Reduced size fault interrupter

A pole unit for a switchgear comprising:

• an outer housing;
• a first terminal and a second terminal extending into the housing;
• a vacuum interrupter switch including a vacuum chamber, a fixed contact extending into one end of the vacuum chamber and being electrically coupled to the first terminal, and a moving contact extending into an opposite end of the chamber;
• a sliding contact rigidly coupled to the moving contact and slidably coupled to the second terminal;
• an electromagnetic actuator including a coil wound on a member, a rod extending into the member and being coupled to the sliding contact and a spring positioned against the rod, the member being electrically coupled to the second terminal;
• and
• a power assembly including a transmitter coil and a receiver coil that are electromagnetically coupled, the receiver coil being electrically coupled to the actuator and being electrically isolated from the transmitter coil, wherein the transmitter coil and the receiver coil are embedded in an electrically isolating potting material, and wherein the interrupter switch, the actuator and the receiver coil are at a line potential and the transmitter coil is at ground potential.

A pole unit for a switchgear comprising:

• an outer housing;
• a first terminal and a second terminal extending into the housing;
• a vacuum interrupter switch including a vacuum chamber, a fixed contact extending into one end of the vacuum chamber and being electrically coupled to the first terminal, and a moving contact extending into an opposite end of the chamber;
• a sliding contact rigidly coupled to the moving contact and slidably coupled to the second terminal;
• an electromagnetic actuator including a coil wound on a member, a rod extending into the member and being coupled to the sliding contact and a spring positioned against the rod and applying a spring bias that forces the moving contact away from the fixed contact to disconnect an electrical connection therebetween, the member being electrically coupled to the second terminal;
• a power assembly including a transmitter coil and a receiver coil that are electromagnetically coupled, the receiver coil being electrically coupled to the actuator and being electrically isolated from the transmitter coil, wherein the transmitter coil and the receiver coil are embedded in an electrically isolating potting material;
• and
• an electronics assembly positioned within a chamber between the electromagnetic actuator and the power assembly, wherein the electronics assembly includes an energy storage unit, an actuator coil drive circuit, a power receiver coil harvesting circuit, a coil measurement acquisition circuit, and a communications circuit, and wherein the interrupter switch, the actuator and the receiver coil are at a line potential and the transmitter coil is at ground potential.