TITLE

Vacuum Circuit Breakers as Furnace Breakers – A Special Challange

NAME's OF THE AUTHORS

AFFILATION

Ingo Hesse
Siemens AG
Industrial Solutions and Services
I&S MP 3
Schuhstraße 60 – P.O. Box 3240 – D91050 Erlangen
Phone: +49-9131-7-21642 (Fax: 49-9131-7-26322)
mail to: ingo.hesse@siemens.com

ABSTRACT

Switching of arc furnace transformers means high stresses on the circuit breaker used
as an extremely high number of switching operations is required in this case combined
with varying values of load currents to be switched.

Vacuum circuit breakers are ideal for this application because of their features providing
highest reliability with the benefit of lowest maintenance amount at very high number of
switching cycles even if high currents are to be switched. But they tend to create "multi-
ple re-ignitions" and "virtual current chopping", phenomena which result in high-fre-
quency transients on the one hand and high overvoltages on the other.

To assure safe plant operation and long service life of all the electrical equipment,
especially of the furnace transformers, it is highly recommended to provide surge
limiting devices and damping equipment for transients well tuned to the system
conditions. This can only be achieved by well done engineering which should be
performed by experts only already in the planning stage. Key components are surge
arresters and RC elements in this respect.

Behaviour of such equipment and some influencing factors will be shown based on a
practically performed system/plant.

KEYWORDS

Arc Furnace Transformers, Vacuum Circuit Breakers, Switching Overvoltages, Surge

Limiting Devices, Transients, RC Elements, Surge Arresters

INTRODUCTION

3AH4 vacuum type circuit breakers (v.c.b.'s) may be considered ideal solution when fur-
nace transformers are to be switched. These breakers are capable of switching high
currents at extremely high number of switching cycles with the benefit of minimum
maintenance. They constitute a reliable most economical solution therefore. But due to
the physical behaviour of v.c.b.'s when switching so called "low inductive currents"
which switching of arc furnace transformers belongs to, special care has to be taken of
high-frequency transients and overvoltages resulting from phenomena called "multiple
re-ignitions" and "virtual current chopping". Fundamental explanations of the origin of

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such phenomena and general remedial measures to avoid any overstressing of the
individual electrical equipment of the furnace plant are summarized in a formerly
published paper presented on CIRED Conference in Brüssels-1995 referring to [1].
It is our intention here to give additional information concerning influencing factors
on necessity of surge limiting devices and damping equipment with respect to system
arrangements and conditions based on a really performed plant in China.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES RECOMMENDED

Since introducing vacuum breakers as furnace breakers some 20 years ago for the first
time a lot of efforts have been spent to learn everything about the special electrical
behaviour of these equipment and to evaluate protective measures that assure safe
plant operation and a long service life of all the system components finally. This
comprehensive valuable knowledge may be dedicated to the combination that
SIEMENS is not only manufacturer of the essential system components of electric steel
plants, such as circuit breakers, switchgear and transformers, but also known as a
complete system designer and supplier. This allows us to call ourselves experts in this
field.

The most essential result of all the investigations performed in the past is as follows.
We basically recommend to install the furnace breaker closest to the furnace
transformer and provide bus arrangement between these elements because it is often
extremely difficult to evaluate appropriate damping equipment (RC elements) to avoid
"multiple re-ignitions" when using cable links between furnace breaker and transformer.
This is even more difficult if additional separate series reactor is located immediately in
front of the transformer. Further, surge arresters are always to be provided additionally
because overvoltages can still occur although optimized RC elements are available.
This is based on the fact the furnace breaker can be tripped at all the possible system
conditions covering the complete current range from magnetizing current of the furnace
transformer (a few Amps) up to electrode short circuit (a few kA). The amount of surge
arresters is determined by system neutral treatment. Isolated neutral constitutes worst
case conditions and calls for 6-arrester-arrangements, i. e. line-to-earth and line-to-line
connected ones, because the system can and most often will be operated with an
earth-fault for a longer period of time (up to several hours). Only additional line-to-line
connected surge arresters can provide safe limitation of line-to-line overvoltages then
because the permitted value is not higher than the one valid line-to-earth. Finally, it is
also essential not to forget to consider the line side of the furnace breaker as virtual
current chopping can also cause high overvoltages on all the equipment connected
there mainly thinking of the step-down transformer(s), the most expensive device(s)
and therefore key component of the plant beside furnace transformer and
corresponding breaker.

The complex system of FUSHUN Special Steel Plant in China has been chosen to
show behaviour/effect of the RC elements and surge arresters recommended because
of the high requirements concerning operating conditions (Um = 40.5 kV) usual in China
today and due to the complexity of the EAF system. Fig. 1 shows the corresponding
SLD including the overvoltage limiting devices recommended and installed finally.

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 Fig. 1: SLD of FUSHUN Special Steel Plant in China

SIMULATIONS AND INFLUENCING FACTORS

To avoid multiple re-ignitions and in consequence the possibility of resonance excitation

of the transformer and reactor windings, it was necessary but sufficient to install one set
of RC elements between furnace breaker and series reactor. Computer simulations had
shown that an RC element with R = 100 ohms/C = 150 nF (values per phase) provided
appropriate damping to meet this requirement if the series reactor was operated at its
highest tap XR = 8.1 Ω or also 50 % value as shown in Fig. 2.

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 Fig. 2: Breaking operation with RC element, located at the disconnector,
reactor tap 8.1 Ω, rated EAF current (600 A)

The essential criterion to be sure that multiple re-ignitions will no occur is to avoid high-
frequency current zeros when a re-ignition happens. The RC element was located at
the disconnector and the result could be considered ideal because a single re-ignition
happened only.

But the situation was not ideal any longer when the reactor was short-circuited
(XR = 0 Ω) and the load current reduced to some 200 A (a third of the rated value) with
the RC element located at the same place as can be seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3: Breaking operation with RC element located at the disconnector,

reactor tap 0 Ω, EAF current 200 A only

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This could be improved by shifting the RC from the disconnector location close to the
reactor line side terminals. The corresponding simulation result is shown in Fig. 4 which
may be considered quite ideal again as a maximum of two re-ignitions may be expected
then only.

Fig. 4: Breaking operation with RC elements located at the reactor line

side terminals, reactor tap 0 Ω, EAF current 200 A only.

These simulations should show it is necessary to consider different operation modes of

the system always before a final decision can be made. Further, location of the RC ele-
ments is also of significant influence on its damping effectiveness which can force us to
leave any decisions originally made in the planning stage. This is, close cooperation
between customers and contractors and understanding of physical behaviour is an
essential criterion to serve in the best way providing safe solutions to the full
satisfaction of our customers.

As virtual current chopping cannot definitely by excluded even when RC elements are
available and well tuned to the system conditions, it is absolutely necessary also to pro-
vide surge arresters in this case. Such elements have to be provided between furnace
breaker and series reactor basically here but not necessarily at the reactor terminals
immediately. It had to be checked by simulations whether additional surge arresters
were also necessary at the furnace transformer or at other locations of the system.

A natural limit for virtual current chopping is given by the breaker itself. It depends on
the contact material basically in the first line. The upper limit may be considered to be in
the range of 600 A that could be found empirically by measurements and expresses the
ability to extinguish high-frequency currents of high gradients during zero crossing. On
the other head, coupling factor between the individual conductors of a three phase bus
arrangement also influences this value. But, it is very difficult to calculate this factor be-
cause of the three dimensional nature of such bus arrangements. Therefore, it is basi-
cally recommended to consider worst-case condition always, i. e. a chopping current of
some 600 A.

Examples of such simplified simulations of virtual current chopping (VCC) phenomena

at load current of 600 A are shown in fig. 5a (1 pole VCC in phase L2) and fig. 5b (2

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pole simultaneous VCC in phases L2 and L3) with the series reactor operated at 100 %
tap (XR = 8.1 Ω) taking into account a 6-arrester-arrangement in front of the series
reactor only located at the disconnector.

Fig. 5a: VCC in L2 only, load current 600 A, Fig. 5b: VCC in L2 & L3 simultaneously,
reactor tap 8.1 Ω, 6-arrester-arrange- load current 600 A, reactor tap
ment in front of the reactor only 8.1 Ω, 6-arrester-arrangement in
front of the reactor only

The results show overvoltage factors of about 5.5 pu (line-to-earth and line-to-line) at
the EAF transformer terminals and about 11 pu (line-to-earth) and 17 pu (line-to-line) on
the line side of the furnace breaker which calls for limiting devices undoubtfully when
taking into account that 1 pu is equal to 28.6 kV which expresses the peak value of the
power frequency line-to-earth voltage based on UN = 35 kV. Even current chopping
phenomena at 200 A load current only caused overvoltage factors of about 5 pu (line-
to-earth) and 7.5 pu (line-to-line) on the line side of the furnace breaker which still calls
for additional surge arresters there without showing that results here. Whereas the line-
to-line overvoltages were still as high as about 5 pu at the EAF transformer in this case,
the line-to-earth value was low enough not to call for surge arresters connected line-to-
earth then.

Finally, the surge limiting effect of additionally provided surge arresters on the line side
of the furnace breaker as well as of the ones connected to EAF transformer terminals
can be seen in fig. 6a (VCC in L2 only) and fig. 6b (VCC in L2 to L3 simultaneously).

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Fig. 6a: VCC in L2 only, load current 600 A, Fig. 6b: VCC in L2 & L3 simultaneously,
reactor tap 8.1 Ω, surge arresters load current 600 A, reactor tap
available according to fig. 1 8.1 Ω, surge arresters available
according to fig. 1

INSTALLATION AND PERFORMANCE OF PROTECTIVE DEVICES

To assure unrestricted working/damping of RC-elements installation of this equipment

has to be performed taking into account some essential aspects. Certain points of the
electrical equipment have to be connected with each other in a certain manner. This so-
called "high-frequency earthing system" is already indicated in the SLD/fig. 1 (see the
"parallel" lines around the furnace breaker). How to really perform this in the plant can
be seen in extracts of the layout drawings referring to figs. 7a and 7b. They also show
where and how the RC elements and MO arresters were located on the load side of the
furnace breaker finally.

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Fig. 7a: Layout of furnace switchgear-reactor-transformer arrangement
- Elevation View -

Fig. 7b: Layout of furnace switchgear-reactor-transformer arrangement

- Elevation View (Section) -

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The MO surge arresters on the line side of the furnace breaker could be located
immediately at the furnace breaker from electrical point of view. But due to the missing
space available there, it was recommended to locate this 6-arrester-arrangement at the
main S/S or at the step-down transformer alternatively which may be considered to be
the most appropriate location basically also with respect to other switching phenomena
that could arise in the distribution system.

The "high frequency earthing connections" have to be of copper type only with respect
to the frequencies to be considered here (up to several hundred kHz). This "earthing
system" does not coincide with the earthing of electrical equipment concerning "shock
protection of personnel". But it is absolutely necessary to be performed as shown to
assure effectiveness of the RC elements.

Rating of the RC elements has to take into account loading due to harmonics which are
always present in such networks. They must further be surge proof and of lowest possi-
ble self-reactance which is valid for the capacitors as well as the resistors independent
on their performance either as separate elements or "combined" solution, i. e.
capacitors and resistors assembled in a common housing which is preferred basically.
But limitation of permissible losses does not allow this for such high system voltages
(Um = 40.5 kV) and due to the operating condition with isolated system neutral which
can result in earth-fault duration for several hours causing significantly increased losses
in comparison with "normal" (undisturbed) operation.

Surge arresters must be rated at "continuous operating voltage" (Ucov or Uc) at least
equal or higher than the maximum permissible operating voltage (Um) of the system
valid not only for line-to-line but also line-to-earth connected elements. Not to forget that
the housings have to be designed for the rated short-circuit current of the system.

SUMMARY

Switching of furnace transformers using v.c.b.'s necessitates to provide certain surge

protection devices such as RC elements and surge arresters. Only then it is possible to
prevent the insulation of electrical equipment, mainly of furnace and step-down
transformers as well as series reactors (if available), from overstressing originated in
effects called "multiple re-ignitions" and "virtual current chopping". There are a lot of
influencing factors to be taken into account when evaluating an appropriate protection
system/scheme which really assures safe plant operation for a long service life. Each
system is unique although it seems quite often that different plants look by similar. But
already the bus routing between furnace breaker and transformer can show significant
influence on the damping behaviour of RC elements that cannot always be located as
desired or as would be ideal from the electrical point of view. Therefore, it is not
possible to standardize such "protection systems" and it should be left to experts with
comprehensive knowledge and years of experience to design such equipment.

We intensively hope that this contribution is a further step to light up the complex theme
of surge protection for electric furnace plants when using v.c.b.'s as furnace breakers
which are undoubtfully ideal devices for this purpose because of their simplicity, highest
reliability and safety aspects. The increasing number of applications is the best
reference and tasks for itself referring to other publications [2, 3] also.

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REFERENCES

[1] I. Hesse, W. Schultz:

Switching Arc Furnace Transformers in the Medium-Voltage Range
CIRED 1995, Session 2, Volume 1: Reports, pp. 2.21.1 – 2.21.6

[2] I. Hesse, K. Klessler:

Vacuum Circuit Breakers for Heavy EAF Duty
Metals, Mining & More, Issue 4/97, pp. 6/7

[3] Dr. M. Baatz, Li Jun, J. Schlichtig:

Vacuum Circuit Breakers for Reliable Power Supply of Electric Arc Furances
SEAISI Conference 1999,Taiwan - Metals, Mining & More, Issue 4/99, pp. 7/8

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