System Design of Fast Actuator for Vacuum Interrupter in DC Applications

One of the major challenges of DC circuit breakers is the required fast mechanical actuator. In this paper, a Thomson coil actuator system for a vacuum interrupter is designed. Active damping is used to decelerate the moving contacts. Challenges are discussed, especially concerning the power supply needed for the Thomson coil actuator. The design philosophy is explained and FEM simulation results are presented. The results indicate that a wide range of combinations of drive circuit capacitance and voltage fulfill the requirements for armature acceleration. However, active damping requires a very careful selection of drive circuit voltage and timing of applied damping.