PARTS OF CIRCUIT SWITCHER AND ITS GENERAL CONSTRUCTION BASIC INFORMATION AND TUTORIALS




Live-tank SF6 gas puffer-type interrupters are utilized by most circuit switchers today. In the closed position, the contacts are surrounded by a flow guide and piston assembly which is ready to mechanically generate a “puff” of SF6 to cool and deionize the arc that is established prior to circuit interruption.

The moving cylinder attached to the contact assembly is driven by the main opening spring, causing the gas to be pressurized by the stationary piston. The stationary contact “follows” the moving contact as the piston assembly achieves the prepressurized gas condition.

When the contacts (which are hollow tubes) part, an arc is established and the gas flow divides into two parts and flows down the stationary and moving contact tubes. The alternating nature of the arc current waveform results in two current zeros every cycle. As long as the arc is sufficiently “hot” or conductive through the SF6 dielectric medium, the current will reestablish.

At the first current zero where the SF6 density is sufficient to stop the arc from reestablishing itself and to provide necessary dielectric strength, the arc is interrupted. This entire process from trip signal initiation to current interruption requires from 3 to 8 cycles or 50 to 133 ms in modern circuit switchers.

Figure above illustrates a typical “blade-disconnect model” circuit switcher with the interrupter and blade connected in series. For opening, the trip device, called a “shunt trip,” receives a trip signal when the relay system detects an abnormal condition within the specified range or when the operator desires a high-speed circuit opening. By discharging its operating spring, the shunt trip rotates the insulator above it at high speed, thus tripping and discharging the opening spring in the driver mechanism.

This actuates the interrupter to open the circuit. If the insulator above the shunt trip continues to rotate, by motor or manual actuation of the drive train controls, the blade opens to achieve visible isolation. The blade-hinge mechanism is actuated directly by the rotating insulator through the driver mechanism.

Continued rotation of the insulator after the blade is open will “toggle” the drive train controls to lock the blade in its open position. For closing, the reverse rotation of the insulator first releases drive train toggle and allows the blade to begin closing.

The shunt-trip units have already recharged during the opening operation. As the blade closes, the closing springs are charged in the driver. The last few degrees of closing rotation lock the blade in position and release the closing springs in the driver, thus closing the interrupter.

The opening springs are charged as the closing springs discharge. If the unit has closed into a circuit condition that provides a trip signal to the shunt trip units, the opening process may immediately proceed since all springs are charged and all controls are ready.

The closing operation may be achieved in other designs by closing the interrupter during the opening stroke of the blade. When a close operation is called for, all that is necessary is to close the blade, because the interrupter is already closed. Because of the arc established in air for this type of closing, high-speed operation of the blade is necessary to minimize damage to contacts and prevent flashovers.

Both methods of closing are proven over many years of field use. Bladeless circuit switchers operate exactly the same as blade models, except that on opening, the insulator rotation is used only for driver and interrupter actuation. Models that depend on high-speed blade operation for closing are available in bladeless nondisconnect configuration, but circuit closing must be accomplished by other means.

For models without shunt trip, opening is accomplished by rotating the insulator to the point where the driver opening spring would normally be tripped by the shunt trip’s rotation. This configuration is used where protection duty is not a function of the circuit switcher.

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