Motorized vacuum circuit breaker assembly
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsWei Wang, Xuhui Ren, Liying Li
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) assembly includes a single motor configured to rotate at least one rotor, a VCB having a breaking mechanism configured to control current flow through the VCB and a first electromagnetic clutch configured to selectively engage the at least one rotor with the breaking mechanism to charge the breaking mechanism. The VCB assembly also includes an undercarriage configured to support the VCB assembly and to move the VCB assembly from a first position to a second position and a second electromagnetic clutch configured to selectively engage the at least one rotor with the undercarriage to drive the undercarriage.
Claims14
A vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) assembly, comprising:
- a single motor configured to selectively rotate at least one rotor;
- a VCB having a breaking mechanism to control current flow therethrough, the breaking mechanism selectively chargeable from discharged state to a charged state;
- an undercarriage configured to support the VCB assembly, the undercarriage selectively movable between a first position and a second position to thereby move the VCB assembly from the first position to the second position;
- and
- a first electromagnetic clutch in mechanical communication with the undercarriage, the first electromechanical clutch configured to selectively engage the at least one rotor to move the undercarriage between the first position and the second position in response to rotation the at least one rotor;
- a second electromagnetic clutch in mechanical communication with the breaking mechanism, the second electromechanical clutch configured to selectively engage the at least one rotor to charge the breaking mechanism from discharged state to a charged state in response to rotation of the at least one rotor.
A switchgear apparatus, comprising:
- one or more compartments, at least one compartment comprising a vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) assembly, each VCB assembly comprising:
- a single motor configured to selectively rotate at least one rotor;
- a VCB having a breaking mechanism to control electrical power flow therethrough, the breaking mechanism selectively chargeable from discharged state to a charged state;
- an undercarriage selectively moveable between an enclosed position to an access position;
- a first electromagnetic clutch in mechanical communication with the undercarriage, the first electromechanical clutch configured to selectively engage the at least one rotor to move the undercarriage between the enclosed position and the access position in response to rotation of the at least one rotor;
- and
- a second electromagnetic clutch in mechanical communication with the breaking mechanism, the second electromechanical clutch configured to selectively engage the at least one rotor to charge the breaking mechanism from discharged state to a charged state in response to rotation the at least one rotor.
A method of controlling a vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) assembly, comprising:
- rotating at least one rotor with a single motor;
- engaging the at least one rotor with a first electromagnetic clutch;
- transferring torque from the first electromagnetic clutch to a breaking mechanism of a vacuum circuit breaker to charge the breaking mechanism;
- and
- engaging the at least one rotor with a second electromagnetic clutch;
- transferring torque from the second electromagnetic clutch to an undercarriage to move the undercarriage from a first position to a second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.