Abstract:
The invention relates to a method to determine the pressure inside of a vacuum interrupter for medium or high voltage use, wherein at least one fixed contact piece and at least one movable contact piece are arranged inside the technical vacuum of a vacuum interrupter, and wherein the contact pieces are electrically connected to external electrical fixation points, according to the preamble of claim 1 and 5. In order to to implement a high accuracy pressure sensoring in the rough conditions inside a vacuum interrupter, without additional means internally to the vacuum interrupter, the external electrical fixation points are connected with an external electrical energy source, and that in the disconnected or open position of the vacuum interrupter, the effect of a cold cathode vacuum gauge will be used, in that the leakage current between the open contacts generates an x-ray induced ionization of the restgas inside the vaccum interrupter, and that the resulting current is measured with high resolution, in order to determine by this current the restgas pressure inside the vacuum interrupter.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a vacuum interrupter arrangement for a medium voltage circuit breaker comprising a vacuum housing (4) within which a pair of electrical contacts (2a, 2b) are coaxially arranged and concentrically surrounded by the cylindrical shaped vacuum housing (4), wherein the electrical contacts (2a, 2b) are formed in a type of TMF-contacts, each comprising a slotted cup-shaped contact part (9a; 9b) which is attached to the distal end of a contact shaft (8a; 8b) and which is covered by a contact ring (10) disposed on the rim (11) of the cup-shaped contact part (9a; 9b), wherein each cup-shaped contact part (9; 9'; 9"; 9""; 9"") is provided with a vertical inward bending towards the contact ring (10), wherein the outer diameter of the bottom section of the cup-shaped contact part (9; 9'; 9"; 9""; 9"") is larger than the outer diameter of its rim section (11), in order to alter the Lorentz force to a respective inward direction.