CN-122029437-A - Device and method for striking an arc on an electronic installation, in particular a power electronic installation

CN122029437ACN 122029437 ACN122029437 ACN 122029437ACN-122029437-A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for initiating an arc (9) in an electronic equipment (10) for testing the behaviour of the electronic equipment under the effect of such an arc and/or under the effect of an electrical fire generated by the arc, the initiating device (9) comprising-a transistor (19) comprising two power pins (22 a,22 b) and a control pin (21), the power pins being electrically connectable to a first electrical trace and a second electrical trace of the equipment (10), and-a control circuit (20) of the transistor, the control circuit of the transistor being configured to apply a control signal to the control pin (21) of the transistor (19), the control signal being capable of causing an irreversible closure of the transistor (19) and of causing the transistor (19) to be shorted when the first trace (13 a) and the second trace (13 b) are energized, and thus generating the arc.

Inventors

Ji Yaomu Porter
HUGO MEUNIER
Camille Obert
Florian Belchula

Assignees

赛峰电气与电源公司

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241210
Priority Date: 20231215

Claims (12)

1. A device (9) for initiating an arc in an electronic equipment (10) to test its behaviour under the action of the arc and/or under the action of an electrical fire generated by the arc, a power supply means (15) being provided to energize the equipment to establish a supply voltage between a first electrical trace or first potential point and a second electrical trace or second potential point (13 a,13 b) of the equipment, the initiating device (9) comprising: -a transistor (19) comprising one control pin (21) of the gate of the transistor and two power pins (22 a,22 b), the two power pins (22 a,22 b) being electrically connectable, one power pin being electrically connected to a first electrical trace or first potential point of the equipment and the other power pin being electrically connected to a second electrical trace or second potential point (13 a,13 b) of the equipment (10), the transistor being able to withstand a voltage between its power pins that is greater than or equal to the supply voltage, and the transistor being rated to allow a smaller current to pass between the two power pins (22 a,22 b) of the transistor that is about 5 to 15 times smaller than the current delivered by the supply device (15), and -A transistor control circuit (20) electrically isolated from the power supply means (15) and configured to apply an initiating control signal (S 20 ) on the control pin (21), which initiating control signal is capable of causing an irreversible closure of the transistor (19) by means of an avalanche effect, while the equipment and thus the first track or first potential point (13 a) on the one hand and the second track or second potential point (13 b) on the other hand are energized to generate an arc under the effect of the current delivered by the power supply means (15).
2. The device (9) according to claim 1, wherein the power supply means (15) of the initiating device (9) comprises a power source (16) and a power source contactor (17) capable of: -activated to a closed position to enable the electronic equipment (10) to be powered on before applying the initiation control signal (S 20 ) which can cause the transistor (19) to close and initiate an arc, and -Activated to an open position to de-energize the equipment, thereby subsequently cutting off the power supply to the arc.
3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the electronic equipment (10) comprises at least one capacitor (14) between the first and second electrical trace (13 a,13 b) or the first and second potential point, the energizing of the electronic equipment (10) enabling charging of the capacitor (14).
4. A device (9) according to claim 3, wherein the power supply means (15) further comprise a pre-charging circuit (17P) capable of limiting surge currents during charging of the capacitor (14) during energizing of the electronic equipment (10).
5. The device (9) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control circuit (20) of the gate of the transistor comprises: -a resistive voltage divider bridge (31) comprising a high resistance (24) and a low resistance (23), said resistive voltage divider bridge forming an output of said control circuit (20) at a midpoint between said high resistance (24) and said low resistance (23), said output of said control circuit providing said initiation control signal (S 20 ) on said control pin (21) of the gate of said transistor (19), and -A control contactor (25) connected in series with the resistive voltage divider bridge (31) to drive the resistive voltage divider bridge in a closed state controlled by an activation signal (E 20 ) to energize, thereby establishing an initiating control signal (S 20 ) capable of causing an irreversible closure of the transistor (19) by an avalanche effect.
6. The device (9) of claim 5 in combination with claim 2, wherein a resistive voltage divider bridge (31) of the control circuit (20) is powered by the power supply (16).
7. The device (9) according to claim 6, wherein the control contactor (25) is mounted in series with the resistive voltage divider bridge (31) between, on the one hand, a power supply contactor (17) connected to the positive pole of the power supply (16) and, on the other hand, the negative pole of the source (16).
8. Method of igniting an arc on an electronic equipment (10) by means of an arc ignition device (9) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for testing the behaviour of the electronic equipment under the action of the arc and/or under the action of a fire generated by the arc, wherein the following steps are carried out: -arranging (E2) the transistor (19) of the arc initiation device (9) on the electronic equipment (10) by electrically connecting one of the two power pins (22 a,22 b) of the transistor (19) on a first electrical trace or first potential point (13 a) of the equipment (10) and the other of the two power pins (22 a,22 b) of the transistor (19) on a second electrical trace or second potential point (13 b) of the equipment (10), Energizing (E3) the electronic equipment (10) and thus the first and second tracks and/or the first and second potential points (13 a,13 b) by means of a power supply device (15) to establish a supply voltage between the power pins (22 a,22 b), -Initiating (E4) an arc between two power pins (22 a,22 b) of the transistor (19) by applying a control signal (S20) by a control circuit of the arc initiation device (9) on a control pin (21) of a gate of the transistor (19), the control signal being capable of causing an irreversible closure of the transistor (19) by an avalanche effect, so that an arc can be initiated between the two power pins through which a current delivered by the power supply means (15) of the arrangement flows.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the energizing (E3) comprises charging a capacitor (14), the electronic equipment (10) comprising the capacitor between the first and second electrical traces (13 a,13 b) or the first and second potential points.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the capacitor (14) is pre-charged during power-up or by a dedicated pre-charging device (17P).
11. Use of an arc initiation device (9) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for testing the behaviour of an electronic equipment (10) under the effect of an arc and/or under the effect of a fire generated by an arc, wherein at least one electronic equipment (10) whose behaviour is to be tested is subjected to an initiation method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.
12. Use according to claim 11, wherein the electronic equipment (10) is electrical equipment equipped or intended to be equipped with an aircraft.

Description

Device and method for striking an arc on an electronic installation, in particular a power electronic installation Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of testing the behaviour of electronic equipment under the influence of electric arcs, electric shorts and electric fires generated thereby. The invention relates more particularly to a device for striking an arc in an electronic installation, in particular an electrical installation. The invention also relates to a method for striking an associated arc. The invention is particularly advantageously applied in the aeronautical field, but also in any other electric field. Background Climate change is a major concern for many legislation and regulatory authorities around the world. In fact, various carbon emission limiting measures have been, are being or are about to be taken by various states. In particular, an extremely stringent standard is applicable to new aircraft and to aircraft currently in service, requiring technical solutions to be implemented in order for the aircraft to comply with current regulations. For several years, the civil aviation industry has been actively contributing to the management of climate change. Technological research work has improved the environmental performance of aircraft very significantly. The applicant has considered influencing factors in all stages of design and development to obtain aeronautical components and products which are more energy efficient, more environmentally friendly and whose integration and use in civil aviation are more environmentally friendly, to increase the energy efficiency of the aircraft. Accordingly, applicants are continually striving to reduce the negative impact on the climate, and thus the active environmental footprint, through the use and operation of benign development and manufacturing methods and processes that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the minimum possible. These ongoing research and development efforts have focused on the weight savings of new generation aircraft engines and aircraft, particularly by the materials and lighter-weight on-board equipment used, the development of aviation biofuels that use electrical technology to ensure propulsion, and as a necessary complement to technological advances. In particular in the field of aeronautics, the trend is the electrification of aircraft with architecture that can use high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) power sources and/or high-voltage alternating-current power sources to supply propellant loads and/or non-propellant loads. These architectures contain a certain amount of electronic power conversion equipment (AC/AC, AC/DC, DC/AC) that should be acceptable. More generally, since an aircraft embeds a large amount of electronic equipment integrated into an architecture using a high voltage network, the electronic equipment should be qualified under its conditions of use. The same is true for electronic equipment in other fields, in particular in the third industry and in the automotive field. In particular, the operational safety requirements of the electronic equipment must be verified. In particular, the strength and response of the electronic equipment during the occurrence of an arc (which may lead to an electrical fire) must be authenticated according to such requirements. In order to facilitate such electronic equipment verification activities, it is necessary to enable a test operator to reliably, reproducibly and safely initiate an arc. Accordingly, devices and methods for striking an arc have been developed. Fig. 1 shows in particular an arc initiation device 1 which is typically used for initiating an arc under laboratory conditions. The device 1 comprises a circuit 2, the circuit 2 connecting a power supply 3, a power supply contactor 4, which can be actuated by an actuator 5 (for example an auxiliary circuit) and is connected directly in series downstream of the source 3, a first strip 6 arranged in series upstream of the source 3 and a second strip 7 arranged in series downstream of the contactor 4. The device 1 further comprises a fusible wire 8 connecting the two electrical strips 6 and 7 together, the fusible wire being a wire of small size compared to the other electrical conductors of the device (e.g. electrical strips 6 and 7), the fusible wire being dimensioned to perform a fusing function by means of a certain level of current flowing therein. The fusible wire 8 forms part of a conductive material such as copper, tin, iron or any other conductive material. Before the device 1 is started, the entire circuit 2 is initially de-energized, because the contactor 4 occupies the open position of the circuit 2. During actuation of the device 1, the contactor 4 moves to the closed position due to actuation of the actuator 5, and the source 3 then powers the circuit 2 (in particular the strips 6 and 7). Short-circuit current then flows through the fusible conductor 8, causing joule loss in the