Circuit breakers, arc expansion chambers, and operating methods
AssigneeSiemens Industry, Inc.
InventorGuang Yang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit breaker having first and second electrical contacts configured to generate an electrical arc upon being separated, an arc chamber surrounding at least a portion of a space between the first and second electric contacts, at least one expansion chamber positioned proximate to the arc chamber, and an arc pressure control valve assembly configured to allow threshold-based flow into and out of the at least one expansion chamber. An arc pressure control valve assembly and method of operating a circuit breaker are described, as are other aspects.
Claims20
A circuit breaker, comprising:
- first and second electrical contacts, the electrical contacts configured to generate an electrical arc upon being separated;
- an arc chamber surrounding at least a portion of a space between the first and second electric contacts;
- at least one expansion chamber positioned proximate to the arc chamber;
- and
- a valve assembly configured to allow threshold-based flow into and out of the at least one expansion chamber,
- wherein the valve assembly comprises an inlet valve configured to allow one-way inflow and an outlet valve configured to allow one-way outflow, and
- wherein the outlet valve is oriented at an angled orientation to the arc chamber to produce a gas jet that impinges directly onto a moveable electrical contact when the moveable electrical contact is in a tripped position.
(canceled)
(canceled)
An arc pressure control assembly, comprising:
- an arc chamber containing first and second electrical contacts;
- at least one expansion chamber positioned proximate to the arc chamber;
- and
- a valve assembly configured to allow threshold-based flow into and out of the at least one expansion chamber,
- wherein the valve assembly comprises an inlet valve configured to allow one-way inflow and an outlet valve configured to allow one-way outflow, and
- wherein the outlet valve is oriented at an angled orientation to the arc chamber to produce a gas jet that impinges directly onto a moveable electrical contact when the moveable electrical contact is in a tripped position.
A method of operating a circuit breaker, comprising:
- separating a first electrical contact from a second electrical contact and forming an electrical arc in an arc chamber;
- flowing gas from the arc chamber into an expansion chamber disposed adjacent to the arc chamber in response to arc-produced rising pressure in the arc chamber, the gas flowing only upon exceeding an inlet threshold pressure;
- holding gas in the expansion chamber;
- flowing gas from the expansion chamber back into the arc chamber in response to a decrease in the pressure in the arc chamber, the gas flowing only upon a pressure in the arc chamber falling below an outlet threshold pressure;
- and
- providing a valve assembly configured to allow threshold-based flow into and out of the expansion chamber,
- wherein the valve assembly comprises an inlet valve configured to allow one-way inflow and an outlet valve configured to allow one-way outflow, and
- wherein the outlet valve is oriented at an angled orientation to the arc chamber to produce a gas jet that impinges directly onto a moveable electrical contact when the moveable electrical contact is in a tripped position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.