Stockholm, 2021-02-22

Application Note

Dynamic Resistance Measurement (DRM) of Circuit Breaker

Contacts

Design of an arcing chamber in modern high-voltage puffer-type SF6 gas circuit

breakers (CBs) is based on the operation of the two parallel contact sets, as shown in the
Figure 1. The low-resistance silver-plated contacts, or the main contacts, are specifically
designed to carry the load current without any excessive temperature rise while the breaker
is in the closed position. During the circuit breaker opening operation, main contacts
separate first. Following the main contact part, the tungsten–copper arcing contacts are
finally opened, thus initiating arc quenching and circuit interruption. The arcing contact is
designed to take brunt of the arcing during closing and opening operations. The right side of
the below picture illustrates the fixed part of the contact with the blue nozzle and the left side
is the moving contact. The blue nozzle directs the pressurized SF6 gas toward arc which
catches on the arcing contacts.

Figure 1. Inside design of the breaking chamber

The arcing contact is the first to make a contact during a close operation and the last
to break contact during an open operation. Circuit breaker will have the arcing contact wear
under normal operation as well as when breaking circuit under a short-circuit current. If the
arcing contact is too short or in a poor condition, then the breaker soon becomes unreliable.
It should be remembered that excessive arcing-contact wear and/or misalignment
might result in decreasing the CB’s breaking capacity because of changing the arcing contact
surface that cause reducing dielectric strength. Main contact surfaces can be deteriorated by
A-CBR108-201-EN

Postal address Delivery address Contact

IBEKO Power AB IBEKO Power AB
Box 1346 Stockholmsvägen 18 phone: +46 8 731 76 99
181 25 Lidingö 181 50 Lidingö fax: +46 8 731 77 99
Sweden Sweden sales@dv-power.com
 Stockholm, 2021-02-22

arcing resulting in increased resistance, excessive heating and in worst-case, complete

failure.
To assess the condition of the breaker contacts, the main contact resistance
measurement is usually performed. However, the static resistance measured when the
breaker remains in a closed position does not give any indication of the arcing contacts state.
To evaluate their condition, an internal inspection can be done, but time-consuming and
costly maintenance procedures must be undertaken in order to securely handle the SF6 gas
and arc byproducts.
Dynamic contact resistance measurement (DRM) was developed to assess the
condition of the arcing contacts without dismantling a breaker. It is known as an effective
technique for assessing the condition of the power circuit-breaker (CB) main contacts and
arcing contacts. DRM method measures variations in the contact resistance during a breaker
operation. Actually, the contact resistance is measured dynamically over an opening or
closing operation. DRM has a number of applications. On certain types of breakers DRM can
be used to measure arcing contacts lengths reduction. When breaker contact motion is
measured simultaneously with a resistance, results can be used to determine loss of the
arcing contact length.
The DRM test is performed by injecting a high current through the breaker contact
and simultaneously monitoring the voltage drop across the breaker contact as well as current
flow during the operation of the breaker. Current should be at least 100 A to provide a higher
voltage drop to allow easier detection of the arcing contact potential failures. DRM test
requires the circuit breaker analyzer with a good measurement resolution and built-in micro
ohmmeter (such as CAT35, CAT36, CAT65, CAT66, CAT125 or CAT126). For full DRM test,
two signals must be recorded:

 voltage drop (VD) across the breaker contacts;

 breaker contact travel curve.

Since the resistance is important for analysis, it is calculated for each sample by
Ohm’s law as RINST=VDC/IDC. RINST represents instantaneous resistance values. That means
the injected current (IDC) also needs to be measured. Dynamic resistance curve as a function
of the time is generated on the basis of these instantaneous resistance values obtained for
each sample.
In order to extract all diagnostic parameters related to condition of the arcing contact,
dynamic resistance curve and motion curve should be plotted simultaneously and
overlapped (as shown for an opening operation in the Figure 2.), or the resistance curve
should be plotted as a function of the contact travel (as shown in the Figure 3.). These
graphs are generated by DV-Win software. If needed to see values at ordinate for all
mentioned curves, then the view presented in the Figure 4. is suitable for that. To enable
A-CBR108-201-EN

this view it is needed to select option Switch view in the DV-Win in options above the graph.
2

Postal address Delivery address Contact

IBEKO Power AB IBEKO Power AB
Box 1346 Stockholmsvägen 18 phone: +46 8 731 76 99
181 25 Lidingö 181 50 Lidingö fax: +46 8 731 77 99
Sweden Sweden sales@dv-power.com
 Stockholm, 2021-02-22

Figure 2. Dynamic resistance curve and motion curve as function of the time
The resistance curve starts as a straight line before the breaker starts to move
(Figure 2, 3 and 4). This represents the main contact resistance. As the contact starts to
move, small fluctuations of the main contact resistance can appear (can be seen easier in
the Figure 3.). When the main contacts separate, there is a spike in the resistance curve
(because higher resistance of the arcing contact) and after that the arcing contact resistance
can be measured. When the resistance goes to infinity, it means the breaker is open.
Resistance curve as a function of a contact travel can be used to reveal failures
related to arcing contact position. For example, the highest spike of the resistance curve in
the Figure 3. indicates change in the arcing contact condition. Spike can appear in resistance
curve due to transition, but in that case it is a short-term event. Since this spike is a long-term
event, it indicates a bad contact or contact bounce at opening.
The most important diagnostic parameters (extracted in the Figure 2.) that are used
to assess the condition of the main and arcing contacts are:
 Arcing contact wipe (overlapping distance)
 Arcing contact overlapping time.
These parameters can be used to determine a length condition of the arcing contact,
i.e. to measure a length reduction of the arcing contact. In cases when the contact motion is
not recorded (becomes impossible to determine Arcing contact wipe), Arcing contact
overlapping time can be useful to assess condition of the breaker contacts, especially when
A-CBR108-201-EN

reference values are obtained from a manufacturer or from a commissioning test.

3

Postal address Delivery address Contact

IBEKO Power AB IBEKO Power AB
Box 1346 Stockholmsvägen 18 phone: +46 8 731 76 99
181 25 Lidingö 181 50 Lidingö fax: +46 8 731 77 99
Sweden Sweden sales@dv-power.com
 Stockholm, 2021-02-22

DV-Win software automatically calculates above stated diagnostic parameters.

.
Figure 3. Dynamic resistance curve as function of the contact travel

Figure 4. Display of curves (resistance, motion, voltage drop) with values at ordinate

2015 DV Power, Sweden. All rights reserved.

A-CBR108-201-EN

Postal address Delivery address Contact

IBEKO Power AB IBEKO Power AB
Box 1346 Stockholmsvägen 18 phone: +46 8 731 76 99
181 25 Lidingö 181 50 Lidingö fax: +46 8 731 77 99
Sweden Sweden sales@dv-power.com