november 2 0 0 7

New testing method for HV Circuit

Breaker with both sides grounded
The background
The HV circuit breaker is the most important component of during the test, because, otherwise, the timing test cannot
an HV substation, as it has the task, sometimes the terrible be performed by the traditional test sets. This is the “de
task, to remove the fault, no matter what is the fault cur- facto” practice, even if laws and standards would not allow it.
rent. Even the nominal current could be difficult to be The point is that when the contact is closed there is no risk,
opened, as 2000 A on a 380 kV line mean something close but when, during the test, the contact is opened, the risk is
to half a GigaWatt per phase; yet, this is not the worst case, there: high voltage induction, no protection in case of fault.
when the current to be opened can be 20, 40 or even 80 As this is a risky practice, here comes the need for highly
times the nominal one. So, when the matter of what should skilled people.
be tested in a substation is being discussed, nobody argues
about the need of being pretty sure that the CB of the plant The ISA test solution
operate correctly.
ISA for almost 70 years it has been working side by side
with power utilities personnel helping them performing
On the other side, performing tests is an expensive task,
their work safely and efficiently.
demanding highly skilled engineers, strictly observed
ISA is making substation testing safer for the test engineers
procedures, programming and a relevant test execution
and at the same time helps make operation of utilities and
time. Laws and Standards dictate how the test should be
service companies more efficient.
performed in order to avoid any risk to people at work.
Our latest born equipments for testing Circuit Breakers, the
All this conflicts with the need of reducing time and the
CBA1000 and CBA2000, incorporate the main contact tim-
level of skill of people involved.
ing test and the contact resistance test, static or dynamic:
this means reducing the test time.
Circuit Breaker Testing
As all other test sets, time measurement cannot be
The most important tests performed on circuit breakers are: performed unless only one side is grounded. Now they
main contacts timing and contact resistance. These tests come along with the BSG option, that stands for Both Sides
required two instruments, that were connected in turn to Grounded, that allows to perform tests without removing
the circuit breaker main contact. the safety ground connections on both sides of the main
During these tests, the operator safety is ensured by contact. Working in this condition will bring all advantages
connecting to earth both sides of the test object. In the nor- described above, by removing the risk and the conse-
mal practice, the safety grounding is removed at one side quences of arc-flash and electrocution accidents.

The technology to measure the operating time of the circuit

breaker when it is grounded on both sides is based on
resistance measurement.
Circuit breakers are always placed in a very high position:
long connection cables must be used to ground them. The
resistance of these leads is usually in the range of 20 to 30
mΩ, whilst the contact resistance of the breaker is in the
range of 20 to 30 µΩ, and the resistance of the graphite
coating is in the range of 200 to 500 µΩ. Goal of the test
is a safe detection of the contact being: closed, graphite or
open, and not the measurement of the contact resistance;
so, as the grounding connection resistance is much bigger
than the graphite and contact resistance, its presence does
not affect the test.

CBA1000 connected to BSG-1000

november 2 0 0 7

And here comes our solution: connectors, for the connection of the BSG Main unit to
• A microOhm meter tester for each individual contact of CBA1000 or CBA2000.
the circuit breaker injects the test current and meters the Sequence of operation
contact resistance.
• The BSG measuring heads generate the current only
• The resistance value is measured and compared with two
when a test is to be performed.
thresholds, for instance 100 µΩ and 1 mOhm;
• The current generation is initiated by CBA1000 or
• R > 1000 µΩ: the contact is OPEN
CBA2000, by means of the Master output. The START
• R < 1000 µΩ and > 100 µΩ: GRAPHITE
signal goes to the BSG Main unit, that, in turn,
• R < 100 µΩ: the contact is CLOSED
commands the Measuring Heads.
The result is then converted into a voltage signal and
• When the current is OK the heads inform the CBA via the
provided to CBA1000 for two time measurements.
Main unit; at this moment, the CBA drives the CB coils,
and the time measurement starts.
The technology used with the BSG to generate the test
• The head measures the contact resistance, compares it
current is similar to that used for the DRM of the CBA’s: a
to the threshold and communicates in real time the
large capacitor is charged and then discharged through an
result (CLOSED, GRAPHITE or OPEN) to the Main unit;
electronic circuit, that stabilizes the current to 20 A.
• The Main unit converts this information into a voltage
level that is sensed by CBA as CLOSED, RESISTANCE or
Description OPEN. These operations are performed at very high
Two types of BSG1000 are available: speed, so that the time measurement is not influenced;
- BSG1000-1, for testing one break per phase; • CBA measures the times, and displays the results as a
- BSG1000-2, for testing two breaks per phase (displayed thick – intermediate – thin line;
in the figure). • It is possible to change the resistance threshold
Each BSG1000 is made of the following elements: operating on the CBA screen.
• Three BSG Remote Heads, types 1 or 2. They are
connected close to the main breaker contacts, and
include the current generator and the two level
comparator, that communicates the result in digital form
to the Main unit. Each head has two type of cables, each
3 m long: one for the connection of the test current to
the CT under test, and the other one (shielded) for the
open / close detection of the CB contacts. One set of
cables for type 1; two sets for type 2.
• One BSG Main unit, that includes the microprocessor
supervising the heads, and the DAC’s for CBA inputs. It
is connected to the heads and to the CBA by a cable kit,
including:
- Three 8 m long cables, terminated with multi-pole
connectors, for the connection between remote heads
and the Main unit.
- One cable, 1 m long, terminated with multi-pole

APPLICATION NOTES OTTOBRE 2007 APPLICATION NOTES OTTOBRE 2007

 november 2 0 0 7

Test set-up
Lift the Measuring head up Connect the Measuring Connect the Main unit Connect the Main unit
to the circuit breaker. Head control cable to the Master / Slave input to the output connector to the
Connect the Current BSG Main unit, in the CBA output CBA inputs, following the
terminals to the main CB Breaker Contact section. connector markings.
contacts.
Connect the voltage sensors
to the main CB contacts, so
that the current terminals
voltage drop does not
influence the resistance
measurement.

Siemens Graphite contacts

Besides, if the Circuit Breakers has a graphite nozzle,
CBA1000 displays the timing at which the graphite is
engaged, and when the main contact is reached, thus
allowing to check the deterioration of the graphite.

How does the BSG detects the graphite contacts?

The BSG has two voltage thresholds to detect which section
of the contact is engaged: graphite or metallic.

And the other Circuit Breakers ?

Siemens is very keen to use equipments which are able to
detect when the main contact is engaged by filtering out the
Graphite contact.

For other circuit breakers we have a similar picture: we can

measure the time when the main contact are engaged by
filtering out the Arcing contact.
In fact, the resistance profile is very similar to the Graphite
contact, and therefore the same Siemens method can be
applied to any sort of HV Circuit breaker making our
devices: CBA1000, CBA2000 and GSG the prefect tools for
a safe and more comprehensive circuit breaker testing.

BSG-1000 Remote Heads

ISA srl
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