Short-circuiting device, converter and short-circuiting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11990296-B2
Application number	US-201917279010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2019
Priority date	Sep 24, 2018
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

An electrical short-circuiting device includes a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece. The fixed and movable contact pieces are distanced from one another in a basic position and electrically conductively connected to one another in a short-circuit position. A drive transfers the movable contact piece from the basic position into the short-circuit position, and a trigger device includes an electrically driven actuator for triggering the drive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical short-circuiting device, comprising:
a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece, said fixed and movable contact pieces being distanced from one another in a basic position and being electrically conductively connected to one another in a short-circuit position;
a drive configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the basic position into the short-circuit position; and
a trigger device including an electrically driven actuator for triggering the drive wherein the actuator comprises a fixed stator which includes a first coil and a rotor which includes a second coil for interaction with the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion, with the stator and the rotor being arranged along the axis of motion, said first and second coils being configured as air-core coils capable of being actively energized so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel one another, thereby moving the rotor and the second coil along the axis of motion to trigger the drive.

2. The short-circuiting device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger device comprises a locking mechanism for locking the drive, said drive being triggered when the electrically driven actuator releases the locking mechanism.

3. The short-circuiting device of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a plunger for releasing the locking mechanism.

4. The short-circuiting device of claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises a mechanical energy store for supply of energy.

5. The short-circuiting device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically insulating jacket configured to encase the fixed and movable contact pieces.

6. The short-circuiting device of claim 1 , wherein the movable contact piece is configured to taper conically in a direction of the fixed contact piece and, when the short-circuit position is reached, enters a complementarily shaped section of the fixed contact piece.

7. The short-circuiting device of claim 1 , further comprising a retraction rod configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the short-circuit position into the basic position while energy is supplied to the mechanical energy store at a same time.

8. A converter comprising:
a plurality of power modules; and
at least one short-circuiting device rendered responsive when one of the power modules fails thereby bridging the failed power module, said at least one short-circuiting device comprising a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece, said fixed and movable contact pieces being distanced from one another in a basic position and being electrically conductively connected to one another in a short-circuit position, a drive configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the basic position into the short-circuit position, and a trigger device including an electrically driven actuator for triggering the drive, wherein the actuator comprises a fixed stator which includes a first coil, and a rotor which includes a second coil for interaction with, the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion with the stator and the rotor being as air-core coils capable of being actively energized so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel motion to trigger the drive.

9. The converter of claim 8 , wherein the trigger device comprises a locking mechanism for locking the drive, said drive being triggered when the electrically driven actuator releases the locking mechanism.

10. The converter of claim 9 , wherein the actuator comprises a plunger for releasing the locking mechanism.

11. The converter of claim 8 , wherein the drive comprises a mechanical energy store for supply of energy.

12. The converter of claim 8 , wherein the at least one short-circuiting device comprises an electrically insulating jacket configured to encase the fixed and movable contact pieces.

13. The converter of claim 8 , wherein the movable contact piece is configured to taper conically in a direction of the fixed contact piece and, when the short-circuit position is reached, enters a complementarily shaped section of the fixed contact piece.

14. The converter of claim 8 , wherein the at least one short-circuiting device comprises a retraction rod configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the short-circuit position into the basic position while energy is supplied to the mechanical energy store at a same time.

15. A method for short-circuiting a fixed contact piece with a movable contact piece, said method comprising:
activating a short-circuiting device by an electrically driven actuator of a trigger device; and
energizing a fixed stator of the actuator, the fixed stator including a first coil and energizing a rotor of the actuator, the rotor including a second coil for interaction with, the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion, with the stator and the rotor being arranged along the axis of motion, said first and second coils being configured as air-core coils so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel one another thereby moving the rotor and the second coil aeon the axis of motion to trigger a drive of the short-circuiting device to thereby cause the movable contact piece to move from a basic position in which the fixed and movable contact pieces are distanced from one another into a short-circuit position in which the fixed and movable contact pieces are electrically conductively connected to one another.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising energizing the first coil and the second coil simultaneously.

17. A multilevel converter comprising:
a plurality of power modules connected in series; and
at least one short-circuiting device rendered responsive when one of the power modules fails thereby bridging the failed power module, said at least one short-circuiting device comprising a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece, said fixed and movable contact pieces being distanced from one another in a basic position and being electrically conductively connected to one another in a short-circuit position, a drive configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the basic position into the short-circuit position, and a trigger device including an electrically driven actuator for triggering the drive, wherein the actuator comprises a fixed stator which includes a first coil, and a rotor which includes a second coil for interaction with the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion, with the stator and the rotor being arranged along the axis of motion, said first and second cons being configured as air-core cons capable of being actively energized so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel one another, thereby moving the rotor and the second coil along the axis of motion to trigger the drive.

Assignees

• Innomotics Gmbh

Inventors

• Schmidt Werner
• Einschenk Jürgen
• Schremmer Frank

Classifications

• H01H3/26 Primary

  using dynamo-electric motor (for storing energy in a spring motor H01H3/30) · CPC title

• H01H3/28 Primary

  using electromagnet (for storing energy in a spring motor H01H3/30; for operating relays H01H45/00) · CPC title

• H01H1/52 Primary

  Contacts adapted to act as latches · CPC title

• H01H79/00

  Protective switches in which excess current causes the closing of contacts, e.g. for short-circuiting the apparatus to be protected {(H01H39/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01H3/3031

  Means for locking the spring in a charged state · CPC title