662 Primary

  using bistable electromagnetic actuators, e.g. linear polarised electromagnetic actuators · CPC title

• H01H33/666 Primary

  Operating arrangements · CPC title

• H01H2033/028

  the cooperating contacts being both actuated simultaneously in opposite directions · CPC title

• H01H33/66207

  Specific housing details, e.g. sealing, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01H33/285

  using electro-dynamic repulsion (assisting the movement of pistons by accelerating coil H01H33/882) · CPC title