Recently, the “Non-Contact Optical Sensor-Based Hydraulic Disc Spring Mechanism Circuit Breaker Mechanical Characteristic Monitoring Technology” project, jointly developed by Xikai Electric, a subsidiary of China West Electric, and the Southern Power Grid Ultra High Voltage Transmission Company, successfully passed the industry certification organized by the China Machinery Industry Federation. According to the expert committee’s review, the project has reached an internationally advanced level overall.
As the scale of China’s power system continues to expand, important power facilities are widely distributed, with high load density and concentrated precision equipment. If switches or main protection devices fail to operate or malfunction, it can easily lead to grid instability or even large-scale power outages. As the “heart” of the power grid, the mechanical characteristic state of circuit breakers directly affects the reliability of their operation. Traditional contact-based monitoring is susceptible to electromagnetic interference on-site and has complex installation and maintenance issues, making it difficult to meet the high precision and maintenance-free monitoring requirements of smart grids.
To address this industry pain point, the project team focused on hydraulic disc spring mechanism circuit breakers and innovatively proposed a “non-contact optical sensing + multi-source data fusion” technical route, successfully developing an online monitoring device with high precision, anti-interference, and long lifespan characteristics. This device overcomes the limitations of traditional contact measurement and can still operate stably in complex electromagnetic environments, achieving non-contact high-precision measurement of key characteristic quantities such as circuit breaker opening/closing speed, stroke curve, and action time, providing more comprehensive and reliable data support for equipment state assessment. At the same time, the project team established dynamic correlation models between various parameters such as control voltage, mechanism oil pressure, air chamber pressure, and environmental temperature with mechanical characteristics, proposing a mechanical performance prediction method based on multi-scale time series, enhancing the early warning level of circuit breaker mechanical operating status.
China West Electric will
always adhere to the innovation-driven development strategy
continuously deepen the exploration of cutting-edge technologies such as digital twins and artificial intelligence
promote online monitoring technology towards
“full state perception, full life prediction
full scene adaptation“ upgrade
to assist high-end electrical equipment
in developing towards a safer, more efficient, and smarter direction
Source: Xikai Electric
Editor: Li Ying Review: Han Jiao Chief Editor: Wang Lijuan
