EP1897107B1 - Vacuum bulb for an electrical protection apparatus, such as a switch or a circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge having at least three shields including a mid-potential shield between two contacts and at least one partial shield between a mid-potential shield and one of the contacts, the distance between the mid-potential shield and the contacts being such that the electric field present at the edge of the contact extends from the contact to the partial shield surrounding it, or vice-versa from the partial shield to the contact, depending on the polarity of the voltage.

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum interrupter for an electrical protection device such as a disconnector, a switch or a circuit breaker, said bulb comprising a casing of substantially cylindrical shape closed by two bottoms, two contacts extending axially inside the housing. envelope, at least one said mobile contact, is connected to a control mechanism and is slidably mounted between a closing position of the contacts allowing the passage of current and a position in which the contacts are separated and hold the voltage between them, and at least one conductive screen disposed around at least one of the contacts.

In the design of the most commonly used screens, the contacts are surrounded by a single screen whose function is to protect the insulating parts of the metal projections and to guide the equipotential lines to avoid dangerous dielectric concentrations. This screen surrounds both contacts and is in the middle of the potential of the two contacts. Thus, in theory, the potential is distributed homogeneously between the two contacts both inside and outside the bulb.
The distance between the screen and the contacts is chosen so that the interaction between the screen and the contacts is less important than the interaction between the contacts. This minimizes the electric field between the contacts and the screen relative to that between the contacts. This avoids the risk of ignition between the contact and the screen. These primings between the contacts and the screen are extremely dangerous because, during such a priming, the screen temporarily reaches the potential of the contact (doubling of the potential on the screen) and the distribution of the potential to the outside is found in imbalance with a 100% potential distribution over 50% of the length of the external insulation. This situation can degenerate into an external ignition generating a risk of explosion and fire.
The document is also known DE10029763 describing a bulb for holding higher voltages. These bulbs comprise several ceramics, a screen being intended to be placed at the junction between two successive ceramics to protect dielectrically triple points and avoid metallization In this embodiment, the screen surrounds the contacts at an optimum distance corresponding to the distance between the contacts. The disadvantage of this type of bulb is that it has a large diameter. In addition, the higher the application voltage, the greater the distance between the contacts and the length of the ceramics. In order to avoid firing between the contacts and the screen, the diameter of the screen must also increase.
However, this increase in the diameter of the screen is detrimental in terms of equipment cost and electrical behavior.
Indeed, the diameter of ceramics is proportional to the diameter of the screen, which generates an additional cost. In addition, if external insulation is provided around the bulb, the diameter of the outer vessel also increases with the diameter of the bulb, which also generates an additional cost.
Finally, in the case of a use of the bulb in a three-phase switch having a shielding, the interaction between the phases for a given distance between the phases is even more important than the diameter of the bulbs is large, of where a penalizing electrical compartment.
And we also know the document GB 1,027,786 describing a bulb having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The present invention solves these problems and proposes a vacuum bulb of simple design to significantly reduce the size of the bulbs and therefore their cost, and improve their electrical behavior.

For this purpose, the subject of the present invention is a vacuum interrupter according to claim 1.

According to one particular characteristic, said bulb comprises three screens, and the insulating envelope comprises four ceramic parts placed end to end and the three screens are placed respectively at the three junctions between two joined ceramic parts.

According to another characteristic, the half-potential screen is an integral part of the envelope of the bulb.

Advantageously, the aforementioned distance is substantially 31%.

According to another characteristic, the height of the partial screen or partial screens exceeds the height of the contact or the contacts that it surrounds or surrounds, or as the case of the partial screen or partial screens that it surrounds a value between 0 and S / 3, where S is the distance between the contacts.

According to another characteristic, the height of the partial screen or partial screens exceeds (s) the height of the contact (s) they surround (s) with a value substantially equal to S / 4 .

Advantageously, at least one of the screens is cylindrical.

According to another embodiment, said bulb comprises at least one other partial screen, interposed between on the one hand at least one of the contacts and respectively one of said partial screens mentioned above, the distance between the screen at mid-potential and the contacts being chosen so that the electric field at the edge of the contacts is directed towards the partial screen (s) surrounding the contacts directly,

According to another particular characteristic, it comprises two partial screens said first and second interposed between the half-potential screen and respectively the two contacts and two other partial screens said third and fourth interposed respectively between the first and second partial screens and the two contact.

According to one particular characteristic, the screens and the contacts have a relative capacitance such that the difference of potential δU between two screens, one surrounding the other is substantially identical to that between a contact and the screen surrounding it.

Advantageously, this potential difference δU is between 15% and 35% of the total voltage.

Preferably, this potential difference δU is substantially 25% of the total voltage.

According to a particular characteristic, the bulb comprising N screens, this potential difference δU does not vary more than 40% with respect to the total U ratio / (N +1), U total being the voltage between the contacts, it is up to say in relation to a voltage distributed evenly between the contacts.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe axiale d'une ampoule à vide selon une première réalisation de l'invention comportant trois écrans ;
• La figure 2 est une représentation graphique, représentant la distance entre l'écran à mi-potentiel et les contacts, en fonction de la distance entre les contacts,
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe axiale d'une ampoule à vide selon une seconde réalisation de l'invention comportant trois écrans,
• La figure 4 est une vue en coupe axiale d'une ampoule à vide selon une autre réalisation selon l'invention comportant trois écrans, et
• La figure 5 est une vue en coupe axiale d'une ampoule à vide selon une autre réalisation selon l'invention comportant cinq écrans.

But other advantages and features of the invention will appear better in the detailed description which follows and refers to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and in which:

• The figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a vacuum interrupter according to a first embodiment of the invention comprising three screens;
• The figure 2 is a graphical representation, representing the distance between the half-potential screen and the contacts, as a function of the distance between the contacts,
• The figure 3 is an axial sectional view of a vacuum interrupter according to a second embodiment of the invention comprising three screens,
• The figure 4 is an axial sectional view of a vacuum interrupter according to another embodiment according to the invention comprising three screens, and
• The figure 5 is an axial sectional view of a vacuum interrupter according to another embodiment according to the invention comprising five screens.

On the figures 1 , 3 , 4 and 5 , we see a vacuum bulb A intended in particular to be integrated with a medium voltage electrical circuit breaker in order to achieve the cut-off of an electric circuit in the event of a fault or during a command of voluntary opening of the electric circuit.
This vacuum interrupter A comprises, in a manner known per se, a cylindrical envelope E closed by two bottoms inside which are housed two arcing contacts respectively a fixed arcing contact 1 and a movable arcing contact 2. movable contact 2 is mechanically connected via an actuating rod to a control device (not shown), said rod being connected to said device by one of its ends and being secured to the movable arcing contact by its opposite end. This control device is able to move the aforementioned rod and the movable contact in translation inside the casing between two positions respectively a closed position of the contacts corresponding to a normal operation of the device and an open position. or separation of the contacts after the appearance of a fault in the electrical circuit to be protected or during a command of voluntary opening of the electrical circuit.
On the figure 1 this cylindrical envelope comprises a single ceramic 4 and the bulb comprises three screens 8,9,10 located around the contacts 1,2, the screens 8,9,10 being arranged all inside the bulb. These screens include a half-potential screen 9, or 50% said screen, surrounding the two contacts 1,2. If the contacts 1 and 2 respectively have a voltage of 100% and 0%, the potential of the screen is at 50% in the middle of the two potentials of the contacts. These screens also include two so-called partial screens 8, 10 respectively said first screen 8 at 75% and a second screen 10 at 25%. In accordance with the invention, these partial screens 8, 10 are interposed between the screen at mid-potential 9 and the contacts 1,2, said partial screens 8,10 being superimposed over part of their length with the screen at mid-potential 9.
According to the realization illustrated on the figure 3 this cylindrical envelope E comprises four cylindrical ceramic portions 4,5,6,7 said first, second, third and fourth arranged end to end.
The mid-potential screen 9 is fixed between the two central ceramics 5,6, while the two partial screens 8,10, respectively first 8 and second 10, are respectively fixed between the first 4 and second ceramics 5, for the 8, and between the third and fourth ceramics 6,7, for the other 10. The first partial screen 8 surrounds the fixed contact 1 while the second partial screen 10 surrounds the movable contact 2.
According to the invention, the distance between the mid-potential screen 9 and the contacts 1,2 is such that the electric field at the edge of the contacts is directed towards the partial screens 8,10 surrounding said contacts so as to favor priming between contacts and displays 8,10 rather than between contacts.

On the figure 4 , the bulb according to another embodiment comprises three screens 11,12,13 and four ceramics 4,5,6,7 the mid-potential screen 12 forming part of the envelope of the bulb.
On the figure 5 , the bulb according to another embodiment comprises five screens and a single ceramic.
It can be seen that two partial screens 14, 15 and 17, 18 are situated between the half-potential screen 16 and each contact 1, 2, the screens 14, 18 partly covering the screens 15, 17.
The following table shows the distance between the half-potential screen and the contacts_expressed as a function of the contact distance.
S is the distance between the contacts. Ratio Three screens Five screens Seven screens optimal 0.31 * S 0.21 * S 0.16 * S Minimum 0.27 * S 0.19 * S 0.14 * S By inserting a screen between the contact and the screen at mid-potential, it avoids direct priming to the screen at mid-potential. Thus, the doubling of the potential on the central screen no longer occurs.
This major risk being avoided, it is then possible to promote an electric field directed contact to the screen closest to the contacts and no longer between the contacts. This increases the risk of initiation between the 100% potential contact and the intercalated screen, but in case of a priming between this contact having a potential of 100% and the interposed screen having a potential of about 75%. % for a three-screen bulb, the intercalated screen reaches a potential of 100% and the half-potential screen follows this potential change by capacitive coupling and reaches only a potential of 67%.
Thus, according to the invention, the electric field at the end of the contact points towards (or comes from, depending on the polarity of the voltage) the nearest screen that surrounds it.
For a screen configuration with more than three screens, the field or end of the screen points (or just, depending on the polarity of the voltage) to the nearest screen around it.
It will also be noted that the screens and the contacts have a capacitance between them such that the potential difference ΔU between two surrounding screens or between a contact and the screen surrounding it is almost identical. Thus, for a three-screen bulb, the potential difference ΔU must, to be acceptable, be between 15% and 35%, and will advantageously be close to 25% of the total voltage.
Thus, for a bulb having N screens, this potential difference δU does not vary more than 40% with respect to the total U ratio / (N +1), U total being the voltage between the contacts. For a bulb with three or more screens, the partial screens 8,10 interspersed exceed the contact they surround with a value H between 0 and S / 3, S being the distance between the contacts and preferably a close height of S / 4.
Also, the distance SE1 between the half-potential screen 9 and the contact is, to be acceptable, between 25% and 40% of the distance between the contacts S, and preferably equal to 31%.

The following table shows these values for 3-screen, 5-screen, and 7-screen configurations.
δU: deviation of voltage (expressed as a percentage of the total voltage) between two screens that surround each other or between a contact and the screen around it.
H: height of the screens; either in relation to the contact or for two surrounding screens.
SE1: distance between the contacts and the half-way screen. 3 screens 5 screens 7 screens δU - prifential 25% 16.7% 12.5% ΔU range 15% <δU <35% 10% <δU <25% 8% <δU <20% H - preferential 0.25 * S 0.167 * 5 0.125 * S H Beach 0 <H <0.3 * S 0 <H <0.2 * S 0 <H <0.15 * S SE-1 - preferential 0.31 * S 0.21 * S 0.16 * S SE-1 Beach 0.27 * S <SE-1 <0.4 * S 0.19 * S <SE-1 <0.3 * S 0.14 * S <SE-1 <0.2 * S

Although this solution is more restrictive than that according to the prior art tending to eliminate the risks of initiation, the risks incurred in the event of initiation are significantly reduced in the case of the invention compared to the prior art.
It is possible to discern the following two limit cases according to the prior art with a single 50% screen.
At the maximum distance of the screen at mid-potential with respect to the contacts, the maximum electric field at the edge of the contacts is not influenced by the presence of the screen. Thus, this electric field has the value E1. Indeed, this situation is similar to a situation in which no 50% screen is provided. Thus, the field E1 is the weakest field that can exist between the two contacts in a single-screen bulb. If the screen is close to the two contacts, the electric field will be influenced by this approximation and will begin to increase. At the beginning of this approximation, the electric field at the edge of the contact face still points to the other contact. Let SE be the distance between the contact and the screen at 50%, we can find a so-called tilt distance, SE tilting, which marks a transition in the direction of the electric field so that for SE> SE (tilting), the field electrical point towards the other contact and that for SE <SE (tilt) the electric field points towards the screen at 50%. Thus, the minimum distance is equal to SE (failover) so as to avoid interaction with the screen.
At this minimum distance from the screen relative to the contacts at which the electric field still points just towards the contacts and does not point to the screen yet, the electric field at the edge of the contacts reaches the value E2, the value E2 being higher than the value E1 mentioned above.

Thus, according to the invention, it will accept this increased risk of ignition between the contacts and the interposed screen without exceeding the commonly accepted electric field values E1 and E2. The electric field therefore remains between E1 and E2.

The figure 2 represents the distance between the contacts and the central screen as a function of the distance between the contacts.

Curve a represents the distance between the contacts and the screen, recommended by the prior art in particular in the patent DE 10029763 . The curve b represents the minimum distance that allows according to the prior art to avoid interaction between the contacts and the screen.
Curve c represents, in a three-screen configuration according to the invention, the distance between the contacts and the screen which gives an electric field to the edge of the contacts identical to the case of the curve a, and the curve d represents the distance between the contacts and the screen which gives an electric field to the edge of the contacts identical to that of the curve b.
We see on the figure 2 that according to the prior art, the distance between the half-potential screen and the contacts is between the curves a and b, while according to the invention, this distance is between the curves c and d.
We see that a gain of 50 to 70% can be obtained on the distance between the screen and the contacts for a bulb with three screens.
An additional gain can be obtained with a light bulb according to the invention comprising five screens or seven screens as represented on the figures 4 ,and 5 as shown in the table. Indeed, for a five-screen bulb, the distance between the screen and the contacts is between 0.19 * S and 0.21 * S, where S is the distance between the contacts. An even greater gain can be achieved with a cartridge according to the invention having seven screens, for which the distance between the screen and the contact is between 0.14 and 0.16 * S * ^S.

Thus, thanks to the invention, a vacuum bulb of simple design with a considerably reduced radial diameter has been realized.

This makes it possible to reduce the cost of bulbs as well as circuit breakers or cells by the use of small diameter ceramics and reduced diameter vessels.
This also reduces the electrical interaction between phases in shielded devices. Thus, better behavior is obtained during maneuver overvoltages.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the given embodiments only. for exemple.
Thus, the invention covers any embodiment of bulb having an odd number of screens, the potential screens closer to that of the contacts being placed so as to hide over a certain length of the screen at mid-potential. or the other partial screens, in the case where the bulb has more than three screens, with respect to this contact, the electric field at the end of the contact pointing to (or coming from according to the polarity of the voltage) the screen the most surrounding area and the electric field at the end of the partial screen (other than the half-potential screen) pointing to (or coming from, depending on the polarity of the voltage) the nearest partial screen that 'surrounded.

Claims (13)

1. Vacuum bulb for an electrical protection apparatus such as a main breaker, a switch or a circuit breaker, said bulb comprising a substantially cylindrical jacket closed at both ends, two contacts extending axially inside the jacket, of which at least one, called moving contact, is linked to a control mechanism and is mounted to slide between a contact closure position allowing the flow of current and a position in which the contacts are separated and hold the voltage between them, and at least one conductive screen arranged around at least one of the contacts, the vacuum bulb comprising at least three screens (8 to 18) comprising a so-called mid-potential screen (9, 12, 16) mounted between the two contacts (1, 2) and a first and a second so-called partial screen (8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18) inserted between said mid-potential screen (9, 12, 16) and respectively the two contacts (1, 2), said screens being fixed at a point of the jacket with no electrical link with one or other of the contacts, characterized in that the distance between said mid-potential screen (9, 12, 16) and the contacts (1, 2) is between 25% and 40% of the distance between the contacts in such a way that the electrical field present at the edge of the contact (1, 2) passes from the contact (1, 2) to the partial screen (or, conversely, from the partial screen to the contact, according to the polarity of the voltage).
2. Vacuum bulb according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises three screens (8, 9, 10) or (11, 12, 13), and in that the insulating jacket comprises four ceramic parts (4, 5, 6, 7) placed end-to-end and in that the three screens are placed respectively at the three junctions between two contiguous ceramic parts.
3. Vacuum bulb according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mid-potential screen (9) forms an integral part of the jacket of the bulb.
4. Vacuum bulb according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the abovementioned distance is substantially 31 %.
5. Vacuum bulb according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height of the partial screen or of the partial screens (8, 10, 11, 13) exceeds the height of the contact(s) (1, 2) that it/they surrounds/surround or of the partial screen(s) that it/they surrounds/surround by a value H between 0 and S/3, S being the distance between the contacts (1, 2).
6. Vacuum bulb according to Claim 5, characterized in that the partial screen or the partial screens (8, 10, 11, 13) exceeds/exceed the height of the contact or of the contacts (1, 2) that it/they surrounds/surround by a value H substantially equal to S/4.
7. Vacuum bulb according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the screens is cylindrical.
8. Vacuum bulb according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one other partial screen (14, 18) inserted between, on the one hand, at least one of the contacts (1, 2) and respectively one of said abovementioned partial screens (15, 17), the distance between the mid-potential screen (16) and the contacts (1, 2) being chosen so that the electrical field at the edge of the contacts (1, 2) is directed towards the partial screen(s) (14, 18) directly surrounding the contacts (1, 2).
9. Vacuum bulb according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two so-called first (15) and second (17) partial screens inserted between the mid-potential screen (16) and respectively the two contacts (1, 2) and two other so-called third (14) and fourth (18) partial screens inserted respectively between the first (15) and second (17) partial screens and the two contacts (1, 2).
10. Vacuum bulb according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screens and the contacts (1, 2) exhibit a relative capacitance such that the potential difference δU between two screens, one surrounding the other, is substantially identical to that between a contact and the surrounding screen.
11. Vacuum bulb according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the screens and the contacts (1, 2) exhibit a relative capacitance such that the potential difference δU between two screens, one surrounding the other, is substantially identical to that between a contact and the screen surrounding it, this potential difference δU being between 15% and 35% of the total voltage.
12. Vacuum bulb according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the screens and the contacts (1, 2) exhibit a relative capacitance such that the potential difference δU between two screens, one surrounding the other, is substantially identical to that between a contact and the screen surrounding it, this potential difference δU being substantially 25% of the total voltage.
13. Vacuum bulb according to Claim 10 comprising N screens, characterized in that this potential difference δU does not vary more than 40% relative to the ratio U total/(N + 1), U total being the voltage between the contacts.

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