Megger – HVCB Seminar

HVCB Testing Seminar

Time and Travel Analysis

Volney Naranjo

Outline

● Test setup
● CB operations and results
● Coil current Analysis
● Time and travel analysis
● Conversion tables
● Speed calculation points
● Importance of motion measurements (contact and damping)

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CB Grounding

 Circuit breakers should be grounded on both sides

• Before connecting testing leads
• Avoid induction issues
• Lightning
 Conventional testing does not work with both sides grounded
• Adds time to the testing process
• Is unsafe during testing

CB Grounding

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Conventional Timing

 If both ends are grounded,

conventional timing does not
work
• Conventional timing is based on
continuity measurement (24V,
threshold in mA)
• If both ends are grounded
continuity is always present
through ground
• CB operation is not detected

Test Setup (hardware)

● Connections to:
○ Control circuit → Operate breaker
○ CB Terminals → Timing
○ Mechanism → Travel (transducer)
○ Ground → Safety

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Connections to Control Circuit

Trip Coil Current

1: Trip coil energized

2-3: Armature travel
3-4: Armature operates trip latch
4-5: Armature completes its travel
5: Armature hits stop
6: Change in coil inductance
7: Proportional to DC coil resistance
8: Auxiliary contact opens
9: Current decay

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Time Leads Connections

Time Leads Connections

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Time Leads Connections

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

Bulk oil breaker with direct linear measurement

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

SF6 Dead tank breaker with indirect linear measurement

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

SF6 Dead tank breaker with indirect linear measurement

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

SF6 Dead tank with direct linear measurement

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

Drive used in many SF6 Dead tank breakers, Direct linear measurement

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Transducer Mounting - Linear

Linear transducer on a MV-Vacuum CB

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Transducer Mounting - Rotary

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Transducer Mounting - Rotary

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Transducer Mounting - Rotary

SF6 Dead tank breaker with indirect angular measurement

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Transducer Mounting - Rotary

SF6 Live tank Breaker with indirect angular measurement

Contact Travel Dashpot Travel

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Transducer Mounting - Rotary

SF6 Live tank Breaker with indirect angular measurement

Dashpot Travel

Contact Travel

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Timing Basic Operations and Results

● IEEE Std C37.09-1999:

○ Timing tests are made to determine the time required for circuit breakers or
components to operate on open, close, close-open, and reclosing operations
○ During production: to check the operation of a new circuit breaker within the speed
range selected during development of this type of circuit breaker
○ During service: to determine whether it is still operating correctly
○ Opening times shall be obtained and recorded for all circuit breakers.
○ Travel-time curves shall be obtained for all outdoor circuit breakers with an
interrupting time of three cycles or less.

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Timing Basic Operations and Results

● Close
○ Measurement of the elapsed time between the energization, at rated control
voltage, of the close coil and the making of the contacts (arcing)

● Open
○ Measurement of the elapsed time between the energization, at rated control
voltage, of the trip coil and the instant when the contacts (arcing) separate

● Close-Open (Trip Free)

○ Simulation of closing a circuit breaker with a faulted circuit
○ To demonstrate that the breaker is free to trip even with a close signal on
○ Contacts will close momentarily - Mechanical close needs to complete to be able to
open

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Timing Basic Operations and Results

● Open-Close
○ Simulation of a reclose operation on feeder circuit
○ Pulse times should follow breakers specs for the reclose operation
● Open-Close-Open
○ Simulation of a reclose operation in which the fault has not cleared

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Close

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Open

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Close - Open

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Open - Close

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Open - Close - Open

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Travel Basic Definitions

● Stroke
● Penetration

● Overtravel

● Rebound
● Rebound

● Velocity

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Importance of motion measurements (contact

and damping)
● Why measure motion?
○ Apply to standards
■ IEEE 37.09 (optional)
■ IEC 62271-100
○ Get important information about the CB and its condition
○ Collect data for future trending analysis
○ Discover potential problems at an early stage to prevent catastrophic
damage
○ Timing does not tell the whole story…
■ The mechanical conditions are not fully revealed by the timing test

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Importance of motion measurements (contact

and damping)
● Parameters derived from motion measurements
○ Verifies stroke of interrupter
○ Verifies velocity of interrupter
■ Velocity must be sufficient to extinguish arc
○ Verifies contact wipe so there is ample connection for current flow
○ Verifies proper operation of dashpot
■ Too little damping can cause overtravel and destroy interrupter
■ Overdamping could slow interrupter down in arcing zone
■ Excessive rebound could create re-strike
○ In combination with Dynamic Resistance Measurement (DRM), measures
the arcing contact length
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Importance of motion measurements (contact

and damping)
● Problems revealed with contact motion measurement
○ Incorrect stroke length
○ Wrong close or open velocity
■ Adjustment of or problem with springs, lubrication, pressure, etc.
○ Excessive arcing contact wear
○ Lack of close or open damping
■ Too much overtravel ➜ Risk of mechanical damage
○ Excess of damping
■ Slow speed in the arcing zone ➜ No extinction of the arc
○ Rebounds at open or close
■ Risk of re-striking of arc ➜ explosion of breaker
○ Anomalies in the motion curve shape

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 1

● Dashpot appears to not be working

● Replaced but adjusted in cold weather
● Dashpot overdamping

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 1

• Dashpot failed and needed to be replaced

• Rebound 11.5mm
• Max Rebound should be 5mm

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 1

• Dashpot over-adjusted
• Rebound ok but Stroke is not correct (104mm vs 109mm)

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 1

• Dashpot over-adjusted, Stroke= 104.9mm (Blue)

• Dashpot correctly adjusted, Stroke= 109mm (Yellow)

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 2

● All trip times within spec

● Large overtravel on B-phase
● Excessive velocity on B-phase

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 2

• Trip times all within spec

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 2

• Trip times all within spec

• Large overtravel as well as velocity on B phase

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Importance of motion measurements

Case 2

• How results should actually look

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Importance of motion measurements

(contact and damping)
• Case 1 Over-dampening
– All three phases trip time within specification
– Stroke is short so breaker does not come fully open
– Dashpot dampens too much creating excessive force on interrupter
• Case 2 Dashpot failure
– All three phases trip times within specification
– Difference between phases well within specification
– When motion analyzed large overtravel on phase B discovered
• Both Cases
– Timing results indicate functioning breaker
– Motion measurements reveal serious issues with breaker
• If no motion measured breakers would have failed in service
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Motor Current

 This test applies only to spring drives

 The result analysis considers
• Max motor current:
–Varies with winding resistance, supply voltage and applied force
–Start current not considered
• Motor voltage
– Increased voltage drop indicates increased resistance in the motor supply
cables
• Spring charge motor start time
– Closing time of auxiliary contact for the spring charge motor
• Spring charge motor stop time
– Increased time shows e.g. higher mechanical friction

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Motor Current

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Motor Current

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Conclusion

● CB Testing requires Preparation:

○ Information about breaker
○ Accessories
○ Test Instrument
○ Test Plan
○ Time to connect leads and mount the transducer
● Test result analysis is simple but requires information from
manufacturer
● Do not neglect motion measurements on HVCBs

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Questions?

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