Method of current interruption using puffer type gas circuit breaker with combined-action of cylinder and piston

A puffer type gas circuit breaker comprising:

• at least a pair of arc contacts, disposed in an airtight container filled with a quenching gas, the arc contacts being separable from each other;
• an operator that drives at least one of the arc contacts in a separation direction;
• compression means, slidably connected with one of a cylinder and piston connected with the operator, for compressing the quenching gas in a compression chamber formed by the cylinder and piston, upon the separation operation between the arc contacts;
• and
• an insulating nozzle whose throat is substantially clogged with one of the arc contacts not connected to the cylinder nor to the piston, the insulating nozzle guiding the quenching gas compressed by the compression means to blast the quenching gas to an arc generated between the arc contacts,
• wherein provided is a link mechanism one end of which is connected with the operator and the other end of which is connected with one of the cylinder and piston, and wherein the link mechanism branches an operation force of the operator at an initial stage of an interruption operation and drives one of the cylinder and piston in an interruption operation direction, followed by almost stopping one of the cylinder and piston.

A puffer type gas circuit breaker comprising:

• at least a pair of arc contacts, disposed in an airtight container filled with a quenching gas, the arc contacts being separable from each other;
• an operator that drives at least one of the arc contacts in a separation direction;
• compression means, slidably connected with one of cylinder and piston connected with the operator, for compressing the quenching gas in a compression chamber formed with the cylinder and the piston, upon a separation operation between the arc contacts;
• and
• an insulating nozzle a throat of which is clogged with the other arc contact not connected to the cylinder nor to the piston, the insulating nozzle guiding the quenching gas compressed by the compression means to blast the quenching gas to an arc generated between the arc contacts,
• wherein a link mechanism is provided between the operator and one of the cylinder and piston, and wherein the link mechanism drives the cylinder and the piston both in an interruption direction while holding a predetermined distance between one of the cylinder and piston and the other of the cylinder and piston before the other arc contact not connected to the cylinder nor to the piston is removed from the throat of the insulating nozzle upon the interruption operation.

A puffer type gas circuit breaker comprising:

• at least a pair of arc contacts, disposed in an airtight container filled with a quenching gas, moved away from each other;
• an operator that drives at least one of the arc contacts in an opening direction;
• compression means, connected with one of slidable cylinder and piston connected with the operator, for compressing the quenching gas in a compression chamber formed with the cylinder and the piston, in accordance with an opening operation between the arc contacts;
• and
• an insulating nozzle that guides the quenching gas compressed by the compression means to blast the quenching gas to an arc generated between the arc contacts,
• wherein one of the cylinder and the piston is movable in a direction to enlarge a volumetric capacity in the compression chamber by a pressure in the compression chamber, and
• wherein a link mechanism that transmits a force in an interruption operational direction to a part connected to the operator when other one of the cylinder and the piston moves in the direction to enlarge the volumetric capacity in the compression chamber is connected between the part connected with the operator and the other one of the cylinder and the piston.

A puffer type gas circuit breaker comprising:

• at least a pair of arc contacts, disposed in an airtight container filled with a quenching gas, moved away from each other;
• an operator that drives at least one of the arc contacts in an opening direction;
• compression means, connected with one of slidable cylinder and piston connected with the operator, for compressing the quenching gas in a compression chamber formed with the cylinder and the piston, in accordance with an opening operation between the arc contacts;
• and
• an insulating nozzle that guides the quenching gas compressed by the compression means to blast the quenching gas to an arc generated between the arc contacts,
• wherein a link mechanism that drives other one of the cylinder and the piston with an operation characteristic different from that for the one of the cylinder and the piston at an initial stage of an interruption operation is connected between a part connected with the operator and the other one of the cylinder and the piston, and wherein the link mechanism drives the other one of the cylinder and the piston so as to increase a change rate of the volumetric capacity in a compressing direction in the compression chamber, with respect to a distance of moving of part connected with the operator in an interruption direction at a final stage of the interruption operation, to a higher rate than that at the initial stage of the interruption operation.