US 12,444,921 B2
Interrupter device for surge arrester
Jeffrey Joseph Kester, Bemus Point, NY (US); and Remo Mugwyler, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Assigned to HITACHI ENERGY LTD, Zürich (CH)
Filed by HITACHI ENERGY LTD, Zürich (CH)
Filed on Sep. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/016,163.
Prior Publication US 2022/0077673 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. H02H 3/20 (2006.01); H01H 71/02 (2006.01); H01H 71/08 (2006.01); H01H 71/12 (2006.01)
CPC H02H 3/20 (2013.01) [H01H 71/02 (2013.01); H01H 71/08 (2013.01); H01H 71/12 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device to provide overload protection, the device comprising an interrupter device and a surge arrester arranged in a circuit, wherein the interrupter device comprises:
a first terminal that is configured to establish an electrical connection to a first terminal of the surge arrester;
a second terminal that is configured to establish an electrical connection to an electrical power grid conductor; and
a disconnection trigger that causes an interruption in an electrically conductive path between the second terminal and the first terminal in response to an overvoltage condition at the second terminal, wherein the interruption is caused prior to a short circuit failure of the surge arrester,
wherein the disconnection trigger comprises a grading component establishing a voltage across a spark gap, and
wherein the surge arrester comprises an impedance that impedes current flow through the surge arrester in a voltage limiting condition and that uses the interrupter device to interrupt and provide visible separation from the circuit while currents through the surge arrester to a ground connection are less than 1000 Amperes, wherein the visible separation includes a complete visible separation occurring external to a housing of the interrupter device,
wherein the interrupter device is directly connected to each of the electrical power grid conductor and the surge arrester, and wherein the ground conductor is only directly connected to the surge arrester.