Optimized Contact Geometries for High Speed Disconnect Switches

Fast mechanical disconnect switches are an integral part of hybrid circuit breakers, which are proposed as protection devices to clear faults in medium voltage distribution systems. Compared to their conventional counterparts, hybrid circuit breakers can have the ability to limit the fault current, which could allow more interconnections between substations with advantages with respect to grid reliability and resiliency. Furthermore, they enable the integration of distributed generation such as small solar power installations without expensive changes to the grid infrastructure. The proposed design of an ultrafast mechanical disconnect switch operates in vacuum, carries continuous current similar to conventional vacuum interrupters, opens at current zero, features minimum moving mass, and has an open contact separation of less than a millimeter. The limited separation distance requires an optimized contact geometry to keep the electric field within safe limits, minimize the moving mass, and reduce contact resistance. This paper proposes different contact geometries and uses finite element analysis to compare the contact geometries with respect to maximum electric field, mass, and contact resistance. Reductions of mass by 50% and reduction of contact resistance of 10% have been achieved.