High voltage circuit breaker with internal tank heater

1. A circuit breaker comprising:

a contact mechanism movable between an open position and closed position;

a tank having an interior chamber enclosing the contact mechanism, wherein the interior chamber designed to accept an insulating gas; and

a heating assembly comprising a heating element enclosed in an outer tube, wherein the heating assembly is located within the tank, wherein the outer tube is substantially surrounded by the insulating gas when the interior chamber is filled with the insulating gas.

2. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the outer tube is formed to attract and trap foreign particles.

3. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the insulating gas comprises one or more of sulfurhexafluoride, tetrafluromethane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof.

4. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is sealed from the surrounding insulating gas by the tube.

5. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is accessible from the exterior of the tank through an opening of the tube.

6. The circuit breaker of claim 5 , wherein the opening of the tube is equipped with a fitting.

7. The circuit breaker of claim 6 , wherein the fitting includes one or more electrical wires.

8. The circuit breaker of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional heater.

9. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising an insulation material surrounding at least a portion the exterior of the tank.

10. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the heater is operable to supply substantially consistent heat over the length of the tube.

11. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is operable to selectively supply different heating requirements over the length of the tube.

12. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the tube is positioned along an axial length of a surface of the interior chamber.

13. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising a thermostatic control for the heating element.

14. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the tube contains a thermally conductive substance that surrounds the heating element.

15. A circuit breaker comprising:

a contact mechanism movable between an open position and closed position;

a tank having an interior chamber enclosing the contact mechanism, wherein the interior chamber designed to accept an insulating gas; and

a heating assembly comprising a heating element enclosed in an outer tube, wherein the heating assembly is located within the tank, wherein the heating element is operable to selectively supply different heating requirements over the length of the tube, and wherein the outer tube is substantially surrounded by the insulating gas when the interior chamber is filled with the insulating gas.

16. The circuit breaker of claim 15 , wherein the outer tube is formed to attract and trap foreign particles.

17. The circuit breaker of claim 15 , wherein the heating element is sealed from the surrounding insulating gas by the tube, and the heating element is accessible from the exterior of the tank through an opening of the tube.

18. The circuit breaker of claim 15 , wherein the tube contains a thermally conductive substance that surrounds the heating element.

19. A circuit breaker comprising:

a contact mechanism movable between an open position and closed position;

a tank having an interior chamber enclosing the contact mechanism, wherein the interior chamber designed to accept an insulating gas; and

a heating assembly comprising a heating element enclosed in an outer tube that is formed to attract and trap foreign particles, wherein the heating assembly is located within the tank.

20. The circuit breaker of claim 15 , wherein the tube contains a thermally conductive substance that surrounds the heating element.