CIRCUIT BREAKERS

Types and designs

Ref : B. Ram, D.N. Vishwakarma,

“Power System Protection &
Switchgear”, Tata McGraw-Hill, 1997

1
Classification of Circuit Breakers

2
Classification of Circuit Breakers – cont’d

Oil Circuit Breakers

3
Classification of Circuit Breakers – cont’d
Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers

9.8.1 Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers

In a plain-break oil circuit breaker there is a fixed and a moving
contact immersed in oil. The metal tank is strong, weather tight and
earthed. Figure 9.12 shows a double break plain oil circuit breaker.
When contacts separate there is a severe arc which decomposes the
oil into gases. The gas obtained from the oil is mainly hydrogen.
The volume of gases produced is about one thousand times that of
the oil decomposed. Hence, the oil is pushed away from arc and the
gaseous medium surrounds the arc. The arc quenching factors are
as follows.

(i) Elongation of the arc.

(ii) Formation of gaseous medium in between the fixed and moving
contacts. This has a high heat conductivity and high dielectric
strength.
(iii) Turbulent motion of the oil, resulting from the gases passing
through it. 4
 Classification of Circuit Breakers – cont’d
Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers

Figure 9.12 Plain-break oil circuit breaker

5
 Classification of Circuit Breakers – cont’d
Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers

A large gaseous pressure is developed because a large amount

of energy is dissipated within the tank. Therefore, the tank of
the circuit breaker is made strong to withstand such a large
pressure. When gas is formed around the arc, the oil is
displaced. To accommodate the displaced oil, an air cushion
between the oil surface and the tank is essential. The air
cushion also absorbs the mechanical shock produced due to
upward oil movement. It is necessary to provide some form of
vent fitted in the tank cover for the gas outlet. A sufficient
level of oil above the contacts is required to provide
substantial oil pressure at the arc.

6
 Classification of Circuit Breakers – cont’d
Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers
Certain gap between the contacts must be created
before the arc interruption occurs. To achieve this,
the speed of the break should be as high as possible.
The two breaks in series provide rapid arc elongation
without the need for a specially fast contact. The
double break also provides ample gap distance before
arc interruption. But this arrangement has the
disadvantage of unequal voltage distribution across
the breaks.

7
Classification of Circuit Breakers –
cont’d

Plain-break Oil Circuit

Breakers – Voltage
distribution across breaks

8
Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers – Voltage distribution
across breaks – cont’d

9
Plain-break Oil Circuit Breakers – Voltage
distribution across breaks – cont’d

10
Self-generated Pressure Oil Circuit-breaker

11
Plain explosion pot oil circuit-breaker

12
Cross-jet explosion pot oil circuit-breaker

13
Cross-jet explosion pot oil circuit-breaker – cont’d

14
Self-compensated explosion pot oil circuit-breaker

15
Self-compensated explosion pot oil circuit-breaker
– cont’d

16
Double break oil circuit-breaker

17
Double break
oil circuit-
breaker –

Axial-blast pot
and cross-
blast pot

18
Bulk oil and minimum oil circuit-
breakers

19
Minimum oil circuit breaker

20
Air blast circuit breaker

21
Air blast circuit breaker – cont’d

22
Air blast circuit breaker – cont’d
Cross-blast circuit breaker

23
Cross-blast
circuit breaker

24
Air blast circuit breaker – cont’d

Axial-blast circuit breaker

25
Single axial blast
Double radial blast
circuit breaker
circuit breaker

26
Air-break circuit breakers

27
Air-break
circuit
breaker

28
Air-break circuit breakers – cont’d

29
SF6 circuit breakers

30
SF6 circuit breakers - cont’d

31
SF6 circuit breakers – cont’d

32
Types of SF6 circuit breakers –
Double-pressure SF6 circuit
breaker

33
Puffer-type SF6 circuit breaker

34
Puffer-type
SF6 circuit
breaker

35
Puffer-type SF6 circuit breaker – cont’d

36
Vacuum circuit breakers

37
Vacuum circuit breakers – cont’d

38
Vacuum circuit breakers – cont’d

39
Vacuum circuit breakers – cont’d

40
Vacuum
circuit
breaker
41
Vacuum circuit breakers – cont’d

42
Vacuum circuit breakers – cont’d

43
Operating mechanism of a
circuit breaker

44
Operating mechanism of a circuit breaker
– cont’d

45
Operating mechanism of a circuit breaker
– cont’d

46
Operating mechanism of a circuit breaker
– cont’d

47
Operating mechanism of a circuit breaker
– cont’d

48
Selection of circuit breakers

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Selection of circuit breakers – cont’d

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