GE

Grid Solutions

CBWatch3
Circuit Breaker Monitoring Solution Mechanical Integrity
• Verifies that mechanism is opening/closing
Utility Asset Managers all know how critical their power transformer are and understand the risks and and any deviation in speed of operation
consequences of failure. Yet there are assets which often turn out to be just as critical: HV circuit breakers.
• Detects performance degradation possibly
When a transformer problem is detected, protection relays and circuit breakers are relied upon to isolate
linked to friction, corrosion or linkage failure
it from the grid and a breaker’s “failure to operate” is not a palatable option.
• Timing compensation for DC voltage and cold
With circuit breaker fleets worldwide averaging >25 years of age and operating budgets diminishing year
temperature to avoid spurious alarms
after year, many Asset Managers are looking not only for a way to move from time based to condition
based maintenance but also for a solution that will provide increased network reliability.
SF6 Gas Levels
Capitalizing on 15 years of CBWatch2 field experience, the CBWatch3 is a compact, modular, online
• Measures pressure and temperature of SF6
monitoring solutions, suitable for any type of high voltage circuit breaker. It records information using
gas (or gas mixture) and calculates density
non-invasive sensors and performs local real time monitoring of operational parameters attached
to key breaker functions. It looks for threshold breaches, warns of any significant change in operating • Detects any gas leaks and predicts when leak
performance and assembles an overall condition assessment of the breaker. will reach critical threshold levels

The CBWatch3 also highlights the need for any mechanical maintenance or arcing contact replacement, • Exposes possible gas liquefaction at low
eliminating yearly testing and fixed interval overhauls and instead enabling a more cost effective and less temperature and avoids false alarms
reactive condition based maintenance approach.

With worldwide scrutiny on SF6 gas usage, increased environmental reporting requirements and even
Contact Wear
possible penalties, precise early detection of small gas leaks is essential. The latest generation of EMC • Records number of interrupting operations
resistant digital gas sensors are used to provide leak tracking down to 0.1% per year and to forecast and for each, measures the current during
refilling needs prior to reaching threshold levels and affecting operation. interruption as well as the arcing time
• Calculates the arc energy (ΣI2T) and resulting
Key Benefits cumulative electrical contact wear/erosion
• Compact and modular solution adaptable to any circuit breaker type
• Delivers reduced and optimized operating maintenance costs Control Electronics
• Enables health/condition based asset replacement strategy • Monitors integrity of all trip/close coils
• Help reduce costly SF6 gas losses into the environment
• Seamless integration into digital control systems and easy web server interface • Can also check control circuit continuity and
• GE as single vendor to monitor all key substation assets DC supplies availability
• Uses temperature sensors to check for proper
Applications operation of the cabinet heating system

CBWatch3 is a universal and compact device suitable for any kind of

HV circuit breaker: ganged or independent pole, GCB, GIS, live or dead
Stored Energy System
tank. It can usually be directly mounted on a DIN® rail inside the control • Looks at time taken by the motor to rearm the
cabinet for easy wiring, minimum disturbance and painless retrofit. stored energy system

Its modular approach makes this platform suitable for all circuit • Monitors the current used by the motor for
breakers, large and small, which are critical to the grid or are old and change in profile
have had a prior history of issues.

g imagination at work
 100 mm (3.9") 54 mm (2.1") 54 mm (2.1") 54 mm (2.1") 54 mm (2.1")

130 mm (5.1")
Base Module 16 Digital Inputs 8 Analog Inputs 8 Temp Inputs 16 Digital Outputs

Modularity to match your needs

All substations and circuit breakers in your network are not equal in terms of criticality, so Asset Managers often want to step up the monitoring of the critical
ones and focus on just the essentials for the less important ones. The modular design of the CBWatch3 allows you to do just that, having different specifications
for different types of breakers while keeping the same equipment supplier, the same hardware platform and the same software interface.

Adding optional modules is easy to do thanks to the small size of the modules and to the bus architecture of the product. This can even be done in stages as
part of a later upgrade program. Here are the available functional options:

BASE MONITORING SF6 GAS TEMPERATURE

Functions: Functions: Functions:
• Central processing and storage of data • Gas pressure, temperature and density • Ambient temperature sensor
• Web server interface • Gas pressure at nominal 20°C • Control cabinet temperature
• Modbus® over Ethernet communication protocol • Short and long term gas leak rate • Motor cabinet temperature
• DNP3 or IEC® 61850 protocols (Optional) • Warning that gas refill is needed
• Multi-mode fibre optic output with LC connector Required:
• Warning before reach low gas thresholds
• Copper RJ45 output (Optional) • Over pressure warning • 8 Temperature Input Module
• 1PPS or PTP (IEC 1588) time synchronisation • Gas liquefaction warning • PT100 temperature sensors
• COMTRADE event recording file format
Required: ADDITIONAL SENSORS
Required: • Base Module Functions:
• Base Module • SF6 gas digital sensor per gas tank
• 85-264Vac/90-330Vdc to 24V power supply • Up to 4x monitored analogue inputs
COIL INTEGRITY • Alarms on minimum and maximum thresholds
MECHANICAL INTEGRITY
Functions: Required:
Functions:
• Integrity of all trip/close coils by measuring current going • Any other sensor with 4-20 mA output
• Status of auxiliary contacts
through the coils
• Number of open/close operations ALARM RELAY
• Command circuit continuity (Optional)
• Reaction time T1 (“Order” to “Begin to open/close”)
• Presence and drop of DC voltage (Optional) Functions:
• Operation time T2 (“Order” to “Fully open/close”)
• Travel time T2-T1 (“Begin” to “Fully” open/close) • Up to 16x user configurable alarms
Required:
• Pole mismatch detection • Connection to SCADA using dry contact relays
• 8 Analogue Input Module
Required: • Analogue CT around trip/close command lines Required:
• 16 Digital Input Module • TCW circuit continuity checker (Optional) • 16 Digital Output Module
• Digital CT around trip/close command lines • DC voltage checker (Optional) • Dry contact relays (6A@250Vac, 0.3A@200Vdc)
• Connection to 52A/52B auxiliary contacts STORED ENERGY
• Travel encoder (If fitted to breaker - not mandatory)
Functions:
CONTACT WEAR • Current of motor reloading the stored energy (rewinding
Functions: spring or building hydraulic pressure)
• Hydraulic pressure (if suitable sensor present)
• Arcing time duration
• Cumulative ΣI2T contact wear Required:
• Percent arcing contact life used • 8 Analogue Input Module
Required: • AC current transducer
• Analogue CT around motor power cord
• 8 Analogue Input Module • Hydraulic pressure sensor with 4-20 mA output
• Analogue CT around primary HV line load CT
Grid Solutions
Lissue Industrial Estate East
Unit 1, 7 Lissue Walk
Lisburn BT28 2LU
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 2892 622915

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