How can a primary and secondary deep fusion circuit breaker intelligently reconstruct the safety boundaries of a power distribution network?
Publish Time: 2025-11-27
In urban power distribution networks, industrial parks, and even new energy power plants, 10 kV is the core voltage level for medium-voltage power distribution. The reliability of its equipment directly affects the electricity safety of countless households and the continuity of industrial production. While traditional high-voltage switchgear can achieve basic switching and protection functions, its shortcomings—such as information silos, delayed response, and complex operation and maintenance—are becoming increasingly prominent under the wave of digitalization and intelligentization. In recent years, a new type of device integrating a primary high-voltage body and a secondary intelligent unit—the "primary and secondary deep fusion circuit breaker"—has emerged. It is not just a circuit breaker, but also an intelligent terminal integrating sensing, judgment, execution, and communication. The term "primary" refers to the main circuit of a high-voltage switchgear, including the vacuum interrupter, insulation support, and operating mechanism, responsible for carrying and interrupting load currents or short-circuit currents of thousands of amperes. "Secondary" refers to the low-voltage electronic systems such as protection and control modules, communication modules, and sensors, used for status monitoring, logic judgment, and remote interaction. Previously, these were often separate designs: primary equipment was installed in outdoor ring main units or on poles, while secondary equipment was placed in the control room, connected by numerous cables. This was not only costly and complex in wiring but also susceptible to electromagnetic interference, affecting signal accuracy."Deep integration of primary and secondary systems," however, directly integrates miniaturized, highly reliable secondary units within or adjacent to the primary equipment, employing standardized interfaces and an integrated structural design. For example, high-precision current/voltage sensors, temperature monitoring points, and partial discharge detection modules are embedded in the circuit breaker body to collect operational data in real time; built-in intelligent terminals (such as FTUs or DTUs) can perform fault identification, setting adjustments, self-diagnosis, and edge computing locally, and upload information to the distribution automation master station via 5G, fiber optic, or wireless private networks.This integration brings three core advantages:First, it improves response speed and protection accuracy. Traditional methods rely on remote relay protection devices, which suffer from signal transmission delays. With deep integration, faults can be identified and tripped locally within milliseconds, significantly reducing the scope and duration of power outages, making it particularly suitable for locations with extremely high power continuity requirements, such as hospitals and data centers.Second, it simplifies system structure and reduces total lifecycle costs. Reducing external cables, terminal blocks, and cabinets not only saves initial investment but also lowers the failure rate due to wiring errors or aging. The modular design also facilitates on-site replacement and upgrades.Third, it enables condition-based maintenance and predictive maintenance. By continuously monitoring parameters such as mechanical characteristics, insulation status, and number of operations, the system can predict potential risks such as mechanical jamming and contact wear, transforming "periodic maintenance" into "on-demand maintenance," improving equipment availability.Furthermore, the deeply integrated 10kV switch is naturally suited to the needs of new power systems. With the large-scale integration of distributed photovoltaic and wind power, power flow in the distribution network is bidirectional, and fault characteristics are more complex, making traditional overcurrent protection prone to false tripping or failure to trip. Intelligent terminals can support adaptive protection, directional discrimination, and even collaborative control strategies, effectively addressing the challenges posed by fluctuations in new energy sources.Of course, deep integration also places higher demands on equipment reliability: electronic modules must operate stably for extended periods in environments with strong electromagnetic fields, high temperatures, and high humidity; information security protection must be in place to prevent cyberattacks; and standardized interfaces and interoperability remain key challenges for industry advancement.Ultimately, the primary and secondary deep fusion circuit breaker is not only a product of technological integration but also a crucial vehicle for power distribution systems to move from "passive response" to "active defense." It endows cold steel equipment with the ability to "sense" and "think," enabling precise data-driven decisions behind every arc extinction. When the city lights are bright, that intelligent switch, quietly standing in the substation, is safeguarding the most fundamental and vital pulse of modern civilization—the safety and resilience of electricity—with millisecond-level judgment.
