Fault Interruption

Mediums

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 Switchgear Insulating Mediums

Insulator =S= product Type

Air Masterpact LV Air Circuit Breaker

Oil So-Hi Oil Circuit Breaker (obsolete)

Vacuum MCset Withdrawable Circuit Breaker

SF6 gas Genie & Ringmaster Switches & Circuit Breakers

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 Fault Interruption mediums for 11kV
Oil Vacuum SF6

IVI (Yorkshire Switchgear) MC set Genie

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 Oil Long & Crawford Oil Switch

Oil has high dielectric strength

Interruption effectively takes place

in a hydrogen bubble Oil

Carbon based by products which

drastically affect the dielectric Earth
strength Contact

After 3 operations on fault need to Moving

change oil due to build up of Contact
carbon deposits and inspect the
arcing contacts Fixed
contact
Oil/hydrogen very flammable and
any explosions can be
catastrophic

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 Oil test

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 Oil test

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 Oil test

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 Oil test

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 Oil test

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 Oil test

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 Oil test

Lid blown off

Holes burnt
Oil covering through
floor switchgear tank
(6mm thick steel)

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 SF6 as an interrupting medium

Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is used as a

switchgear interrupting medium from 1 to
800kV - a non-flammable, non-toxic, inert and
highly stable gas

Two different types of arc control device, both

relying on extending and cooling the arc.
Puffer
Rotating arc

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 Puffer technology

As the contacts open the piston pressurises

the SF6 gas beneath. As the arcing contacts
separate the gas is released across the arc
path to blow out the arc.

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 Rotating arc technology

Position 1 - CB closed
Main current flows through central
electrode and down the outgoing contact
blades.

Position 2 - CB opening
Opening movement of outgoing contact
blades draws the arc from the central
arcing electrode to the arcing blade.

Position 3 - CB open
Arc rotates under influence of Lorenze
force and finally extinguishes at current
zero

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 Rotating arc technology
Rotating
busbar arc coil busbar

earth earth
cable cable

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 Rotating arc technology

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 Vacuum as an interrupting medium

Rapid recovery of dielectric

guarantees interruption within
the first subsequent zero
crossing

Over 100 interruptions of the

rated short circuit current

Short arc times minimum

three milli seconds

A separate line isolator is

required as gap in vacuum
bottle is only approx. 10mm

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 Internal arc conformity with IEC standard 60298

busbar compartment

circuit breaker compartment

cable connection compartment

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 Internal arc conformity with IEC standard 60298

Cubicle design must allow the effects of

an internal arc to be contained
(internal overpressure, mechanical and
thermal strain)

Use non flammable materials

Channelling of hot gases

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 Internal arc conformity with IEC standard 60298
MC Set Internal Arc Witness Test 25kA for 1 sec

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 UK MV offer - Summary
The UK offer for MV is:-

Low level Primary,

Secondary Ringmaster range..

Primary Genie...

High level Primary,

Heavy duty industrial MCset..

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 Ringmaster RN2c
Compact Ringmain Units

RN2c Standard RMU with 200A CB

RE2c Extensible RMU with 200A CB
RN6c Enhanced RMU with 630A CB

TFL

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 Ringmaster Extensible Range
Flexibility of application
- 4 popular configurations

Joint Ownership Switchboards

REC Incomer and Bus section
Consumer feeders
Main Intake Switchboards
Metered Incomers
630A bus sections
IDMT feeders
Double Ended Substations
Ring main application
multiple transformer feeds
Network Sectionalisers
Motorised 630A ring circuit breakers

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 Genie
Intelligent Protection, Control and Monitoring Systems
Evolution from separate relays to
integrated protection, control,
monitoring and metering units

Protection, control and monitoring

schemes to meet the application
main incomers and feeders
UPS input and output
changeover, etc

Provides communications interface

for remote monitoring & control

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The End