UTILISATION OF THE MODERN OFF-LINE DIAGNOSIS METHODS FOR

THE MEDIUM AND HIGH VOLTAGE BREAKERS

1. INTRODUCTION

During the high voltage substation retrofitting the primary switching equipment has been
replaced by highly efficient equipment, most of them manufactured abroad. The switching device
manufacturing companies do not provide information on the test methods, the utilized installations
and the recorded values for each device, the characteristics provided being general and only for
orientation.
The principles of reliability-based maintenance, that are under implementation in the
National Power System (NPS), require that the verification/repair works should be performed in
relationship with the modification of the main characteristics of the equipment, the time from the
last check, importance of the equipment in its mounting place, importance of the substation within
the NPS.
Drawing the depreciation curves of the functional characteristics of the switching equipment
can performed by means of the continuous supervision methods (on-line monitoring), diagnosis
methods at pre-established terms (off-line methods) or extreme interventions (failure, breakdown of
the ancillary equipment, short-circuit tripping (disconnection) surpassing the guaranteed number.
In order to assess the level of the equipment wear at a certain moment it is necessary to record some
initial data according to a unitary (consistent) methodology. This reference represents the „initial
fingerprint” of the equipment condition.

2. OFF-LINE DIAGNOSIS METHODS

The off-line circuit-breaker diagnosis concept represents a compromise solution between

costs and availability indicating the best ratio costs/usage or costs/checked parameter.

The transducers utilized for the off-line determinations are common ones and the installation
is conceived as a four-pole system, as a “black bottle” system. The correlation between the input
and output quantities is performed by means of a specialized software with analog-digital
conversion and real-time acquisition.
In comparison with on-line diagnosis, the measurements are performed with the equipment
taken out of operation, but the test time of a cycle does not surpass 3 hours for a 400kV three –
phase unit.
The methodology utilized for operating the off-line diagnosis installation consists in
applying three methods enabling the assessment of the breaker wear level from the electric and
mechanical points of view, as well as of its driving (operating) mechanism.

The contact resistance method is probably the most frequently utilized method for
assessing the current carrying capability of switching equipment.
Based on the electric resistance analysis the equipment condition can be assessed in relationship
with:

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 The value of the electric resistance of the main current path (resistance is evaluated as a mean of
the electric resistance for a certain time interval, for example 0,1 s, in a stabilized resistance
area);
 The duration of the electric discontinuities ;
 The duration of the arcing contact determined through the simultaneous recording of the
moving contact travel.

The method of kinematic characteristics is based on the determination of the moving

contact travel during simple operations, or operation cycles. By numerical derivation of the travel
the velocity, acceleration, respectively, of the moving contact, is determined.
The characteristics of the travel contain important that information on the way the travel is
performed from the mechanical point of view. An attentive analysis provides information on the
quality of the operating mechanism lubrication, the available driving energy, quality of the system
damping, etc.
The simultaneous recording of the travel with other parameters enables the correct
identification of the events place, providing useful information on: own operating times, duration of
the arc contact, the travel in contact, etc. An important parameter is the moving contact velocity.
Usually, the velocity of the moving contact when touching, separating, respectively, the contacts, is
of interest.
Figure 1 presents some typical examples of characteristics obtained in the case of systems
with abnormal operation.

Fig. 1. Examples of normal (cn) and abnormal travels at an opening operation:

The significance of the symbols in figure 1 is the following:

a) Release mechanis m delay due to poorly lubricated release latches ;

b) Low speed due to reduced energy in the operating mechanis m;
c) Poor damping due to, for example, a defect ive dash pot;
d) Too low insulat ion distance due to, for example, incorrect assembly.

The method of the operating times and lack of synchronism is based on the
determination of the operating times, as well as on the phase or chamber lack of synchronism
during simple operations, such as closing, and opening, respectively. In the electric circuit of the
equipment a 1  12 V c.c. voltage is injected and the voltage drops on phases or chambers of the
same phase are simultaneously recorded.
In order to determine the operating times the supplementary recording of the current through the
trip coil is necessary.
The operating times are determined as the time between the occurrence of current through
the trip coils and the contact touching/separation.

3. TESTS PERFORMED BY MEANS OF THE OFF-LINE METHOD

The tests and measurements carried out by means of the off-line method for the high voltage
breaker diagnosis are:

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 Resistance measurement in dynamic regime ;
 Kinematic tests
 Measurement of times and lacks of synchronism ;
 Measurement of vibrations in operation.

3.1. Measurement of contact resistance in steady-state operation and of contact arcing

resistance (dynamic resistance)

This method requires the measurement by a high current source (500-800 A) at low voltage,
during an entire Closing-Opening cycle. The measurement is carried out by means of an automatic
installation.

By correctly interpreting such an oscillogram the values of the contact resistance (dynamic),
duration of electric discontinuities, duration of the arcing contact values can be determined.

3.2. Kinematic tests

3.2.1. The position of the main contacts

The position of the main contacts is important for determining the total travel and the
contact travel, the distance between the arcing contact and the steady-state contact being determined
for a type of equipment. By establishing and adjusting the position of the main contacts the heating
of the contact area is eliminated, and in open position ensures the necessary insulation space at the
set recovery voltage.

3.2.2. The operation characteristics

The form of the operation characteristics is crucial in assessing the condition of the breaker. The
presence of vibrations at closing can generate a pre-arcing current that wears the contacts and
generates great overvoltages. The opening speed directly influences the duration of arcing and the
increased acceleration when the contacts separate (generating supplementary Lorentz force) help in
breaking the low current electric arc. Consequently, determination of acceleration, velocity and
vibration during opening and closing are characteristics that should be evaluated in a diagnosis
activity.

3.3. Measurement of switching times and lacks of synchronism

Measurement of the switching duration and of the currents absorbed by the coils of the
driving mechanism are very important for evaluating the wear of the moving elements, wear that
increases the arcing duration requiring supplementary measurements of the contact wear.
The operation times are determined as the time that passes since the occurrence of current
through the trip coil and the moment the contact touch/separate. The moment the contacts
touch/separate can be estimated from the oscillogram obtained by means of the contact resistance
method, and the occurrence of current through the trip coil can be determined by means of an
oscillogram similar to that in figure 3.
The lack of synchronism will be determined as the lack of synchronism between the
switching times of the 3 phases.

3.4. Measurement of the currents through the trip coil

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 The current through the trip coils will be determined by means of an oscillogram similar to
that in figure 3. These quantities can be used for analyzing the level of the equipment driving
system wear.
4. DIACOM DIAGNOSIS INSTALLATION

ICEMENERG Bucharest (the High Power Lab Team) has developed an installation for the
off-line diagnosis of the medium and high voltage switching equipment at the manufacturer’s and in
operation within the power system, for establishing the equipment performances and the right time
for applying the maintenance program.
The installation that was used for:
 Recording the current and the voltage drop in the main current path; the current through the trip
coil; the moving contact travel;
 Determining, in operating conditions, the electric resistance of the main current path and the
speed of the moving contact;
 Determining the own operation times and the lacks of synchronism at connection and
disconnection ;

Description and operation principle:

The diagnosis installation is a portable type one, designed for the off-line diagnosis of the
high voltage breakers through contact resistance methods and kinematic characteristics.
It comprises two main modules:
 The acquisition and transmission control module (execution);
 Control module.
Figure 4 presents the block diagram of the installation where:
 1- Control module;
 2- Execution module;
 3- Acquisition module;
 4- Travel transducer;
 5- Accumulator , 12V/88Ah;
 Sh5 – Shunt for the current passing through the trip coil In=10A;
 Sh700 – Shunt for the current through the main circuit: In=1000A;
 RBI – Relay switching/controlling the closing coil;
 RBD – Relay controlling the opening coil;
 RCP – Relay controlling the main circuit contactor;
 CP – Main circuit contactor;
 MIz – Galvanic insulator module;
 SAIz- Power supply of the galvanic insulator module;
 PB – Terminal box.
The installation includes linear and rotation travel transducers, travel transducer fixing devices,
and power, measurement and control cables.

The installation is connected in parallel to the operative control circuit of the breaker. The
type of operation to be carried out is selected by means of the control module. The program
corresponding to the diagnosis method to be used is launched and the data for the acquisition
initialization are entered (the acquisition rate, number of samples, order of acquisition channels), as
well as for defining the test characteristics (type of operation, phase, pole, quenching chamber).
By operating the main button of the control module the voltage signals are simultaneously sent to:
- The contactor relay of the main current path circuit;
- For initiating data acquisition.

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 A voltage signal for operating the relay from the closing/opening coil circuit is sent with a
delay depending on the type of operation that is to be performed.
While the breaker is carrying out the selected type of operation, the data corresponding to
the electric signals applied to the input of the channels specified during the acquisition program
setting stage are acquired.
The analog signals from the travel, voltage and current transducers are connected to an amplifier
module with galvanic insulation in order to eliminate the electromagnetic disturbances
characteristic of the high voltage substations. From the amplifier module with galvanic insulation
the electric signals are sent to the input into the digital acquisition board and then into the computer
for digital processing and storage in files whose names indicate the test characteristics.

5. DIAGNOSIS TESTS

By means of the installation more than 2000 tests on medium and high voltage breakers
have been performed, and a database representing the main source of information for optimizing the
maintenance of this equipment has been developed.

6. CONCLUSIONS

 Maintenance can be efficiently scheduled and cost less if the actual status of the investigated
equipment is known ;
 Initial and cyclic usage (fingerprint) of the off-line diagnosis installation enables the
replacement of the scheduled maintenance with predictive maintenance greatly influencing the
maintenance and taking out of operation costs of the monitored switching equipment.