Seismic behavior of `candle' type SF6 outdoor circuitbreakers and associated SF6 insulated current transformers

The authors analyze the seismic behavior of live tank circuit breakers of the candle-type architecture, i.e. breakers that support only one chamber per column and have a closing resistor built in the interrupting chamber. This arrangement has a lower interrupting module weight and the resistor is in the axis of the column. In the case of T or V configurations with two chambers per column and with a closing resistor chamber in parallel to the main chamber, it results in some large masses off-centered on each side of the column. It is shown that the candle architecture makes possible a simple simulation and economical solution to the problem of seismic resistance, SF₆ current transformers associated with these breakers are also modeled by a simple computational model     

特高压系统中的短路电流直流分量与零点漂移

结合1000 kV特高压试验示范工程及规划的中国特高压电网,研究了交流1100 kV断路器瞬态问题中的短路电流直流分量衰减时间常数及交流电流过零点的漂移现象,在此基础上提出了我国交流1100 kV特高压断路器的工作条件建议,如特髙压断路器试验的短路电流直流分量衰减的时间常数等。     

The application of current limiting to distribution circuit protection

Many electric utility systems are reaching the point where available short-circuit currents, during severe faults, exceed the interrupting capability of available circuit interrupters of conventional types such as circuit breakers, distribution-circuit reclosers, and expulsion fuses. The needs are being met by the use of current-limiting fuses to protect individual distribution transformers or, sometimes, groups of distribution transformers, but there are difficult problems of coordination. The current-limiting fuses are not inherently capable of covering the full range of short-circuit currents, so that they must be used in addition to, or in combination with, interrupters of other types. This paper studies these problems in depth and makes recommendations for even wider use of current-limiting fuses to achieve more effective protection of the entire distribution system, including protection of distribution feeders at the substation. This approach also provides effective preventive measures to inhibit disruptive transformer failures which have become a severe problem with increasing short-circuit-current capability.     

混合式高压直流断路器的控制策略与实验研究

现有的高压直流断路器能够在几十ms内断开电路,但对于高压直流输电系统,远不能达到要求。基于半导体的高压直流断路器能克服动作速度上的问题,但需要大量电力电子开关器件串并联,有很高的技术难度,同时会产生大量损耗。为了克服上述缺点,采用一种混合式高压直流断路器的拓扑结构。首先介绍了断路器开通和关断的原理,接着提出一种故障预处理的控制策略,在故障发生时提前进行换流,从而缩短故障发生后线路开断的时间;最后利用PSCAD进行建模仿真,制作了单元样机进行降压实验。仿真和实验结果证明：在系统发生短路的情况下,混合式直流断路器能够快速开断短路电流,还可以在直流线路分断后为直流线路及负载中储存的能量提供释放回路。     

Clearing faults near shunt capacitor banks

Fault interrupting tests on high-voltage circuit breakers confirmed the problems of breaking a short-circuit current, which can occur in substations with shunt capacitor banks. Research was conducted on the behavior of different extinguishing media. Tests show that all types of circuit breakers (including the restrike-free breakers) have reignitions after the interruption of faults in the vicinity of a shunt capacitor bank. This is caused by the low rate of rise of the recovery voltage which gives the circuit breaker an opportunity to clear at short arcing times. Reignitions occur because of the low dielectric withstand capability of the small contact gap. Both tests and computer calculations show high overvoltages when the circuit breaker interrupts at one of the superimposed high-frequency current zeros which are created after reignition. Some breakers interrupt at a high-frequency current zero and thus create overvoltages. Other breakers do not interrupt at a high-frequency current zero and wait for a current zero of the power-frequency current, thus prolonging the arcing time. The overvoltages in three-phase circuits are higher than in single-phase circuits     

气吹灭弧与压力脱扣技术促进了低压断路器分断性能提高

介绍了气吹灭弧技术的机理及实验研究，新型低压断路器采用气吹灭弧技术的灭弧室结构，以及利用灭弧室产气后生成的压力构成新型压力脱扣器来改进低压断路器限流性能。     

Extending the Application Field of Vacuum Circuit Breakers to Generators for Capacities up to 400 MW

The progress that has been achieved in the development and manufacture of vacuum circuit breakers opens the possibility of using them for a wider range of applications at power plants, including as generator circuit breakers. Such characteristics of modern vacuum circuit breakers as increased breaking capacity and high switching life are factors that make them closer in competitiveness to SF6 circuit breakers for generators with capacities up to 400 MW. The article considers problem aspects relating to clearing of short-circuit faults in the generator voltage circuits and interruption of out-of-phase making currents and no-load currents of generator transformers. Conditions leading to a longer period of time to the moment at which the switched current crosses zero are considered. It is pointed out that, unlike the IEC/IEEE Standard 62271-37-013, GOST (State Standard) R 52565-2006 does not specify the requirements for generator circuit breakers in full. The article gives the voltage drop values across the arc for different design versions of vacuum circuit breaker contacts and shows the effect the arc in a vacuum circuit breaker has on the time delay to the moment at which the current crosses zero. The standardized parameters of transient recovery voltage across the generator circuit breaker contacts are estimated along with the contact gap electric strength recovery rates ensured by modern arc quenching chambers. The switching overvoltages arising when vacuum circuit breakers interrupt short-circuit currents and no-load currents of generator transformers are analyzed. The article considers the most probable factors causing the occurrence of switching overvoltages, including current chopping, repeated breakdowns of the circuit breaker contact gap, and virtual current chopping. It is found that, unlike repeated breakdowns and virtual current chopping, an actual current chopping does not give rise to dangerous switching overvoltages. The article also determines the vacuum circuit breaker application field boundaries in which dangerous switching overvoltages may occur that would require additional measures for limiting them.     

特高压断路器的瞬态恢复电压研究

结合晋东南—南阳—荆门1 000 kV特高压试验示范工程,研究了交流1100 kV断路器瞬态问题中的断路器开断短路电流或失步解列后的瞬态恢复电压(transient recovery voltage,TRV)内容。在此基础上提出了我国交流1100 kV特高压断路器的工作条件建议,分析了特高压断路器TRV问题的前景。认为我国特高压电网断路器在不采用分闸电阻的条件下,可满足IEC断路器扩展标准和正在修订的我国电力行业断路器标准中对TRV的要求。     

SF6断路器空载开断的气压特性测试与研究

对252kV SF6断路器进行灭弧室气压特性测试研究.根据断路器开断过程中气体流动过程选取多处测量点进行测量.对断路器操动机构在不同油压和不同基压状态下进行测量,得到大量断路器开断过程的压力变化数据.文中对测量方法及测量系统进行了阐述,并根据得到的数据分析了动态压力变化与开断时间的关系.     

Reducing Interrupting Duties of High-Voltage Circuit Breakers by Increasing Contact Parting Time

The interrupting duty of high-voltage circuit breakers can be reduced by increasing the contact parting time, which is the sum of tripping delay and the circuit breaker opening time. The contact parting time is fixed; however, the tripping delay can be increased. Although this method is not discussed in current technical literature, it is valid according to the ANSI/IEEE standards. Immediate replacement of the circuit breakers or other alternatives to reduce interrupting duties can be avoided, resulting in large cost savings and process downtime. The problem occurred in a large paper mill distribution system, where the circuit breakers were applied well within their close and latch ratings but the interrupting duty exceeded by 6%. By introducing an additional tripping delay of one cycle, the interrupting duty is reduced and the existing breakers are retained in service. This paper demonstrates these calculations.      

Understanding Asymmetry

When calculated fault levels lie very close to circuit breaker interrupting ratings, a thorough evaluation of the asymmetrical currents involved may become the deciding factor between breakers of varied capabilities and costs. The increasing emphasis on efficiency tends to exacerbate concerns in this area. An attempt is made to help the reader visualize the events of the first few cycles after fault inception as well as providing a rigorous quantitative analysis of the magnitude of currents involved. Equations for sizing both molded-case and power circuit breakers are developed.     

Circuit-breaker behaviour in reactor switching: applicability andlimitations of the concept of chopping number

The author reviews some of the theory leading to definition of a chopping number related to the chopping behavior of circuit breakers interrupting small inductive currents. The possibility of using this number to model circuit breakers in digital calculations is discussed, a comparison being made with the alternative of simulating the dynamic behavior of circuit-breaker arcs by differential equations. The importance of a correct appraisal of the frequency dependence of circuit parameters, especially capacitances, in both methods, is demonstrated using an example     

10kV真空断路器弧后重击穿的统计分析

本文对1969年至1985年初在冲击发电机上进行的10kV真空断路器断流容量试验中的弧后击穿现象进行了统计计算。计算结果证明,我国10kV真空断路击穿几率的大小与开断电流的相对大小有关。当开断电流小于极限开断电流的60％时,击穿几率接近于零;当开断电流接近开断稳定区的上限时,有1％左右的弧后重击穿几率和0.4％左右的延滞击穿几率,击穿时间服从威布尔分布。     

Is My UPS Distribution System Coordinated?

This paper reviews typical uninterruptible power supply (UPS) distribution systems for the petroleum and chemical industries, focusing on the selectivity of interrupting devices during short-circuit conditions. When selectivity is not achieved, alternative solutions are proposed. Distribution-system-selectivity comparisons are performed for standard circuit-breaker panelboards, fuse panelboards, and custom panelboards utilizing hydraulic magnetic circuit breakers. When remote panels are implemented, application considerations should include oversizing feeder cables or using step-up/step-down transformers. To determine the "ride through" response of operating plant individual UPS loads, the voltage-depression time during UPS distribution-system-fault clearing is compared with the load "ride through" capability. General guidelines are provided for improved UPS distribution-system performance     

柔性直流电网单极接地短路电流计算方法

在柔性直流电网工程设计与直流断路器选型中，电网的短路电流是重要的参考依据。针对以架空线作为金属回线网络的真双极柔性直流电网，文章提出了一种单极接地短路电流计算方法。该方法的基本原理是通过建立单极接地故障时电网的状态方程求解柔性直流电网中的短路电流。以张北可再生能源柔性直流电网试验示范工程为例，通过对比理论计算与系统仿真结果，证明了该方法的正确性与高效性。文中利用该方法分析了限流电抗器电感值等参数对短路电流的影响规律，为工程设计提供了一定参考。文章提出的计算方法可以广泛地适用于不同端数的基于模块化多电平换流器（modular multilevel converter， MMC）的柔性直流电网工程，为柔性直流电网工程的参数设计与直流断路器的选型提供支撑。     

分频输电系统中真空断路器的开断性能

风能作为可再生的绿色能源,将成为以分布式发电为特征的智能电网的重要组成部分.然而现有电力系统抗风电扰动能力差是影响风电产业发展的关键性制约.采用分频输电技术可解决上述风电并网问题,而分频输电会造成断路器开断短路电流时有较长的燃弧时间,从而引起断路器的开断能力降低.笔者综述了分频输电对真空断路器开断能力的影响.Slade...     

Total Motor Branch Circuit Protection with Instantaneous Trip Type Circuit Breakers and High Fault Circuit Protectors (HFCP)

Instantaneous trip type circuit breakers can protect controllers against damage due to overcurrents above six and up to 13 times full load motor currents (FLMC). They may be used for full protection if the starter and wire are self-protected up to 13 times FLMC. Molded case circuit breakers take at least 1/2 to 1 cycle to interrupt. An interrupting time of 1 cycle is too long at high let-through currents to protect contactors from being damaged and, in many cases, to protect heaters from being burned out. A line of high fault circuit protectors is described that protect all branch circuit components in case the available short circuit current is so high that the let-through current would, without protectors, be higher than a current that the branch circuit elements could with-stand for at least 1 cycle. A system is described that insures tripping of the circuit breaker whenever a high fault circuit protector opens. Tests, physical arrangements, coordinated system selections, and applications are described.     

基于相关分析的同步断路器可控开断故障选相研究

可控开断故障电流能有效提高断路器的开断能力和延长其电寿命。断路器可控开断多相故障电流的关键是快速、可靠识别故障类型和故障相。笔者采用相关分析法获得特殊相的正、负序故障分量的相位关系,从而根据相位关系快速、可靠实现确定故障类型和相应故障相;采用MATLAB建立高压断路器开断故障电流模型,对提出的故障选相算法的性能进行了测试验证。测试结果表明,提出算法能够在故障发生后半个周期内准确识别出特定条件下的故障类型和故障相,为同步断路器可控开断故障电流实现提供了理论依据和实现基础。     

特高压断路器几种开断试验回路比较

特高压断路器开断试验方法的研究是特高压输电技术发展需要解决的关键问题之一。根据开断过程中的电弧特性,基于Mayr电弧方程理论,建立参数化的PSCAD电弧电阻模型,通过对几种适用于特高压断路器开断试验的合成回路进行系统仿真分析,模拟了直接试验回路、Hitachi四参数试验回路和ABB的EPIC试验回路的开断过程,以直接试验回路为基准,对Hitachi回路和EPIC回路开断前后的电弧过程和恢复电压进行了比较。     

Electrical engineering calculations [History]

Engineers can calculate short circuit currents with their laptop (and even palmtop) computers. Not only do these tools calculate currents far more quickly and with greater precision and accuracy than the methods used in the past, but they also have the ability to immediately evaluate the application of specific circuit breakers and evaluate the arc-flash energy released at the point of fault. But to truly appreciate these modern tools, we have to appreciate the fascinating history of this most simple of all electrical engineering calculations. This paper discusses the history of short-circuit calculations.