HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCHES

Disconnect Switches
Source: Electric power substations engineering / edited by John D. McDonald

A disconnect switch is a mechanical device used to change connections within a circuit or isolate a circuit
from its power source, and is normally used to provide isolation of the substation equipment for
maintenance. Typically a disconnect switch would be installed on each side of a piece of equipment to
provide a visible confirmation that the power conductors have been opened for personnel safety. Once
the switches are placed in the open position, safety grounds can be attached to the de-energized
equipment for worker protection. Switches can be equipped with grounding blades to perform the
safety grounding function.

Disconnect switches are designed to continuously carry load currents and momentarily carry short-
circuit currents for a specified duration (typically specified in seconds). They are designed for no-load
switching, or opening/closing circuits where negligible currents are made/interrupted. (Video link: Arc
formation during the opening of a switch. https://youtu.be/VrY_k_pdlCs) They are relatively slow-speed
operating devices and therefore are not designed for arc interruption. Disconnect switches are also
installed to bypass breakers or other equipment for maintenance and can also be used for bus
sectionalizing. Interlocking equipment is available to prevent inadvertent operating sequence by
inhibiting operation of the disconnect switch operation until the fault and/or load currents have been
interrupted by circuit breakers or load break switches.

Load Break Switches

Terminology:
Making a current = closing the contacts to let the current pass through
Breaking a current = opening the contacts to interrupt the current

A load break switch is a disconnect switch that has been designed to provide making or breaking of
normal load currents. This is accomplished by addition of equipment that increases the operating speed
of the disconnect switch blade and the addition of some type of equipment to alter the arcing
phenomena and allow the safe interruption of the arc resulting when switching load currents.

Circuit Breakers
A circuit breaker is a mechanical switching device capable of making, carrying and breaking normal load
currents and also short circuit currents. Circuit breakers are generally classified according to the
interrupting medium used to cool and elongate the electrical arc permitting interruption. The types are:

• Air magnetic • Oil • Air blast • Vacuum • SF6 gas

Air magnetic circuit breakers are limited to older switchgear and have generally been replaced by
vacuum or SF6 for switchgear applications. Vacuum is used for switchgear applications and some
outdoor breakers, generally 38 kV class and below. Air blast breakers, used for high voltages (≥765 kV),
are no longer manufactured and have been replaced by breakers using SF6 technology. Oil circuit
breakers have been widely used in the utility industry in the past but have been replaced

by other breaker technologies for newer installations.

Vacuum Interrupters
Source: http://www.mitsubishielectric.com/bu/powersystems/products/switchgear/pdf/11.pdf

A vacuum interrupter (vacuum circuit breaker) consists of a ceramic insulator and two flanges, arc-
shield, bellows, movable and fixed terminals, and two contacts. (See figure below.) An ultrahigh vacuum
is maintained inside the vacuum insulator. Contacts are closed and opened by the motion of a movable
terminal, which is connected to the operating mechanism. The bellows enable the movable terminal to
move while still maintaining the vacuum. When the contacts are closed, a current flows through the
fixed terminal and the movable terminal. When the contacts separate, the current is cut off. An arc-
shield protects the ceramic insulator from losing its dielectric properties due to the metal vapor which is
produced by the contacts during interruption. These parts are brazed together in an ultrahigh vacuum
furnace.

The materials of vacuum interrupter parts are carefully selected to enable excellent electrical
characteristics and long life. All the vacuum interrupter's parts are made of gas-free materials. The
insulator is made with a high percentage of alumina containing ceramics.
fixed conductor, arc shield, movable conductor, bellows shield, fixed erminal, flange, fixed contact,
movable contact, insulator, bellows, movable terminal

The Interruption of Vacuum

When the contacts separate, an arc appears between the contacts and is maintained until the next point
where current becomes zero. This arc melts the contact material and results in metal vapor. If the arc
remains stationary at one point, too much metal vapor is produced due to the local overheating of
contacts. As a result, the interruption capacity decreases. Therefore, it is very important to prevent local
overheating.

When the current is small and the contact is large enough, the arc will spread by itself, and the
interruption is completed successfully. However, if the current is increased, the arc tends to contract
and remains stationary at a certain point. A constricted arc that remain on one spot for
too long can over-stress the contacts thermally. In this case an excessive
amount of ions are generated in the medium and deionization of the contact
zone at current zero can no longer be guaranteed. To overcome this problem
the arc root must be made to move over the contact surface. In order to achieve
this, contacts are so shaped that the current flow through them results in a
magnetic field being established which is at right angles to the arc axis. This
radial field causes the arc root to rotate rapidly around the contact resulting in a
uniform distribution of the heat over its surface. Contacts of this type are called
radial magnetic field electrodes and they are used in the majority of circuit
breakers for medium voltage application.

Another type of vacuum interrupters have the so-called “axial magnetic field
electrodes”. In these interrupters, the arc is subject to an axial magnetic field
which is provided by leading the arc current through a coil suitably arranged
outside the vacuum chamber. This principle has advantages when the short
circuit current is in excess of 31.5 KA.
In the case of spiral contacts, an arc between the contacts rotates along the circuit of contact by the
radial magnetic force, which was generated by the current flow along the spiral contact.

Source: http://slideplayer.us/slide/4956/
Source: https://www.toshiba.com/tic/industrial/components/vacuum-circuit-breakers

First vacuum interrupter made in Turkey

http://www.batel.com.tr

SF6 Circuit-Breakers
In an SF6 circuit-breaker, the current continues to flow after contact separation through the arc whose
plasma consists of ionized SF6 gas. For, as long as it is burning, the arc is subjected to a constant flow of
gas which extracts heat from it. The arc is extinguished at a current zero, when the heat is extracted by
the falling current. The continuing flow of gas finally de-ionises the contact gap and establishes the
dielectric strength required to prevent a re-strike.

Videos Links
1. IEC 61439 - Short-circuit withstand tests

http://youtu.be/qu-ssfQRRJg

2. Disconnect Switch Videos:

https://youtu.be/tZI5pqn3Lgw?t=78

https://youtu.be/n-XBXiIlLEI

https://youtu.be/vqgNrj6oEdc

https://youtu.be/2XSHsFGE6XQ

https://youtu.be/IG7PQOQEFmg

https://youtu.be/4ECHjWDfUJM

https://youtu.be/cn5mJd2LW1A

https://youtu.be/qI0hdmnc_kA

https://youtu.be/-oBPUUO3Iyo

https://youtu.be/PdiJWQmSi0k

https://youtu.be/MqICjzh-cgQ

Arc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lis6crVUYVw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8guKjgitGc

Circuit Breaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e29WTU8U14