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Inductive current breaking

Inductive current breaking

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Relatively low reactive currents, such as, energizing shunt reactors, energizing noload or shunt-reactor loaded transformers, or currents of starting motors, are called as
"Inductive currents." Such currents, the magnitudes of which are in the order of from
several Amps to several hundred Amps, are very likely to be chopped (forced current
zero) before the prospective current zeros of AC. While chopping an inductive
current, magnetic energy is, firstly, trapped in the inductance and, then, transfers to
electrostatic energy in the capacitance near by, creating an over-voltage across the
capacitance terminals. Since many years ago, many insulation troubles due the overvoltages by inductive current breakings have been reported.
As a typical example, phenomena while breaking a shunt reactor current are take up.
Fig. 4.1 shows a single phase circuit diagram.

After the contact separation of a circuit-breaker, and while the current approaching the
prospective (inherent) current zero, due to the interaction between the circuit elements
and the negative V-I characteristics (with various time constants) of the circuitbreaker's arc, (negative characteristics correspond to creating energy) the current
begins to oscillate, as shown in Fig. 4.2. When the oscillating wave of the current
touches the zero line, the current can be interrupted as shown in the previous chapter
as AC current breaking principle. The frequency of the oscillation is very high, such
as several hundred kHz, so by oscillogram of usual resolution, the current looks to be
chopped instantaneously.

At the instant of the current chopping, the magnetic energy in the inductance and the
electrostatic energy in the capacitance are trapped in the load side of the circuitbreaker shown in the Fig. 4.1. When the total energy is converted to the electrostatic
one in the capacitance, the highest overvoltage appears as shown in the attached

Figures. The following equation is applicable.:(See Appendix 4.1)

Relatively low reactive currents, such as, energizing shunt reactors, energizing noload or shunt-reactor loaded transformers, or currents of starting motors, are called as
"Inductive currents." Such currents, the magnitudes of which are in the order of from
several Amps to several hundred Amps, are very likely to be chopped (forced current
zero) before the prospective current zeros of AC. While chopping an inductive
current, magnetic energy is, firstly, trapped in the inductance and, then, transfers to
electrostatic energy in the capacitance near by, creating an over-voltage across the
capacitance terminals. Since many years ago, many insulation troubles due the overvoltages by inductive current breakings have been reported.
As a typical example, phenomena while breaking a shunt reactor current are take up.
Fig. 4.1 shows a single phase circuit diagram.
After the contact separation of a circuit-breaker, and while the current approaching the
prospective (inherent) current zero, due to the interaction between the circuit elements
and the negative V-I characteristics (with various time constants) of the circuitbreaker's arc, (negative characteristics correspond to creating energy) the current
begins to oscillate, as shown in Fig. 4.2. When the oscillating wave of the current
touches the zero line, the current can be interrupted as shown in the previous chapter
as AC current breaking principle. The frequency of the oscillation is very high, such
as several hundred kHz, so by oscillogram of usual resolution, the current looks to be
chopped instantaneously.
At the instant of the current chopping, the magnetic energy in the inductance and the
electrostatic energy in the capacitance are trapped in the load side of the circuitbreaker shown in the Fig. 4.1. When the total energy is converted to the electrostatic
one in the capacitance, the highest overvoltage appears as shown in the attached
Figures. The following equation is applicable.:(See Appendix 4.1)

where, V: Maximum overvoltage, ic: Chopped level, V0: Source voltage peak
While breaking shunt reactor currents by high-voltage circuit-breakers the chopping
levels are in the order of 5A --- 50A by SF6 gas and air blast circuit-breakers.
Experimentally and by analysis, it has been proved that the chopping level is
proportional to the square root of the capacitance value seen from the "across
terminals" of the circuit-breaker. So the chopping overvoltage is little influenced by
the capacitance value, but by the inductance as obtained by the above equation.
Higher inductance, i.e. small capacity of shunt reactor, introduces higher chopping
overvoltage. The frequency of the chopping overvoltage, dominated by the inductance
and the capacitance, is in the order of a few kHz. The voltage is distributed linearly
along the winding. Moreover, the trapped energy is relatively low. Therefore, the
chopping overvoltages can be easily controlled (suppressed) by applying surge

arresters, and not so dangerous today because of high ability of surge arresters.
Contact separation of the circuit-breaker is introduced randomly on the point on wave
of the breaking (inductive) current. Occasionally the current interruption occurs when
the contact gap is short, i.e., just after the contact separation with very short arcing
time. For such circumstance "Re-ignition" is inevitable and the maximum reignition
voltage can be the highest chopping overvoltage. (Reignition means re-establishment
of arc between the contacts just after the current interruption.) At the instant of the
reignition, the voltage across the reactor oscillate with extremely high frequency, such
as several hundred kHz. By such rapid voltage change, the voltage stress along the
reactor winding is no more linear due to the capacitances between the winding to
ground. Especially for a several turns from the entrance terminal, the stress is
extremely severe. See appendix 4.4. As for the stress, not only the amplitude of the
overvoltage but also the rate of change are important. The latter can not be suppressed
by a surge arrester. Reignition can not be avoided so, for designing shunt reactor
insulations, this stress should be considered with great care. Sometimes, contact
separation timing synchronizing systems in order to avoid very short arcing times are
applied for the highest reliability.
At the reignition, high amplitude (maximum several kA) and high frequency (several
hundred kHz) of current flows in the circuit-breaker. The transient current is damped
quickly and then transfers to AC inductive current. After the damping the current can
be re-interrupted with farther high trapped energy. The energy may create further high
overvoltage which may introduce repetitive (multiple) reignitions. The phenomena is
shown in Appendix 4.3. Even though such phenomena do not occur frequently,
multiple reignition during breaking inductive current is the enormous condition and
should be avoided. Various kinds of means are under consideration today, and above
mentioned synchronous contact separation control system is thought to be best.
This page is based on Prof. E.Haginomori's lectures in Tokyo Institute of Technology,
and edited