CIRED 2021 Conference 20 – 23 September 2021

Paper 0527

Load-break switch with vacuum interrupter (VI) in

auxiliary-path
Daniel Pesch1*, Martin Schaak1, Dominik Becht1, Stefan Hohmann1, Kristian Ermeler2
1
SIEMENS AG R&D GIS, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2
SIEMENS AG R&D GIS, Berlin, Germany
*daniel.pesch@siemens.com

Keywords: SF6-FREE, LOAD-BREAK SWITCH, VACUUM INTERRUPTER, CLEAN AIR, F-GAS FREE

Abstract
This paper presents a fluorinated (F-)gas free Medium Voltage (MV) load-break switch using a specific vacuum-interrupter
technology and Clean Air as insulating medium. Clean Air is an SF6 alternative based on natural origin gases (components of
ambient air, e.g. N2, CO2 and O2). It describes the structure and functionality as well as special qualification tests performed
during the development process of this load-break switch (LBS) with a „vacuum interrupter in the auxiliary-path“. It gives a
closer insight to the advantages, opportunities, challenges and life-time experiences of this device.

1 Introduction The arc quenching function of a LBS is only needed for a

For Medium Voltage (MV) switch-disconnectors, SF6 is
commonly used for load-breaking due to its excellent
dielectric insulation and arc quenching properties.
However, SF6 has a greenhouse effect if released to the
atmosphere and therefore a future regulation for SF6
application in electrical equipment is likely. Intensive
research for SF6 alternatives has been started by MV
switchgear manufacturers many years ago.
few milliseconds during breaking. It is realized with a
small vacuum interrupter in the auxiliary-path, which does
not carry continuous or short-circuit currents. Making of
the main circuit and making of the earthing circuit is
performed by a three-position contact blade system.
2 Functional Principle
2.1 Load-break switch

Siemens developed a completely fluorinated (F-)gas free Fig. 1 shows the load-break switch in a schematic diagram.
load-break switch (LBS), which is an important It indicates a busbar contact (1), which is connected with
contribution for its F-gas free product portfolio. This three- the busbar of the switchgear. At the right-hand side to the
position LBS (see Fig. 1) combines a make-proof switch- busbar contact is a sliding contact, the so-called auxiliary
disconnector, a make-proof earthing switch and a vacuum contact (2). Both contacts form the auxiliary-path, to
interrupter in a parallel current path (called “auxiliary- which a vacuum interrupter (3) is attached. The cable
path”) for arc extinguishing, which are all actuated by a feeder contact (4) is also part of the circuit of the switch,
single operating mechanism. which transmits the current to the switchgear’s cable
feeder connectors. An earthing contact (5) is connected to
1 3 the ground busbar via the compartment housing.
5
Fig. 2 shows the three switching positions, which will be
2 selectable by a pair of switching blades (6). The switching
position ON transmits the current from the busbar to the
6 cable feeder or vice versa which is therefore called the
“main-path”. In switch position OFF the current flow is
interrupted and the disconnecting function is fulfilled.
Hereby a safe isolating distance is provided by a gas-
4 insulated contact gap and not across the vacuum
interrupter. The switch position EARTH safely grounds
the cable feeder.
Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the three-position load-break
switch in OFF position

Authorized licensed use limited to: ABB - Poland. Downloaded on March 15,2022 at 14:49:19 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 CIRED 2021 Conference
ON OFF EARTH
Fig. 2 The three-position LBS switching states ON, OFF
and EARTH
Current interruption during a breaking operation is
performed by a compact vacuum interrupter, which is
stressed by current only for a short time during a breaking
operation. In switching position ON the vacuum
interrupter and the auxiliary path are not active and no
current flows through this path. When the switch gets the
OFF command, the current commutates via the moving
switching blades from the busbar contact to the auxiliary-
contact and will so be redirected from the main-path to the
auxiliary-path. When the blades have reached a sufficient
dielectric distance to the busbar contact, the vacuum
interrupter opens and breaks the current. During the short
time, which is needed for the current breaking, the
switching blades still slide across the auxiliary-contact and
prevent any arcing in the gas compartment. The blades
move further, leaving the auxiliary-contact currentless and
reaching the OFF position.
During a making operation a simple kinematic lever
system keeps the contacts of the vacuum interrupter open.
The making operation is performed by the main contact
system, the switching blades and the busbar contact. This
is beneficial for the vacuum interrupter because it does not
need capability for making currents up to the short circuit
current. In general, short-circuit currents will only be
carried by the elements of the main path. This leads to an
economic solution and reduces the effort in design of the
auxiliary path and vacuum interrupter [1].
2.2 Operation concept
Fig. 3 Switchgear front view illustrating the operation
interface for the LBS
The individual switching positions (see Fig. 3) of the LBS
are kinematically operated via a single, gas-tight rotary
Authorized licensed use limited to: ABB - Poland. Downloaded on March 15,2022 at 14:49:19 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
20 – 23 September 2021
Paper 0527
shaft. Just one rotary operation is needed to switch OFF
and safely disconnect. For safe operation, two operating
shafts, one for the OFF-ON operation and the other one for
the OFF-EARTH operation, are realized. This operating
concept is todays main standard for load-break switches in
ring-main feeders.
3 Requirements
3.1 Requirements for the switch´s design and function
Due to the outstanding insulating properties of SF6,
compact designs of load-break switches could be realized
for decades. Compactness as a clear requirement is also the
basis for the new development of the F-gas free three-
position load-break switch, so that the actual dimensions
of the complete switchgear could be kept the same as the
existing SF6 product. Furthermore, all requirements remain
the same regarding the LBS’ overall switching
performance. This includes the full short-circuit
performance in the positions "ON" and "EARTH".
3.2 Requirements for the vacuum interrupter
Requirements for the vacuum interrupter are primarily
driven by the interruption of rated currents for a high
number of switching operations. Because of its location in
the auxiliary path, the vacuum interrupter has to carry the
rated breaking current only for the short time which is
needed for current interruption (< 20 milliseconds).
Without the requirement to carry and make continuous
currents as well as short-circuit currents, a vacuum
interrupter can be designed even more compact and cost
efficient. A further advantage is that the high contact
forces for the vacuum interrupter and its related
mechanism as for a conventional circuit breaker are not
necessary.
Requirements summary for vacuum interrupter:
x Breaking of currents up to and including the rated
load current, the rated transfer and take-over current
for switch-fuse combinations
x Mechanical endurance class M1
x Handle the pressure inside in the gas-insulated vessel
as well as temperatures during service
x Capacitive switching sequence class C2
x Electrical endurance class E3
Not required:
x Carrying and making of currents up to the rated
short-circuit current and breaking short-circuit
currents
4 Qualification tests
4.1 Normative qualification tests acc. IEC 62271-1 /-200 /-
102 /-103 and -105
 CIRED 2021 Conference 20 – 23 September 2021

Paper 0527

The LBS has been qualified according to applicable

standards for medium-voltage load-break and earthing
switches acc. the international standards IEC 62271 series.
This includes among others:

a) dielectric tests (lightning impulse withstand tests,

power-frequency voltage withstand tests and partial
discharge tests) for rated voltages 12 kV and 24 kV
b) temperature rise tests with currents up to 630 A
c) peak current tests with 52.5 kA and short-time withstand
tests with 21 kA
d) mechanical operation and endurance tests with 1000/
1000 mechanical operations for the load-break switch
(class M1) and earthing switch (class M0) Fig. 4 Test setup for vibration test of a blue GIS
e) switching performance tests for qualification as a switchgear with the new LBS at IABG Space Centre
general-purpose switch (load and closed loop currents, Munich
capacitive currents, earth fault currents)
f) switching performance tests for short-circuit making for Beside using a LBS for a ring-cable function, it is usually
„ON“ and „EARTH” position (for details see Table 1) also applied in transformer panels in a switch-fuse
g) switching performance tests with transfer and take-over combination. This is very well-suited for the protection of
currents up to 1300 A distribution transformers and represents a widely used,
efficient alternative to circuit-breaker panels. In this
Table 1 Tests acc. IEC 62271-103 and IEC 62271-102 combination the load-break switch performs the load-
breaking and the HH-fuse, connected in series, handles the
No. of short-circuit and overload protection.
Test duty Test voltage Test current operations
(class E3) Switching of transformers with vacuum interrupters may
TDload2 24 kV 630 A 100 result in transient overvoltages due to current chopping.
TDload1 24 kV 31.5 A 20 These overvoltages must be controlled in the LBS. Its
TDloop 4.8 kV 630 A 20 voltage level depends on miscellaneous influencing
TDcc2 24 kV 16 A 10 factors. Major influences are based on the transformer
inductivity L and the length of the connection cable
TDcc1 24 kV 2A 10
between switchgear and transformer. For the verification
TDlc 24 kV 2A 10
of the LBS’ switching performance the test circuit in Fig. 5
TDef1 24 kV 48 A 10
was developed.
TDef2 24 kV 27.7 A 10
5 making
TDma ON 24 kV 52.5 kA
operations
5 making
TDma
24 kV 52.5 kA operations
EARTH
(class E2)

4.2 Additional qualification- and non-normative tests

Supplementary tests were performed to prove the
mechanical resilience of the LBS against vibration and
shock. These tests qualified the switch with mechanical
oscillations in all three axes x, y, z and up to 10 times
gravity acceleration. The tests were carried out acc.
specific normative references:
x Vibration tests according IEC 60271 class 2M2
(30 minutes)
x Vibration tests according IEC 60271 class 2M3
(15 minutes)
x Half sine-wave shock tests according
ETSI EN 300 019-2-2, T2.3
(600 shocks, up to 10 g´s)
Fig. 5 Single-line diagram of the test circuit for trans-
former switching tests
To get a broad and trusted overview of the LBS’ switching
performance, many different values of transformer power
were investigated. Test objects for the investigations
ranged from 200 kVA to 500 kVA. From earlier tests it is
known that transformers with higher rated power are less
critical regarding the transient overvoltage due to their
lower inductivity L. At lower rated power transformers
below 200 kVA the energy in the transformer inductivity
for the corresponding rated current is not sufficient to
cause high transient overvoltages which affect the
switchgear’s dielectric withstand capability. Therefore, it
was decided to perform tests in the range of 200 kVA to
500 kVA. The type and length of the connection cable

Authorized licensed use limited to: ABB - Poland. Downloaded on March 15,2022 at 14:49:19 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 CIRED 2021 Conference 20 – 23 September 2021

Paper 0527

between switchgear and transformer was chosen as a usual

length for connecting a ring main unit installed in a
prefabricated substation.

Fig. 6 presents an example of the results for the switching

overvoltage as phase to earth values for a 500 kVA
transformer at 24 kV and 14.5 A. It is shown, that the
overvoltages never exceed the BIL-level of the IEC
standard which is valid for the qualification of the
switchgear (see dashed horizontal red line in Fig. 6).

Fig. 7 Concentrations in ambient air expressed as

percentage of the Occupational Exposure Limits(8h
OELs). Used gas released into a 30 m³ switchgear room
[2]
Fig. 6 Overvoltage phase to earth for switching of a
500 kVA transformer at 24 kV and 14.5 A Table 2 Substances’ Occupational Exposure Limits (8h
OELs) of the analyzed gas [3]
Switching tests with unloaded transformers were also
conducted. Those operations are less critical creating Gas 8h OEL/ppm
overvoltages because of the low energy of the carbon monoxide CO 30
transformer’s no-load current. nitrogen monoxide NO 2
nitrogen dioxide NO2 0.5
4.3 Decomposition products nitrous oxide N2O 100

Following the switching performance tests mentioned in 4.4 Material tests

chapter 4.1 (see Table 1) possible decomposition products
in the Clean Air insulating gas were analyzed by means of
Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR)
in former investigations [2]. The switching tests from these
investigations were performed with the new LBS
presented in this paper. Hereby, concentrations of carbon
monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) have been
detected in the gas samples after the switching tests [2]. To
evaluate the environmental, health and safety (EHS) risks
it is assumed, that the whole gas content of the vessel
containing the LBS streams out into a switchgear room of
30 m³ without air circulation, representing an accidental
full release of gas. The results in Fig. 7 show the
maximum concentration of substances as a percentage of
the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL). The OEL
determines the acceptable concentration of substances in
air for a workplace used for 8 hours. The figure shows,
that all substances are far below its limits (Table 2). The
100% value represents the OEL limits of the various
substances. So, e.g. the highest observed concentration of
hazardous CO reached 17% of carbon monoxide’s OEL
and the highest nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration was
detected being 31% of its respective OEL.
Procedures and techniques to evaluate the compatibility of
materials with gases used in switchgear have been
developed decades ago and have proven their validity
when applied to SF6-insulated switchgear. Although the
components of the Clean Air gas mixture are well
researched, the question of material compatibility arises
from scratch. Therefore, in order to detect changes in both
gas and solid material properties due to chemical reactions,
as well as electrical and thermal stress, the following
qualification sequence was developed and conducted in
cooperation with Technische Universität Darmstadt,
Germany:
• Literature research and risk analysis of solid material-
gas combinations
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of gas
compositions and their reaction products after
applying electrical and thermal stress
• Long-term solid material aging in gas under
temperature (see Fig. 8)
• Long-term electrical tests of switchgears with
additional solid material samples

The results of these compatibility tests were considered for

the design of the LBS.

Authorized licensed use limited to: ABB - Poland. Downloaded on March 15,2022 at 14:49:19 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 CIRED 2021 Conference
Fig. 8 Autoclave for the solid material tests at Technische
Universität Darmstadt, Germany
5 Life-time experience
The LBS with a “vacuum interrupter in the auxiliary-path”
finds itself already in real power grid operation which are
installed as pilot projects since 2019. Table 3 gives a
selection of some pilot installations at customer site.
Table 3 Overview of installed pilots with the new LBS
with VI in auxiliary-path
Customer/Application Country
BKK Nett AS Norway
SNB-Stromnetz Berlin Germany
Rhein Energy Germany
Mainsite GmbH Germany
Netze BW Germany
Additional pilots are e.g. installed to supply building
infrastructure in the Netherlands and distribution networks
in New Zealand.
Fig. 9 Substation with a blue GIS 24 kV ring-main unit
during real-life testing (Netze BW 2020)
Fig 9 shows a sub-station in Kreuztal in Oberallgäu/
Germany, a pilot installation in a real power grid. The
heart of the station is a blue GIS 24 kV ring main unit. It
combines the F-gas free insulating medium Clean Air, a
mixture of natural-origin gases, with proven and reliable
vacuum technology applied in the new LBS. Meaning no
fluorine-based gas or artificial gas mixtures are used. The
station is connected to the network control center of the
local utility Netze BW via an integrated remote terminal
unit (RTU) and a satellite modem. This allows the station
Authorized licensed use limited to: ABB - Poland. Downloaded on March 15,2022 at 14:49:19 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
20 – 23 September 2021
Paper 0527
to be reliably monitored, controlled and operated from the
central control center.
6 Conclusion
The paper gives a good overview of the functional
principle, requirements, performed tests and network
experiences of the new load-break switch (LBS) using
Clean Air and vacuum technology developed by Siemens.
The advantage of this system is the integrated isolating
distance, which is fulfilled in compliance with the
applicable standards. The vacuum interrupter (VI), applied
in this LBS, is capable to break usual load currents (e.g. up
to 630 A) as well as and transfer currents and take-over
currents up to 1300 A in switch-fuse combinations. The VI
neither carries nor makes continuous currents as well as
short-circuit currents. The making operations are handled
by the main contacts of the combined make-proof
disconnector and make-proof earthing switch. The LBS
presented in this paper allows to boost switching
performance above the IEC standard values. This
significantly increases the switchgear’s electrical service
life and paves the way for the connection of larger
transformers needed for the increasing energy demand on
the consumer side in the future. Due to the electrical
characteristics mentioned in this paper, an optimized VI
allows a very compact LBS design. Thus, its overall space
requirements within a switchgear are low. The operation of
the LBS is the same as known from already existing SF6
load-break switchgear. The mechanism establishes the
well-known three positions ON, OFF and EARTH. The
great advantage is, that no arcing occurs in the insulating
gas because interrupting and arc quenching takes place
within a sealed VI. This brings advantages in terms of
negligible insulating gas’ decomposition and thus no
material incompatibilities of solid insulation parts inside
the sealed vessel. At the end of life, the gas can be released
into the atmosphere without any risks for personnel or
environment.
7 References
[1] Schaak, M., Ermeler, K., Bendig, M., Krampert, T.:
’Comparison of SF6-Free Load-break switching
principles’, CIRED 25th International Conference on
Electricity Distribution, Madrid, Spain, June 2019,
Paper 0340
[2] Kalter, A., Esser-Rank, K., Kessler, F., Milnikel, H.,
Pesch, D., Pohle, R.: ‘Decomposition of SF6-free gas
mixtures by energy impacts’, CIRED 25th International
Conference on Electricity Distribution, Madrid, Spain,
June 2019, Paper 1909
[3] German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health - Ausschuss für Gefahrstoffe – (AGS): TRGS 900
“Arbeitsplatzgrenzwerte” (edition June 6, 2018) BArBl
Heft 1/2006 S. 41-55, Retrieved January 14, 2019, from
https://www.baua.de/DE/Angebote/Rechtstexte-und-
Technische-Regeln/Regelwerk/TRGS/pdf/TRGS-900.pdf