Areva T & D Sas

Supergrid Institute Sas

Alstom Technology Limited

General Electric Technology Gmbh

Supergrid Institute

Rama Shanker Parashar

Saïd Kantas

Martin Schlaug

Xavier Godechot

Laëtita Dalmazio

Uwe Ernst

There is provided a vacuum switching assembly for switching an AC or DC current. The vacuum switching assembly comprises a vacuum switch. The vacuum switch includes: first and second electrodes () located in a vacuum tight enclosure, the vacuum tight enclosure containing a gas or gas mixture, the first and second electrodes () defining opposed electrodes being separated by a gap, each of the first and second electrodes () being connectable to a respective electrical circuit carrying an AC or DC voltage; and a pressure controller () configured to control an internal pressure of the vacuum tight enclosure, wherein the pressure controller () is configured to selectively switch the internal pressure of the vacuum tight enclosure between: a first vacuum level that permits formation and maintenance of a glow discharge in the vacuum tight enclosure to allow a current to flow between the first and second electrodes () via the glow discharge so as to turn on the vacuum switch; and a second vacuum level that inhibits formation and maintenance of a glow discharge in the vacuum tight enclosure to prevent a current from flowing between the first and second electrodes () via the glow discharge so as to turn off the vacuum switch.

Vacuum switching assembly

A vacuum circuit-breaker wherein one contact body is made with two windings implanted concentric with one another and connected electrically in parallel. The second winding is in the form of an solid part with an annular ring. The circuit-breaker increases the axial magnetic field (AMF) and distributes it uniformly over the contact surface so that arc extinction is improved for high short-circuit currents, typically greater than 63 kA.

Contact for a medium-voltage vacuum circuit-breaker with improved arc extinction, and an associated circuit-breaker or vacuum circuit-breaker, such as an AC generator disconnector circuit-breaker

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Stafford, United Kingdom

Rama Shanker Parashar