Circuit breaker is a special type of switching device which is used to protect the costly electrical equipments of

a power system network as well as interrupts the electricity if any fault is detected. There are several types of
circuit breakers and they are used according to the choice and field of application. Air circuit breaker or air
blast circuit breaker is a special type of circuit breaker where the natural atmospheric air is used as the arc
quenching medium. After the invention of oil circuit breaker, the use of air circuit breaker is reduced because
the oil circuit breaker gives more ease of use as well as it serves the economical aspects also. But, air circuit
breaker is safer than oil circuit breaker because there is no chance of oil fire. So, in many countries, air circuit
breaker is still preferred instead of oil circuit breaker.
Working principle of air circuit breaker:
Minimization of arcing is the prime objective of any kind of circuit breaker. So, the mechanism should be build
in such a way, that after a null current point, no further establishment of arc is occured. The main mechanism of
air circuit breaker is to increase the arc voltage.
Here we have to know that, what is arc voltage?
Arc voltage is nothing but the voltage required for maintaining the arc. So, if somehow the arc voltage is
incremented, then there is a lesser chance of further arc establishment. This concept is implimented in air
circuit breaker. Air circuit breaker increases the arc voltage by the following way
s:
If an arc is splitted or divided into number of separate arcs, then the required arc voltage to maintain all
those separte arcs is increased. In this way, the main arc is quenced. Each and every air circuit breaker
is consist of a metal arc splitter inside the arc chute chamber.This metal arc splitter is nothing but some
metallic separtion which is mainly used to divide a strong arc into some numbers of separte weak arcs.
Each and every mini arcs are cooled in the air chute chambers and the length of them are increased so
that the effective arc volatage is increased. Ultimately, all those mini arcs are quenched.
Air circuit breaker
We know that, voltage in any medium is inversely proportional to the temparature. So, if the arc plasma
temparature is reduced, then the velocity and energy of the charge carriers also reduced and therfore
the effective arc voltage gradient is increased. This simple concept is used in air circuit breaker very
effectively. Every air circuit breaker is consist of a wide section which is termed as arc chute and this
section is made with refractory materials like ceramic. After generating, the arc is thrown to the arc
chute chamber and natural air is used to cool the entire arc. In this way, the arc voltage is increased and
the arc is ultimately quenched.
If the arc length is increased, then the effective resistance is also increased. As, V=IR, so when the arc
path is more lengthy, then the required arc voltage is more considering the same arc cuurent. This
concept is implimented in air circuit breaker very effectively. The arc chute chamber of a air circuit
breaker is made in such a way that whenever an arc is entered in this chamber, the length of the arc is
automatically increased. So, ultimately the arc is quenced.

Types of air circuit breaker:
(a) Normal air circuit breaker : This type of circuit breakers are usually deals with normal air flow.
(b) Air blast circuit breaker: This type of circuit breakers use high pressure air blast as the arc quenching
medium.
According to the construction, air blast circuit breakers are further classified as follows:
(a) Axial Blast Air Circuit Breaker: In this
type of circuit breaker the air blast is directed along the path of the arc. Whenever any fault occurs, a tripping
system opens an air valve which connects the air reservoir and the arc chamber. So, the high pressure air blast
enters into the arc chamber and takes away the ionised gases along with it. In this way the arc is quenched.
(b) Cross Blast Air Circuit Breaker: Here, the air blast is directed at the right angles of the arc. The entire
mechanism is very simple. The arc chute chamber helps the arc to get lengthy and therefore the arc is
quenched.
(c) Radial Blast Air Circuit breaker: In this type of circuit breaker, the air blast is directed radially as
compared to the arc.
Construction of air circuit breaker:
The main advantage of an air circuit breaker is if they are choosen for operate in low voltage like 1KV, then
they does not require any arc controlling device. But for huge current applications, Air Circuit Breaker is
equipped with proper arc controlling device. Normally, air circuit breakers consists of two pairs of contacts
namely, normal contact pair and arc contact pair. Actually, the normal pair of contacts are made of copper and
subjected to the normal rated current at normal load. But, the arc contact pair is utilized in when an arc is
subjected to the circuit breaker that mean a system fault is occured. Each of the arc contacts is equipped with
an arc runner and this arc runner motivate the entire arc flow to move upward due to the thermal and
electromagnetic effect. When the arc is thrown in upward direction by the arc runner, it enters in the arc chute
chamber because the arrangement is done so. Then the arc is treated in the arc chute chamber and therefore
the arc is quenched. In this way, air circuit breaker controlls the arc by the help of natural air pressure.
Advantages of air circuit breaker:
The prime factor associated with any swichgear is the maintanance. In case of air circuit breaker, the
maintanance required is quite often and thus the cost related to maintanance is also reduced.
Arc quenching process is very much faster in air circuit breaker.
There are no risk factor associated with air circuit breaker as it use atmospheric air as the arc
quenching medium.
As the speed of operation is quite fast, so very littile amount of heat is generated during the operation
and this is desirable.
The entire protection system become reliable as this system is completly automated and quick
responsive.