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Vacuum Switchgear

Now days, vacuum switchgear getting popularity very rapidly. In


medium voltage switchgear application, medium voltage vacuum
switchgear ranges from 3 to 36 KV. Now days, vacuum interruption
technology, in medium voltage application, dominates, air, SF6 and
oil technologies. Since, vacuum circuit breaker is more safely and
reliably operated where number of faulty and normal operation is
much high.
Vacuum as an Interruption Medium
The performance of a circuit breaker mainly depends upon the
dielectric medium used for arc quenching. Another major advantage
of this technology, is that vacuum switchgear is nearly maintenance
free. Now we will discuss one the different features of this
technology, which make it so popular-

Dielectric Strength of Vacuum


For a given contact gap, vacuum provides, about eight times more
dielectric strength than air and four times more dielectric strength
than SF6 gas at one bar. As the dielectric strength is so high, the
contact gap of vacuum circuit breaker can be maintained very small.
In this small contact gap, arc quenching is safely possible due to
high dielectric strength and also vacuum has the fast recovery
strength after full arc interruption to its full dielectric value at
current zero. This makes, vacuum switchgear, most suitable for
capacitor switching.
Law Arc Energy in Vacuum
The energy dissipated during arc in vacuum is about one tenth of
that of oil and one fourth of that of SF6 gas. Law energy dissipation
mainly due to low interruption time (due to small contact gap) and
small arc length (this is also due to small contact gap). Because of
this low arc energy dissipation, vacuum switchgear has negligible
contact erosion and this gives it nearly maintenance free life span.
It is also to be noted that, for breaking certain current, the energy
required by vacuum circuit breaker is minimum compared to air
circuit breaker and oil circuit breaker.

Simple Driving Mechanism


In SF6, oil and air circuit breaker, movement of contacts is highly
resisted by highly compressed medium of arc quenching chamber.
But in vacuum switchgear, there is no medium, and also movement
of contacts is quit less due to its small contacts gap, hence driving
energy required is much smaller, in this circuit breaker. That is why
simple spring-spring operating mechanism is sufficient for this
switchgear system, no need of hydraulic and pneumatic mechanism.
Simpler driving mechanism gives a high mechanical life of vacuum
switchgear.
Rapid Arc Quenching
During opening of contacts in current carrying condition, metal
vapor is produced between the contacts, and this metal vapor
provides a path through which electric current continuous to flow
until the next current zero. This phenomenon is also known a
vacuum arc. This arc is extinguished near the current zero and the
conductive metal vapor is re-condensed on the contact surface in a
matter of micro seconds. It has been observed that, only 1% of the
vapor is re-condensed on arc chambers side wall, and 99% of vapor
re-condensed on the contact surface from where it was vaporized.
From above discussion, it is almost clear that, the dielectric strength
of vacuum switchgear recovers very fast and contact erosion is
almost negligible. It has been observed that, up to 10 KA, the arc
remains diffused. It takes the form of vapor discharge and covers the
entire contact surface. But above 10 KA, the diffused arc is
concentrated at central point of the contact surface due to its own
magnetic field. Due to this phenomenon, the center of the contacts
over heated. This problem can be solved by providing specially
designed contact surface so that, the arc can travel throughout the
surface area, instead of being stationery at certain point. Different
manufacturers use different contact surface designs to chive this
travelling of arc due to its own magnetic field. This causes minimum
and uniform contact erosion.

Vacuum Circuit Breaker or VCB and Vacuum


Interrupter
A vacuum circuit breaker is such kind of circuit breaker where
the arc quenching takes place in vacuum. The technology is suitable
for mainly medium voltage application. For higher voltage vacuum
technology has been developed but not commercially viable. The
operation of opening and closing of current carrying contacts and
associated arc interruption take place in a vacuum chamber in the
breaker which is called vacuum interrupter. The vacuum
interrupter consists of a steel arc chamber in the centre symmetrically
arranged ceramic insulators. The vacuum pressure inside a vacuum
interrupter is normally maintained at 10- 6 bar.
The material used for current carrying contacts plays an important
role in the performance of the vacuum circuit breaker. Cu/Cr is the
most ideal material to make VCB contacts. Vacuum interrupter
technology was first introduced in the year of 1960. But still it is a
developing technology. As time goes on, the size of the vacuum
interrupter is being reducing from its early 1960s size due to different
technical developments in this field of engineering. The contact
geometry is also improving with time, from butt contact of early days
it gradually changes to spiral shape, cup shape and axial magnetic
field contact. The vacuum circuit breaker is today recognized as
most reliable current interruption technology for medium voltage
switchgear. It requires minimum maintenance compared to other
circuit breaker technologies.
Advantages of Vacuum Circuit Breaker or VCB
Service life of vacuum circuit breaker is much longer than other types
of circuit breakers. There is no chance of fire hazard like oil circuit
breaker. It is much environment friendly than SF6 Circuit breaker.
Beside of that contraction of VCB is much user friendly. Replacement
of vacuum interrupter (VI) is much convenient.
Operation of Vacuum Circuit Breaker
The main aim of any circuit breaker is to quench arc during current
zero crossing, by establishing high dielectric strength in between the
contacts so that reestablishment of arc after current zero becomes
impossible. The dielectric strength of vacuum is eight times greater
than that of air and four times greater than that of SF6 gas. This high
dielectric strength makes it possible to quench a vacuum arc within
very small contact gap. For short contact gap, low contact mass and
no compression of medium the drive energy required in vacuum
circuit breaker is minimum. When two face to face contact areas are
just being separated to each other, they do not be separated
instantly, contact area on the contact face is being reduced and
ultimately comes to a point and then they are finally de-touched.
Although this happens in a fraction of micro second but it is the fact.
At this instant of de-touching of contacts in a vacuum, the current
through the contacts concentrated on that last contact point on the
contact surface and makes a hot spot. As it is vacuum, the metal on
the contact surface is easily vaporized due to that hot spot and create
a conducting media for arc path. Then the arc will be initiated and
continued until the next current zero.

At current zero this


vacuum arc is extinguished and the conducting metal vapor is re-
condensed on the contact surface. At this point, the contacts are
already separated hence there is no question of re-vaporization of
contact surface, for next cycle of current. That means, the arc cannot
be reestablished again. In this way vacuum circuit breaker prevents
the reestablishment of arc by producing high dielectric strength in the
contact gap after current zero.
There are two types of arc shapes. For interrupting current up to 10
kA, the arc remains diffused and the form of vapor discharge and
cover the entire contact surface. Above 10 kA the diffused arc is
constricted considerably by its own magnetic field and it contracts.
The phenomenon gives rise over heating of contact at its center. In
order to prevent this, the design of the contacts should be such that
the arc does not remain stationary but keeps travelling by its own
magnetic field. Specially designed contact shape of vacuum circuit
breaker make the constricted stationary arc travel along the surface
of the contacts, thereby causing minimum and uniform contact
erosion.

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