Lecture-03

Load Breaking Switches &

Interrupters
Lecture delivered by:
Mrs. Nikita T
 Objectives

At the end of this lecture, student will be able to:

• Discuss the functions of load braking switches

• Describe the working principle of interrupters

• List the factors that influence the amount of available line

charging current

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Topics

• Load Breaking Switch

• Interrupters

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Load Breaking Switch

• A load break switch is a disconnect switch that has been

designed to provide making or breaking of specified currents

• This is accomplished by the addition of equipment that

changes what the last points of metal—to-metal contact
upon opening and the first points of metal-to—metal
contact upon closing that increases the speed at which the
last points of metal-to-metal contact part in air or that
confine the arcing to a chamber which contains a dielectric
medium capable of interrupting the arc safely and reliably

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Load Breaking Switch - Arcing horns

• Arcing horns are the equipment added to disconnect

switches to allow them to interrupt very small amounts of
charging or magnetizing current
• The capability of arcing horns to interrupt current is a
function of:
• arcing horn material (typically copper or stainless steel)
• switch break type (vertical break, double end break, double
end break Vee, center break, center break Vee, or single side
break)
• phase spacing
• switch mounting position (horizontal upright, vertical, or
underhung) and other factors.

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Load Breaking Switch - Arcing horns
contd…

• These “standard” arcing horns can be used on any kV-rated

switch

• Standard arcing horns do not have load breaking capability

and should not be used to perform load breaking function
• This results in damage to the disconnect switch.
• Standard arcing horns have no loop splitting rating

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Load Breaking Switch - High-speed
arcing horns

• High-speed arcing horns (sometimes called whip horns,

quick breaks, buggy whips, or quick break whips) are added
to disconnect switches to allow them to interrupt small
amounts of charging or magnetizing current

• The capability of these quick break whip horns is a function

of arcing horn material (typically stainless steel or beryllium
copper) and tip speed of the whip horn at the point when it
separates from the fixed catcher on the jaw contact
assembly of the switch

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Load Breaking Switch - High-speed
arcing horns
Contd…

• Quick break whip type arcing horns are suitable for use on
disconnect switches rated 161 kV and below
• Above 161 kV quick break whip type arcing horns can produce
visible or audible corona

• Whip type arcing horns do not have load breaking capability and
should not be used to perform load breaking function as it
damages the disconnect switch
• These arcing horns have no loop splitting rating

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Interrupters

• If the need for interrupting loop currents, load currents, or

large amounts of line charging current exists, then a
disconnect switch can be outfitted with an interrupter

• It uses either sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas or vacuum as the

interrupting medium and is capable of interrupting these
currents

• Most Commonly, the type of disconnect switch outfitted

with these load/line/loop interrupters is a vertical break
switch, although single side break switches are also used

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 Interrupters
Contd…

• At 30 kV and below, center break switches and center break Vee

switches can also be equipped with load/line/loop interrupters to
perform these functions
• While SF6, gas load/line/loop interrupters are single gap type for
all kV ratings (requiring no voltage division across multiple gaps
per phase to achieve successful interruption), vacuum
load/line/loop interrupters are multi gap type for system voltages
above 30 kV
• At 34.5 and 46 kV, two vacuum bottles per phase are required; at
69 kV, three vacuum bottles per phase ; at 115 kV, live vacuum
bottles per phase; at 138 kV six vacuum bottles per phase; at 161
kV, seven vacuum bottles per phase; and at 230 kV, eight vacuum
bottles per phase are required

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 Interrupters
Contd…

• Difference between vacuum interrupters and SF6

interrupters is that SF6 interrupters provide visual indication
of the presence of adequate dielectric for successful
interruption, a feature not available with vacuum
interrupters

• This visual indication is a significant feature in the area of

personnel safety, particularly on load break switches that
may be manually operated while handling charging current
and/or magnetizing current that exists

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 Interrupters
Contd…

Load break switch with SF6 Load break switch with multi- SF6 interrupters
interrupters bottle vacuum interrupters pressure indicator

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Factors- Influence the amount of
available line charging current

• Phase Spacing

• Phase-to-ground distance

• Atmospheric conditions (humidity, airborne contaminants,

etc.)

• Adjacent lines on the same right of way (especially if of a

different kV)

• Distance between adjacent lines

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Factors Influencing the amount of
available line charging current
contd…

• An overbuild or under build on the same transmission

towers (especially if of a different kV)

• Distance to overbuild or under build lines

• Conductor configuration (phase over phase, phase opposite

phase, phase by phase [side by side ]delta upright, delta
inverted, etc.)

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Circuit Breaker Vs Load Break Switch
Vs Isolating Switch

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Summary

• A load break switch is a disconnect switch that has been designed to

provide making or breaking of specified currents

• Arcing horns are equipment added to disconnect switches to allow

them to interrupt very small amounts of charging or magnetizing
current

• Loop currents, load currents or large amounts of line charging

current are interrupted by outfitting the disconnect switch with an
interrupter

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