Air Blast Circuit Breakers (ABCB)

Principle of Air Blast Circuit Breaker (ABCB)

The Air Blast Circuit Breaker is an external extinguishing energy type in which the high-pressure air is
employed for arc extinction. The auxiliary compressed air system of an air blast circuit breaker is shown
below.

An auxiliary compressed air system of an air blast circuit breaker consists of a fixed contact and
a moving contact, enclosed in an arc extinction chamber. Under normal operating conditions, both the
contacts are closed. Whenever a fault occurs, high currents are induced which raises the temperature.
When the air is submitted into the arc extinction chamber the air pushes away the moving contact
establishing an arc. The air inside the arc extinction chamber will have high pressure than the
atmospheric pressure. The air blast cools the arc and sweeps away all the ionized gases along with it.
Because of this, the dielectric builds up rapidly, between the contacts, which prevent the reestablishment
of arc. Thus, the flow of current is interrupted.

Air Blast Circuit Breakers are two types

1. Axial Blast Air Circuit Breaker
2.Cross Blast Air Circuit Breaker

The main difference between two types of Air Blast Circuit Breakers is just air flow direction with
respect to the arc. In axial type air flows in direction of arc whereas in cross blast type air flows in
direction perpendicular with respect to the arc.
Construction of a Typical EHV Air Blast Circuit Breaker
A typical EHV air blast circuit breaker is shown in figure, which consists of the following components.

1. Air reservoir
2. Hallow insulator columns
3. Double arc extinction chamber
4. Valves
5. Current carrying conductors.

1. Air Reservoir

In air reservoir, the air of high pressure with an atmospheric pressure of 20-30 atm is stored.

2. Hallow Insulator Columns

The hallow insulator columns are mounted on air reservoir with valves provided at base. It carries air
from reservoir to an arc extinction chamber.

3. Double Arc Extinction Climber

The arc extinction chamber is mounted on the top of the hallow insulators columns. It consists of a fixed
contact and a moving contact with a spring mechanism. Depending upon the pressure of air the moving
contact opens (or) closes the ail outlet valves.

4. Valves

The purpose of valves used is to supply the air from the air reservoir to hallow insulator columns and an
arc extinction chamber. This occurs when the valves are kept open. Similarly, when the valves are closed
it stops supplying the insulator columns and are extinction chambers.

5. Current Carrying Conductors

The current carrying conductors link all the arc extinction chambers in series and the poles
of neighboring equipment.

Working Operation of Air Blast Circuit Breakers

When a breaker receives a signal either pneumatic or electrical the rod connected to valves gets opened.
During tint instant. the air enters into the hallow insulator column and further enters into arc extinction
chambers. Because of high pressure in are extinction chamber, the pressure increases on the moving
contact and becomes more than the spring pressure. Hence the contacts are separated. Because of high
pressure on moving contact, it travels a short distance against the spring pressure and closes the air outlet
valves. As a result-the high-pressure air in the arc extinction chamber is not let to go out However during
the arcing period the air goes out through the air outlet valves with all ionized gases.

Later, if the valves are closed, then the air in the insulator column is let into the atmosphere, due to which
the pressure on the moving contact is dropped to atmospheric pressure. Hence the moving contact closes
over the fixed contact by virtue of its spring pressure. In the applications of high voltage installations,
air blast circuit breakers are very much preferred and by using these circuit breakers the electrical
hazards are eliminated.
Advantages of Air-blast Circuit Breakers
1. Due to absence of oil in air-blast circuit breaker, risk of fire and maintenance of oil is eliminated.
2. Deterioration of oil is eliminated and the arcing products produced are completely removed.
3. Fast operation is possible and suitable for indoor installation.
4. Suitable for rapid reclosing at successive operation and has a very high rupturing capacity.
5. It is easily accessible. It has relatively less weight.

Disadvantages of Air-blast Circuit Breakers

1. The construction of air-blast circuit breaker is very complicated.

2. Compressed air system consisting of electric motor, air compressors etc. are required for
installation which increases the cost.
3. They are very sensitive to variations in RRRV (Rate of Rise of Recovery Voltage).
4. Maintenance of plant requires highly trained personnel.
5. Cost of operation is high.

Bus Bar arrangement

Bus-bar is one of the vital elements in electric power stations and substations. The term bus is
derived from the word omnibus which means collector of things. Thus, the electrical bus bar is the
collector of electrical energy at one location. Bus bar is convenient means of connecting switches and
other equipment’s into various arrangements.

Bus-bar used in substations is usually bare rectangular cross-section bars. Aluminum is used for
the construction of bus bar as it has several advantages over copper such as higher conductivity on weight
basis, lower cost for equal current capacity, excellent corrosion resistance. For proper reliable electrical
connections aluminum buses are coated with silver. Whenever the fault occurs in bus bar, considerable
damage and disruption of supply will occur and system stability is adversely affected. Hence, the proper
protection of bus bar is needed.
There are several types of bus-bar arrangements. The choice for the particular arrangements depends
upon system voltage, position of substation in the system, reliability of supply, flexibility and cost.

The factors for the selection of the bus bar arrangements are:
1. Simplicity
2. Maintenance possibility without interruption of the power supply.
3. Provision of extension with the load growth.
4. Economical
5. In case of the outage other alternative arrangements must be possible.
6. Load and local conditions.

The various bus bar arrangements are as follows:

1. Single Bus-bar arrangement
2. Single Bus-bar arrangement with bus sectionalization
3. Main and transfer Bus Arrangement
4. Double Bus Double Breaker Arrangement
5. Sectionalized Double Bus Arrangement
6. One –and –a Half Breaker Arrangement
7. Ring Main Arrangement
8. Mesh Arrangement

1. Single Bus-bar arrangement

• This is the simplest arrangement consisting of a single set of bus bar for the full length of switch
board and to the set of generator, transformers and feeder.
• The main drawback of this system is that in case of fault in bus bar whole of the system is
collapsed and all the healthy feeders are disconnected.
• It is employed for switchboards, small and medium size substation, small power station and DC
station.

2. Double Bus Double Breaker Arrangement

• Two circuit breakers are employed for each circuit.

• This type of arrangement doesn’t require any bus coupler.
• This type of arrangement can permit switch-over from one bus to other bus without interruption.
• Costly and maintenance cost is high.
• Provides maximum flexibility and reliability.
• In case of maintenance of a circuit breaker load can be shifted to other circuit breaker.
3. Ring Main Arrangement

• Higher reliability.
• Less number of circuit breaker is needed.
• Difficulties in addition of any new circuit in the ring.
• Possibilities of overloading of circuit in opening of any of section of breaker.
• Necessity of supplying demand potential to relay separately to each of the circuit.
• This arrangement provides greater flexibility as each feeder is supplied by two paths, so the
failure of the section doesn’t cause any interruption of supply.
4. Mesh Arrangement

• Economical use of circuit breaker in the substation.

• Circuit breaker are installed in the mesh formed by the buses.
• When the fault occurs in any section two circuit breakers have to open resulting in opening of
the mesh.
• Provides the security against bus-bar faults.
• Lacks switching facility.
• Needs a smaller number of circuit breakers than required by one-and –a –half breaker
arrangement.
• Used in substations having large number of circuits.
 l
~ : W~ 6 U~l t1 ~ ?
* w~~') .
+tn';f ltt_- Fq~qeh Jry QOl(cf to.t lrctt wit~ e_qd) Ot-hf.rrl-hetJ
'

bUJ.~ ~ ~itt~ <l~u~~ J,qrcp... · . · ·.

~ J.J~c.t') p:>f (ll)tta.t ru;f-f-(YU)C! Wwt~f) ~u.rr-1 and cto~d i'!S men~ 1hcM
bYt._q~OtJ)t) \,t,ttqCJ<_ ~ ~Y: YPltt)II') ~ ~-h-tR~j. '

* ~#TN) N~ flt{J~ ~

* 49.l)f-,,1 t)~ h(_<lf-5 ut' -it)< Stfm)W)cli 'l~ ai Y to 1..0 ooo'c •

~ CW1 Nf ~µ, 50 0 kV tif volkf<Je Cll)q mo~ ~an toooD A ot
(J.rr'YU)t.

~ ~Ao ooo }x-cple ct~ S¼ ~ b~ ~gh-l-')it,~ e__qcn 'Jea-r Q'1Jc./ ~4,ooo

O~RJII~. .. · - . · · ·

* h c¼~~~cl -to p"ret<-ct

Ptr §htnitii .f\ctt.c.1-tcir) ~~WJ
q ~C:Nve. or bwldJI)~ 0/)q c.ot1t(()ts ~rn qc1mqa<,
~~ecf h~ fhc tl)~S~ hAC}h v0t~'}e- C-4~ 0j q ~hffiin<J
•• I

~ ' .

\ Non - tDnV'n:tt ono.i)

I \
lCTSj @
 .
1- fq,-,qcl~ C9¥- ~ .bci~d GI) £1~ ..-i c fiu i .'
\ ~~Hi ~,, ci,p f~
wd l l,Q~~ ~1~ ~en.,,d.J.l tft ~
I

~· 1},~ c.} ,q~

aa CR'f!- J ) i ~ ~ ~r f\'l i~ .f\i <.d ori W>

-»;~ca~-
~- ~~ ~c ,,. l) ~~ ~~ -« >- P~ ~n ~
:,,,

~~ ~) U0 fYJ2rtl ~ ~1>1J .
* Rt, qd. ~ c.c~~ ~ ~
f
~ w ~'- 1,) ~~ ~W -' 5
J t) p-;u.of.Y flct,\r
~ ~.ANt<WN Roos /. U<JMn1 o~ wd p>t>v)dei> q low-~ ·,sfal)c.t ~#do
~ li~+nlri~ 9fftX.l~ +l,o.t (Slf) be. W>~ to C.Of)dt#c.t t~~ el')OrmClll:>
focf
2J tth-1 ca.f ~~s wh(J) .Qi ~n 1>1~ ~H~eb ~ 7 '.
0 p
0 D ~w;~ ~- The ~9nf1l)n~-~ s~sfwJ is CU) ~CLU~ru U>hcL.tchrr
D D . CU)Q .µ,l.(S ct.lJO~ the UJ'PJ~ tc, j/().i) +o jcy0~
wiµ,cut (OJ.(sr11~ Cll)~ heat damc.1~-

~. foir s~~ v..s~ }\,OJ) ':f-5{~· htl9ryt cJ~- ! rYPfeJiia.l rie.e.cte.cf to bt_tuie.d.,
r,oyn)~ ho4 S'-5 OJl d srY) ci.lf ~ c.e. .J,~~ t}~ U-b e. #,~ ·

4. foy sh-tt~ ~.f-},d.l) q 5-Jt, tWc.h q~ ¼~ , t~ns,nissioh towen., c~Jl~~ ru,.

CU)~r,nq-3 t.lq~ -1[ mcxtVitctl m4st be__ l.Ll)~ .

A-fr T~ ~ l}fl'©Wl~ f~~

- 1- - - - r ---J -- - - -r --
C.Onc:Ut do'l'l> ~~ P¥ote.cttO')

-
.I• A fiYl poi l)t ~ ·-t-- hol~ ui~e) ~-1- ~ I fmmecbaJ~
- - ~sdi~ +h,s ~htr)oWJUl()I) is titll«f Na:hr,<JJ
J)iSSl~O~ -

~ So -Pi l) .fbi.1Jt Cal) b~ Ub~ fo neut')-qjjz~ cJ,~e TIJ

cJ 04f .
~. ~~ Ball TumJr,a.J lS!?>T) c.ot1sisfs of Bo Such f'I)
po1r)ts,

I~trie ,Ba.ij 'fetrnt~ j 4. SB1 t.,CU') qct ~ ~ u3)i+tlll)J --t½+(.c./-forJ OJJd

~VCl\ttOf).
 I
EM ( DA-S)
* J)jssifl~TtON AR~lt-Y Sys7

IJS ~ y #Je. w ~
1- 'fl)~ <.ot)vrzllJtor,a./ d~SICJ

-lo H)< <poUJ?CI ~ do l)o#J

J 1YiJ -lo ~ ve n t

lli~rrra -
2, . J!,uJ sJ~ ~'YCile. w~> r:t i-, -Jbtifi 11:, de»'~ #Jf!..
.e.J~C:/w,tl)C tiKWl-s c.n
t,tfd ~ ,, qqn,qg.e . .
~. La* ma_g.r,elic ~le/ c.ouJJ ex,se.c:fctla-.
4. --Pits ls Q qc}\,Ol)Ct..f))(J(] Of CJS .

A '~...,,, -Ackcro,-, '8~

Nic.ofq 'Te.ski u s ~
12J,'7H5

,V. J) 11~,,,
1rnoN n.ll.L"-R
,
,
IP/ SYSTt.M l.DA s)
+ + + + ~ + + +~i-
++--t- ++ t ++ +
+ ft -

- ~ - - - · ., -- - -
'-- _,.. ..~ - -. - - - -

-Dfssijxdion
Uoruu.r Sh ni :i,,c14~ ~
~ ~ ·m , Shqcfowj
-f¼k!
\ 0
+
+ -+
~Ui¥=J WV'Ylr4
t~ tolle:tlor- ( ~ ll)
+ + + - - - - +++-f-
++ + + + + -f-
+ .+ +