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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsRichard E. Kane, Frank L. Reese, deceased, by Blanche C. Reese, executrix
Estimating the term…
An improved metal-clad gas-type high-power circuit-breaker construction is provided involving two upstanding circuit-breaker assemblages electrically interconnected adjacent their upper ends, and connected into the series line transmission circuit, preferably, adjacent the mid-portions thereof to pressurized laterally-extending power-transmission lines. Improved structure is provided for simultaneously supporting the interrupting modules, or units up in the air interiorly of an outer grounded metallic casing structure, and, additionally, providing a high-pressure gas-conduit path to the pressurized insulating casing structure surrounding the circuit-breaker modules, and spaced inwardly from the outer grounded metallic casing structure. Improved means are provided for increasing the electrical power capable of being interrupted by such a structure, when desired, involving a series closing resistance, which is inserted into the circuit only during the closing operation of the interrupter. During the opening operation, the resistor is kept out of the electrical circuit and is not utilized. The invention is also applicable when high-voltage surges are not contemplated by utilizing a different type of circuit-interrupter unit within each interrupting assemblage, namely, for example, a single-break circuit-interrupter unit, involving only a separable pair of contacts and gas flow passing through one or both of said separable contacts, depending upon the rating of the breaker, to extinguish the arc. The invention moreover contemplates the arrangement of a pair of circuit-breaker assemblages disposed in generally-horizontal relationship, again the two circit-breaker assemblages constituting a single pole-unit, or one phase of a three-phase circuit-breaker structure. In such a horizontally-mounted arrangement, wherein instead of the two circuit-breaker assemblages extending up in the air, in this alternate embodiment of the invention, they are disposed relatively horizontally, with the connections again being made by, preferably, pressurized conductors, and, for example, the mechanism and gas-compressor equipment housing extending lengthwise, generally horizontally along one of the horizontally-arranged circuit-breaker assemblages of the structure.
A high-power, high-voltage metalclad compressed-gas circuit-interruptor structure including two laterally-spaced-apart metalclad circuit-breaker assemblages (3, 4), at least one circuit-breaker unit (8, or 9) having a pair of separable contacts (23, 25) disposed interiorly within each metalclad circuit-breaker assemblage (3, 4), each metalclad circuit-breaker assemblage (3, 4) having an outer-disposed metallic casing (15), an interiorly-disposed supporting insulating high-pressure gas-containing tube structure (49) at least partially supporting each circuit-breaker unit (8 or 9) in spaced radial inward fixed relationship away from the outer metallic grounded casing (15), pressurized interconnecting metallic gas-conducting means (41) disposed adjacent one end of the two laterally-spaced-apart metalclad circuit-breaker assemblages (3, 4) and pneumatically interconnecting the gas spaces therein (24) about the circuit-breaker units (8 or 9), an electrical connection (38) disposed centrally within said interconnecting metallic gas-conduit means (41) and electrically interconnecting said circuit-breaker assemblages (3, 4) in electrical series relationship for interrupting high-voltage circuits, a presurrized terminal (16) within a metalclad casing structure (2) connecting to each metalclad circuit-breaker assemblage (3, 4) adjacent the mid-portion thereof, a high voltage power conductor in each said latter-mentioned pressurized terminal metalclad casing structure (2), a grounded metallic supporting frame structure for at least partially supporting said circuit-breaker assemblages (3, 4), at least one gas-reservoir tank also at least supported by said metallic frame structure for storing arc-extinguishing gas, and operating means at high voltage disposed adjacent said one end of the two-laterally-spaced-apart circuit-breaker assemblages (3, 4) comprising two high-voltage operators (26) for simultaneously actuating the two circuit-breaker assemblages (3, 4) in their opening and closing movements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means: details
Electric switches
Term ended 4 Oct 1994 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
Reference may be had to U.S. patent application filed Nov. 11, 1974, Ser. No. 522,960, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,332, issued February 1, 1977 to Ronald W. Crookston et al. Also, reference may be had to U.S. patent application filed Nov. 27, 1974, Ser. No. 527,931, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,345, issued Jan. 25, 1977 to Richard E. Kane and Charles LeRow, and U.S. patent application filed Nov. 27, 1974, Ser. No. 527,929, now U.S. Pat. 4,024,265, issued May 17, 1977 relating to the same general type of equipment. Also, see U.S. patent applications filed Nov. 19, 1974, Ser. No. 525,124, by Leroy et al, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,384, issued Apr. 5, 1977, and application filed Nov. 27, 1974, Ser. No. 527,930, by Leroy et al, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,853, issued Mar. 22, 1977, all of the aforesaid applications being assigned to the assignee of the instant patent application.
U.S. patent application filed Dec. 4, 1973 by Joseph Rostron, et al, Ser. No. 421,574, entitled "High-Voltage Circuit-Interrupter Having A Closing Resistance And Improved Shunting-Resistance Contacts Therefor", now U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,041, issued Jan. 28, 1975 relates to a closing-resistance arrangement, which inserts the closing resistance only during the closing operation of the circuit-interrupter, and keeps it out of the electrical circuit during the opening operation of the circuit interrupter.
In recent years, there has come about a demand for a reduced-size substation, and this demand, on the part of public utilities, has been met by gas-insulated substation equipment, such as set forth in U.S. Pats. No. 3,378,731 -- Whitehead, U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,001 -- Upton et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,768 -- Meyer; U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,797 -- Spindle et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,798 -- McKinnon; U.s. Pat. No. 3,610,858 -- Gruber et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,041 -- Boersma et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,460 -- Koener.
FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of gas-insulated substation equipment showing the general environment for one application of the improved circuit-breaker construction of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a one-line diagram for the gas-insulated substation power-transmission equipment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the improved circuit-breaker installation of the present invention, the contacts being illustrated in the closed-circuit position.