MODERN TECHNIQUES OF CIRCUIT BREAKER TESTING

By- Pradeep Singh Sr. Engr (E)

WHY TEST CIRCUIT BREAKERS

Provide Protection Of Ex en!ive E"#i $ent% Prevent O#t&'e! T(&t )e&d To )o!! Of Inco$e% En!#re Re*i&+i*it, Of E*ectricit, S# Prevent Do-nti$e . D&r/ne!!% To 0erif, Bre&/er Perfor$&nce *,%

WHY TEST CIRCUIT BREAKERS (contd..)

Breakers are mechanically sophisticated devices requiring periodic adjustments.

Breakers has to perform duty for some tens for milli-secs after several

months or even years.

Proper functioning of breaker is reliant on numbers of individual

components that have to be calibrated & tested at regular intervals.

The intervals are often based on time since last test ,no of operations or

severity of fault current operations.

echanical !ear & lubrication often affects the performance of the breaker .

CIRCUIT BREAKER C)OSING REQUIREMENTS

Closing & opening at re !ired speed. S!ppl" o# energ" to co$press #l!id or gas present in

C.B. c%a$&er.

S!ppl" energ" to c%arge tripping spring. To o'erco$e rep!lsi'e #orces on closing on #a!lt

(AI) & ARCI)* C+)TACTS

(aintenance Aspects

)#+ric&nt Cont&ct &d1#!t$ent Ne'*ect or *&c/ of &d1#!t$ent%

Brief*, t(e $o!t i$ ort&nt t(in' for +re&/er $&inten&nce i! 're&!e% A** +re&/er! #!e 're&!e &! *#+ric&nt . 're&!e tend! to dr, o#t over ti$e d#e to (e&t rod#ced in t(e +re&/er &rt! c&rr,in' t(e *o&d%

Test & ,ara$eters

-irst trip test Contact ti$ing ,ri$ar" in.ection test. (otion Static resistance $eas!re$ent.(SR() /"na$ic resistance $eas!re$ent (/R(). Coil test. (ini$!$ 0oltage test. (ini$!$ 'oltage re !ired to operate &rea1er. 0ac!!$ &ottle test. +il test. S#2 lea1age test H!$idit" test. Air press!re test

Fir!t tri te!t

A good & e##ecti'e 3a" to c%ec1 t%e condition o# C.B. is to doc!$ent its &e%a'ior at #irst operation a#ter it %as &een ideal #or long ti$e.

Carried o!t 3%en &rea1er is still in ser'ice.

I# t%e CB %as not operated #or $an" "ears 4 #irst trip testing 3ill re'eal i# t%e CB is slo3er d!e to pro&le$s in t%e $ec%anis$ lin1ages or coil ar$at!res ca!sed &" corrosion or dried grease.

Anal"5ing t%e coil c!rrent signat!re gi'es t%e in#or$ation o# t%e CB condition.

Cont&ct Ti$in'
/e#initions o# t%e ti$ing $eas!re$ents according to IEC. According to IEC standard it is t%e closing & opening o# t%e arcing contact t%at co!nt as a &rea1ers operating ti$e not t%e $ain contact.

O enin' ti$e67 T%e ti$e inter'al #ro$ t%e opening release (e.g coil) is acti'ated to t%e instant 3%en t%e ARCI)* C+)TACT %as separated at all poles. C*o!in' ti$e67 T%e ti$e inter'al #or$ t%e closing de'ice (E.g. closing coil) is acti'ated to t%e instant 3%en ARCI)* C+)TACT to!c% eac% ot%er in all poles. SIMU)TANEIT2 TEST34 (!lti&rea1 poles 67 8 9 $sec Bet3een poles 67 8 :7; $sec

(otion
<)Tra'el67
Indicates instantaneo!s position o# CB contacts d!ring an operation. *i'es i$p in#o s!c% as total tra'el 4 o'er tra'el 4!nder tra'el & ano$alies 3%ic% are e'ident #ro$ t%e trace.

9)Speed 67

Speed is calc!lated &et3een t3o points on t%e $otion c!r'e. T%e !pper point is de#ined as a distance in lengt% o# $o'e$ent #ro$ a) t%e &rea1ers closed or open position &)t%e contact clos!re or separation point. T%e ti$e t%at elapses &et3een t%ese t3o points ranges #or$ <=79= $secs.

Ad'antage67 T%e single $ost i$portant &ene#it deri'ed #or$ t%e instantaneo!s 'elocit" & acceleration c!r'es is t%e insig%t t%at t%e" pro'ide into t%e #orces in'ol'ed d!ring t%e peration o# t%e C.B

STATIC RESISTA)CE (EASURE(E)T

/C resistance $eas!re$ent. B" $eas!ring t%e 'oltage drop t%e resistance can &e calc!lated.

0al!e o# $ain contact resistance re#lects t%e condition o# t%e cond!cting parts.

I# arcing contact is to s%ort or ot%er3ise in &ad condition 4 t%e &rea1er &eco$es !nrelia&le. T%e $ain contact s!r#ace scan &e degraded &" arcing res!lting in increased resistance 4 e>cessi'e %eating & in 3orst case e>plosion.

IEC :2 states t%at t%is t"pe o# resistance is to &e $eas!red !sing a c!rrent ranging &et3een := A$p & &rea1er?s no$inal c!rrent.

A)SI C@;.=A speci#ies a $ini$!$ test c!rrent o# <== A$p.

D,n&$ic Re!i!t&nce Me&!#re$ent!

Test cond!cted &" in.ecting /C c!rrent t%ro!g% t%e &rea1er $ain contact & $eas!ring t%e 'oltage drop & c!rrent 3%ile t%e &rea1er is operated.

Brea1er anal"5er t%en calc!lates & plots resistance as a #!nction o# ti$e.

Used #or contact diagnosis. Arcing contact lengt% can &e relia&l" esti$ated.

+t%er alternati'e #or #inding t%e lengt% o# t%e arcing contact is dis$antling t%e CB

In s#2 CB arcing contact is co$$onl" $ade o# t!ngsten. T%e contact is &!rned o## & &eco$es s%orter #or eac% interr!ption o# load c!rrent.

MINIMUM 0O)TAGE TEST

+#ten neglected test. +&.ecti'e is to $a1e s!re t%at t%e &rea1er can operate at t%e lo3est

'oltage le'el pro'ided &" station &atter" 3%en t%e &rea1er %as to operate d!ring t%e po3er o!tage.

T%e test is per#or$ed &" t%e appl"ing t%e lo3est speci#ied operating

'oltage & 'eri#" t%at t%e &rea1er operates 3it%in speci#ied operating para$eters .

Standard test 'oltage is B: C & ;=C o# no$inal 'oltage #or close &

open respecti'el"

(ini$!$ 'oltage re !ired to operate t%e &rea1er

(ini$!$ 'oltage at 3%ic% &rea1er is a&le to operate. (eas!re o# %o3 $!c% #orce t%at is needed to $o'e t%e coil ar$at!re. Send lo3 'oltage control 'oltage to t%e coil. I# not operates increase t%e 'oltage in steps e.g @0 & tr" again n so on. Record t%e 'oltage at 3%ic% &rea1er operates. Co$pare periodic testing data to deter$ine c%anges

Coi* Te!t

Anal"5ing Circ!it &rea1er operating coil signat!re $a" pro'ide t%e in#or$ation a&o!t t%e condition o# t%e latc%ing s"ste$.

0ac!!$ Bottle Test

To c%ec1 t%e integrit" o# 0I is intact or not.

Can &e c%ec1ed &" appl"ing t%e 'oltage o# AC 9: K0 r$s as 'oltage 3it%stand test #or a&o!t <= Secs.

W%en press!re inside t%e 0I %as attained At$ press. /ielectric &rea1do3n occ!rs at lo3er 'oltage.

I# test set7!p trips repeat t%e process t%rice. I# t%e test set7!p trips all t%ree ti$es 0I is dee$ed to &e de#ecti'e.

H!$idit" test
H!$idit" can ca!se corrosion & #las%o'er inside t%e &rea1er it is i$portant to 'eri#" t%at t%e $oist!re content inside t%e S-2 &rea1er is 1ept to a $ini$!$. T%is can &e done &" 'enting a s$all a$o!nt o# S-2 gas #ro$ t%e &1r t%ro!g% $oist!re anal"5er 3ill tell "o! t%e $oist!re o# t%e gas.