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Lightning-Related Failures of Dead-Tank Circuit Breakers Rated 72.5kV: Failure

Modes, Associated Damage and Means of Suppression

Conference Paper · April 2016

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 Lightning-Related Failures of Dead-Tank Circuit Breakers Rated 72.5kV: Failure
Modes, Associated Damage and Means of Suppression
Victor F. Hermosillo
GE Grid Solutions
High-Voltage Dead-Tank Circuit Breakers
1 Power Lane, Charleroi, PA 15022, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT

Lightning-related events constitute a significant cause of field failures of SF6 gas-insulated circuit breakers
installed in networks operating at a maximum rated voltage of 72.5 kV. The cloud to ground lightning
discharge and its coupling mechanism to an overhead transmission line are described. The resulting
lightning impulse voltages and currents are characterized in the context of a transmission line circuit
breaker. Resulting overvoltages are compared to the withstand characteristics of the breaker insulation
system. This is followed by a review of typical failure modes and associated damage to the equipment.
Statistics are presented for a large population of dead-tank circuit breakers. The effect of operational
practices is discussed. Available means of surge suppression are described.

THE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING DISCHARGE

The charge configuration in a cloud is tri-polar. A typical thundercloud has a lower charge volume of +5
Coulomb, a middle charge volume of -20 Coulomb and an upper charge volume of +20 Coulomb, see
Figure 1. Most cloud to ground lightning discharges transport negative charge to ground. In average, 90%
of cloud to ground lightning strikes are negative and 10% are positive. The reason for this is the proximity
of the middle charge volume to ground, the smaller amount of charge of the lower volume and the
shielding effect of the negative middle charge on the positive upper charge volume.

Typical Charge Configuration of a Cloud

Figure 1

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A cloud to ground lightning discharge consists of several stages, refer to Figure 2. The first stage involves
the propagation of a stepped-leader discharge. There are downward leaders from the cloud towards
ground, upward leaders initiated from tall structures in the ground or a combination of both. The stepped-
leader creates a tortuous path as it propagates towards the earth; it moves in steps of about 50 meters
and creates branches. The current in the first leader is in the range of 100 A and its propagation speed is
8
about 10 m/s. As the leader bridges the distance between the charge volume and the ground (typically
3000 m) it establishes a conductive path between the cloud and earth. This stage is followed by a return
stroke which involves the transfer of charge from the cloud to ground. A typical first return stroke transfers
-5 Coulomb of charge to ground. Each return stroke is associated with the injection of current at ground
level. A new leader develops after the first return stroke; it is called a dart leader which propagates at
9
faster speeds of 10 m/s along an ionized path. After the dart leader, a second return stroke develops. A
typical second and subsequent return strokes transfer -1 Coulomb of charge to ground. The associated
injected current magnitude is lower than the value reached by the first return stroke but it has faster rise-
time and decay-time. The interval between current injections is in the range of 30 to 50 ms.

Phases of a Cloud to Ground Discharge

Figure 2

LIGHTNING PARAMETERS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS

Lightning current parameters have been measured by Berger, Popolanski and Anderson [1]. Negative
return strokes are more frequent (90%) than positive return strokes (10%). Injected current magnitudes
are higher for positive return strokes than for negative return strokes. In general, injected current
magnitudes are higher for first return stroke (50% value of 30 kA) compared to subsequent return strokes
(50% value of 10 kA). Refer to the probability distributions of stroke current magnitude in Figure 3.
Subsequent return strokes have shorter rise-times (50% value of 0.8 s) than first return strokes (50%
value of 6 s). Probability distributions of lightning current rise-times are included in Figure 4.

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Probability distribution of (1) negative first return stroke, (2) negative subsequent return
stroke, (3) positive return stroke current magnitudes. (adapted from [1])
Figure 3

Probability distribution of (1) negative first return stroke and (2) negative subsequent
return stroke current rise-times. (adapted from [1])
Figure 4

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The lightning impulse voltage has been idealized into a shape with a time to peak of 1.2 s and a time to
half-peak value in the tail of 50 s. It is represented mathematically by a double exponential function. This
shape is taken from a combination of characteristics of first and subsequent return strokes. The rise-time
is close to the 50% value of negative subsequent return strokes and the time to half-peak value is taken
from the 50% value of negative first return strokes. A full-wave lightning impulse is shown in Figure 5.

Idealized lightning impulse voltage T1/T2 = 1.2/50 s. (adapted from [2])
Figure 5

Often, the lightning impulse leads to line insulation breakdown. This condition is represented by a
chopped impulse wave. IEEE standards prescribe dielectric tests with both full-wave and chopped wave
impulses. Previous versions of IEEE C37.06 required testing with impulses chopped at 2 and 3 s. The
current requirement is only for 2 s chopped wave, see Figure 6.

Chopped lightning impulse voltage T1 = 1.2 s, Tchop = 2.0 s. (adapted from [2])
Figure 6

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INSULATION COORDINATION OF A 72.5 kV DEAD-TANK CIRCUIT BREAKER

The DT1-72.5 F1 40 is an SF6-insulated, gang-operated, dead-tank circuit breaker rated 72.5 kV, 40kA,
3000 A, 60 Hz. It is operated by a spring-spring mechanism type FK 3-1. A photograph of the breaker is
included in Figure 7.

DT1-72.5 F1 40 dead-tank circuit breaker.

Figure 7

The dielectric tests performed on the DT1-72.5 are those prescribed by IEEE C37.06 [3] and C37.09 [4]
as indicated in Table 1. In addition, BIL tests have been performed at 400 kV and the AC withstand of the
breaker has been tested at 1 atm absolute SF6 pressure for ten minutes.

Table 1
Dielectric Tests Performed on DT1-72.5

Test Description Tested Value

1-minute AC dry withstand 160 kV
10-second AC wet withstand 140 kV
0 psig 10-minute AC dry withstand 63 kV
Basic Impulse Level (BIL) 350 kVp
Basic Impulse Level (BIL) 400 kVp
2 s chopped impulse wave 452 kVp

The external insulation coordination of the DT1-72.5 dead-tank circuit breaker is such that the lowest
dielectric withstand occurs line-to-ground on each bushing. Therefore, the breaker layout and dimensions
are such that the smallest strike distance in air is the bushing strike distance (636 mm), followed by the

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strike distance phase-to-phase (748 mm) between adjacent poles, followed by the strike distance across
terminals on each pole (813 mm). These dimensions are shown in Figure 8. The ratio of the bushing
strike distance to the phase to phase distance is 1.18 and the ratio of the bushing strike distance to the
terminal to terminal distance is 1.28.

Coordination of the DT1-72.5 circuit breaker external insulation.

Figure 8

Voltage versus time (V-t) impulse characteristics for the DT1-72.5 circuit breaker under lightning impulse
voltages are shown in Figure 9. Solid curves represent the V-t characteristics for the external air
insulation between the HV terminal and ground on each bushing, between adjacent poles and terminal to
terminal across the open circuit breaker. The associated strike distances in air are depicted in Figure 8.
Dashed curves represent the V-t characteristics of the internal SF6 insulation between the interrupter and
the tank and across the gap between the open contacts. Horizontal dashed lines in black represent the
BIL of 350 kV and the 2 s chopped wave level of 452 kV for a breaker rated 72.5 kV. Note that the V-t
curves for the SF6 insulation are relatively flat for time values higher than 6 s. The withstand voltage
increases by about 20% as the time to peak of the impulse voltage drops from 6 to 1 s. In contrast, the
withstand voltage of air gaps varies drastically between 1 and 14 s and approaches the BIL level for
longer times.

V-t characteristics are important to understand the behavior of SF6-insulated circuit breakers during
lightning events. The graphs presented exhibit crossovers between the dielectric withstand of air and SF6
insulation. For rise-times longer than 7 s, the external insulation between phase and ground has a lower
withstand than the circuit breaker internal insulation. The drastic increase in withstand of air for very short
duration voltage impulses creates a cross-over point. Consequently, for times below 7 s the phase to
ground withstand of the bushings is higher than both the interrupter to tank in SF6 and, below 4 s, higher
than the SF6 open gap withstand.

The main reasons for the increase of air withstand under impulse voltages are the formative time delay
for the discharge, the associated distances and the speed of propagation of the discharge in this medium.
The formative time delay is associated with the creation of positive ions around the negative electrode
that reduce its potential and the dissipation time of those charges. The speed of propagation of a
discharge in air is such that the discharge is arrested and can only bridge a fraction of the arcing distance
if the duration of the voltage is less than a few microseconds for strike distance in the range of circuit
breaker design dimensions at 72.5kV (600-800 mm).
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 Voltage-time characteristics and insulation coordination of a DT1-72.5 circuit breaker.
Figure 9

FAILURE MODES OF A 72.5 kV CIRCUIT BREAKER DURING A LIGHTNING EVENT

Overhead transmission lines represent large targets for cloud to ground discharges. Statistical data maps
are available that show the average number of lightning discharges to ground per square unit area per
year. From these, expected number of direct lightning strikes to the transmission line per unit length can
be estimated by considering the line width, height and the attraction radius. The attraction radius is
affected by the ground slope, the transmission tower height and the lightning current. The result is a total
target area represented by the line that can be translated to and expected number of lightning strikes per
year.

Most 72.5 kV overhead transmission lines do not have shield wires. Most direct lightning strikes will
therefore inject current into the line phase conductors. The strike point may be at mid-span or directly to a
line pole. The current injected by each return stoke will split in two opposite directions along the line. The
current impulse injected into a transmission line will generate an associated voltage impulse. The ratio of
the voltage impulse to the current impulse is the surge impedance of the line (typically 350 to 450 ). As
discussed in a prior section, the first return stroke will have the highest current magnitude compared to
subsequent return strokes. It will usually cause a breakdown on the nearest transmission line insulator.
The resulting impulse voltage will be a chopped wave that will propagate towards both ends of the
transmission line. The line insulation acts to suppress the maximum value of the lightning impulse
voltage. Nevertheless, the line insulation exhibits a similar V-T characteristic typical of air insulation and
similar to the breaker external insulation. Subsequent current injections and corresponding impulse
voltages will have magnitudes of 30% or below compared to the first current injection.

As the voltage impulse travels through the line, its shape will be altered. If the lightning current was
injected on one phase, mutual coupling between phases will create voltage surges on the unfaulted
phases. Propagation simulations are made using modal components, in which the voltage surge is
decomposed in two aerial modes and a ground mode. The effects of propagation in a lossy transmission
line include an increase in the rise-time and a decrease in magnitude of the voltage surge. In addition, the

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surge will generate charges around the conductor that will suppress the voltage magnitude further. In
general, the most severe conditions arise when the strike point on the line is closer to the breaker
terminals.

It is important to consider the timeline of the different stages of the lightning discharge compared to the
timeline of the circuit breaker opening operation, refer to Figure 10. The DT1-72.5 is a ganged three-cycle
circuit breaker with a nominal opening time of 27 ms. Typically, the line protection relay will issue an order
to trip the circuit breaker within half-a-cycle (8.3 ms). The circuit breaker would initiate the opening
operation and part its contacts about 35 ms after the transmission line fault initiation.

In general, the line fault is generated by the first lightning current injection. Thus, the first current injection
component, after travelling along the line at slightly less than the speed of light (typically 280 m/s) would
find the circuit breaker still in closed position. Considering a time interval of 30 to 40 ms between the first,
second and third return stroke, it is likely that a second return stroke current injection would reach the
circuit breaker as the arcing contacts have already separated and an arc has been established across the
gap. Consequently, the voltage surge due to the second return stroke current injection may reach the
circuit breaker contacts while the contacts are still closed or when they have just separated. As the
contacts separate, an electric arc is established between them. The characteristic impedance
represented by the arc is higher than the interrupter to tank surge impedance due to the small arc
diameter. Thus, the voltage surge would be partially reflected and partially conducted across the gap. The
reflection would result in a voltage increase at the transition.

The minimum arcing time demonstrated during terminal fault tests on the DT1-72.5 is typically 15 ms at
currents in the range of 4 to 24 kA. In contrast, the minimum arcing time for the unfaulted phases may be
close to zero (range of 0 to 8.3 ms depending on the time before the nearest current zero crossing). Thus,
the minimum interruption time for the fault current would be about 50 ms after the transmission line fault
initiation. In the case of a grounded network, the time between the first current zero crossing the last
current zero crossing is 7.5 ms. For an ungrounded networks this parameter is 6.1 ms. It is likely that, for
a single-phase to ground fault, the pole on the faulted phase would the last pole to clear. The minimum
arcing times for the poles of unfaulted phases would be much shorter since they are interrupting a load
current. Therefore, the third and subsequent return stroke current injections and associated impulse
voltages would typically reach the pole on the faulted phase just after clearing the fault.

Timeline correlation of the lightning current injection and breaker tripping operation.
Figure 10

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A travelling wave reaching the open breaker will see an open-circuit termination after the fault current is
temporarily cleared. As a result of the reflection at the line termination, the voltage between the contact
assembly and ground will double. The severity of the overvoltage experienced by the breaker in the
abovementioned conditions depends on the magnitude of the lightning return stroke current, the split of
this current along different possible trajectories at the strike point or flashover point along the line and the
characteristic impedance of the line. The lightning overvoltage travelling in the direction of the breaker
terminals would be limited by the insulation level of the line and would be clamped by the surge arrestors
installed on the first tower adjacent to the substation. The doubling effect due to the reflection at the line
termination can lead to an internal breakdown of the SF6 insulation between the contact assembly on the
line side and ground, or a breakdown across the open gap if the opposite side is energized at that instant
with the opposite polarity (under an AC-BIL bias condition). In addition, the SF6 gas across the gap may
still be ionized and hot immediately after the interruption. The suppression effect of the surge arrestor
would appear at the termination until the travelling wave reflects back from its location after it has doubled
at the termination. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a voltage of up to twice the clamping voltage of the
arrester at the line termination.

LIGHTNING FAILURE STATISTICS OF 72.5 kV DEAD-TANK CIRCUIT BREAKERS

An analysis has been performed of population of 3,470 DT1-72.5 F1 40 circuit breakers. This population
represents 64,730 circuit breaker years in service. A total of 22 reported lightning related failures have
been recorded between 1996 and 2016 affecting 0.63% of the total population. Lightning failures
represent 50% of the total number of major failures reported during this period of time. The resulting
expected time between lightning-related failures is 2,940 circuit breaker years in service. When
considering the ground lightning flash density map, a large correlation was obtained when marking the
location of the installations where incidents occurred. Refer to Figure 11.

Cloud-to-ground flash density map and incident locations in the U.S.A.

Figure 11

The damage observed during the failure investigations is consistent with the conditions discussed in the
previous section. There are two modes of failure:

1. Between the interrupter assembly and the grounded tank at a point closest to the gap which
corresponds to the end of the line.
2. Across the gap in a bias condition, with AC on the bus side and a lightning impulse on the line
side.

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The locations where damage was found during the inspections are indicated in a cross-sectional view of a
DT1-72.5 circuit breaker pole included in Figure 12.

Cross-section of a DT1-72.5 pole indicating damage locations during lightning incidents.

Figure 12

The damage caused by a breakdown between the stationary side and the tank during a lighting incident is
shown in Figure 13. The photograph shows the arcing damage to the gap insulator shield on the
stationary side of the interrupter which is facing the line side. This corresponds to the reflection point for
the voltage surge where its magnitude temporarily doubles. This type of incident leaves erosion marks on
the tank. In some incidents, the circuit breaker is capable of clearing this internal fault as the opening of
the interrupter isolates the stationary side. This is possible if the internal fault coincides with the
interrupting phase of the circuit breaker. In other cases the circuit breaker opens and clears the internal
fault, but the splatter generated during arcing severely compromises the insulation between the contacts
and the gap breaks-down due to the voltage difference between the moving and stationary sides. In the
latter case, the line side assembly has a floating potential which depends on the capacitance across the
gap and the capacitance between this side of the circuit breaker pole and ground.

Breakdown between interrupter and tank on the line side during a lightning incident.
Figure 13

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The capacitance of various elements of the DT1-72.5 is included in Table 2. The capacitance of each side
of the circuit breaker includes the capacitance between the interrupter and the tanks as well as the
capacitance of the bushing. For a system operating at 69kV, the phase to ground voltage is 40 kV. With
the circuit breaker in open position, the voltage between the contacts is 97% or 38.9 kV and the voltage
between the line side interrupter assembly and the tank is 3% or 1.1 kV. Therefore, breakdown is
possible across compromised insulation between contacts. In addition, the failure to ground can be
reinitiated as the opposite side is re-energized by the breakdown across contacts. In some cases, the gap
insulation is not compromised and the circuit breaker can sustain voltage in the open position, but the
fault is reinitiated as the circuit breaker is closed due to the damage to the interrupter components on the
line side.

Table 2
Capacitance of Various Elements of the DT1-72.5 Circuit Breaker

Elements Involved Capacitance Impedance

(pF) (M)
Stationary side to ground 172 15.4
Mobile side to ground 172 15.4
Across the open contacts 5 530.5

The damage caused by a breakdown across the interrupter gap during a lighting incident is shown in
Figure 14. The photograph shows the arcing damage to the moving and stationary main contacts and the
nozzle. This failure mode requires that the timing of the arrival of the lightning voltage surge from the line
side coincides with an instantaneous value of the AC voltage with opposite polarity to the surge, so that
both components add across the gap. In addition, it requires that the fault interruption process be
completed across the gap, while the SF6 gas across the arcing contacts has recovered its dielectric
properties and is still pressurized at a density higher than the ambient (rated) density, such that the
withstand across the main contacts is lower than the withstand across the arcing contacts.

Breakdown across the open gap during a lightning incident.

Figure 14

INFLUENCE OF TRANSMISSION LINE DESIGN, SUBSTATION CONFIGURATION AND

OPERATIONAL PRACTICES

Each breaker application involves a different set of conditions that have an impact on the severity of
lightning events. This section briefly cover aspects related to the transmission line protected by the circuit
breaker, the substation configuration and operational practices.

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The overhead transmission line conductor configuration, the line height and pole/tower grounding have a
direct effect on the severity of lightning surges. The conductor configuration, which may be horizontal,
triangular or vertical, determines the probability of lightning strikes to each phase. In line configurations in
which the probability of a lightning strike to one or two of the phase conductors is higher than for the rest,
the severity of the application increases for the associated circuit breaker poles. The line geometry and
dimensional features determines the line characteristic (surge) impedance which, as discussed
previously, is the ratio of the resulting voltage surge to the injected current surge. Lines with high surge
impedance and lines with higher insulation level will increase the severity of lightning surges reaching the
circuit breaker. Improper or high-resistance grounding will also worsen the conditions during lightning
incidents.

Substation design and layout is relevant with respect to any transitions that may cause reflections of the
travelling waves and the presence of lumped elements that can alter the shape of voltage surges. Some
substations use takeoff towers with increased height and higher surge impedance compared to the rest of
the line. The transition between the overhead line and the substation represents a gradual or sudden
reduction in surge impedance due to height variations.

Lightning surges are affected by any components in the vicinity of the circuit breaker terminals. Shunt
capacitive elements located between the breaker terminals and the transmission line are beneficial
because they decrease the rate of rise of impulse voltages. A slower rate of rise allows for the recovery of
coordination between the external air insulation and the internal SF6 insulation of the circuit breaker.

Surge arresters are elements that suppress voltage surges over their protective level. Surge arresters
lose their effectiveness as the distance between them and the breaker terminals increases. In some
applications, surge arresters have been installed as close as possible to the circuit breaker bushing in
order to maintain control of the voltage doubling effect that occurs when a voltage surge reflects at the
interrupter gap when the breaker is open. An example of this solution is shown in Figure 15.

Surge arresters mounted in parallel with the circuit breaker bushings.

Figure 15

The distance between the open gap and the circuit breaker terminals is approximately 2.0 m as shown in
Figure 16. This is the closest distance that a surge arrester can be installed from the reflection point. As
the surge arrester location is moved away from the circuit breaker terminals the capability of the arrester
to control the voltage at the reflection point diminishes. The lightning surge propagates at a velocity of
about 280 m/s = 0.28 m/ns. Pressurized SF6 is capable of breaking down under a critical voltage applied
for a few tens of nanoseconds. The difference in the voltage at the reflection point and the voltage at the
surge arrester depends on the rate of rise of the voltage surge and is proportional to twice the distance
between these two locations.

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 Distances between the interrupter gap and a surge arrester.
Figure 16

Consider now the V-t characteristic for 72.5 kV line insulation compared to the V-t characteristic of the
circuit breaker interrupter-to-tank SF6 insulation shown in Figure 17. The region between a fraction of a
microsecond and about 4 ms corresponds to the range of front-times for impulse voltages for which the
dielectric withstand of the internal insulation of the circuit breaker is lower than the amount of surge
suppression afforded by the line insulation. This region is marked on the graph.

V-t characteristics of a 72.5 kV transmission line compared to the DT1-72.5 circuit

breaker internal dielectric withstand to ground.
Figure 17

Based on the probability distribution of rise-times for negative subsequent return strokes the probability of
obtaining different rise-times can be obtained. Values are included in Table 3. It is clear that the range of
rise-times falls in the critical region where coordination is lost. Lightning strikes in the vicinity of the
breaker terminals would not be affected by propagation and represent the most severe condition.

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Nevertheless, the front time of surges originating from strike points a few hundred meters from the
breaker terminals could still fall in this range.

Table 3
Rise-time of Currents Injected by Negative Subsequent Return Stokes

Probability of Rise-time, T1
Rise-time< T1 (s)

10% 0.20
20% 0.32
30% 0.65
50% 0.80

Regarding operational practices, the most significant factor is the increase in the circuit breaker exposure
time in the open position. Due to staffing and scheduling limitations, circuit breakers are being left in the
open position for extended periods of time with the associated disconnect switches in closed position. If
this condition coincides with a thunderstorm, the likelihood of a circuit breaker failure is greatly increased.

CONCLUSIONS

An analysis of the stages involved in a cloud-to-ground lightning flash shows that second, third and
subsequent return stroke injected currents are responsible for lightning failures of dead-tank circuit
breakers rated 72.5 kV. In a population of 3,470 installed circuit breakers, lightning failure accounted for
50% of reported major failures.

Two failure scenarios have been identified:

 The first scenario causes an internal breakdown in the SF6 insulation between the interrupter and
the tank close to the gap. Breakdown occurs as the lightning voltage surge travelling from the line
towards the circuit breaker doubling at this location when the circuit breaker is in open position.

 The second scenario causes a breakdown across the gap between the circuit breaker contacts in
open position which is the result of the addition of the AC voltage on the bus side and the
lightning voltage surge doubling on the line side.

With regards to surge suppression and failure prevention measures the following aspects are relevant:

 Shunt capacitors installed between the circuit breaker terminals and the first line tower are
capable of increasing the rise-time of lighting surges to over 4 s. The resulting modification of
the voltage surge would re-establish the coordination between the air insulation and the internal
insulation of the circuit breaker, even for incidents in which the lightning strikes in close proximity
to the circuit breaker terminals.

 Worst case conditions are obtained when lighting strikes a short distance from the circuit breaker.
Voltage surges further away on the line will be subjected to attenuation and increase of the time
to peak that may fall in the range of rise-times in which adequate coordination between air and
SF6 insulation is maintained.

 Specific transmission line designs that result in higher characteristic impedance due to increased
conductor height or small conductor diameters lead to higher magnitudes of lightning voltage
surges.

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  In networks with frequent lightning activity surge arresters should be installed as close as
possible to the circuit breaker terminals. Special attention should be taken in grounding the surge
arresters, as any transient voltage drop in the grounding lead will reduce their surge suppression
capability (ground connection impedance, Zg in Figure 16).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Support provided by Alstom Grid/GE Grid Solutions to the author to publish and present this paper is
acknowledged. Information provided by Mr. Tadao Shirai from GE Grid Solutions in Japan regarding
typical characteristics of SF6 and air insulation is appreciated. Technical information provided by Mr.
Humayun Tariq from AEP Transmission regarding typical characteristics of 69 kV line insulation and
surge arresters is gratefully acknowledged.

REFERENCES

[1] Golde, R. H., “Lightning: Physics of Lightning”, Volume 1, 1977, Academic Press, New York.

[2] Kuffel, J. and Zaengl, W.S., “High Voltage Engineering Fundamentals”, First Edition, 1984, Pergamon
Press.

[3] IEEE Std. C37.06-2000, “AC High-Voltage Circuit Breakers Rated on a Symmetrical Current Basis –
Preferred Ratings and Related Required Capabilities”, Copyright 2000, Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers, Inc.

[4] IEEE Std. C37.09-1999, “IEEE Standard Test Procedure for AC High-Voltage Circuit Breakers Rated
on a Symmetrical Current Basis”, Copyright 2000, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc.

BIOGRAPHY

Victor F. Hermosillo is the dead-tank circuit breaker R&D Innovations Manager and leads the High-
Voltage Laboratory of GE Grid Solutions in Charleroi, PA. Previously he has been R&D Director for dead-
tank circuit breakers for Alstom Grid between 2006-2011, leading and coordinating multiple product
development projects. He was a Sr. Development Engineer for circuit breakers with Alstom and AREVA
T&D between 2000 and 2006. He worked as Sr. R&D Engineer at ABB’s R&D Department between
1996-2000 designing and testing HV switchgear and optical instrument transformers. He also has been a
transmission line planning engineer for a power utility between 1993 and 1996. He has experience with
medium and high-voltage industrial installations. He has a PhD from Uppsala University in Sweden
(1993), an MSEE from the Ohio State University (1987) and a BSEE/IE from Monterrey Tech (1984). He
is a senior member of IEEE Power & Energy Society, vice-chair of the IEEE C37.09 working group and
member of CIGRE. He has authored 30 papers and has five patents.

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