SWITCH-Opening or closing a electric circuit.

FUSE-Over current protection. SWITCH GEAR-In power systems it has 2 functions: 1.switching during normal operating conditions. 2.switching during abnormal conditions such as short-circuits and interrupting the fault currents.

Mechanical devices to open or close contact members under normal or abnormal conditions.

1.Carries full load current continuously with out damage or overheating. 2.Open or closes circuit on no-load or unload. 3.Makes or breaks the normal operating current 4.Makes or breaks the short-circuit currents of magnitude up to which it is designed for.

FIXED MOVING CONTACT CONTACT

FIXED CONTACT

MOVING CONTACT

FIXED CONTACT

MOVING CONTACT

Operating principle of C.B

FIXED CONTACT

MOVING CONTACT

 Arc consists of column of ionized gas having molecules which have lost one or more e-. e- are attracted towards +ve contact(anode) with high velocity. Thus current flow is caused due to movement of e- .

 e- are emitted from cathode as soon as the contacts are being separated. It is by 2 process 1.By high voltage gradient at cathode resulting into FIELD EMISSION. 2.By increase of temperature resulting into THERMONIC EMISSION.

AS MOVING CONTACTS ARE APARTED THE CONTACT AREA & PRESSURE DECREASES BETWEEN SEPARATING CONTACTS

 The voltage that appears across contacts of C.B. V & I characteristics can be expressed by ARYRTONS EQUATION. A & B are constants vary linearly with arc length l.

Angular values : =30v ;=10v/cm ;=10VA ;=30VA/cm.

1.Potential difference between contacts: p.d maintains the arc. one way of extinguishing arc is to separate the contacts. 2.Ionisec particles between contacts: Conductance e- /cm produced by ionization D2 D=diameter of arc 1/l l=length of arc

This can be achieved by cooling arc or by bodily removing ionized particles from space between contacts.

1.High Resistance method (a)Cooling of arc (b)Increasing length of arc (c)Reducing cross section of arc (d)Splitting of arc 2.Low-resistance or Current zero interruption (a)Energy balance or Cassie Theory (b)Recovery rate or Slepians Theory i. lengthening of gap ii. Increase pressure in vicinity of arc iii. Cooling iv. Blast effect.

 In this method arc resistance is made to increase with time so that the current is reduced to a value insufficient to maintain the arc. Because of this resistive nature of arc discharge, most of the energy is dissipated with in the circuit breaker Employed only for D.C circuit breakers and air break type A.C circuit breakers of low capacities of few hundred MVA.

 Applicable only in AC circuits where natural zero current occurs Arc resistance is kept low until current is zero where arc extinguishes naturally Employed in all Modern high power AC C.Bs Explained by 2 methods.

 Arc will extinguish if Rate of heat dissipation Rate of heat generated Heat generation varies from time to time. In this method the heat is removed by cooling,lengthening,splitting at rate higher than that of generation then arc Is extinguished.

 Arc will extinguish if Rate at which gap recovers its dielectric strength Rate at which voltage stress raises Medium between contacts contains ions & e- so it has small dielectric strength & is easily broken down by rising contact voltage RESTRIKING VOLTAGE DIELECTRIC STRENGTH RESTRIKING VOLTAGE

The main problem in AC interruption is to rapidly deionize the medium between contacts as soon as I=0

1.Restriking voltage: Resultant transient voltage which appears across the breaker contacts at the instant of arc extinction. 2.Recovery voltage: Power frequency RMS voltage at which appears across the breaker contacts after the transient oscillations die out and final extinction of arc has resulted in all the poles.