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:
Mar. 06, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 29, 1988
Ruediger Hess, Berlin, DE;
Wilfried Kuhl, Wendelstein, DE;
Leonhard Klug, Erlangen, DE;
Wolfgang Schilling, Herzogenaurach, DE;
Peter Trentin, Gustavsburg, DE;
Heribert Weber, Frankfurt am Main, DE;
Wolfgang Schlenk, Erlangen, DE;
Heinz-Helmut Schramm, Berlin, DE;
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin & Munich, DE;
Abstract
To check the presence of operating vacuum in vacuum switches, high voltage can be applied between the contacts at a given contact spacing and the dielectric strength can be tested. According to the invention, the procedure for vacuum monitoring is that a contact spacing (h) below the nominal stroke of the vacuum switch is selected and that the X-radiation generated at this contact spacing (h) and high voltage (U) in vacuum due to the field electron emission between the contacts by the contact surfaces acting as anode is acquired and evaluated as proof of the presence of operating vacuum inside the switching tube. This method can preferably be applied to encapsulated vacuum switching tubes, in particular to SF.sub.6 -insulated switching facilities. Associated with the vacuum switching tube (15) in the associated equipment is an X-ray detector, preferably a Geiger-Muller counter, which is connected to the high-voltage unit (25) via an evaluating circuit (30 to 50) which serves for the determination and indication of the operating vacuum and shuts off the high-voltage unit (25) to minimize the X-ray dose. Due to the X-ray emission, which is stopped long before reaching impermissible values, the presence of vacuum can be positively verified.