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Muhammad Shahzad
Assistant Professor
MNS-UET, Multan
Operating Principle
1. Transformer(C.T.) is connected with its
primary winding in series with the line
to be protected.
8. Thus the relay contacts get closed mechanically under the influence of such
a high fault current. Thus the trip circuit of a circuit breaker gets closed and
current starts flowing from battery, through trip coil, in a trip circuit.
9. The trip coil of a circuit breaker gets energized. This activates the circuit
breaker opening mechanism, making the circuit breaker open. This isolates
the faulty part from rest of the healthy system.
Arc Phenomenon:
Degree of
ionization.
The Arc
Length of the
resistance
arc.
Depends upon:
Cross section
of arc.
Principle of Arc Extinction:
All modern high power AC circuit breakers employ this method for arc
extinction.
Restriking Voltage:
It is the transient voltage
that appears across the
contacts at or near current
zero during arcing period.
Recovery Voltage:
It is the normal frequency r.m.s
voltage that appears across the
contacts of the circuit breaker
after final arc extinction. It is
approximately equal to the
system voltage.
RATE OF RISE OF RESTRIKING VOLTAGE (R.R.R.V.):
Transformer C.B.
The unit of RRRV is kV/m sec.
Busbar
Feeder
The Figure showing the Fault
opening of circuit breaker under Short circuit on a feeder beyond
the location of C.B.
fault conditions.
For a 66KV system if L and C are 4mH and 0·001 μF respectively, a current
chop of magnitude 50 A would induce a voltage of:
Capacitive current breaking
Another cause of excessive voltage surges in the circuit breakers is the interruption
of capacitive currents. Examples of such instances are opening of an unloaded
long transmission line, disconnecting a capacitor bank used for power factor improvement etc.
Capacitive current breaking
The description relates to the worst possible conditions, it is
obvious that if the gap breakdown strength does not increase
rapidly enough, successive re-strikes can build up a dangerous
voltage in the open circuit line. However, due to leakage and
corona loss, the maximum voltage on the line in such cases is
limited to 5 Vgm.
Resistance Switching
The current chopping, capacitive current breaking etc. give rise to severe
voltage oscillations. These excessive voltage surges during circuit interruption can
be prevented by the use of shunt resistance R connected across the circuit
breaker contacts as shown in the equivalent circuit in Figure. This is known as
resistance switching.
Working RS
a part of arc current flows through this resistance.
This results in the decrease of arc current and an increase in the rate of
de-ionisation of the arc path.
Consequently, the arc resistance is increased. The increased arc resistance
leads to a further increase in current through shunt resistance.
This process continues until the arc current becomes so small that it fails to
maintain the arc.
Now, the arc is extinguished and circuit current is interrupted.
Resistance Switching for Limiting
Oscillatory Growth of Restriking Voltage
The shunt resistor also helps in limiting the oscillatory growth of re-striking
voltage.
Mathematically:
Note: It may be noted that value of resistance required to perform each function
is usually different. However, it is often necessary to compromise and make one
resistor do more than one of these functions.
Classification of Circuit Breakers:
Oil Circuit
Breakers
Which use a large quantity of oil. The oil has to serve two
purposes.
1. it extinguishes the arc during opening of contacts and ,
2. it insulated the current conducting parts from one another
and from the earthed tank.
Types:
(a) Plain break oil CB
(b) Arc control oil CB
Plain Break oil CBs
In this type of CBs gases produced during arching are confined to a small
volume by the use of an insulating rigid pressure chamber or explosion pot
surrounding the contacts.
The space available for the arc gases is restricted by the chamber so a very
high pressure In this type of breakers is developed to force the oil and gas
through or around the arc to extinguish it.
The magnitude of the pressure depends upon the value of fault current to
be interrupted.
The arc itself generates the pressure so such breakers are also
called self-generated pressure oil circuit breakers.
So this pot is used on moderate short circuit currents only where rate
of gas evolution is moderate
Cross jet explosion pot:
The cross jet pot which is made of
insulating material and has channels on
one side that acts as arc splitters.
The arc splitters help in increasing
the arc length, thus facilitating arc
extinction.
When fault occurs, the moving
contacts of the circuit breaker begins to
separate and arc is struck in the top of
the pot.
The gas generated by the arc exerts
pressure on the oil in the back passage.
When the moving contact uncovers
the arc splitter ducts, fresh oil is forced Cross Jet Explosion Pot
across the arc path. The arc is therefore
driven sideways into the arc splitters,
which increase the arc length, causing
arc extinction.
The cross jet explosion pot is used for interrupting heavy fault currents.
For low fault currents the gas pressure is small and consequently the pot
does not give a satisfactory operation.
Self compensated
explosion pot:
Self Compensated
Explosion Pot
Forced Blast Oil CBs: Advantages:
o In these CBs the arc itself generated
the necessary pressure to force the oil 1. Since oil pressure developed
across the arc path. is independent of the fault
current to be interrupted,
o In this type of circuit breaker there is the performance at low
a piston attached to a moving contact .
currents is more consistent
o When fault occurs the moving than with self-blast oil
contact moves and hence the piston circuit breakers.
associated with it also moves producing
pressure inside the oil chamber. So the 2. The quantity of oil required
oil gets movement or turbulates and
quenches the arc. is reduced considerably.
Low Oil Circuit Breakers
A low oil circuit breaker employs solid material for insulation purposes and
uses a small quantity of oil which is just sufficient for extinction of arc.
The arc extinction can be further facilitated by using suitable arc devices.
It can be self-blasted type or external-blasted type or a combination of the
two.
In case of self-blasted type the gas pressure developed depends upon the
current to be interrupted. The higher the current to be interrupted the
larger is the gas pressure developed and hence more effective is the
breaker for arc quenching.
But, this has to put a limit on the design of the arc chamber for mechanical
stresses.
With the use of better insulating materials for arcing chambers such as
glass fiber, reinforced synthetic resins etc., these days most of the low oil
circuit breakers are of the self-blast type.
Construction
1. There are two chambers in a low oil
circuit breaker, the oil in each
chamber is separated from each
other.
2. The main advantage of this is that
low oil is required and oil in second
chamber won't get polluted.
3. Upper chamber is called the circuit
breaker chamber and lower one is
called the supporting chamber.
4. Circuit breaking chamber consists of
moving contact and fixed contact.
Moving contact is connected with a
piston. It is just for the movement of
the contact and no pressure build
due to its motion.
5. Turbulator is an arc control device and consists of oil-impregnated
vulcanized fiber plates which are held under compression.
6. In terms of the venting provided, two different designs of arcing
chambers provided are:
• Axial venting
• Radial venting
7. In case of axial venting the gases produced sweep the arc in
longitudinal direct ion and ensures the interruption of low currents.
8. In case of radial venting they sweep the arc in transverse direction
and ensures the interruption of heavy currents..
9. Many times a combination of both is used so that the arc chamber is
equally efficient at low as well as at high currents. Such chambers,
however, suffers from the disadvantages of longer arcing periods
which can be eliminated by providing oil injection devices in addition
to the self-blast.
10. This circuit breaker is available up to 8000 kV with a total break time
of 3 to 5 cycles.
11. The whole device is covered using Bakelite paper and porcelain for
protection.
Operation
1. Under normal operating
conditions, the moving contacts
remain engaged with the upper
fixed contact.
2. When a fault occurs, the moving
contact is pulled down by the
tripping springs and an arc is
struck.
3. The arc vaporizes oil and produces
gases under high pressure. This
action constrains the oil and gas
through the respective passages of
the turbulator.
4. The process of turbulation is
orderly one, in which the sections
of arc are successively quenched
by the effect of separate streams
of oil ,moving across each section
in turn and bearing away its
gases.
1. Vent valve
2. Terminal pad
3. Oil level indicator
4. Moving contact
5. Lower fixed contact
6. Separating piston
7. Terminal pad
8. Upper drain valve
9. Lower drain valve
o check the current carrying parts & arcing contacts. If the burning
is sever, the contact should be replaced.
o check the insulation for possible damage. Clean the surface &
remove carbon deposits with a strong and dry fabric.
It may be noted that in such circuit breakers, the contact separation required
for interruption is generally small about 1.75 cm. Such a small gap may
constitute inadequate clearance for the normal service voltage. Therefore, an
isolating switch is incorporated as part of this type of circuit breaker. This
switch opens immediately after fault interruption to provide necessary
clearance for insulation.
Cross-blast type
When the moving contact is withdrawn, an arc is struck between the fixed
and moving contacts. The high pressure cross-blast forces it into a chute
consisting of an arc splitters and baffles. The splitters serve to increase the
length of the arc and baffles give improved cooling. The result is that arc is
extinguished and flow of current is interrupted. The final gap for interruption
is great enough to give normal insulation clearance so that series isolating
switch is not necessary.
Radial-blast type
Advantages
The tips of fixed contact, moving contact and arcing horn are
coated with copper-tungsten arc resistant material.
The moving cylinder is coupled with the movable conductor against the fixed piston &
there is a relative movement between moveable cylinder & fixed piston & the gas is
compressed in the cavity. This trapped gas is released through the nozzle during the
extinction process. During the travel of the moving contact & moveable cylinder, the
gas puffs over the arc & reduces the arc diameter by axial convection & radial
dissipation. At current zero, the arc diameter becomes too small and the arc gets
extinguished. The puffing action continues for some time even after the arc extinction
& the contact space is filled with cool, fresh gas.
Single Pressure Puffer Type CB with Single-flow
of Quenching Medium
Applications
SF6 breakers have been used for voltages 115kV to 230 kV,
power ratings 10 MVA to 20 MVA and interrupting time less
than 3 cycles.
VACCUM CIRCUIT BREAKERS(VCB)
In such breakers, vacuum degree of
vacuum being in the range from (10-6
to10-7 torr) is used as the arc quenching
medium.
Since vacuum offers the highest insulating
strength, it has far superior arc quenching
properties than any other medium.
Spring mechanism
For circuit breakers up to 245 KV, spring operating mechanism is used. The
closing spring gets charged by geared motor. During closing stroke the
closing spring is discharged. It closes the breaker and also charges the
opening springs. The C.B mechanism is basically very simple since it
compresses a motor reducer and two springs.
Hydraulic mechanism