Power System

Circuit Breakers and Substations

Lecture No. 5
Engr. Raheel Muzzammel
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Lahore

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 1

VACUUM CIRCUIT BREAKERS

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 2

Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs)
• Vacuum interrupters take advantage of vacuum because of
• its exceptional di-electric characteristics and
• its diffusion capabilities as an interrupting medium.
• The remarkable dielectric strength of vacuum is due to the absence of
inelastic collisions between the gas molecules which means that there
is not an avalanche mechanism to trigger the dielectric breakdown as
is the case in gaseous mediums.
• In 1950, the first commercially viable switching devices were
introduced by the Jennings Company.
• In 1962, the General Electric Company introduced the first medium
voltage power vacuum circuit breaker.
Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 3
 Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs)
• Why Late Introduction of VCBs?
• What prevented the earlier introduction of vacuum interrupters were technical difficulties
that existed in areas such as
• the degassing of the contact materials, which is a process that is needed to prevent the deterioration
of the initial vacuum due to the release of the gases that are normally trapped within the metals.
• Another problem was the lack of the proper technologies needed to effectively and
reliability weld or braze the external ceramic envelopes to the metallic ends of the
interrupters.
• Afterwards, these problems have been solved and that coupled with the development of
highly sensitive instrumentation have substantially increased the reliability for properly
sealing the interrupters to prevent vacuum leaks.
• In the 1970s, there were some attempts made to develop vacuum circuit breakers for
applications at voltages greater than 72.5 kV.
• However, these designs were not suitable to compete with SF6 circuit breakers and vacuum
has been relegated primarily to applications in the range of 5 to 38 kV.
• Vacuum circuit breakers also have the larger share of the world market.
Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 4
Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs)

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 5

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 6

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• Current interruption is initiated by the separation of a pair of contacts.
• At the time of contact part, a molten metal bridge appears across the contacts.
• After the rupture of the bridge, a diffuse arc column is formed and the arc is what
is called a diffuse mode.
• This mode is characterized by the existence of a number of fast moving cathode
spots, where each spot shares an equal portion of the total current.
• The current that is carried by the cathode spot depends on the contact material.
• For copper electrodes a current of about 100 amperes per spot has been observed.
• The arc will remain in the diffuse column mode until the current exceeds
approximately 15 kA.
• As the magnitude of the current increases, a single anode spot appears thus
creating a new source of metal vapors which because of the thermal constant of
the anode spot continues to produce vapors even after current zero.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 7

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• With the reversal of current, following the passage through zero and
because of ion bombardment and a high residual temperature, it becomes
quite easy to reestablish a cathode spot at the place of the former anode.
• During normal interruption of an ac current near current zero, the arc
column will be diffused and will be rapidly disappeared in the absence of
current.
• Since, during interruption and depending on the current magnitude, the
arc may undergo the transition from the diffuse mode to the constricted
mode and back again to the diffuse mode just prior to current zero it
becomes clear that the longer the arc is in the diffuse mode, the easier it
is to interrupt the current.
Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 8
Types of Magnetic Fields Involved in
Vacuum Circuit Breakers
a. Transverse Magnetic Field
b. Axial Magnetic Field

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 9

 Types of Magnetic Fields
• Transverse Field
• To create a transverse or
perpendicular field of different
designs of spiral contacts have
been used.
• In the diffuse mode, the cathode
spots move freely over the
surface of the cathode electrode
as if it was a solid disk.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 10

Types of Magnetic Fields
• At higher currents and as the
arc becomes coalescent, the
magnetic field produced by the
current flowing through the
spiral contacts forces the arc to
move along them as a result of
the magnetic forces that are
exerted on the arc column.

Magnetic forces in a transverse magnetic field

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 11

Types of Magnetic Fields
• As the arc rotates its roots also move
along reducing the likelihood of
forming stationary spots and reducing
the localized heating of the electrodes
and thus also reducing the emission of
metallic vapors. When the end of the
contact spirals is reached, the arc
roots, due to the magnetic force
exerted on the arc column are forced
to jump the gap and to continue the
rotation along the spirals of the
contacts.
• The effects of the field on the arc are
illustrated in Figures where the
photographs of an arc in the diffuse (a) constricted column, (b) arc showing two parallel
and constricted modes are shown. diffuse columns.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 12

Types of Magnetic Fields
• Axial Magnetic Field
• The axial magnetic field decreases the
arc voltage and the power input from
the arc by effectively confining the
diffuse arc column to the space
between the contact region as it can
be seen in the photograph of a diffuse
arc shown in Figure.
High current diffuse arc in an
axial magnetic field.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 13

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• An axial magnetic field acting on the arc column serves to promote
the existence of a diffuse arc at higher current levels.
• The diffuse arc distributes the arc energy over the whole contact
surface.
• Consequently, it prevents the occurrence of gross melting at the
contacts.
• In the absence of the magnetic field, diffusion causes the arc to
expand outwards from the space between the electrodes.
• However, when the axial magnetic field is present the ion trajectory
becomes circumferential and a confining effect is produced.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 14

 Illustration of a contact structure and direction of the force
Current Interruption in
Vacuum Circuit Breakers

on the arc produced by an axial magnetic field

• Axial magnetic fields can be produced by
using either a coil that is located
concentrically outside the envelope of the
interrupter and that is energized by the
current flowing through the circuit breaker,
or by using specially designed contacts,
shown in Figure.
• Observing this figure, it can be seen the
action of magnetic force on the arc column
as the result of the interaction of the
magnetic field set up by the current flowing
through the arms of the coil electrode and
the contact.
Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 15
Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• Vacuum Interrupter Construction
• Vacuum interrupters are manufactured by either of two methods.
• The differences between methods are mainly in the procedures that
are used to braze and to evacuate the interrupters.
• Pinch-off Method
• In the pinch-off method, the interrupters are evacuated individually in
a pumping stand after they are completely assembled.
• An evacuation pipe is located at one end of the interrupter, generally
adjacent to the fixed contact and after the required vacuum is
obtained the tube is sealed by compression welding.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 16

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• Ovens based Method
• With the second method, the interrupters are concurrently brazed and
evacuated in specially designed ovens.
• The advantage of this method is that evacuation takes place at higher
temperatures and therefore there is a greater degree of vacuum purity in
the assembly.
• Interrupter Details
• The interrupter, as shown in Figure (next slide), consists of:
(1) a ceramic insulating envelope that is sealed at both ends by (2) metallic
(stainless steel) plates brazed to the ceramic body so that a high vacuum
container is created. The operating ambient pressure inside of the evacuated
chamber of a vacuum interrupter is generally between 10e-6 and 10e-8 torr.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 17

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
(1) ceramic insulating envelope
(2) metallic (stainless steel)
plates
(3) stationary contact
(4) moving contact
(5) metallic bellows
(6) metal vapor condensation
shield
(7) ceramic cylinder or insulating
cylinder
(8) second shield
(9) Third shield

Vacuum interrupter construction

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Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 19

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• Attached to one of the end plates is the (3) stationary contact, while at the
other end, the (4) moving contact is attached to the bottle by means of (5)
metallic bellows.
• The bellows used may be either seamless or welded, however the seamless
variety is usually the preferred type.
• A metal vapor condensation shield (6) is located surrounding the set of
contacts (7), either inside of the ceramic cylinder, or in series between two
sections of the insulating container.
• The purpose of the shield is to provide a surface where the metal vapor
condenses thus protecting the inside walls of the insulating cylinder so that
they do not become conductive by virtue of the condensed metal vapor.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 20

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• A second shield (8) is used to protect the bellows from the condensing vapor to avoid
the possibility of mechanical damage.
• In some designs, there is a third shield (9) that is located at the junction of the stationary
contact and the end plate of the interrupter. The purpose of this shield is to reduce the
dielectric stresses in this region.
• Vacuum Interrupter Contact Materials
• Among the most desirable properties of the contact material are the following:
1. Vapor Pressure
• A material that has a vapor pressure that is neither too low nor to high. A low vapor
pressure means that the interrupter is more likely to chop the cur- rent since there is not
enough vapor to maintain the arc at low values of current.
• A high vapor pressure, on the other hand, is not very conducive for interrupting high
currents because there would still be a significant amount of vapor remaining at current
zero, thus making interruption difficult.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 21

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
2. Electrical Conductivity
• A material that has a good electrical conductivity is desired in order to
minimize the losses during continuous operation of the interrupter.
3. Dielectric Properties
• Good dielectric properties are needed to assure rapid recovery
capability.
4. Current Interruption Capabilities
• High current interruption capabilities.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 22

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
5. Welding Strength
• A material that has a low weld strength is needed because contacts in
vacuum will invariable weld due to the pre-arcing that occurs when
closing or to the localized heating of the micro contact areas when
the short circuit current flows through the closed contacts.
• To facilitate the opening of the contacts easily fractured welds are a
basic necessity.
6. Mechanical Strength
• Mechanical strength is needed in the material mainly to withstand
the impact forces, especially during a closing operation.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 23

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
7. Gas Content
• Materials with low gas content and ease of outgassing are desirable since the
contacts must be substantially gas free to avoid the release of any gases from the
contacts during interruption and thus to prevent lowering the quality of the
vacuum ambient.
8. Thermionic Emission
• To prevent the new cathode from becoming a good supplier of electrons a
material with low thermionic emission characteristics is desirable.
• There are no pure element materials that can meet all of these requirements.
• Refractory materials such as tungsten offer good dielectric strength, their welds
are brittle and thus are easy to break. However, they are good thermionic
emitters, they have a low vapor pressure and consequently their chopping
current level is high and their interrupting capability is low.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 24

Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers

Comparison of interruption capability for vacuum interrupters as function of electrode diameter

and magnetic field type.
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Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• On the other side of the spectrum, copper appears to meet most of the
requirements.
• Nevertheless, its greatest disadvantage is that due to its ductility.
• It has a tendency to form very strong welds which are the result of diffusion
welding.
• This type of welding occurs, especially inside of a vacuum atmosphere, when two
clean surfaces are pushed together and heated.
• Since an acceptable compromise material can not be found among the pure
elements the attention has been directed to investigate the use of synthered
metals or other alloys.
• Details about Alloys
• A number of binary and ternary alloys have been studied, but from all of those
that have been considered two alloys, one a Cu-Bi (copper-bismuth) and the
other a Cu-Cr (copper-chrome) alloy, have prevailed and today are the most
commonly used.
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Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• In the Cu-Bi alloy, copper is the primary constituent material and the
secondary material is bismuth, the content of which is generally up to a
maximum of 2%.
• For the Cu-Cr alloy there are different formulations but a typical
composition is a 60% Cu to 40% Cr combination.
• In general, Cu-Bi contacts exhibit a weld strength about 7 times lower than
Cu-Cr but they have a higher chopping current level than that of Cu-Cr.
• The typical chopping level for Cu-Bi contacts is in the range of 3 to 15
amperes with a median value of 7 amperes, while for Cu-Cr is only
between 1 to 4 amperes with a median value of 2.7.
• Other differences in performance between the materials are the higher
rate of erosion that is observed in Cu-Bi contacts and the decrease in
dielectric with- stand capability that results by the cumulative process of
the interrupting duties.
Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 27
Current Interruption in Vacuum Circuit Breakers
• Interrupting Capability of Vacuum Interrupters
• The interrupting capability of a vacuum interrupter depends on:
• the material
• the size of the contacts and
• the type of magnetic field produced around the contacts.
• Larger electrodes in an axial field have demonstrated that they have a better
interrupting capability.
• Another very important characteristic, related to the interrupting, or recovery
capability, of vacuum interrupters is their apparent insensitivity to high rates of
recovery voltage.
• Within a frequency range of 60 to 800 Hz, for a given frequency, the TRV has only
a weak effect on the current magnitude.
• Furthermore, the transient voltage recovery capability of vacuum interrupters is
inherently superior to that of gas blast interrupters.

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 28

Thank You

Engr. Raheel Muzzammel 29