Performance improvement of a gas-insulated circuit breaker using multibody dynamic simulations and experiments

The operating performance, spring characteristics, and material properties of a gas-insulated circuit breaker were optimized using multibody dynamics. The circuit breaker consisted of several latches and a cam. The dynamic behavior of the latches was affected by the spring characteristics, as well as by the materials and length of each latch. Our results indicated that the motion of the latches was a key factor in determining the opening time of the circuit breaker. A multibody model for the circuit breaker was developed and verified by comparing simulated results with experimental data. The opening time for the breaker was reduced by 1.5 ms in simulations.