Circuit breaker makes the shortlist
A
Mitsubishi Electric Automation Systems product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jun 4, 2004
The innovative WS Series circuit breaker from Mitsubishi Electric has been selected as a finalist for this year's prestigious Electric Products Awards.
The innovative WS Series circuit breaker from Mitsubishi Electric has been selected as a finalist for this year's prestigious Electric Products Awards, the "Oscars" of the electrical engineering industries.
Designed for guaranteed performance even under a massive power overload, the WS is packed with features to ensure safe disconnection from the supply securely and reliably the instant a problem occurs.
When a short circuit occurs temperatures in the circuit breaker instantly soar, a phenomenon the WS designers have exploited.
They have developed and patented a special polymer that reacts with the high temperatures to immediately give off significant volumes of an inert gas that prevents the arc from developing.
Clever detailing ensures that the gas is blown at right angles across the arc path at high speed to further assist in extinguishing the spark before it reaches a critical size.
A second innovation sported by the WS Series is the jet pressure trip mechanism.
This makes further use of the ablation gas which is generated in a confined space, from which it escapes at high speed through a precision designed and positioned nozzle so that its pressure acts on the on the trip mechanism to enhance the speed at which it activates.
The judges for the 2004 awards were impressed by the step advances these innovations demonstrate, but were also looking for entries that are eminently practical - which can be applied throughout a wide range of industries with ease and confidence so that make a significant contribution to developing the state of the art at the grass roots level of electrical engineering.
The WS series demonstrates an evolutionary advance in Mitsubishi's core circuit breaker technology, the impulsive slot type accelerator (ISTAC) such that the current path has been optimised and the electromagnetic drive of the breaker is more powerful.
By increasing the opening speed and improving the arc driving, the rising rate of the arc voltage is increased and thus the peak current is consequentially reduced.
WS moulded case breakers are available in sizes up to 250A with fault levels up to 200kA.
For an extended working life Mitsubishi has incorporated shuntless current flow technology into the WS circuit breakers, so that double plates hold the conductors rather than wires which would be subject to wear and failure.
Flexibility of the units is ensured because the WS series is equipped with interchangeable relay units, while a number of internal accessories can be added to customise performance characteristics.
External accessories include a lockable handle to prevent tampering, a high-speed motor device and an IP20PM safety kit.
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