The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 10, 1981
Filed:
Oct. 13, 1978
Clive W Kimblin, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Francis A Holmes, Monroeville Borough, PA (US);
Joachim V Heberlein, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Joseph G Gorman, Franklin Township; Westmoreland County, PA (US);
Paul G Slade, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Electric Power Research Institute, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A vacuum arc current interruption device is installed in a current limiting circuit which includes a parallel resonant circuit. Means are provided for producing transverse lines of magnetic force in the arc gap between the electrodes in the vacuum enclosure. The energizing circuit for the magnetic field coils includes a capacitor bank employing unpolarized capacitors and a switch. After the capacitor bank is charged up, the switch is closed, discharging the capacitors through the field coils and producing lines of magnetic force in the arc gap. The field coils and capacitor bank together form a resonant field circuit having a characteristic resonant frequency which causes periodic reversals in the polarity of the lines of magnetic force. The oscillating magnetic field produces responsive oscillations in the arc voltage of an arc present in the arc gap of the vacuum device, which in turn causes oscillations of the arc current. When oscillations of sufficient magnitude are generated to produce a current zero, the arc is driven to extinction and the circuit current is commuted into a parallel current limiting impedance.