This paper details the design, construction, and test of a lightweight, low energy usage Thomson Coil actuator for the operation of a commercial medium-voltage vacuum switch. A novel latching design, directly linked to the actuator armature, helps to keep the actuator mass at minimum. Experimental results show that 125 J of electric energy is sufficient for operation of a commercial 27 kV vacuum interrupter in times suitable for medium-voltage dc protection applications. The use of high conductor density coils is shown to play a key role on the observed actuator performance. Finite element simulations are used to demonstrate that shorter operation times are feasible, without augmenting the consumed electrical energy, by further increasing coil conductor density.

/pdf/design-construction-and-test-of-a-lightweight-thomson-coil-6z2ewugu77.pdf

Design, Construction, and Test of a Lightweight Thomson Coil Actuator for Medium-Voltage Vacuum Switch Operation

Post arc current can reflect the residual plasma in the electrode gap and the zero zone characteristics, so it has a great influence on the interruption of the breakers. In this paper, a permanent magnet-repulsive force hybrid actuator is designed, and the post arc current measurement system is established. Based on the forced current zero method, a series of high frequency DC interruption experiments are carried out in the synthetic test circuit with vacuum interrupters. The influence of the commutation frequency and recovery voltage on the vacuum DC interruption is investigated. The results show that a short lag phase about 80 ns exists between the post arc current and recovery voltage. High commutation frequency leads to the rise of the post arc current, which is disadvantageous for the vacuum DC interruption. The post arc current also rises with the increase in the recovery voltage. The interruption is not just affected by the di/dt and du/dt. In this study, failing interruption at the first current zero happens when the transient recovery voltage is near 2800 V. The current chopping occurs easily at high commutation frequency. And the chopping current value is proportional to the commutation frequency, which is up to 120 A at 4.0 kHz.

Characteristics of high frequency interruption for vacuum DC breakers

This paper is devoted to investigating the effects of high-speed elongation of arcs inside ultra-fast switches (ucontact≈ 5–80 m/s), through a 2-D time-dependent model, in Cartesian coordinates. Two air arcs in series, one between a stationary anode and a moving cathode and the other between a stationary cathode and a moving anode in the arc chamber, are considered. A variable speed experimental setup through a Thomson drive actuator is designed to support this study. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) equations system is solved for fluid velocity, pressure, temperature, and electric potential, as well as the magnetic vector potential. Electron emission mechanisms on the contact surface and induced current density due to magnetic field changes are also considered to describe the arc root formation, arc bending, lengthening, and calculating the arc current density, as well as the contact temperatures, in a better way. Data processing techniques are utilized to derive instantaneous core shape and profiles of the arc to investigate thermo-electrical characteristics during the elongation progress. The results are compared with another experimentally verified magnetohydrodynamics model of a fixed-length, free-burning arc in the air. The simulation and experimental results confirm each other.

Effects of Fast Elongation on Switching Arcs Characteristics in Fast Air Switches

With the rapid development of DC power systems and the increasing demand for DC circuit breakers, electromagnetic repulsive drives-based Thomson coil actuators (TCA) are widely investigated to provide the high-speed actuating required for ultra-fast mechanical switches, especially those used in hybrid DC circuit breakers. The actuating mechanism is required to be fast, reliable, and economic. This article summarizes the development of Thomson coil actuators in circuit breakers in recent years, further illustrating the basic principles and the actuator topology. In addition, it discusses the various structural components of TCA and describes the utilized modeling and simulation methods. The main objective was to provide a comprehensive overview of the TCA field.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0825/11/6/154/pdf?version=1654856189

A Review on Thomson Coil Actuators in Fast Mechanical Switching

The fast mechanical switch is one of the key devices for high-voltage direct-current circuit breakers (DCCB), and the mechanical contacts separation time determines the operating time of hybrid mechanical circuit breakers. With the increasing of the voltage and power levels of DC system, numerous technical challenges begin to emerge. For high-voltage system, the new research and the series arrangements of very fast mechanical switches include designing new drive unit to satisfy larger load mass and longer travel stroke. Aimed to reducing the peak value of electric force, a novel drive unit by using modular double capacitors has been proposed here. Based on the equivalent circuit method (ECM), the mathematical model of Thomson coil (TC) actuator which is the drive unit in fast mechanical switch is established. First, the time sequence of capacitance discharge is studied. Then, the electromagnetic force can be divided into five types in different time sequences, and the characteristics of the electromagnetic force are analysed. Finally, it is concluded that using a combination electromagnetic force with three approximate peaks can reduce the impact of the metal plate, which improve the reliability of the fast switch.

Research on a novel drive unit of fast mechanical switch with modular double capacitors

In order to meet the fast operation demands of DC circuit breakers, a high-speed vacuum mechanical switch (VMS) driven by a repulsive force actuator is focused. To improve the drive speed and energy conversion efficiency (ECE) of the actuators, the dynamic characteristics of the double sided coil repulsive force actuators are investigated, and two generalized optimization design methods focusing on the aspect ratio of the driving coils (defined as ARF) and the electrical parameters (defined as EF) are developed. FEM simulation models’ simulation and tests of VMS prototypes are conducted to verify the optimization methods. Results prove that the ARF method could improve the ECE of a VMS from 1.05% to 7.55%, and EF method could improve ECE of the same VMS from 1.05% to 6.61%, the combination of ARF and EF could improve the value of VMS’s ECE to 10.50%, thus proving the validity and accuracy of the optimization methods.

/pdf/research-on-ultra-fast-vacuum-mechanical-switch-driven-by-44xjg112b4.pdf

Research on ultra-fast vacuum mechanical switch driven by repulsive force actuator

The utility model discloses a drive power supply of repulsion mechanism, including battery charging unit, discharge cell, battery charging unit includes the step up transformer who takes a percentage in solid state relay, voltage regulator, area, first charging resistor, second charging resistor, single -pole double -throw, high voltage charging subelement, flexibly charge subelement and the combined floodgate subelement that charges, the discharge cell include the high -pressure discharge subelement, flexibly discharge the subelement, subelement, discharge resistance, first contactor, second contactor and the third contactor of discharging closes a floodgate. The utility model discloses an increase a set of motor -driven charge -discharge subelement, can make drive power supply satisfy different demands in a flexible way under the operating mode of difference. On the basis of satisfying the divide -shut brake demand that traditional direct current breaker is simple, added high -speed separating brake, low -speed separating brake function, can enough satisfy the speed demand of the high -speed separating brake of quick repulsion mechanism, can prolong its life again on satisfying ordinary repulsion mechanism separating brake basis, added reclosing the function, can satisfy higher demand.

Drive power supply of repulsion mechanism

The invention discloses an expulsive force mechanism drive power supply. The power supply includes a charging unit and a discharging unit. The charging unit includes a solid relay, a voltage regulator, a step up transformer with a tap, a first charging resistor, a second charging resistor, a single-pole double-throw switch, a high voltage charging subunit, a maneuvering charging subunit and a closed-circuit charging subunit. The discharging unit includes a high voltage discharging subunit, a maneuvering discharging subunit, a closed-circuit discharging subunit, a discharging resistor, a first contactor, a second contactor and a third contactor. According to the invention, the power supply, by being provided with one maneuvering charging subunit, is able to flexibly satisfy different requirements under different working conditions. The power supply is able to meet the requirements of simple closed and open circuits of traditional DC circuit breakers, and is also able to conduct open circuit at high and low speeds. Therefore, the power supply can satisfy the requirements for conducting open circuit at high speed of the expulsive force mechanism, and prolongs service life on the basis of conducting open circuit of common expulsive force mechanisms. The power supply also increases the function of re-open circuit, and can meet high requirements.

Expulsive force mechanism drive power suppy

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Research on ultra-fast vacuum mechanical switch driven by repulsive force actuator

Drive power supply of repulsion mechanism

Expulsive force mechanism drive power suppy