Power Circuit Breaker

4/6/2014
"Prof Dr.Muhammad Kamran"
POWER CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND SUBSTATIONS

LECTURE - 4
Prof Dr. Muhammad Kamran

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SF6 Switchgear
Arc Interruption in SF6
(a)Physical & Chemical properties of SF6
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) High Dielectric strength Excellent Arc quenching properties Non- Toxic Non-Flammable Non-Corrosive Noiseless Arc Interruption No aging effect Decomposition products are harmless
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SF6 Switchgear
Arc Interruption in SF6
(a) Physical & Chemical properties of SF6
Sulphur hexafluoride is an inert, non-toxic, non-flammable gas. It has excellent arc quenching and dielectric properties. It is not affected by aging and will not corrode the metals with which it is in contact even at the maximum temperature rise prescribed in specifications.
The molecular weight and high density of SF6 are such that the sound conductivity is low and this leads to practically noiseless arc interruption.
SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6

(a) Physical & Chemical properties of SF6
Arcs which develop in SF6 partially decompose the SF6 without altering its properties or impairing its electrical characteristics; the stable decomposition products are easily eliminated by absorbents such as activated alumina. When arc is produced ionization in the gap is due to fast moving Electrons, SF6 absorbs these fast moving Electrons and becomes de-ionized which due to heavy mass cannot move fast hence slow down the process of the ionization.
(b)
Arc Extinction in SF6
Optimum quenching arc geometry

a) Long and thin Arc b) Maximum interaction between flow of quenching medium and Arc.
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The interaction between gas flow and the arc to be interrupted is clearly of vital importance in the mechanism of arc interruption in any gas blast circuit-breaker. Many of the parameters in this interruption and their precise effect upon arc interruption are not as yet clearly understood.
"Prof Dr.Muhammad Kamran" 6

(b) Arc Extinction in SF6 One essential feature for good interruption that is known however is that the arc diameter should be as small as possible over a length as long as possible when the arc current approaches a current zero, the gas flow must therefore be designed to produce this condition. This may be best achieved by a high axial gas blast that has an inward radial component.
To produce this condition some form of arrangement similar to that shown in figure 1 must be used.

(b) Arc Extinction in SF6
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(b) Arc Extinction in SF6 ARC DIA IS INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO THE AXIAL VELOCITY
1 ArcDiA Vax 1 Da Vax P1 Vax P2


(b) Arc Extinction in SF6 In such an arrangement it is found that the effect of the axial velocity is very marked and that changes in arc diameter are proportional to changes in axial velocity. The inward pressure component has a lesser effect upon interruption performance. To produce a high axial velocity it is necessary to increase the pressure ratio between the entrance and the exit, of the blast tube. However, to produce high pressure ratios additional power and mechanisms to produce the high ratio, will be required.
(b) Arc Extinction in SF6 An engineering compromise has to be affected between pressure ratio and interrupting capability. For this purpose the relationship between pressure ratio and interrupting capability is shown in figure. 2.
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(b) Arc Extinction in SF6 DIELECTRIC STRENGTH IS PROPORTIONAL TO GAS PRESSURE
DS GP
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(b) Arc Extinction in SF6 Inspection of figure.2 indicates that interrupting performance increases rapidly up to a pressure ratio of 1.7. Higher pressure ratios produce rapidly diminishing returns. Based upon these factors a pressure ratio of 1. 7 is used. The ratio, and in fact figure.2 will vary with different designs but the factors influencing the compromise will remain effectively the same. At this pressure ratio, and in this design it is found that the velocity of gas through the nozzle is approaching the same value for the gas.

The pressure ratio will, if we consider a large tank containing the gas, be the generated gas blast pressure to filling pressure. And, while so far we, have been considering the arc interrupting problems at the vena contracts. For this region the conditions for dielectric recovery are produced and this is also of course of great importance.
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In the "downstream" region of the arc column the gas pressure conditions will approach the filling pressure conditions. Furthermore, as the dielectric conditions for recovery will be established in this region it is desirable to know how the dielectric strength of SF6 varies with pressure. This characteristic is given in figure 3 which indicates that increasing the downstream, or filling pressure, will bring about a rapid increase in the dielectric strength of the SF6 gas.

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From figure.3 it would appear that, apart from mechanical problems, it would be wise to operate at as high a filling pressure as possible. However, a further and most important factor that as yet we have not considered is the vapor pressure/temperature characteristic of SF6. To illustrate the problem that could arise here consider figure 4, which gives the liquid/gaseous phase transition boundary of SF6. If we wished to make use of the high dielectric strength of SF6 at say 6 Bars, figure 4, then we would find that at a temperature of -20 C0 approx., the gas would start to liquefy.

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This liquefaction could lead to difficulties in contact and the gas blast operating mechanisms. Consequently it would be unwise to operate with the SF6 at such a high pressure and consequently in practice a much lower pressure is chosen, 1.3. to 3.0 bars to overcome this problem.
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(c)
Nozzle Design
The two major systems to produce the gas blast conditions just referred to are the monoblast systems, figures 5a and 5b. On first inspection it would appear that the duoblast system is equivalent to two monoblast system. It has however, been found that the duoblast system is in fact better than twice the monoblast system, figure 6. Both systems are however in commercial use.
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(c)Nozzle Design
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SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6 (c)Nozzle Design
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(d) Arc Extinction Parameters

The radial boundary of the arc column can be defined in terms of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity K, radiation loss and gas density. More specifically the radial temperature profile can be determined from the Elenbass-Heller equation.
1 d dT E rk 2 dr dt
2
SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6 (d) Arc Extinction Parameters
From this equation it can be determined that to obtain small arc core diameters the requirement for good current interruption at low current near to current zero, the thermal conductivity should decrease with decreasing temperature. The relationship between thermal conductivity and temperature, shown in figure 7, indicates that this condition does in fact exist in SF6 , but in air quite the opposite is the case.
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SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6 (d)Arc Extinction Parameters
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SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6 (d) Arc Extinction Parameters
The resulting effect on the arc core diameter at low currents is well illustrated in figure 8, in which the diameters of arc in air at low currents are compared. The arc core diameter for SF6 is very much smaller than that of a similar arc in air and it is for this reason that the arc time constant, or current interrupting capability, of SF6 is so much superior than that of air.
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SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6 (d)Arc Extinction Parameters
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(e)
Throat Blocking
So far we have been concerned with the dynamics of the arc at low current conditions- conditions near to current zero. At high currents however, difficulties occur due to a condition known as "throat blocking". The throat blocking condition can best be appreciated by reference to Figure. 9 in which the diameter of Heavy current arcs in SF6 under conditions near some velocity, is shown.
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SF6 Switchgear Arc Interruption in SF6 (e)Throat Blocking
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At the higher currents say 40-60 KA, the arc core diameter is in the region of 40 mm and so if a nozzle with a 40 mm throat is being used the conduction core of the arc will completely fill the nozzle. This condition is known as throat blocking and leads to disruption of the normal gas flow conditions, a short circuit of the downstream section of the arc and a resulting rapid drop in total arc voltage.
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(e)Throat Blocking
In practice of course the conditions are a little more complicated for the arc core boundary although well defined is surrounded by a radially decaying sheath that is not so easy to define. The outer radius of this sheath, as working approximation, is sometimes taken as twice the arc core diameter.
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(e)Throat Blocking
If we then assume that the onset of throat blocking occurs at this diameter and then we apply these values to 50 KA current wave, figure 10, and the arc core diameter characteristic, figure 9, we can estimate that throat blocking occurs at 0.95 msec after current zero and unblocks 0.95 msec before the next current zero.
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The effects of throat blocking to the operation of the circuitbreakers are not entirely detrimental to the efficient operation of the circuit-breaker. The reason for this is that during the blocking period the gas pressure can be conserved. The vital feature however is that the throat must be unblocked well in advance of the current zero in order that the axial gas blast conditions are reestablished well before the next current zero.
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SF6 Circuit Breakers
(a)
Arc Chambers; General
The arc interruption function of the circuit-breaker is carried out in the arc interruption chamber, Arc chambers may be classified as being of the double pressure or single pressure type and with either of these classifications we may have either monoblast or duoblast nozzle designs. In most commercial systems the gas flow is not the simple axial flow system discussed earlier but is a combination of axial flow and cross blast.
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(b) Double Pressure Arc Chamber

One example of a double pressure arcing chamber is shown in figure 11. In this the main tank filling pressure will be in the region of 3 bars while the high pressure gas flow is obtained from a smaller pressured SF6 tank which may typically be at a pressure of 16 bars.
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(b)Double Pressure Arc Chamber
Figure-11

In the single pressure designs, sometimes known as "autopneumatic" or puffer" designs the gas blast is generated in conjunction with the movement of the electrodes; the gas compression cylinder is directly coupled to the contact system. Figure 12 shows two such simplified arrangements. In the first of these, figure 12a, is the doublast system in which, initially, the double throat arrangement is bridged by a set of moving contact fingers. In operation these will move and lead to a fixed electrode arrangement with well defined gas paths.
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The second arrangement, figure 12b, is virtually a variation of a monoblast arrangement with one of the electrodes continuously moving -the gas paths are variable and less easy to define.
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A timing diagram for the duoblast arrangement is shown in figure 13. It will be seen from this that the time of contact overlap, during which the SF6 is being compressed forms the greatest time element. The time for interruption from a circuit-breaker trip signal to the final current clearance is within two cycles.
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Figure:13
Circuit-Breaker Types
(Circuit-Breakers may be either of the metalclad (dead
tank) or porcelain clad (live tank) design. Metlaclad describes the arrangement whereby the arc interruption chambers (or heads) are enclosed within a metal tank. All insulation, that is both across the heads and from the heads to earth, lies within the tank. The insulation is of SF6 in combination with epoxy resin supports, figure 14a. Porcelain clad describes the arrangement whereby the arc interruption heads are enclosed within porcelain supports, figure 14b. The line to earth insulation in this arrangement is the porcelain posts. Variation in the porcelain clad circuit-breaker for various voltages in shown in figure 15.

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4/6/2014

"Prof Dr.Muhammad Kamran"