Hydraulic simultaneous multi-pole contact opening mechanism for circuit interrupters

A circuit interrupter, the circuit interrupter comprising:

• an electronic trip unit;
• a plurality of pole assemblies, each pole assembly being structured to be connected between one phase of power from power source and a load, each pole assembly comprising:
• a stationary conductor comprising a stationary separable contact;
• a movable conductor comprising a movable separable contact, the movable conductor being structured to move between a closed state in which the movable separable contact is electrically connected to the stationary separable contact and an open state in which the movable separable contact is electrically isolated from the stationary separable contact;
• and
• a current sensor in communication with the trip unit and structured to sense current flowing from the power source to the load through the pole assembly;
• and
• a multi-pole actuation system for moving the movable conductor of every pole assembly between the closed state and the open state, the multi-pole actuation system comprising:
• a hydraulic tank containing hydraulic fluid;
• a plurality of narrow pistons corresponding in number to the plurality of pole assemblies, each narrow piston including:
• a narrow piston crown that interfaces with the hydraulic fluid;
• and
• a narrow piston connecting rod extending proximally from the narrow piston crown to an exterior of the hydraulic tank and connected to the movable conductor of one pole assembly;
• and
• a number of Thomson coil arrangements, the number of Thomson coil arrangements being fewer in number than the plurality of pole assemblies, each Thomson coil arrangement comprising:
• a conductive coil configured to be actuated by a current source;
• a conductive member positioned adjacent the conductive coil when all movable conductors are in the closed state;
• and
• a wide piston, each wide piston including:
• a wide piston crown that interfaces with the hydraulic fluid;
• and
• a wide piston connecting rod extending proximally from the wide piston crown and fixedly coupled to the conductive member,
• wherein a collective total surface area of all surfaces of the number of wide pistons that interface with the hydraulic fluid is greater than a collective total surface area of all surfaces of the narrow pistons that interface with the hydraulic fluid, and
• wherein the hydraulic tank is structured such that, when all movable conductors are in the closed state and every conductive coil is activated with current:
• each conductive coil repels its corresponding conductive member in a proximal direction, and
• movement of any conductive member in the proximal direction causes the hydraulic fluid to exert force against the plurality of narrow pistons in a distal direction and move all of the movable conductors to the open state.