CIRCUIT BREAKERS

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 Definitions
SWITCHGEAR
A COMMON TERM FOR DEVICES USED FOR MAKING AND
BREAKING CIRCUITS INCLUDING AUX,COMPONENTS LIKE
RELAYS,COILS ETC.
SWITCH
A MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR MAKING AND BREAKING NON-
AUTOMATICALLY A CIRCUIT UNDER FULL LOAD
ISOLATOR
A MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR MAKING AND BREAKING A CKT.
NON-AUTOMATICALLY A CKT. UNDER NO-LOAD ONLY

CONTACTOR
A DEVICE FOR MAKING AND BREAKING A CIRCUIT UNDER FULL LOAD,
BEINGELECTRO-MAGNETICALLY OPERATED.

BREAKER A
DEVICE FOR MAKING AND BREAKING A CIRCUIT UNDER NORMAL AND ABNORMAL
CONDITIONS

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 Short Circuit & SC Levels

A short circuit ( or a fault ) is said to have taken place when the

current is not confined to its normal path of flow but diverted through
alternate path(s).
During short circuit, the current rises much above the normal value.
Short circuit level is the maximum possible current that flows at the
point of fault during a short circuit.

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 Short Circuit Level
An electrical system encompasses Power generation,
transmission and distribution
Short circuit level at any point in a system is the
measure of fault current that will flow at that point
during a fault condition
S.C. level at various points in the system can vary in
magnitude.
S.C. level of a system is the maximum fault current
than can occur during a fault in the system.
S.C. level is given in KA

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 Types of Short Circuits

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 Calculation of SC Levels

Accurate method of calculating fault currents is by

using an analysis method called Symmetrical
Components involving the use of high maths.
Other methods include
1. Ohmic reactance method
2. Percentage impedance method
3. Per unit method
Besides the above there are certain Thumb rules
applied to calculate fault currents in smaller power
system as in ships.

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 Calculation of Short Circuit Level
by Thumb Rule

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 Effects of Short Circuit
High currents during Short circuits can cause
damage to electrical installation by giving rise
to excessive
Thermal Stresses
Mechanical Stresses
Arcing

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 Thermal Stresses
Heavy fault current causes temp. of cables, busbar
and current-carrying parts of a breaker to rise
enormously even if the circuit is interrupted in a few
cycles.
( Temp. rise is proportional to I*I*t where I=
Current flowing in the conductor and t = the
duration of the current flow)
Frequent repetitions of these stresses will reduce the
life of the insulation of cables, busbar supports,
breakers etc. leading to a permanent damage to the
installation.

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 Mechanical Stresses
Heavy fault currents set up mutual forces between
current-carrying conductors causing them to be
mechanically stressed.
(This force is proportional to I*I/d where
I = Current flowing in the conductor and
d = Distance between the conductors )
These forces can cause conductors to bend or break
and also mechanically damage the insulation of the
cables, bus supports, etc.

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 Electro-magnetic Stresses

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 Arcing
An arc, which occurs at the point of contact
separation in a breaker, represents an enormous
concentration of energy and can cause severe
damage at the point of arcing by burning away the
contact tips, and adjacent conductors and
insulation.
Greater the distance of contact separation, higher
are the effect of arcing
With arcing, the time duration is extremely
important because the feet of the arc tend to move
towards the supply source, spreading the area of
damage.

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 Effects of Short Circuit

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 Methods adopted to minimise
Effects of Short Circuit
A well-designed Protective Relay system trips out a breaker(s)
and isolates the faulty circuit from the power source within a
short time to prevent/minimise effects of high short circuit
current, as and when it occurs.
The equipment in the system, the cables, the switchgear, the
busbar, the generator are designed to withstand the effects
of short circuit during that short period.
Prior Calculation of the short circuit levels in the system is
therefore required to help in
a. Designing an appropriate Protective Relay
System
b. Choosing the right switchgear with suitable short
circuit withstand capacity to be used in the system

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 Definition of a Circuit Breaker

Standards define a Circuit Breaker as

A device capable of making and

breaking of an electric circuit under
normal and abnormal condition

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 Basic functions of a CB
To make, carry and break the normal services
current.
To continuously monitor the current flowing
in the circuit and to protect the system by
tripping when there are overloads or short-
circuits in the system as quickly as possible to
minimise effects of short circuits and
overloads.

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 Basic Breaker Functions

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 Important Design Features of CB
Circuit Breakers must be designed to make, break and carry
normal currents continuously without the temperature
exceeding permissible limits
They must be designed to contain the ensuing arc, cool it and
extinguish it.
They must be designed to make on a fault current
They must be designed to carry high short circuit currents for
a short specified time.
They must be designed to break the short circuit current
All the above operations to take place without causing any
damage to the breaker.

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 Purpose of Circuit Breakers
Purpose of Circuit Breakers are
1. Close on normal and fault currents
2. Break normal and fault currents
3. Carry fault currents without blowing itself up.
Important characteristics of CB are
1. The total breaking time -The speed with
which the main current is opened after a tripping
impulse is received.
2. The Rupturing capacity - The capacity of the
circuit that the main contacts are capable of
interrupting

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 Methods of arc interruption

High Resistance interruption method

Used in D.C. Circuit Breakers and low and
medium voltage A.C. Circuit Breakers.
Low resistance or zero point extinction
method. Used in A.C. arc interruption in
Medium and High Voltages

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 High Resistance Extinction

The arc resistance is increased by

* Lengthening the arc by use of arc
runners or arc horns
* Splitting the arc by use of arc
splitters or arc chutes

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 Zero Point Extinction

At every current zero in an alternating circuit,

the arc vanishes for a brief moment. At
current zero, the space between the contacts
is de-ionized quickly by introducing fresh un-
ionized medium such as
* Oil
* Fresh air
* SF 6 Gas

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 Breaker specifications
Rated Normal Current R.M.S. value of current that the
breaker can carry continuously with the temp. rise in the
current carrying parts within 40-50 C.
Making Capacity- Maximum (fault) current on which the
breaker can make without incurring any damage to itself.
Expressed in Peak value of making current in KA.
Breaking Capacity- Maximum (fault) current which the
breaker can break without incurring any damage to itself.
Expressed in RMS value in KA/MVA.

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 Behaviour of breakers
under fault conditions

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 Sequence of Fault clearance

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 Types of Breakers
Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)
Moulded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs)
Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs)
Bulk Oil Circuit Breakers (OCBs)
Minimum Oil Circuit Breakers (MOCBs)
SF 6 Breakers
Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs)

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 Miniature Circuit Breakers
Protects lines and cables against overload and short-
circuit. Can also be used for limited motor protection
applications.
Fixed current setting and trip characteristics
Manually closed and electrically tripped.
Max. current capacity 63 Amps
Rated Breaking Capacity upto 10 KA
Aux. contacts, UV trip, Shunt trip can be attached

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 Miniature Circuit Breakers - MCBs

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 A Moulded Case Circuit Breaker

Used for protection of

* DG Sets
* Transformers
* Distribution Feeders
* Motors (Back-up
protection)
Current Capacity - available upto
1200 Amps
Manually/Electrically closed and
tripped
Available with
* Fixed/Adjustable thermal trip
settings
* Fixed/Adjustable magnetic trip
settings

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 Air Circuit Breakers

Used as Generator and Bus-tie breakers

Arc extinction takes place in the medium of fresh air.
Current capacity available up to 6300 Amps.
Breaking capacity available up to 100 KA.
Manually/Electrically spring charged closing. (L&R)
Manually/Electrically tripped. (L&R)
Simple to operate and maintain.
High Dielectric strength even in hot, humid conditions.
High degree of system protection and coordination due to
the use of Micro processor based releases. (Optional)
Under voltage Trip instantaneous/time delay type.
Adjustable Instantaneous short-circuit trips. (Magnetic)
Adjustable overload settings 80-120% of nominal current.

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 A Typical ACB
Used as Generator and Bus-tie
breakers
Arc extinction takes place in the
medium of fresh air.
Current capacity available up to
6300 Amps.
Manually/Electrically spring
charged closing.
Manually/Electrically tripped.
Adjustable Instantaneous short-
circuit trips. (Magnetic)
Adjustable overload settings
80-120% of nominal current.

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 ACB-Side View & Plug connections

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 ACB- Contact Arrangement/Phase

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 ACB Truck in different position

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 ACB Additional features
TRIP FREE MECHANISM
Trip free mechanism permits the breaker to be tripped by the
protective relay, even if it is under the process of closing (say,
by keeping the Close P.B. pressed).
ANTI PUMPING FEATURE
If Close P.B. is held pressed during a fault on line fed by the
breaker, alternate closing and tripping (Pumping or
Chattering of breaker is possible.
Anti-Pumping circuit ensures that every closing impulse
permits the breaker to close only once.

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 SF6 Breakers

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 Typical VCBs

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 Vacuum Interrupter in VCB

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 Vacuum Circuit Breaker

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 VCB-Contact material
The properties of a vacuum interrupter depend largely on the material
and form of the contacts.
An oxygen free copper chromium alloy is the best material for high
voltage circuit breaker. In this alloy, chromium is distributed through
copper in the form of fine grains.
This material combines good arc extinguishing characteristic with a
reduced tendency to contact welding and low chopping current when
switching inductive current.
The use of this special material is that the current chopping is limited to 4
to 5 Amps.
Due to the very low arc energy, the rapid movement of the arc root over
the contact and the fact that most of the metal vapour re-condenses on
the contact, contact erosion is extremely small.
No additional extinguishing medium is required. A vacuum at a pressure
of 13.33 milli Pascal is an almost ideal extinguishing medium.

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 Arc Quenching in VCB

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 Arc rotation in VCB

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 Advantages of using VCB
Contact separation (travel) in a breaker is inversely
proportional to the Dielectric strength of the medium in
which the contacts separate.
Vacuum has a high Dielectric Strength and ensures
Shorter Contact Travel due to the High Dielectric Strength of the
vacuum and
A shorter Arcing time resulting in lower arc energy.
The above features ensure the following
Compact quiet unit
Minimizing size of breaker
Non-flammable and non-toxic
Contacts suffer lesser wear thereby ensuring longer life of the breaker

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 Vacuum Checker

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 Checking for vacuum

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 Contact Gap Gauge

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 Checking contact gap

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 Checking contact Gap

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 Comparison between breakers
SF6/VACUMM CIRCUIT
FACTOR AIR CIRCUIT BREAKER OIL CIRCUIT BREAKER
BREAKER

EMISSION OF HOT AIR AND

SAFETY EXPLOSION AND FIRE RISK NO RISK OF EXPLOSION
IONISED GAS

SIZE MEDIUM BULKY SMALLER

FREQUENT REPLACEMENT FREQUENT REPLACEMENT

MAINTENANCE MINIMUM
OF ARCING CONTACTS OF OIL

ENVIRONMENTAL DUST AND HUMITITY IN ATMOSPHERE CAN CHANGE

PROPERTIES OF DIELECTRIC MEDIUM NO EFFECTS SINCE SEALED
ENDURANCE AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE EXECELLENT

NO. OF OPERATION MEDIUM LOW SF6 MEDIUM

VACUMM - HIGH

ECONOMICAL VOLTAGE UPTO 1KV 3.3 22KV SF6 UPTO 800KV

RANGE VACUUM 3.3 36KV

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 Microprocessor-based Overcurrent trip

Provides highest degree of system protection.

Self powered by built-in current transformer.
Built-in operation check function.
Visual fault discrimination by LEDs.
Three phase and earth fault in one single compact
unit.
Self monitoring of trip unit with blinking indication.
Function Blocking facility provided.

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