Service Status Identification Method of Miniature Circuit Breaker Based on Mechanical Characteristics
Li Kui1,2, Wang Peng1,2, Hu Bokai1,2, Zhang Haotian1,2, Wang Yao1,2
1. State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Power Distribution Equipment and System Hebei University of Technology Tianjin 300401 China; 2. Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Field and Electrical Apparatus Reliability of Hebei Province Hebei University of Technology Tianjin 300401 China
Abstract：Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) are important protection devices in low-voltage distribution systems. They can automatically de-energize the power supply immediately in the event of electrical failures, protecting the power distribution system from fire or other serious hazards. MCBs are subject to electrical and mechanical stresses during service. The operational performance of an MCB can gradually degrade with the increasing number of operations, which affects the safe operation of the power distribution system. Therefore, it is of great significance to accurately identify the service status of an MCB. Firstly, the basic structure of the circuit breaker is analyzed, and the irregular parts in the operating mechanism are processed equivalently. The closing process can be divided into two stages: empty-stroke and over-stroke. The relationship between the handle operating torque and rotation angle is investigated. A dynamic simulation model of the operating mechanism is built using virtual prototype technology to simulate the actual closing motion process of the part. Moreover, the changes in the handle operating torque during closing are studied. The mechanical characteristics representing the state of service, the initial closing angle, and the maximum torque of the closing are extracted. Secondly, the contact’s overtravel degradation characteristics and the contact spring’s performance degradation characteristics are analyzed, and the relationship between the service performance degradation characteristics of the MCB and the characteristic parameters of handle operating torque is determined. Contact wear, contact spring degradation, or fracture of an MCB can occur after arc erosion and mechanical fatigue damage, which reflects the mechanical characteristic quantity. The results show that the contact wear can linearly increase the initial closing angle and decrease the maximum torque. Additionally, the degradation of the contact spring only reduces the maximum torque without affecting the initial closing angle. It is also found that the contact spring fracture may cause a stepwise decrease in the maximum torque. Finally, based on the degree of contact wear and the state of the contact spring, the service state of an MCB can be categorized into four levels: normal, degraded, dangerous, and faulty. Then, the threshold range of the initial closing angle and the maximum torque can be determined under different levels. A service state identification method based on mechanical characteristics can be proposed. An experimental platform was set up to simulate contact wear and spring fracture. When compared, the simulation results show the same trend of changes as the experimental results, with an acceptable range of maximum relative errors. This paper presents a novel approach to evaluating the reliability and state identification of the MCB.
李奎, 王鹏, 胡博凯, 张昊天, 王尧. 基于机械特性的微型断路器服役状态辨识方法[J]. 电工技术学报, 2025, 40(14): 4642-4654.
Li Kui, Wang Peng, Hu Bokai, Zhang Haotian, Wang Yao. Service Status Identification Method of Miniature Circuit Breaker Based on Mechanical Characteristics. Transactions of China Electrotechnical Society, 2025, 40(14): 4642-4654.
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