阅读说明：本技术 一种电气计量和开关设备 (Electrical metering and switching device ) 是由 宋贺 于 2019-09-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种电气计量和开关设备,包括一个机柜,该机柜具有两个部分,分别用于固定仪表盘和开关。该开关优选是HCP开关。保持仪表盘的部分包括子组件,该子组件包括两个水平板和穿过该板并适于提供与仪表盘的电流和电压互感器的连接的多个总线。(The invention discloses an electrical metering and switching device, comprising a cabinet, wherein the cabinet is provided with two parts which are respectively used for fixing an instrument panel and a switch. The switch is preferably an HCP switch. The portion holding the instrument panel comprises a subassembly comprising two horizontal plates and a plurality of buses passing through the plates and adapted to provide connections to the current and voltage transformers of the instrument panel.)

1. An electrical metering and switching apparatus comprising a first portion configured to receive a gauge panel for measuring power consumption, the first portion comprising a first power connection means adapted to connect to a first plurality of multi-phase power conductors; and a set of intermediate connector second portions configured to receive switches, the second portions being connected to the intermediate connectors and comprising a second power supply connection member adapted to be connected to a second plurality of multi-phase power conductors, the switches being configured to selectively switch current between the first and second when installed, through the power supply connection part of the intermediate connectors; wherein the first portion comprises a transformer subassembly comprising a first horizontal plate, a second horizontal power plate, the plates being made of an electrically insulating material; a first set of bus bars passing through the first board, a second set of bus bars passing through the second board, each bus bar including a first portion adapted to be connected to one of the intermediate connector and the power connection member and a second portion adapted to be connected to the intermediate connector, an electrical meter tray wherein the size and configuration of the plates are designed to maintain the bus bars in a predetermined spaced position when the bus bars are subjected to excessive short circuit current.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portions are arranged perpendicular to each other.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion is disposed above the second portion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion is below the second portion.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of power connection members are adapted to connect to a line power conductor and the second plurality of power conductors are adapted to connect to a load power conductor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising the switch, wherein the switch is an HCP switch.

7. An electrical system for supplying power to a building or other location from a plurality of multiphase line conductors to a plurality of multiphase load conductors, comprising: a first section configured to receive a meter panel for measuring power consumption, the first section comprising a first power connection member adapted to connect to a first plurality of multi-phase power conductors; and a set of intermediate connector second portions configured to receive switches, the second portions being connected to the intermediate connectors and comprising a second power supply connection member adapted to be connected to a second plurality of multi-phase power conductors, the switches being configured to selectively switch current between the first and second when installed, through the power supply connection part of the intermediate connectors; wherein the first portion comprises a transformer subassembly comprising a first horizontal plate, a second horizontal power plate, the plates being made of an electrically insulating material; a first set of buses passing through the first board, a second set of buses passing through the second board, each bus comprising a first portion adapted to connect to one of the intermediate connector and the power connection member and a second portion adapted to connect to the intermediate connector, an electricity meter panel wherein the portions are arranged vertically relative to each other within the enclosure, and the size and configuration of the plates are designed to maintain the buses in a preselected spaced arrangement when the buses are subjected to excessive short circuit current.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first portion is disposed above the second portion.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first portion is below the second portion.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first plurality of power connection members are adapted to connect to a line power conductor and the second plurality of power conductors are adapted to connect to a load power conductor.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a novel metering and switching device which can be used for controlling and metering three-phase lines having different voltage and current characteristics which meet the UL standard.

Background

Various countries, local electrical regulations and standard practices dictate that the power supply lines (whether single phase or multi-phase) supplying the site or building must first be connected to service equipment providing power metering and optionally control switches. Typically, the service equipment comprises a substantially vertical metal cabinet, the entry point of which receives incoming conductors from the bottom and the exit at the top through which the conductors exit. Between the entry point and the exit point, terminals for the conductors are provided, which are then interconnected directly by copper bars or by overcurrent protection means. Standard current and voltage transformers are also provided for monitoring the power flowing through the conductors and generating a signal indicative thereof to the meter. Service devices for this purpose are available from DeltaSwitchboardandPower, Inc. of Brukraine, N.Y. and Nay-Tech, Inc. of Brukraine, N.Y.. These devices are custom made to meet the requirements of the local utility company consolidatedededison, with standard conductors as input conductors. However, these devices cannot be used in other regions of the country where other power companies with different requirements provide services. These devices are customized to meet the requirements of the local electric company consolidatedededison, which uses certain standard conductors as input conductors. However, these devices cannot be used in other regions of the country where other power companies with different requirements provide services. These devices are customized to meet the requirements of the local electric company consolidatedededison, which uses certain standard conductors as input conductors. However, these devices cannot be used in other regions of the country where other power companies with different requirements provide services.

In addition, these companies provide devices with rated maximum fault currents of up to 50KAmps (defined by the corresponding UL standards).

In other words, the internal arrangement and dimensions of the existing equipment are related to the requirements of the local electric power company and cannot be used in other locations.

Disclosure of Invention

In a preferred embodiment, an electrical system for providing power to a building or other location is provided, the system comprising a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is configured to house a dashboard for measuring power consumption. The first portion includes a first power connection member adapted to be connected to a first plurality of multi-phase power conductors. The second portion is configured to receive a switch and is connected to a set of intermediate connectors. The second portion further comprises a second power connection member adapted to be connected to a second plurality of multi-phase power conductors. A switch is configured to selectively switch current between the first and second power connection members through the intermediate connector when installed.

The first portion includes a transformer subassembly including a first horizontal plate, a second horizontal power plate. The plate is made of an electrically insulating material. The subassembly also includes a first set of bus bars passing through the first board and a second set of bus bars passing through the second board. Each bus comprises: a first bus portion adapted to be connected to one of the intermediate connector and the power supply connection member; and a second bus section adapted to connect to the dashboard.

The plates are sized and configured to maintain the bus bars in a preselected spaced arrangement when the bus bars are subjected to excessive short circuit current.

Drawings

FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a typical prior art electrical switch assembly;

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a completed assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2C shows a front view of the assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2D shows a front view of the assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2E shows a plan sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2F is a top or plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a transformer subassembly forming part of the assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B shows a bottom view of a barrier of the subassembly of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a front view of the subassembly of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3D is an end view of the subassembly of FIG. 2A;

fig. 4 shows an isometric view of an alternative embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference is first made to fig. 1 to 4. Referring to fig. 1A-1D, a typical prior art assembly 10 includes a cabinet 12 for housing two devices (best seen in fig. 3C): a meter device 14 and a three-phase disconnect switch 16. The relative positions of these two devices depend on two factors: the entry point of the incoming (line) cable and the voltage of the line. As shown in fig. 1A-D, the input cables are connected from the top and the output cables (incoming loads) are connected at the bottom. For low voltage lines (typically below 480 vac), the meter 14 is on the line side. For high voltage lines, the switch is on the line side. The switch 16 is commonly referred to as a micro-bolt pressure switch, such as the switch manufactured by bolter switches corporation of crister lakes, illinois, with appropriate current and voltage ratings.

Of particular interest for such devices are cable connections, more particularly input cable connections. As previously mentioned, a problem with this arrangement is that the space for these connections, especially at the bottom of the cabinet 12, is not sufficient to accommodate different types of cables and therefore is not versatile in any position. In contrast, existing cabinets may accept cables having one type of Cu/Al standard connection, as well as connectors having proprietary designs.

The present inventors have developed a service device with a novel arrangement. A preferred embodiment of the novel apparatus is shown in figure 1. Fig. 2A-diagram. 2f. the assembly 100 comprises: the top surface of the opening 104 of the cabinet 102 is provided with cables (not shown). The assembly 100 is arranged for three-phase high voltage service, where incoming (line) cables are provided from the top and outgoing (load) cables are exiting from the bottom.

The cabinet 102 is preferably divided into two portions 110, 112. In this case, the top section 110 holds the switch 114 and the bottom section 112 holds the instrument panel 116, the instrument panel 116 having an opening 118 to receive a standard instrument (not shown). The front face 102 of the cabinet is formed by two covers 120, 122 that are movable to provide access to the respective devices and associated connections.

Reference is now made to the figures. As shown in fig. 2C, the lower portion 112 of the chassis 102 includes a transformer subassembly 130. This subassembly provides support for incoming cables and also provides an interface to conventional current and voltage transformers (not shown) associated with the instrument panel 116. In short, the input cable is connected to the switch 114. From the switch, the current is conducted through the copper bus to the transformer subassembly 130 where the current flowing through the conductors and the actual voltage of the cable are measured by a suitable transformer and the generated power is displayed and/or transmitted to a remote location by a meter mounted in the instrument panel 116.

The subassembly 130 includes two horizontal, generally U-shaped plates 132, 134 made of glass or other material having high electrical insulating properties. Preferably, the panels are about 1/4 inches thick. A set of support brackets 138 are provided on each plate 132, 134. Brackets 138 are used to attach the plates 132, 134 to the side walls 102 of the cabinet. Typically, the mount is mounted using a barrel-shaped high voltage insulator 140. (seen in fig. 2B) manufactured by Mar-Bal corporation of charrinfalls, ohio, or other similar insulators.

The bottom plate 132 is formed with openings (not shown) for three bus bars 142. The bottom 142A of each bus bar extending below the plate 132 is provided with a plurality of holes 144. These bus bar sections are arranged to provide for input of three-phase ac power lines (universal connection 153-see fig. 2C). As such, the bus bars may be provided to the customer as shown, or alternatively, they may be equipped with a standard connector, such as a suitably sized barrel connector.

The top 146 of each bus bar 142 is provided with a pair of horizontally extending carriage bolts 148. The bracket bolts 148 are sized and spaced a standard distance so that they may be connected to a standard pole type utility metering coil (not shown) in a well known manner. The instrument coils are field wired to the instrument panel 116. In addition, the bus bars 142 are attached to the brackets 150 similarly to the brackets 138 to independently support each bus bar 142. And associated input cables (not shown). The insulators 152, which are also attached to respective cartridges, of the racks 150 are attached to the rear wall 154 to the cabinet 102, either directly or through a common mounting plate 156 (see fig. 2B and 2C).

Similarly, the top plate 134 is formed with a longitudinal opening (143), the longitudinal opening (143) receiving a bus bar 160 having a top 162 and a bottom 164. The foot 164 supports a carriage bolt 166 that interfaces with the metering coil. The top 164 is attached to a bus 168 (fig. 2C) leading to the switch 114. The bus bar 160 is supported by a bracket 170. Also, the bracket 170 is mounted to the rear wall 154 either directly through a barrel insulator 172 or through a plate 174. Thus, the bus bar 160 forms a set of intermediate connectors between the metering coil portion and the switch 114.

The plates 132, 134 are also provided with a transverse opening 180. The opening receives a neutral bus 182. The neutral bus is disposed between the plate supports 132, 134 via their own brackets 138, insulators 184 and (optionally) a plate 186. The bottom 188 of the neutral bus is connected to a ground connection (not shown) or a suitable neutral cable (not shown) in a conventional manner.

The transformer subassembly 130 thus provides the required connections for the metering disc 116. Importantly, the illustrated arrangement is designed to provide very high circuit failures. More specifically, the two plates properly position and space the bus bars to ensure that the subassembly can withstand a 50,000 amp short circuit when a short circuit fault occurs, assuming a bus bar standard width of 3 nerve inches and thickness of 1/4 inches. Also, if the bus bars are increased to 4 inches, the panel 100 can withstand short circuits of up to 100,000 amps. Furthermore, if a switch with an integrated class J or L fuse is used, the nominal symmetrical short circuit current of the final assembly is 200,000.

As previously mentioned, prior art systems use bolt switch bolt pressure contact switches. The inventors have found that high contact pressure or HCP switches, such as manufactured by siemens of washington, dc, offer several advantages. First, although siemens typically recommends installation of HCP switches in a horizontal orientation (where the power line and load cable enter the switch horizontally), the inventors have discovered that the same switch may be installed vertically. As a result, as seen in the figures, the bus bars and cables may be easily connected along respective vertical axes, thereby reducing the required width of the cabinet 102. . Furthermore, when mounted vertically, the switch requires less space than a bolt press contact switch of the same rating. Another advantage of the switch is related to remote indication. The switches discussed herein optionally include an overload sensing circuit that trips (if present) when certain overload conditions are determined. However, the HCP switch may optionally include an indicator circuit and/or contacts that may be used remotely to determine the condition of the switch and cause an automatic trip. The HCP switches may have a wide range of ratings, including 400, 600, and 800 amps and 240VAC to 600VAC three-phase voltages.

In the embodiment of fig. 1 to 3. In fig. 2 and 3 an arrangement is shown in which the metering section is arranged at the bottom and the switch is arranged at the top. Depending on the line voltage and the location of the line and load cables, the two devices may reverse. Moreover, some customers only need metering devices. In this case, the portion with the metering disc is raised so that the meter is at eye level. Otherwise, the structure is very similar to that shown in the drawings. In fig. 3, an apparatus 310 is shown with a metering device 316 on the top and a switch 314 on the bottom.

In summary, prior art electrical equipment provided at service entrances to buildings and other locations is typically customized to the requirements of local electric utility companies and/or local regulations. They use a locally provided dashboard that receives an electricity meter that measures power consumption, and optionally a bolt pressure switch. The line and load connections are made using non-NEMA approved lugs or proprietary Al/Cu mechanical lugs. The resulting device has several disadvantages. Their rated short circuit interruption can reach 50,000 amperes at maximum. They do not have internal barriers or other forms of protection to prevent items within the cabinet from falling out. They are limited to Cu/AI type connectors for all conductors. Typically, they are only available in the 400amp or 800amp models.

The devices disclosed herein may be configured to have a short circuit interruption rating of 100,000 amps or 200,000 amps that is blown. The boards 132, 134 provide consistent separation between the respective buses and also ensure that tools and other small parts do not fall through field elements of the system, such as the buses.

There is sufficient space above and below the equipment in the cabinet to accommodate any of the two UL-listed mounting lugs, whether they be Cu/Al mechanical lugs, compression lugs, copper terminals, etc. Thus, the customer may choose to purchase the termination of any source of cable. The system may be configured to provide 400, 600 or 800 amps of switching service.

The HCP switches used in the system are rated for 10 times the maximum switch current in an on/off or on/off operation. The HCP switch may provide a variety of options, including a field-installable shunt trip kit, as opposed to manual operation, which may provide a remote signal when the switch trips due to certain conditions. The HCP switches may also be equipped with auxiliary switches to indicate switch positions to remote locations.

Elements of the system (e.g., dashboard) have been UL certified. The same configuration may be advantageously used for various applications without changing the overall size of the cabinet.

Various modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.