Passive arc management system with a flue chamber
In an electrical distribution cabinet a mechanism providing quick, reliable, passive arc blast control has a flue chamber surrounding the likely arc site such as an electrical connection point. The flue chamber provides a flue channel which lengthens the arc and attenuates the current and temperature until the arc is extinguished. Preferably, the flue chamber and channel are formed of opposable open-faced polyhedral structures, one fitting inside the other. The mechanism is particularly suited for draw-out circuit breaker connections in a switch gear cabinet.
1. An arc management system with a passive arc attenuator, comprising:
a) electrical equipment having exposed electrical conductors;
b) a cabinet separating the electrical equipment from an outside environment;
c) a flue chamber within the cabinet and surrounding the electrical conductors,
the flue chamber having a flue channel formed therein for the attenuation of an arc therein.
2. The arc management system of claim 1 wherein the flue channel is a ring shape.
3. The arc management system of claim 1 wherein
the flue channel is a channel of narrow cross section and sufficient length to attenuate the arc.
4. The arc management system of claim 1 wherein
the flue channel is a channel of narrow cross section and sufficient length to extinguish the arc.
5. An arc management system with a passive arc attenuator, comprising:
a) electrical equipment having exposed electrical conductors;
b) an cabinet separating the electrical equipment from an outside environment;
c) a flue chamber within the cabinet and surrounding the electrical conductors,
the flue chamber having:
i) a first chamber portion open on one face, and
ii) a second chamber portion open on one face and sized for covering the first chamber portion,
d) the first chamber being movable to a position within the second chamber so as to form a flue channel therebetween for the attenuation of arc blast heat and current.
6. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 5 wherein the first and second chamber portions are the same shape.
7. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 5 wherein the second chamber has an ID of about one millimeter greater than the OD of the first chamber.
8. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 5 wherein when the first chamber is placed within second chamber there is an overlap between them creating a flue channel length of at least about 20 millimeters.
9. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 5 wherein the first chamber is movable in a straight line.
10. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 5 , wherein the flue chamber portions are parallepipeds having open faces.
11. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 5 , wherein the electrical equipment is a switchgear cabinet.
12. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 11 , wherein the switchgear cabinet has
a breaker section, and
a bus section.
13. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 12 , further including
a draw out breaker in a drawer in the breaker section;
the breaker including conductive clusters on the breaker for joining with conductor extensions of the bus section,
cluster shields on the back of the breaker surrounding the clusters;
a back-mold of the breaker section having cluster supports thereon leading to conductors of the bus section, and phase-surrounds on the back-mold.
14. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 13 , wherein the cluster shields and phase surrounds form the flue chamber.
15. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 13 , further including a chimney in the back-mold of the breaker section.
16. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 15 , further including shaping within the cluster shields or phase-surrounds or both to create openings for thermal management.
17. The arc management system with a passive arc attenuator of claim 12 , wherein there are a plurality of breakers stacked vertically in the breaker section.
18. An arc management system with a passive arc attenuator, comprising:
a) electrical equipment having exposed electrical conductors;
b) a cabinet surrounding the electrical equipment, wherein said cabinet is within another larger cabinet;
c) a flue chamber surrounding the exposed electrical conductors,
the flue chamber having a flue channel formed therein for the attenuation of an arc from the electrical conductors.