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Circuit Breaker Condition Monitoring-

Evaluation of DCRM Signatures

L.K. Khajkumar
Manager (OS)
 POWERGRID

• WORLD’S LARGEST POWER TRANSMISSION UTILITY

• CENTRAL TRANSMISSION UTILITY IN INDIA

• MANAGING 55,000 CKT.KM THROUGH 98 NOS. OF

400KV/220KV/132KV HVAC AND 500KV HVDC STATIONS

• HANDLING ABOUT 45% OF POWER GENERATED IN INDIA

• CONSTANTLY ACHIEVING MOU TARGETS SINCE INCEPTION

OF POWERGRID
 Our MOU Targets

MOU with Government of India (2006-2007)

– Line Availability 98.5% - other than NER

97.5 for NER
– Outage per line 4
Achieved by POWERGRID (2005-06)
- Line Availability 99.7%
– Outage per line 3.5
 Population vis-à-vis no. of Failures

Equipment Total No. of failures Rate of

Population till date Failure

AC Transformers 172 24 0.28%

Shunt Reactors 277 16 0.071%
HVDC Transformers 72 17 0.85%

Circuit Breakers 1640 63 0.40%

CT 3777 132 0.35%

CVT 2528 530 2.1%

LA 2760 124 0.45%
 Make wise CBs in service

Make Population
ABB 650 nos.
CGL 500 nos.
M&G 50 nos.
BHEL 300 nos
Alstom 140 nos.
Total 1640 nos.
 Expectation of Nation from
POWERGRID
• Line availability as close as 100%
• Outage per line as close to NIL
• How to achieve in present scenario ?
• - Improve the manufacturing process to have desired
quality of equipment, proper packing & transportation
• - Proper storage, erection & commissioning of the
equipment
• - Proper condition based maintenance of equipment
during operational phase to diagnose the health of the
equipment and to take the corrective action in advance
to prevent break down. It will prevent consequential
damage of other equipment and improve availability.
 Typical Major Failures of CBs in POWERGRID

Dt of Dt.of
failure comm Service yr Rating Make Reason of failure

20.12.93 3.8.93 less 01 400kV ABB Mechanical failure of linkage

5.3.95 30.5.94 less 01 400kV BHEL Protrusion of PIR moving contact tip

8.7.95 23.12.90 less 05 400kV M&G Moisture content in SF6gas high

31.8.95 400kV CGL Failure of operating rod of PIR

4.9.95 20.7.93 more 02 400kV BHEL Teflon rod locking pin shearing off

Flash over through operating rod

7.12.95 7.12.95 0 400kV ABB due to moisture

16.12.95 24.12.90 less 05 400kV BHEL Disturbance in PIR contact gap

Continued..
 MAJOR FAILURES OF CBs IN
POWERGRID

Dt.of Service
Dt of failure comm yr Rating Make Region of failue

Improper mech. close

7.10.96 27.4.96 less 01 400kV ABB interlock

Low dielectric strengh of

7.10.96 24.1.90 06 yrs 400kV NGEF SF6

Failure of bell crank

19.3.97 20.6.95 02 yrs 400kV BHEL lever

Continued..
 Performance of CBs

2 .5
2
1 .5
%age CB
failures

1
0 .5
0

Y EA R
 Reasons of CB Failures

MECHANICAL - 74%
(OPERATING COMPONENTS FAILURES)

ELECTRICAL - 16%
(DIELECTRIC FAILURE)

DRIVEs etc. - 10%

 Maintenance Philosophies
1. Preventive or Time Based
Maintenance (TBM)
2. Corrective Maintenance
3. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM)
or Predictive Maintenance
4. Reliability Centered Maintenance
(RCM)
Condition based maintenance (CBM)

1. CBM is based on Failure Mode and Effects

analysis (FMEA)
2. FMEA gives a structured and systematic
analysis of critical failure modes.
3. CBM applies diagnostic techniques that link
to FEMA like DCRM, DGA, Capacitance and
Tan Delta
4. Some utilities claim considerable reduction
in O&M costs after implementation of CBM.
 CBM and RCM concepts
1. Almost all utilities in India carry out Time
Based Maintenance (Preventive
Maintenance)
2. Need for increased use of Condition Based
Maintenance
3. Implementation of Off line and Online
diagnostic techniques for assessing
deteriorating performance or condition of
the Equipments for necessary correction/
rectifications before forced outage/ failure.
 Maintenance schedule
 CB Operational timings ---Yearly

 Static Contact Resistance-2Yearly

 Checking of Pole discrepancy---Yearly

 Functional checks, duty cycle----Yearly

 Checking of all operational lock outs—Yearly

 Maintenance schedule

 Checking of all interlocks---Yearly

 Checking of close/trip currents-yearly

 Healthiness of operation counter—Yearly

 Capacitance and tan delta of Grading Capacitors---4

yearly
 Maintenance schedule
 Checking of oil leaks from Grading capacitors
---Monthly

 SF6 gas leakage test---SOS

 Dew point measurement of SF6 gas—3 Yearly

 Checking of oil level/leaks (hydraulic CB)---Monthly

 Maintenance schedule

 Checking of oil level/leaks (hydraulic CB)---Monthly

 Checking of oil pressure drop during operation

(Hydraulic)---yearly

 Checking of auto-starting/stopping of oil pump

(Hydraulic)--- Yearly
 Maintenance schedule

 Functional checking of auto-starting of air

compressors and dryers---Yearly

 Maintenance of air dryers, if provided—H Yearly

 Checking of air pressure drop during duty cycle

operation—Yearly
Condition Monitoring through DCRM
 NEED FOR DCRM

 During normal contact resistance

measurement, healthiness of main
contacts is evaluated
Req = R*r/(R+r)= r/(1+r/R), r = Main contact
R = Arcing contacts
 DCRM signatures/finger prints indicate
true condition of CB arcing contacts.
 Arcing contact play vital role during CB
operation
 DYNAMIC CONTACT RESISTANCE
MEASUREMENT (DCRM)
 CONTACT RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT DURING
CLOSING AND TRIPPING OPERATION. C-O DELAY
TIME ABOUT 300MS.

 100 AMP CURRENT IS INJECTED THROUGH CB

CONTACTS.

 VOLTAGE DROP AND CURRENT IS MEASURED TO

COMPUTE CONTACT RESISTANCE.

 VARIATION IN FINGER PRINT OF DCRM INDICATE

PROBLEM IN ARCING AND MAIN CONTACTS.
Basic connection arrangement for
DCRM Measurement
 DCRM Equipment

CB

DCRM
PC
HISAC 2406x
HISAC
MB 3.0

PRINTER
DCRM Kit
DCRM CONNECTION ARRANGEMENT
Typical DCRM Signature
 DCRM can detect…
• Erosion of Arcing Contact
• Erosion of main contact
• Contact misalignments
• Contact wipe of main and arcing
contact
• Main & arcing contact resistance
• Healthiness of damping system
• Contact travel & speed
Contact Travel and Insertion Details
Travel Total Main Arcing
Contact
Contact Contact Insertion
Insertion Insertion
CGL 230mm/ 28mm 12mm 16mm
140mm
BHEL 242/ 54 34 20
130mm
ABB 200mm 50mm 20mm 30mm
AREVA 180mm 45mm 25mm 20mm
 Contact insertion/ speed

Make Trip velocity Close

velocity
ABB 6-8 m/sec 3-4 m/sec

CGL 5-6 m/sec 3-4 m/sec

BHEL 6-8 m/sec 3-4 m/sec
AREVA 5-8 m/sec 2-4 m/sec
Normal DCRM for CGL make CB
ABB make CB
Alstom CB
 Precautions to be taken while
carrying out DCRM test
• DCRM kit with sampling frequency of 10kHz(atleast)
to be used.
• DCRM to be taken for CO operation.
• CO delay time to be atleast 300ms hence requiring
plot length of about 450ms.
• CB flanges where Current and Voltage cables are to
be connected, should be thoroughly cleaned by CTC
etc.
• Connection should be done only on Interrupter
flanges and not on PIR or grading Capacitor flanges.
• Current leads to be connected outside whereas
Voltage leads to be connected inside.
Case Studies
 Case Study-1
CB at Hosur commissioned in 2003
CGL make 400kV CB at Hosur S/S-
DCRM signatures of B phase
DCRM signatures of R phase
DCRM signature of Y phase
Line side of Y Phase
Driving Mechanism
 Travel

• Wipe at the Bottom = 19-20mm

• Actual Wipe = 27-28mm

Ratio = 28/20=1.4

Arcing Contacts = 15-17mm

Main Contacts = 10-12mm

Wipe found at bottom= 12mm against 19-20mm

Insertion at top = 12x1.4=16.8mm
 Contact Resistance value at the time
of commissioning
• Static contact resistance reported to be
about 53 micro-ohm at the time of
commissioning

• Static Contact resistance after problem in

DCRM = 1800micro-ohm and 287 micro-ohm
Y phase DCRM after adjustment of
Travel/wipe – Line side
DCRM signatures after rectification-
Bus side
 Conclusion
• DCRM Test (non-invasive diagnosis) for CBs
proved useful in indicating condition of main/
arcing contacts for erosion, misalignment and
looseness etc.
• Prevention of Major failures by timely diagnosis
• Major overhauling of Interrupters/ Arcing
chamber can be decided based on DCRM
• DCRM already introduced as a Factory
Acceptance Test and pre-commissioning Test
• So far about 40 nos CBs have been detected by
DCRM and thereby avoiding major failure
Thank You