Maintain HV power system circuit

breakers (UETTRDSB04A)
Certificate IV in ESI Substation Resources (UET40206)
Learner Guide

E
PL
M
SA

State Training Services

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Using this Learner Resource..........................................................................................5
Use as Refresher Training .......................................................................................5
Mapping to Training Package....................................................................................5
Essential Knowledge and Associated Skills (EK&S)............................................6
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................6
Assessment.................................................................................................................7
Recognition of Prior Learning/Current Competence.................................................7
References..................................................................................................................7

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Introduction....................................................................................................................9
Basic Circuit Breaker Design.........................................................................................9
Preface........................................................................................................................9
Summary of functions of Circuit Breakers ............................................................9
Categories of Circuit Breakers.............................................................................10
Circuit Breaker Rating .........................................................................................10

PLArcing in the Circuit Breaker...................................................................................11

Arc Formation......................................................................................................11
Arc Extinguishing ................................................................................................12
Oil Circuit Breakers (OCB) .....................................................................................12
Bulk Oil Circuit Breakers ....................................................................................13
Minimum Oil Circuit Breaker..............................................................................14
Air Blast Circuit Breaker .....................................................................................15
SF6 Circuit Breakers............................................................................................16
Vacuum Circuit Breaker ......................................................................................18
Circuit Breaker Contacts..........................................................................................19
Contact Design.....................................................................................................20
M
Mechanical Functionality Operating Mechanism.................................................22
Pneumatic Drive...................................................................................................22
Hydraulic Drive ...................................................................................................23
Spring-loaded Drive.............................................................................................23
Solenoid Drive .....................................................................................................24
Maintenance of Circuit Breakers .................................................................................25
Maintenance Program ..............................................................................................25
SA

Routine Inspection ...............................................................................................25

Minor Maintenance..............................................................................................25
Major Maintenance ..............................................................................................26
Environmental and Operational Considerations ..................................................26
Maintenance Tasks...................................................................................................26
Isolation................................................................................................................26
Discharge of Energy Storage Mechanism............................................................26
Visual Inspection .................................................................................................27
Arc Chutes Cleaned .............................................................................................27
Contacts Cleaned .................................................................................................27
Mechanism Inspection and Adjustment...............................................................27
(For oil circuit breakers) Check or Replace Oil...................................................28
SF6 Pressure Levels and Gas Quality..................................................................28
Testing......................................................................................................................28
Contact Resistance Measurement ........................................................................28
Dynamic Contact Resistance ...............................................................................29

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide -3- NSW DET 2009
 Insulation (Megger) Testing ................................................................................31
Timing Tests (Motion Analysis)..........................................................................31
Vibration Analysis Testing ..................................................................................32
Oil Sampling ........................................................................................................34
SF6 Sampling .......................................................................................................35
SF6 Filtering and Replacement............................................................................36
SF6 Leak Testing .................................................................................................37
Functional Operational Tests ...............................................................................37
Infra-Red Thermal Monitoring/Testing ...............................................................38
Self Assessment Questions ..........................................................................................39
Learning Tasks and Practical Exercises.......................................................................42

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Appendix: Example of a Circuit Breaker Work Method .............................................44

PL
M
SA

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide -4- NSW DET 2009
 Introduction
High voltage circuit breakers form a critical component of the HV switching network.
They ensure that network operation can continue by automatically disconnecting
faulty branches of the distribution network. They are also the primary means used to
off-load the supply, in conjunction with isolators, to isolate the supply so that
maintenance can be performed on the transmission lines and other switching gear.
Because of the high voltages and currents that the circuit breakers are required to
switch, the circuit breakers can be subjected to routine wear of the contacts and arc
chutes, and in cases of extreme fault switching, the circuit breaker may be physically
damaged. Routine maintenance performed at regular intervals is used to detect and

E
repair wear and damage of circuit breakers.
This learning module will review the principles of operation of the major categories
of HV circuit breakers. The common types of maintenance procedures used will then
be covered.
Because of the wide range of types and models of circuit breakers this learning

PL
module cannot cover all specific cases. You will need to refer to manufacturers data
and local work procedures to gain a full appreciation of how to maintain particular
models of circuit breakers.
Basic Circuit Breaker Design
Preface
The interruption of electric power circuits has always been an essential function,
especially in cases of overloads or short circuits when immediate interruption of the
current flow becomes necessary as a protective measure.
M
In earliest times, circuits could be broken only by separation of contacts in air
followed by drawing the resulting electric arc out to such a length that it can no longer
be maintained. This means of interruption soon became inadequate and special
devices called circuit breakers had to be developed.
The basic problem has been to control and quench or extinguish the high power arc,
which necessarily occurs at the separating contacts of a breaker when opening high
current circuits. The problem of arc extinction is worsened when the power factor is
SA

low, that is, when the voltage and current are significantly out-of-phase. Since arcs
generate a great deal of heat energy, most often destructive for the breaker's contacts,
technology had to find ways to limit the arc duration and develop contacts that can
withstand the arc effect time after time.

Summary of functions of Circuit Breakers

The following is a list of functions that circuit breakers must be able to adequately
perform:
CLOSE onto and maintain full load current for long periods.
Automatically disconnect the full load current.
Interrupt and disconnect fault currents from the system.
Withstand full rated voltage across it when OPEN.
CLOSE onto a fault and immediately re-open to clear that fault.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide -9- NSW DET 2009
 Carry short circuit fault current for a period of time.
Withstand the effects of arcing at the contact surfaces.
HV circuit breakers contain the contacts within a sealed enclosure, with an insulating
dielectric surrounding the contacts and other ancillary parts of the circuit breaker.
Despite the range of types of circuit breakers available they all share common
principles; they all have to provide two main functionalities which are inter-related:
Electrical functionality (Interrupter, or contacts)
Mechanical functionality (Mechanism for tripping and closing the breaker)

E
The difference between these two functions is shown in the graphic (Figure 1) which
illustrates these two aspects of the circuit breaker.

PL
M
Figure 1: The electrical interrupter functionality and the mechanical
functionality of circuit breakers.

Categories of Circuit Breakers

High voltage circuit breakers generally fall into one of four categories (defined by the
type of dielectric used), each often having its own sub-categories. These are:
SA

Oil (Bulk oil and Minimum Oil)

Compressed Air
SF6
Vacuum
SF6 is increasingly being used as an insulating medium in switching gear. Some
modern designs of circuit breaker use combinations such as vacuum and SF6.

Circuit Breaker Rating

A circuit breaker will have a number of specification ratings, and these will usually
appear on the nameplate of the unit. The interpretation of these ratings is as follows:
Maximum kV Rating
The specified upper limit of voltage for which the circuit breaker is expected to
operate e.g.145kV.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide - 10 - NSW DET 2009
 Service Voltage
The normal system voltage e.g. 132kV
Rated Current
The full load current for which the contacts of the circuit breaker have been designed
e.g. 2400A.
Breaking Capacity at Maximum kV
The fault current that can be broken when operating at the maximum kV rating. This
will be many times the value of the rated current. E.g. At 145kV the breaking
capacity is 20kA.

E
Breaking Capacity at Service kV
The current that can be broken simultaneously in all poles of the circuit breaker at the
service kV e.g. 21.9kA.
Making Current Rating
The possibility of a circuit breaker closing onto a short circuit must be taken into

PL
account and therefore a Making Rating is given. The making capacity of a circuit
breaker depends upon its ability to withstand and to close successfully against the
electromagnetic forces produced by the high value of short circuit current. (It is
stated in terms of a peak value of current instead of an R.M.S. value.)
Short Time Rating
Length of time that the circuit breaker can carry fault current when it is not the circuit
breaker called upon to break the fault (That is, it will not be the circuit breaker that
will break the fault current.)
M
Arcing in the Circuit Breaker
When a voltage differential is applied across a volume of gas, free electrons are
attracted to the positive electrode. These electrons collide with gas molecules and
cause ionisation (more electrons are released from the gas atoms thus forming positive
and negative ions. The positive ions are attracted to the negative electrode where they
acquire electrons to become neutral molecules again.
SA

The migration of ions between the electrodes (or contacts in a circuit breaker)
constitutes a current flow and the ionisation process releases energy in the form of
light and heat, which we experience as an electrical arc.

Arc Formation
Circuit Breakers in the closed position have a current flow through their contacts and
no voltage drop across them. Ideally, when a circuit breaker is open there is no
current flow through the contact gap but the voltage drop across the gap is now the
full system voltage.
Somewhere between these two extremes the current flow drops from full load to zero
and the voltage rises from zero to rated voltage.
At the moment circuit breaker contacts separate the load current being carried by the
circuit breaker continues to flow through the increasing contact gap, driven by the
increasing voltage drop across the opening contacts. The insulating material between
the contacts is rapidly ionised and remains conductive. This conductive path is the

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide - 11 - NSW DET 2009
 arc. The arc will form on both opening and closing of the circuit breaker, although
the arc that concerns us the most is the opening arc.

Arc Extinguishing
Interrupting an arc is where we try to deionise, or make non-conducting the highly
ionised gaseous path between the opening contacts of a circuit breaker. For an AC
circuit breaker this is most easily done as the alternating current waveform passes
through zero. DC arcs are harder to extinguish because there is no zero crossing
point. As the contacts open the dielectric strength in the gap must withstand the rising
voltage across the gap which tries to re-establish the arc after a current zero. This is a
phenomenon called RESTRIKING. It would be ideal if the arc could be interrupted at

E
the first current zero but it is common for several cycles of arcing to occur prior to
interruption.
The ability of the gap between the contacts to build up its dielectric strength
(insulated/non-ionised state) is aided by four processes:

PL Opening of the contacts as fast as possible. This is a function of the operating
mechanism of the circuit breaker.
Lengthening the arc by opening the contacts as far as possible to withstand the
voltage across them, or introduce some means of deionising a smaller contact gap.
This is a function of the interrupting action and the quenching process ie. air blast
or oil blast.
Cooling the arc as rapidly as possible - which is a function of the insulating
medium used in the interrupter chamber.
Generating pressure to aid in deionisation of the gas - The 'Blast' principle.
M
Oil Circuit Breakers (OCB)
The dielectric used in oil circuit breakers is highly refined mineral oil and it serves
two purposes:
It insulates between the three phases, and between the phases and the ground.
SA

It provides the medium for the extinguishing of the arc.

The arc is drawn in the oil inside a special compartment of
the interrupting chamber called the explosion pot (old design)
or side vented turbulator (current design), sometimes also
called the arc chute. The intense heat of the arc
decomposes the oil and produces gases (hydrogen 70%,
ethylene 20%, methane 10% and carbon), generating high
pressure that produces a fluid flow through the arc and out of
the turbulator through vents situated on its walls. This
extends the arc's column and carries its energy away until it
is totally extinguished.

Figure 2: The arc is lengthened by being drawn out

of the side vents of the turbulator (or arc chute)

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide - 12 - NSW DET 2009
 The main disadvantage of oil circuit breakers is the flammability of the oil, and the
maintenance necessary to keep the oil in good condition (i.e. changing and purifying
the oil). The oil tends to become carbonised (blackened) as a result of the arcing
when the contacts are opened.
At transmission voltages below 345 kV, oil breakers used to be popular. They are
increasingly losing ground to SF6 circuit breakers.

Bulk Oil Circuit Breakers

E
PL
Figure 3: Examples of Bulk Oil Circuit Breakers that may still be found in
M
substations today.
Bulk oil circuit breakers are enclosed in metal-grounded weatherproof tanks that are
referred to as dead tanks. The original design of bulk OCBs was very simple and
inexpensive, and was first developed towards the end of the 19th Century. In the
original design bulk OCBs, the arc was drawn directly inside of the container tank
without any additional arc extinguishing but the one provided by the gas bubble
surrounding the arc. Plain break breakers were superseded by arc controlled oil
SA

breakers.
The arc controlled oil breakers have an arc control device surrounding the breaker
contacts the explosion pot or turbulator. The purpose of the arc control devices is to
improve operating capacity, speed up the extinction of arc, and decrease pressure on
the tank. It is still widely used because it is relatively cheap to make and gives greatly
improved performance in terms of final extinction, gap length and arcing time, as
against the plain break OCB. Various designs exist according to the preferences and
requirements of individual manufacturers, with designations such as Cross Jet Type,
Explosion Pot and Baffle pot, etc.
Many oil circuit breakers feature special arc control devices, most of which are based
on the simple pressure chamber principle, but incorporate certain modifications aimed
at improving the breaking capacity. Depending on the working principle of these
special pressure chambers the breakers are designated as: impulse oil circuit breakers
design grid breakers, breakers with double arc pressure chambers and axial jet
pressure chamber OCBs.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide - 13 - NSW DET 2009
 At voltages higher than 115 kV, it is usual to use separate tanks for each phase. The
practical limit for bulk oil breakers is 275 kV. They are most commonly found when
used to switch 11kV lines in older substations.

Minimum Oil Circuit Breaker

With higher system voltages and higher fault currents the physical size of a bulk OCB
becomes unwieldy in terms of size and weight. Improvements in ceramic technology
opened the way for the Minimum Oil circuit breaker (sometimes also referred to as
the Small Oil Volume Breaker). They use as little as 1/10 of the oil as a bulk OCB.
The function of oil as the insulating medium in the Bulk Oil Breakers is transferred to

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the porcelain containers in the minimum OCB. Only a small quantity of oil is used to
perform its function as an arc quenching medium.
The process of arc extinction in the minimum oil circuit breaker is of internal thermo-
dynamic origin. During the tripping operation an arc strikes in oil between the
moving contact and the fixed contacts. This arc is elongated vertically in the

PL
explosion pot until the distance travelled is sufficient to withstand the voltage between
contacts. The increase in internal pressure due to the splitting up and vaporisation of
oil by the arc creates a rapid movement of the extinguishing medium around the arc.
This self-quenching effect causes a rapid cooling of the ionised column along its
whole length.
Minimum oil circuit breakers are most commonly used for voltage ranges between
3.9kV and 145kV. At high voltages they are of the double-break type (multiple series
interrupters).
Minimum oil circuit breakers
require considerable energy
M
to operate the mechanism.
The typical stored spring
potential energy is often not
enough to ensure reliable
operation over a number of
open-close cycles. As a
result it is common to find
SA

pneumatic (and occasionally

hydraulic) drive mechanisms
attached to minimum oil
circuit breakers, with the
associated overhead of more
plant equipment and
maintenance.

Figure 4: Cross sectional view of a typical

minimum oil circuit breaker.
Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide - 14 - NSW DET 2009
 Air Blast Circuit Breaker

E
PL Figure 5: Air blast circuit breakers can usually be recognised by the air
reservoir (or receiver) at the base of the circuit breaker.

Air blast circuit breakers can be recognised externally by the air reservoir that sits at
the base of the circuit breaker.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages include high operating speed, short arcing times, fast auto-reclosing (if
required), frequent operation is acceptable, and generally they have low maintenance
M
requirements. A disadvantage therefore is that they require an auxiliary compressed
air system, which has its own plant maintenance requirements. Another disadvantage
is that they are extraordinarily noisy, with possible environmental impacts.
In air-blast circuit breakers, air is
compressed to high pressures
(approximately 20 bar pressure). When
the contacts part, a blast valve is opened
SA

to discharge the high-pressure air to the

ambient, thus creating a very-high-
velocity flow near the arc to dissipate the
energy and extinguish the arc. The high
pressure air has higher dielectric strength
than that of atmospheric pressure.
Therefore a small contact gap of few
centimetres is sufficient.
They are mainly rated for use at 110kV
and above. There are two main sub-
categories: Axial air blast, and Cross- Figure 6: Representation of electric
flow. arc in air-blast circuit breaker.
Axial Air Blast
In axial blast type air flow, the air flows from the high pressure reservoir to the
atmosphere through a convergent divergent nozzle designed into the fixed contact.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Learner Guide - 15 - NSW DET 2009
 Maintain HV power system circuit
breakers (UETTRDSB04A)
Certificate IV in ESI Substation Resources (UET40206)
Trainer Guide

E
PL
M
SA

State Training Services

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Using this Trainer Resource...........................................................................................4
Modifying the Training Resources ............................................................................4
Training Learners in Specific Tasks ..........................................................................5
Use as Refresher Training .......................................................................................5
Practical Task.............................................................................................................5
Mapping to Training Package....................................................................................5
Essential Knowledge and Associated Skills ..............................................................6
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................6

E
References..................................................................................................................7
Introduction....................................................................................................................8
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................8
Topics Covered in this Learning Module ..................................................................8
Basic Circuit Breaker Design.........................................................................................9
Preface........................................................................................................................9

PLCircuit Breaker Rating .............................................................................................10

Arcing in the Circuit Breaker...................................................................................11
Oil Circuit Breakers (OCB) .....................................................................................13
Air Blast Circuit Breaker .........................................................................................15
SF6 Circuit Breakers................................................................................................16
Vacuum Circuit Breaker ..........................................................................................18
Circuit Breaker Contacts..........................................................................................18
Mechanical Functionality Operating Mechanism.................................................20
Maintenance of Circuit Breakers .................................................................................23
Maintenance Program ..............................................................................................23
Maintenance Tasks...................................................................................................25
M
Testing......................................................................................................................27
Practical Instruction .....................................................................................................36
SA

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide -3- NSW DET 2009
Timing Instructional Content Notes to Trainer

Introduction

E
High voltage circuit breakers form a critical component of the HV switching network. They Display Slide 2
ensure that network operation can continue by automatically disconnecting faulty branches of the
distribution network. They are also the primary means used to off-load the supply, in conjunction
with isolators, to isolate the supply so that maintenance can be performed on the transmission lines
and other switching gear.

PL
Because of the high voltages and currents that the circuit breakers are required to switch, the
circuit breakers can be subjected to routine wear of the contacts and arc chutes, and in cases of
extreme fault switching, the circuit breaker may be physically damaged. Routine maintenance
performed at regular intervals is used to detect and repair wear and damage of circuit breakers.
This learning module will review the principles of operation of the major categories of HV circuit
breakers. The common types of maintenance procedures used will then be covered.
Because of the wide range of types and models of circuit breakers this learning module cannot
cover all specific cases. Learners will need to refer to manufacturers data and local work
procedures to gain a full appreciation of how to maintain particular models of circuit breakers.

M Learning Outcomes
(As per those shown on Page 6 of this Learning Guide.)

Topics Covered in this Learning Module

Categories of HV circuit breakers
Display Slide 3 & 4

Display Slide 5
SA
Circuit breaker contacts
Mechanical functionality
Maintenance program
Circuit breaker testing

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide -8- NSW DET 2009
 Basic Circuit Breaker Design

E
Preface
The interruption of electric power circuits has always been an essential function, especially in
cases of overloads or short circuits when immediate interruption of the current flow becomes
necessary as a protective measure.

PL
In earliest times, circuits could be broken only by separation of contacts in air followed by
drawing the resulting electric arc out to such a length that it can no longer be maintained. This
means of interruption soon became inadequate and special devices called circuit breakers had to
be developed.
The basic problem has been to control and quench or extinguish the high power arc, which
necessarily occurs at the separating contacts of a breaker when opening high current circuits. The
problem of arc extinction is worsened when the power factor is low, that is, when the voltage and
current are significantly out-of-phase. Since arcs generate a great deal of heat energy, most often
destructive for the breaker's contacts, technology had to find ways to limit the arc duration and
develop contacts that can withstand the arc effect time after time.

M Summary of functions of Circuit Breakers

CLOSE onto and maintain full load current for long periods.
Automatically disconnect the full load current.
Interrupt and disconnect fault currents from the system.
Withstand full rated voltage across it when OPEN.
Display Slide 6
SA
CLOSE onto a fault and immediately re-open to clear that fault.
Carry short circuit fault current for a period of time.
Withstand the effects of arcing at the contact surfaces.
HV circuit breakers contain the contacts within a sealed enclosure, with an insulating dielectric
surrounding the contacts and other ancillary parts of the circuit breaker. Despite the range of types
of circuit breakers available they all share common principles; they all have to provide two main

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide -9- NSW DET 2009
 functionalities which are inter-related:

E
Electrical functionality (Interrupter, or contacts) Display Slide 7
Mechanical functionality (Mechanism for tripping and closing the breaker)
Categories of Circuit Breakers Display Slide 8
High voltage circuit breakers generally fall into one of four categories (defined by the type of Suggested Activity:
dielectric used), each often having its own sub-categories. These are:

PL
Walk around a substation,
Oil (Bulk oil and Minimum Oil) pointing out the different
types and designs of circuit
Compressed Air breaker.
SF6
Vacuum
[Trainer note: SF6 is increasingly being used as an insulating medium, and some designs of circuit
breaker use combinations such as vacuum and SF6.]

Circuit Breaker Rating

M A circuit breaker will have a number of specification ratings, and these will usually appear on the
nameplate of the unit. The interpretation of these ratings is as follows:
Maximum kV Rating

Service Voltage
Display Slide 9
Suggested Activity:
When walking around the
The specified upper limit of voltage for which the circuit breaker is expected to operate e.g.145kV. substation, point out the
specification rating plate on
the circuit breakers and the
SA
The normal system voltage e.g. 132kV various ratings that are
indicated.
Rated Current
The full load current for which the contacts of the circuit breaker have been designed e.g. 2400A.
Breaking Capacity at Maximum kV
The fault current that can be broken when operating at the maximum kV rating. This will be many
times the value of the rated current. E.g. At 145kV the breaking capacity is 20kA.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide - 10 - NSW DET 2009
 Breaking Capacity at Service kV

E
The current that can be broken simultaneously in all poles of the circuit breaker at the service kV
e.g. 21.9kA.
Making Current Rating
The possibility of a circuit breaker closing onto a short circuit must be taken into account and
therefore a Making Rating is given. The making capacity of a circuit breaker depends upon its

PL
ability to withstand and to close successfully against the electromagnetic forces produced by the
high value of short circuit current. (It is stated in terms of a peak value of current instead of an
R.M.S. value.)
Short Time Rating
Length of time that the circuit breaker can carry fault current when it is not the circuit breaker
called upon to break the fault (That is, it will not be the circuit breaker that will break the fault
current.)

Arcing in the Circuit Breaker

M When a voltage differential is applied across a volume of gas, free electrons are attracted to the
positive electrode. These electrons collide with gas molecules and cause ionisation (more
electrons are released from the gas atoms thus forming positive and negative ions. The positive
ions are attracted to the negative electrode where they acquire electrons to become neutral
molecules again.
The migration of ions between the electrodes (or contacts in a circuit breaker) constitutes a current
flow and the ionisation process releases energy in the form of light and heat, which we experience
Display Slide 10
Display Slide 11
SA
as an electrical arc.
Arc Formation
Circuit Breakers in the closed position have a current flow through their contacts and no voltage
drop across them. Ideally, when a circuit breaker is open there is no current flow through the
contact gap but the voltage drop across the gap is now the full system voltage.
Somewhere between these two extremes the current flow drops from full load to zero and the

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide - 11 - NSW DET 2009
 voltage rises from zero to rated voltage.

E
At the moment circuit breaker contacts separate the load current being carried by the circuit
breaker continues to flow through the increasing contact gap, driven by the increasing voltage
drop across the opening contacts. The insulating material between the contacts is rapidly ionised
and remains conductive. This conductive path is the arc. The arc will form on both opening and
closing of the circuit breaker, although the arc that concerns us the most is the opening arc.
Arc Extinguishing

PL
Display Slide 12
Interrupting an arc is where we try to deionise, or make non-conducting the highly ionised gaseous
path between the opening contacts of a circuit breaker. For an AC circuit breaker this is most
easily done as the alternating current waveform passes through zero. DC arcs are harder to
extinguish because there is no zero crossing point. As the contacts open the dielectric strength in
the gap must withstand the rising voltage across the gap which tries to re-establish the arc after a
current zero. This is a phenomenon called RESTRIKING. It would be ideal if the arc could be
interrupted at the first current zero but it is common for several cycles of arcing to occur prior to
interruption.
The ability of the gap between the contacts to build up its dielectric strength (insulated/non-

M ionised state) is aided by four processes:

Opening of the contacts as fast as possible. This is a function of the operating mechanism of
the circuit breaker.
Lengthening the arc by opening the contacts as far as possible to withstand the voltage across
them, or introduce some means of deionising a smaller contact gap. This is a function of the
interrupting action and the quenching process ie. air blast or oil blast.
SA
Cooling the arc as rapidly as possible - which is a function of the insulating medium used in
the interrupter chamber.
Generating pressure to aid in deionisation of the gas - The 'Blast' principle.

The following section details different types of circuit breaker. Trainers may have
a variety of internal parts available (e.g. arc chutes) to show and demonstrate to
trainees.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide - 12 - NSW DET 2009
 Oil Circuit Breakers (OCB)

E
The dielectric used in oil circuit breakers is highly refined mineral oil and it serves two purposes:
It insulates between the three phases, and between the phases and the ground.
It provides the medium for the extinguishing of the arc.
The arc is drawn in the oil inside a special compartment of the interrupting chamber called the Display Slide 13

PL
explosion pot (old design) or side vented turbulator (current design), sometimes also called the
arc chute. The intense heat of the arc decomposes the oil and produces gases (hydrogen 70%,
ethylene 20%, methane 10% and carbon), generating high pressure that produces a fluid flow
through the arc and out of the turbulator through vents situated on its walls. This extends the arc's
column and carries its energy away until it is totally extinguished.
The main disadvantage of oil circuit breakers is the flammability of the oil, and the maintenance
necessary to keep the oil in good condition (i.e. changing and purifying the oil). The oil tends to
become carbonised (blackened) as a result of the arcing when the contacts are opened.
At transmission voltages below 345 kV, oil breakers used to be popular. They are increasingly
losing ground to SF6 circuit breakers.

M Bulk Oil Circuit Breakers

Bulk oil circuit breakers are enclosed in metal-grounded weatherproof tanks that are referred to as
dead tanks. The original design of bulk OCBs was very simple and inexpensive, and was first
developed towards the end of the 19th Century. In the original design bulk OCBs, the arc was
drawn directly inside of the container tank without any additional arc extinguishing but the one
provided by the gas bubble surrounding the arc. Plain break breakers were superseded by arc
Display Slide 14
SA
controlled oil breakers.
The arc controlled oil breakers have an arc control device surrounding the breaker contacts the
explosion pot or turbulator. The purpose of the arc control devices is to improve operating
capacity, speed up the extinction of arc, and decrease pressure on the tank. It is still widely used
because it is relatively cheap to make and gives greatly improved performance in terms of final
extinction, gap length and arcing time, as against the plain break OCB. Various designs exist
according to the preferences and requirements of individual manufacturers, with designations such

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide - 13 - NSW DET 2009
 as Cross Jet Type, Explosion Pot and Baffle pot, etc.

E
Many oil circuit breakers feature special arc control devices, most of which are based on the
simple pressure chamber principle, but incorporate certain modifications aimed at improving the
breaking capacity. Depending on the working principle of these special pressure chambers the
breakers are designated as: impulse oil Circuit Breakers design grid breakers, breakers with double
arc pressure chambers and axial jet pressure chamber OCBs.
At voltages higher than 115 kV, it is usual to use separate tanks for each phase. The practical limit

PL
for bulk oil breakers is 275 kV. They are most commonly found when used to switch 11kV lines
in older substations.
Minimum Oil Circuit Breaker
With higher system voltages and higher fault currents the physical size of a bulk OCB becomes Display Slide 15
unwieldy in terms of size and weight. Improvements in ceramic technology opened the way for
the Minimum Oil circuit breaker (sometimes also referred to as the Small Oil Volume
Breaker). They use as little as 1/10 of the oil as a bulk OCB.
The function of oil as the insulating medium in the Bulk Oil Breakers is transferred to the
porcelain containers in the minimum OCB. Only a small quantity of oil is used to perform its

M function as an arc quenching medium.

The process of arc extinction in the minimum oil circuit breaker is of internal thermo-dynamic
origin. During the tripping operation an arc strikes in oil between the moving contact and the
fixed contacts. This arc is elongated vertically in the explosion pot until the distance travelled is
sufficient to withstand the voltage between contacts. The increase in internal pressure due to the
splitting up and vaporisation of oil by the arc creates a rapid movement of the extinguishing
SA
medium around the arc. This self-quenching effect causes a rapid cooling of the ionised column
along its whole length.
Minimum oil circuit breakers are most commonly used for voltage ranges between 3.9kV and
145kV. At high voltages they are of the double-break type (multiple series interrupters).
Minimum oil circuit breakers require considerable energy to operate the mechanism. The typical
stored spring potential energy is often not enough to ensure reliable operation over a number of
open-close cycles. As a result it is common to find pneumatic (and occasionally hydraulic) drive
mechanisms attached to minimum oil circuit breakers, with the associated overhead of more plant
Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide - 14 - NSW DET 2009
 equipment and maintenance.

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Air Blast Circuit Breaker
They can be recognised externally by the air reservoir that sits at the base of the circuit breaker. Display Slide 16
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages include high operating speed, short arcing times, fast auto-reclosing (if required), Display Slide 17

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frequent operation is acceptable, and generally they have low maintenance requirements. A
disadvantage therefore is that they require an auxiliary compressed air system, which has its own
plant maintenance requirements. Another disadvantage is that they are extraordinarily noisy, with
possible environmental impacts.
In air-blast circuit breakers, air is compressed to high pressures (approximately 20 bar pressure). Display Slide 18
When the contacts part, a blast valve is opened to discharge the high-pressure air to the ambient,
thus creating a very-high-velocity flow near the arc to dissipate the energy and extinguish the arc.
The high pressure air has higher dielectric strength than that of atmospheric pressure. Therefore a
small contact gap of few centimetres is sufficient.
They are mainly rated for use at 110kV and above. There are two main sub-categories: Axial air

M blast, and Cross-flow.

Axial Air Blast
In axial blast type air flow, the air flows from the high pressure reservoir to the atmosphere
through a convergent divergent nozzle designed into the fixed contact. The difference in pressure
and the design of the nozzle is such that the air expands into the low pressure zone, and it attains
almost supersonic velocity. The mass flow of air through the nozzle is governed by the
Display Slide 19
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parameters like pressure ratio, area of throat, nozzle throat diameter and is influenced by the
diameter of the arc itself.
The air flowing at a high speed axially along the arc causes the removal of heat from the periphery
of the arc and the diameter of the arc reduces to a low value at current zero. At this instant the arc
is interrupted and the contact space is flushed with fresh air flowing through the nozzle. The flow
of fresh air through the contact space ensures removal of hot gases and rapid building up of
dielectric strength, preventing the possibility of arc re-strike.

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Trainer Guide - 15 - NSW DET 2009
 Maintain HV power system circuit
breakers (UETTRDSB04A)
Certificate IV in ESI Substation Resources (UET40206)
Assessment Guide

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Instructions to Assessors
This Assessment Guide is part of a suite of resources that have been developed to
support 8 core units of competency from the Certificate IV in ESI Substation
(UET40206) as follows:

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UETTDRIS05A
UETTDRIS22A

UETTDRIS23A

UETTDRSB01A

UETTDRSB02A
Perform substation switching operation to a given schedule
Implement and monitor the organisational OHS policies,
procedures and programs
Implement and monitor environmental and sustainable energy
management policies and procedures
Diagnose and rectify faults in power systems substation
environment
Carry out substation inspections
UETTDRIS03A Install and maintain substation DC systems
UETTDRIS04A Maintain HV power system circuit breakers
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UETTDRIS05A Maintain HV power system transformers and instruments

This Assessment Guide together with a Trainer Guide and a Learner Guide are
designed for UETTDRSB04A Maintain HV power system circuit breakers. This
guide is intended to provide some direction to assessors who are determining
competence of students who have completed the theoretical and practical instruction
in this learning module. Assessors are expected to use their own judgement in
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designing appropriate assessment questions and tasks and putting them into context
for the assessment candidate. At all times the principles of assessment, that is,
validity, reliability, flexibility and fairness must be complied with.

Use these guidelines to assist in preparing your own assessment instruments and tools.
The checklist should be treated as a starting point. You may choose to add more
checkpoints to highlight particular aspects of knowledge and skill that you want to see
evidence of. This could be through practical tasks or problem-based questions.

Evidence Required
Evidence for competence in this unit shall be considered holistically. Each element
and associated Performance Criteria shall be demonstrated on at least two occasions in
accordance with the Assessment Guidelines UET06. Evidence must also reflect
the critical aspects of evidence which includes the following:

State Training Services

 A representative body of performance criteria demonstrated within the timeframes
typically expected of the discipline, work function and industrial environment. In
particular this must incorporate evidence that shows a candidate is able to:
Implement Occupational Health and Safety workplace procedures and practices
including the use of risk control measures as specified in the Performance Criteria
and Range Statement.
Apply sustainable energy principles and practices as specified in the Performance
Criteria and Range Statement
Demonstrate an understanding of the essential knowledge and associated skills as
described in this unit to such an extent that the learners performance outcome is

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reported in accordance with the preferred approach; namely a percentile graded
result, where required by the regulated environment.
Demonstrate an appropriate level of skills enabling employment.
Conduct work observing the relevant Anti Discrimination legislation, regulations,
polices and workplace procedures.

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To be deemed as competent in this Unit, the candidate must provide sufficient
evidence of being able to confidently and competently conduct testing, maintenance
and repair of HV circuit breakers. Where summative (or final) assessment is used it is
to include the application of the competency in the normal work environment or, at a
minimum, the application of the competency in a realistically simulated work
environment. In some circumstances, assessment in part or full can occur outside the
workplace. However, it must be in accordance with industry and regulatory policy.
(For more detail on assessment practices you are advised to refer to the Training
Package and the Evidence Guide for this Unit of Competence, especially where
longitudinal competency development and Profiling has been used).
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This assessment guide covers all tasks and equipment included in the section of the
Unit: Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate
competency in this unit, as shown in the table below.

The minimum number of items Item List

on which skill is to be
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demonstrated.
At least two of the Oil circuit breakers
following: Small oil volume circuit breakers
Air blast circuit breakers
Vacuum circuit breakers
GIS (SF6) circuit breakers
Gas circuit breakers
At least two of the Spring operated mechanism
following: Solenoid operated mechanism
Hydraulic operated mechanism
Pneumatic operated mechanism

Maintain HV power system circuit breakers Assessment Guide 2 NSW DET 2009