Four-way automatic transfer switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11244799-B2
Application number	US-201816202077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 27, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A system includes a first group of cassettes, each cassette including a first stationary bar, a first plurality of fixed contact members, and a first plurality of movable contact members, each of which is electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the first stationary bar and configured to contact one of the first plurality of fixed contact members. The system includes a second group of cassettes each including a second stationary bar, a second plurality of fixed contact members, and a second plurality of movable contact members, each of which is electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the second stationary bar and configured to contact one of the second plurality of fixed contact members. The system includes at least one operating mechanism to control opening and closing of the movable contact members. The first stationary bar is coupled to the second stationary bar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first group of one or more cassettes, each cassette of the first group of cassettes comprising:
a first stationary bar;
a first plurality of fixed contact members; and
a first plurality of movable contact members, each of the first plurality of movable contact members electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the first stationary bar and configured to contact one of the first plurality of fixed contact members;

a second group of one or more cassettes, each cassette of the second group of cassettes comprising:
a second stationary bar;
a second plurality of fixed contact members; and
a second plurality of movable contact members, each of the second plurality of movable contact members electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the second stationary bar and configured to contact one of the second plurality of fixed contact members;

at least one operating mechanism configured to control opening and closing of the first plurality of movable contact members and the second plurality of movable contact members; and
for each cassette of the first group of cassettes, a coupling configured to couple the first stationary bar of the cassette of the first group of cassettes to the second stationary bar of a cassette of the second group of cassettes,
wherein the first stationary bar of a first cassette of the first group of one or more cassettes is coupled to the second stationary bar of a first cassette of the second group of one or more cassettes, and the first stationary bar of a second cassette of the first group of one or more cassettes is coupled to the second stationary bar of a second cassette of the second group of one or more cassettes.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first group of one or more cassettes or the second group of one or more cassettes is structured to connect to a utility grid.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the first group of one or more cassettes and the second group of one or more cassettes maintains power transmission upon failure of the other of the first group of one or more cassettes and the second group of one or more cassettes.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first fixed contact member and the second fixed contact member is configured to connect to a different power source.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first group of one or more cassettes comprises four cassettes and the second group of one or more cassettes comprises four cassettes.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operating mechanism comprises a first actuator configured to drive the first group of one or more cassettes and a second actuator configured to drive the second group of one or more cassettes, and the output of the first group of one or more cassettes is coupled to the output of the second group of one or more cassettes via a shorting bar.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first group of one or more cassettes and the second group of one or more cassettes are arranged in an automatic transfer switch having a single-phase configuration, a dual-phase configuration, or a three-phase configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cassettes are low-profile half-cassettes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first group of one or more cassettes includes a different number of cassettes from the second group of one or more cassettes in accordance with a current carrying requirement.

10. A method, comprising:
coupling a first group of cassettes to a second group of cassettes, wherein each cassette of the first group of cassettes and the second group of cassettes includes at least one source bar structured to connect to a corresponding power source, and at least one movable bar electrically coupled and rotatably connected to a stationary bar,
directing current to flow through the stationary bar and the at least one movable bar of each cassette of the first group of cassettes or the second group of cassettes so as to induce an electromagnetic force, and
causing the electromagnetic force to act on the at least one movable bar of each cassette of the first group of cassettes or the second group of cassettes so as to move the at least one movable bar toward the at least one source bar of each cassette of the first group of cassettes or the second group of cassettes,
the coupling comprising connecting a first stationary bar of a first cassette of the first group of cassettes to a second stationary bar of a first cassette of the second group of cassettes, and connecting a first stationary bar of a second cassette of the first group of cassettes to a second stationary bar of a second cassette of the second group of cassettes.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising connecting the first stationary bar of the first cassette of the first group of cassettes and the second stationary bar of the first cassette of the second group of cassettes with a first jumper.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising connecting the first stationary bar of the first cassette of the first group of cassettes and the second stationary bar of the first cassette of the second group of cassettes with a shorting bar.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising molding a cooling fin on the shorting bar.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the stationary bar of a cassette in the first group of cassettes or the stationary bar of a cassette in the second group of cassettes comprises a T-shaped bar.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
each of the first group of cassettes and the second group of cassettes comprises four cassettes; and
the coupling further comprises connecting (1) a stationary bar of a third cassette of the first group of cassettes to a stationary bar of a third cassette of the second group of cassettes, or (2) a stationary bar of a fourth cassette of the first group of cassettes to a stationary bar of a fourth cassette of the second group of cassettes.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
driving the first group of cassettes via a first actuator; and
driving the second group of cassettes via a second actuator.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
connecting one of the first group of cassettes and the second group of cassettes to a first source of a plurality of electrical energy sources; and
connecting the other of the first group of cassettes and the second group of cassettes to a second source of the plurality of electrical energy sources.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
each cassette of the first group of cassettes includes a first movable bar, a second movable bar, a first source bar, and a second source bar,
each cassette of the second group of cassettes includes a first movable bar, a second movable bar, a first source bar, and a second source bar, and
an output of the first group of cassettes and an output of the second group of cassettes are jumpered together.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first source and the second source are coupled in parallel to another source.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising connecting the first stationary bar of the first cassette of the first group of cassettes to the second stationary bar of the first cassette of the second group of cassettes by a first connector to connect a first output phase of the first group of cassettes to a first output phase of the second group of cassettes,
wherein
the first stationary bar of the second cassette of the first group of cassette

Assignees

• Cummins Power Generation Ip

Inventors

• Dye Brian G

Classifications

• H02J9/06

  with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems} · CPC title

• H01H3/222

  using electrodynamic repulsion · CPC title

• H01H9/40

  Multiple main contacts for the purpose of dividing the current through, or potential drop along, the arc · CPC title

• H01H77/10

  with electrodynamic opening {(combined with electromagnetic release mechanism H01H71/2418)} · CPC title

• H01H1/42

  Knife-and-clip contacts · CPC title