Disconnect switches with combined actuators and related circuit breakers and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11152178-B2
Application number	US-201916289744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 1, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Disconnect switches include a housing, a fixed main contact in the housing, a movable main contact in the housing in cooperating alignment with the fixed main contact, a first actuator coupled to the movable main contact, and a second actuator coupled to the housing. The second actuator is configured to apply a motive force to the housing that is in a direction opposing a motive force applied by the first actuator to the movable main contact.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A disconnect switch, comprising:
a housing;
a fixed main contact in the housing;
a movable main contact in the housing in cooperating alignment with the fixed main contact;
a first actuator coupled to the movable main contact; and
a second actuator coupled to the housing, wherein the second actuator is configured to apply a motive force to the housing that is in a direction opposing a motive force applied by the first actuator to the movable main contact.

2. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum interrupter body enclosing the housing;
a vacuum chamber provided by the housing, wherein the fixed and moveable main contacts reside in the vacuum chamber;
a first drive rod in the vacuum interrupter body coupled to and extending between the movable contact and the first actuator; and
a second drive rod in the vacuum interrupter body coupled to and extending between the housing and the second actuator.

3. The disconnect switch of claim 2 , wherein, during an opening operation, the second actuator moves the vacuum interrupter body away from the first actuator, and wherein the disconnect switch comprises a gap space between an end of the vacuum interrupter body facing the second actuator and an adjacent support member, and wherein when the disconnect switch is in a fully closed state and an initial open state, the gap space is greater than when in a fully open state.

4. The disconnect switch of claim 3 , when in the fully closed state, the gap space is in a range of 5-20 mm.

5. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , further comprising a contact spring coupled to the housing and residing between the housing and the second actuator, wherein, in operation, during a closed state of the disconnect switch, the contact spring applies a closing force toward the movable main contact.

6. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , wherein the disconnect switch has an open position associated with fully open state and a closed position associated with a fully closed state allowing electrical conduction, wherein, in the open position, the fixed and movable main contacts are spaced apart, wherein, in the closed position, the fixed and movable main contacts abut, and wherein the second actuator is configured to apply a latching force to latch the movable and fixed main contacts together in the closed position and apart in the open position.

7. The disconnect switch of claim 5 , wherein the first actuator comprises a Thompson coil actuator.

8. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with the first actuator and the second actuator, and wherein the controller directs the first and second actuators to actuate to move in opposing directions during an opening operation.

9. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , further comprising a coupler assembly that directly or indirectly attaches the second actuator to the housing, wherein the coupler assembly comprises a contact spring chamber that holds a contact spring, and wherein the second actuator comprises a coupler attachment member that is configured to compress the contact spring to apply a closing and/or latching force against the housing in a direction toward the movable main contact.

10. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , wherein only the first actuator provides the motive force to move the movable main contact to an initial interruption gap position in a first direction, and wherein only the second actuator provides the motive force to move the housing in a second direction opposing the first direction to move the fixed main contact away from the movable contact whereby the fixed and movable main contacts are spaced apart in an insulation gap position, wherein there is a greater spacing between the fixed and movable main contacts in the insulation gap position.

11. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , further comprising a support member residing between an end of the vacuum interrupter body and the first actuator, and wherein when the disconnect switch is in a fully closed state and an initial open state, a gap space between the end of the vacuum interrupter body and the support member is less than when in a fully open state.

12. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator moves the movable main contact at a first velocity to an initial interruption gap position away from the fixed main contact that is in a range of about 1-3 mm, and wherein the second actuator moves the housing at a second velocity that is less than the first velocity and at a distance that is in a range of about 3 mm-15 mm whereby the disconnect switch has an isolation gap between the fixed and movable main contacts that is in a range of about 5 mm-15 mm.

13. The disconnect switch of claim 12 , wherein the first actuator is configured to apply the motive force to move the movable main contact away from the fixed main contact to provide the initial interruption gap in less than 3 ms, then stops applying the motive force, and wherein the second actuator is configured to apply the motive force to move the housing to a full opening travel distance in 20-50 ms whereby the fixed and movable main contacts are separated by the isolation gap.

14. The disconnect switch of claim 1 , wherein the first and second actuators are axially aligned and spaced apart with the housing therebetween, and wherein the first and second actuators each comprise a coupling drive member that are axially aligned with each other and extend external to a vacuum interrupter body enclosing the housing therein.

15. The disconnect switch of claim 1 in a cabinet housing of a circuit interrupter comprising a plurality of poles.

16. A method of closing and opening contacts of a disconnect switch, comprising:
providing a vacuum interrupter disconnect switch with a vacuum chamber enclosing a fixed contact and a movable contact, wherein the disconnect switch further comprises first and second drive actuators; and
actuating the first drive actuator to apply a motive force to the movable contact in a first opening direction before or concurrently with actuating the second drive actuator to apply a motive force to the disconnect switch in an opposing second opening direction during an opening operation to define a separation gap between the fixed and movable contacts.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising actuating the first drive actuator in a first closing direction before or concurrently with actuating the second drive actuator in a second opposing closing direction to establish a closed state of the disconnect switch with the fixed and movable contacts abutting each other.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising applying a spring contact force against the fixed contact toward the movable contact when the disconnect switch is in the closed state.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising latching the fixed and movable contacts in an open and/or closed position using at least the second actuator.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein, during the opening operation,
the actuating the first drive actuator is carried out to pull the movable contact away from the fixed contact by the motive force applied by the first drive actuator to force the movable contact away from the fixed contact to an initial interruption gap,
then the first drive actuator ceases applying the motive force,
wherein the actuating the second drive actuator applies the motive force for a longer duration than the first drive actuator applies the motive force to move the vacuum cham

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Steven Zhenghong
• Juds Mark A
• Rakus Paul R
• Slepian Michael

Classifications

• H01H33/285

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

• H01H33/38

  using electromagnet · CPC title

• H01H33/66

  Vacuum switches · CPC title

• H01H2205/002

  fixed to operating part · CPC title

• H01H71/2454 Primary

  characterised by the magnetic circuit or active magnetic elements · CPC title