CIRCUIT BREAKERS

Switchgear and Protection

(EE-501)

Unit-II
TYPESOF CIRCUITBREAKERS

PRKREDDY GNITS
TYPESOF CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Classification of Circuit Breakers
• Based on Voltage
• Low voltage C.B (less than 1 kV)
• Medium voltage C.B (1 kV to 52 kV)
• High voltage C.B (66 kV – 220 kV)
• Extra high voltage C.B (300 kV – 765 kV)
• Ultra high voltage C.B (above 765 kV)
• Based on Medium used for Arc Quenching
• Air-Break /Blast C.B
• Oil C.B
• Vacuum C.B
• Sulphur Hexafluoride C.B
AIR BLAST/BREAK CIRCUIT BREAKERS
• suitable for high current interruption at low voltage.
• Compressed air 20-30 kg/cm^2 for Air blast type
• air gap between contacts=(-1.75cm)
• used up to 11 kV with air break
• Used up to 1100kV with Air blast
AIR BLAST/BREAK CIRCUIT BREAKERS
• Types
• Cross blast C.B
• Axial blast C.B
• Radial blast C.B
 Cross-blast type Axial-blast type

fig: cross flow ABCB

Radial-blast type

PRKREDDY.GNITS
1.The risk of fire is eliminated.
2.Cheap compared to oil circuit breaker
3.Arcing time is very less thereby less burning of contacts

1. Very sensitive to the variations in the rate of rise of restriking voltage.

2.Maintenance is required for compressor plant

Oil Circuit Breakers
• Mineral oil has better insulating properties than air.

• It has good cooling property.

• When arc is formed, it decomposes the oil into gases.

• Hence the arc energy is utilized in decomposing the oil.

• Less suitable for frequent operation.
• Interruption of capacitive and inductive currents
creates a problem.
• Hence resistance switching is necessary.
Oil Circuit Breakers
• Types

• Plain-Break Oil C.B.

• Self‐generated Pressure Oil C.B
• Double-Break Oil C.B
• Bulk Oil C.B
• Minimum Oil C.B
 Oil Circuit Breakers

Bulk oil circuit breakers

• which use a large quantity of oil.
• The oil has to serve 2 purposes.
1. it extinguishes the arc
2. it insulated the current conducting parts

Cross sectional view of

bulk oil CB
 Oil Circuit Breakers
Minimum oil circuit breakers

• use minimum amount of oil, only for arc

extinction
• conducting parts are insulated by air or
porcelain or organic insulating material.

Cross sectional view of

bulck oil CB
MOCB – Operation
MOCB – Operation
MOCB – Operation
MOCB – Operation
Advantages:
1. It requires smaller space for installation.
2. Maintenance problems are reduced.
3. Requires less quantity of oil.
4. Risk of fire is reduced.

Disadvantages:
1. The degree of carbonization is increased due to less quantity of oil.
2. Difficulty of removing the gases from the contact space in time.
3. Possibility of explosion.
4.The dielectric strength of the oil deteriorates rapidly due to high degree of
carbonization.
VacuumCircuit Breaker
• Vacuum of the order of 10-5 to 10-7 torr is used
• At this low pressure (high vacuum), the mean free path of electron is
large of the order of few metres.

• Hence the electrons cross the gap without any collision.

• It provides highest dielectric strength than any medium.
• space between the contacts recovers its dielectric strength 1000 times
faster than any other medium.
Advantages
1. VCB are compact, reliable and have longer life .
2. They have low arc energy.
3. Risk of fire is eliminated.
4. Maintenance is less.
5. There is no generation of gas during and after operation.
6. They can withstand lightning surges.

Disadvantages
Fig. Vacuum circuit breaker
1. very expensive .
2. For above 36KV VCB `s are not used.
3. Require high technology for production.
4. In case of loss of vacuum, thPeRKReEDnDYt.GiNrIeTS breaker is useless .
 SulphurHexafluoride (SF6) C.B
• SF6 an inert gas does not undergo any chemical
reactions and thermally stable
• good arc quenching and insulating properties, 100 times
more than air.
• Its density is 5 times that of air and heat convection is
1.6 times that of air.
• It is non–inflammable, no –poisonous and odourless.
• But by-products produced in SF6 during arcing is
dangerous for the operating personnel.
 Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) C.B – Operation
• In closed position, the contacts are surrounded by SF6 gas at a
pressure about 2.8 kg/cm2.
• When C.B operates, the contacts are open and arc is struck between
them.
• Valve between reservoir and arcing chamber opens up to allow SF6
gas at 14 kg/cm2 to the arc interruption chamber.
• High pressure SF6 gas absorbs the free electrons in the arc to
formimmobile negative ions which are ineffective.
• Medium between the contacts recovers dielectric strength and arc is
extinguished.
1) The interrupter unit
This consists of fixed contacts which
comprise a set of current carrying fingers
and an arcing probe. As the contacts move
further apart, the arc is extended and
attenuated. It is finally extinguished by the
gas flow the high pressure to the low
pressure systems.

2) The gas system.

The low and high pressure system are

fitted with low pressure alarms and a set of
lock-out switches which give a warning the
moment the gas pressure drops below a
certain value
Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) C.B – Construction
Advantages
1. SF6 circuit breakers have very short arcing time.
2. Dielectric strength of SF6 is 2 to 3 times than that of air, these breakers
can interrupt larger currents.
3. Gives noiseless operation due to its closed gas circuit .
4. Risk of fire is eliminated because SF6 gas is non-flammable.

Disadvantages
1. SF6 breakers are costly due to high cost of SF6 .
2. Sealing problems arise , Imperfect joints give rise to leakage of gases.
3. After every operation SF6 gas has to be reconditioned, so additional
equipment is required.
Voltage Range of Circuit Breakers
Selection of Circuit Breakers
HVDC Circuit Breakers
HVDC