Fundamentals of High Voltage Circuit Breakers

Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers are some of the most important components in modern electric power
systems. The circuit breaker has to operate within extremely tight tolerances when a

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 disturbance is detected in the network to protect sensitive and costly components such
as transformers

1. Definitions:

a) Circuit Breaker:

A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an

electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short
circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected.

b) Rated Voltage (Ur):

The rated voltage is equal to the maximum system voltage for which the equipment is
designed. It indicates the maximum value of the "highest system voltage" of networks
for which the equipment may be used.

c) Rated Normal Current (Ir):

The rated normal current of switchgear and control gear is the r.m.s. value of the
current which switchgear and control gear shall be able to carry continuously under
specified conditions of use and behavior.

d) Rated short-time withstand current (Ik):

This is the standardized rms value of the maximum permissible short-circuit current
on a network for the rated duration of short-circuit.

e) Rated duration of short circuit (tk):

The interval of time for which switchgear and control gear can carry, in the closed
position, a current equal to its rated short-time withstand current.

The standard value of rated duration of short circuit is 1 s

f) Rated short-circuit breaking current (Isc):

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 The rated short-circuit breaking current is the highest short-circuit current which the
circuit breaker shall be capable of breaking under the conditions of use and behavior
prescribed in this standard.
The rated short-circuit breaking current is characterized by two values:
– the r.m.s. value of its a.c. component;
– the d.c. time constant of the rated short-circuit breaking current which results
in a percentage of d.c. component at contact separation.

g) Making Current:

The making current is the maximum value that a circuit breaker is capable of making and
maintaining on an installation in short-circuit. It must be greater than or equal to the rated
short-time withstand peak current.

h) Rated Operating Sequence:

O – t – CO – t' – CO

Unless otherwise specified:

t = 3 min for circuit-breakers not intended for rapid auto-reclosing;
t = 0.3 s for circuit-breakers intended for rapid auto-reclosing (dead time); t' = 3 min.

i) Rated supply voltage for closing and opening devices and auxiliary circuits:

Values of supply voltage for auxiliary circuits:

-for direct current (dc): 24 - 48 - 60 - 110 or 125 - 220 or 250 volts,

-for alternating current (ac): 120 - 230 volts.

The operating voltages must lie within the following ranges:

• motor and closing release units:
85% to 110% of Ur in dc and ac
• opening release units:
70% to 110% of Ur in dc
85% to 110% of Ur in ac

2. Rating of a Circuit Breaker:

Rated characteristics to be given for all circuit-breakers:

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 a) rated voltage
b) rated insulation level
c) rated frequency
d) rated normal current
e) rated short-time withstand current
f) rated peak withstand current
g) rated duration of short-circuit
h) rated supply voltage of closing and opening devices and of auxiliary circuits
i) rated supply frequency of closing and opening devices and of auxiliary circuits
j) rated pressures of compressed gas supply and/or of hydraulic supply for operation,
interruption and insulation, as applicable
k) rated short-circuit breaking current
l) transient recovery voltage related to the rated short-circuit breaking current
m) rated short-circuit making current
n) rated operating sequence

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 3. Background Perspective:

• Newly installed breakers operate for 30+ years

• Under ‘normal’ conditions most breakers are operational for: less than 10
minutes in 30 years
• Under ‘abnormal’ conditions most breakers are operational for less than 1
minute in 30 years

4. Different Breaker Types:

 SF6
 OCB
 Vacuum

 Air

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 Fig: SF6 Circuit Breaker

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 Fig: OCB

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 Fig:VCB

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 Fig: ACB

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 5. Important CB Parts:

• Main Contacts
The main contact in a circuit breaker is the current carrying
element between the stationary- and the moving part of the
interrupter, and thus, a big surface with very low resistance
(less than 100 mΩ) is vital for a long service lifetime.

Silver-coated copper is the most common material used for

• Arching Contacts

The arcing contact is a contact in parallel with the main

contact and takes care of the arcing during separation. This
type of contact is common on many types of circuit breakers.

The arcing contact releases later then the main contact

 Nozzle

The nozzle is a part in a SF6 circuit breaker separating the

main contact from the arc as well as guiding the gas the
correct way through the chamber in order to obtain an efficient
quenching of the arc.

• Auxiliary Contacts and Coil

Electromagnetic coils are used to control the operation of

most types of circuit breakers. They are fast and reliable but
a common cause of trouble of the circuit breaker as they
can burn or get stuck in position.

The auxiliary contacts are contacts that follow or have an

opposite position to the main contact. One important task
for an auxiliary contact is to disconnect the coil when it has
operated. The coil is disconnected to prevent damage as it is designed to be
temporarily energized.

Auxiliary Contacts are often used in control and protection scheme for various
purposes.

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 6. Why Test Circuit Breakers:

Some of the most important of the many reasons for testing circuit breakers are to ensure they:

 provide protection for expensive equipment

 prevent outages that lead to loss of income
 ensure reliability of the electricity supply
 prevent downtime and darkness
 verify breaker performance

7. Tests performed on a Circuit Breaker:

a) Insulation Resistance
b) Contact resistance of Main Contacts (Static / Dynamic)
c) Opening/Closing time of Main Contacts
d) Open/Close Coils DC Resistance
e) Motor Current & Time while spring is being charged.

f) Power factor/dissipation factor/ tan delta and capacitance

g) Moisture/Purity of SF6

h) Minimum pick-up measurement (minimum voltage to operate circuit breaker)

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 Minimum pick-up measurement (minimum voltage to operate circuit breaker):

The objective of this test is to make sure that the breaker can operate at the lowest voltage level
provided by the station battery when the breaker has to operate during a power outage

Standard test voltage is 85% (and 70%) of nominal voltage for close (and open)

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 Fig: Opening Time

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 Fig: Closing Time

DC Resistance:

It is measured with the help of an AVO Meter.

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 Fig: CB Close/Open Scheme

Trip Circuit Supervision (TCS)

Key Points:

 Resistor is used in series to make sure maximum voltage is dropped across the resistor.
As a result, CB does not trip and a very low current flows through the trip coil. This small
amount of current indicates whether a Trip Coil is healthy.

 A trip coil has always a 52a/52b contacts in series because it blocks energizing the coil
when the breaker is already open. Trip coil is not also rated for continuous current. It
needs to be de-energized as soon as it has done its job to trip the breaker.
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 9. Auto-Reclosing:

Faults on overhead lines fall into one of three categories:

a. transient
b. semi-permanent
c. permanent
80-90% of faults on any overhead line network are transient in nature. The remaining 10% -
20% of faults are either semi-permanent or permanent.

Transient faults are commonly caused by lightning and temporary contact with foreign objects.
The immediate tripping of one or more circuit breakers clears the fault. Subsequent re
energization of the line is usually successful. This automatic energization is known as Auto-
Reclosing.

The most important parameters of an auto-reclose scheme are:

1. dead time
2. reclaim time
3. single or multi-shot

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 Fig: Duty Cycle

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 10. Controlled Switching: (Above 362kV)

There are two methods used to achieve substantial reduction in transmission line
energizing overvoltage’s (i.e., Controlled Switching) are

•Pre-Insertion Resistor (PIR)

•Controlled closing of the Energizing circuit-breaker close to voltage zeros

PSD (Phase Synchronizing Device):

Minimizing electro-dynamic and dielectric

stresses of operational equipment in high voltage systems by controlled
switching with the control unit PSD.

Fig: Controlled Switching Instant

Switching a Capacitive Load:

When a discharged capacitor (capacitive load) which has a low resistance is energized,
strong transient balancing processes such as over-voltages and inrush currents will occur
when it is connected near the maximum voltage. To obtain the lowest potential
difference upon energizing, the closing operation must occur near the voltage zero
crossing

Switching an Inductive Load:

When a reactance coil (inductive load) which creates a high resistance is energized,
large current differences in the energizing instant would require a great current increase
and thus cause high overvoltages. It is therefore best to energize near the current zero
crossing, i.e near the maximum voltage

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 Pre-Insertion Resistor (PIR):

Resistors can be considered to be an integral part of a circuit breaker. It is used to limit

overvoltages /surges in the network during switching operations.

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 Fig: PIR of CB

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  The pre-insertion resistors are only used during closing and consist of resistor
blocks that are connected in parallel with the breaking chamber.
 The resistor blocks will close the circuit approximately 8-12 ms before the
arcing contacts.
 Pre-insertion resistors are mainly used at higher system voltages (≥362 kV).
 Pre-insertion resistors should not be mixed up with opening resistors, which
are used for reducing (damping).

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