Design and Simulation of an Electromagnetic Actuator for a Linear Ultra-fast Disconnector (UFD) with Mechanical Stress Consideration

Due to the development of DC power systems and the growth of microgrids, fast DC Circuit Breakers (DC CB) play an essential role in fault current limitation. In need of low energy consumption and high speed, Thomson Coil (TC) is used in Ultra-Fast Disconnectors (UFD) of Hybrid CBs (HCB). In this paper, a TC and its driver are designed and modeled. Then, the stress of UFD components at the collision moment is studied by obtaining the travel curve and the collision velocity. The mechanical endurance of UFD is evaluated according to the IEC62271-103 standard based on the stress (von Mises Stress) applied to its various parts, especially when the armature collides with the endpoint. Finally, appropriate options for mechanical standardizing or classification of UFD structure are proposed.