Isa Cba 1000

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DATE: 06/12/2013 DOC.MIE11166 REV. 2.

21

APPLICATION GUIDE
FOR THE
CIRCUIT BREAKER ANALYZER
AND MICROOHMMETER
MOD. CBA 1000
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 2 of 137

REVISIONS SUMMARY VISA


N PAGE DATE
1 All 12/12/2005 Preliminary issue Lodi

2 30 13/11/2006 Added the coil test at Lodi


minimum supply
3 31 12/04/2007 Added the cabling Puricelli
scheme of BSG 1000
4 31 01/10/2007 Completed the BSG Lodi
1000 option
5 All 03/12/2007 Upgraded to F/W Lodi
revision 2.03
6 47, 50 05/03/2008 F/W revision 2.05: Lodi
minor corrections
7 29 to 37 12/03/2008 Improved the Lodi
transducer mounting
description
8 23, 24 24/06/2008 MTC option described Biotti

2.19 All 24/04/2009 Upgraded to firmware Lodi


release 2.19
2.19 87 16/05/2011 Dynamic resistance test Lodi
with two grounds
2.21 All 18/12/2012 Improved and Lodi
completed for
firmware 2.21
2.21 56-57 06/12/2013 Added the motor test Lodi
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 3 of 137

CONTENTS

SHORT FOREWORD ......................................................................................... 6


SAFETY AT WORK ............................................................................................ 7
1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 11
2 CB TIMING TEST......................................................................................... 14
2.1 CONNECTION TO THE CIRCUIT BREAKER .................................................... 14
2.1.1 CB contacts. ................................................................................. 14
2.1.2 More than two chambers per phase .............................. 15
2.1.3 Coil drivers .................................................................................... 17
2.2 TEST EXECUTION ............................................................................................. 20
2.3 TEST RESULTS ANALYSIS............................................................................. 25
2.4 AUXILIARY CONTACTS TEST ........................................................................ 32
2.5 TESTS OPTIONS ........................................................................................... 34
2.5.1 Configuration without options .......................................... 34
2.5.2 Four coils option: single phase opening; CB’S
under-voltage coil time delay .......................................................... 36
2.5.2.1 Single phase open selections .......................................................... 37
2.5.2.2 CB’s under-voltage coil time delay ............................................... 37
2.5.3 MTC option: Minimum voltage test; CB's under-
voltage coil threshold and time delay ....................................... 40
2.5.3.1 Timing of coils supplied at the minimum voltage ................... 43
2.5.3.2 CB's under-voltage coil threshold ................................................. 46
2.5.3.3 CB's under-voltage coil delay ......................................................... 50
2.6 TWO RECORDINGS TEST .............................................................................. 53
2.7 MOTOR TEST ................................................................................................ 56
3 CB MOVEMENT AND ANALOG SIGNALS TESTS ......................... 59
3.1 POSITION TRANSDUCER MOUNTING ........................................................... 59
3.1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 59
3.1.2 Transducer mounting .............................................................................. 61
3.2 TRAVEL TRANSDUCER CONNECTION TO THE TEST SET.............................. 66
3.2.1 Transducer calibration ........................................................... 69
3.2.2 Current transducers ................................................................ 72
3.2.3 Datum points ............................................................................... 73
3.2.4 Slow motion ................................................................................. 77
3.3 ANALOG SIGNAL CONNECTION TO CBA 1000.......................................... 82
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 4 of 137

3.4 PRESSURE TRANSDUCER CONNECTION TO CBA 1000 ............................ 84


3.5 CURRENT CLAMP .......................................................................................... 85
4 STATIC RESISTANCE TEST ................................................................... 87
5 DYNAMIC RESISTANCE TEST .............................................................. 94
A) CLOSE TEST .................................................................................................. 98
B) OPEN TEST .................................................................................................. 103
C) BOTH ENDS GROUNDED .......................................................................... 108
D) CASE: GAS INSULATED SUBSTATIONS (GIS) ...................................... 111
6 BOTH SIDES GROUNDED TEST WITH BSG 1000.................... 116
7 FIRST TRIP TEST...................................................................................... 126
8 SWITCH SYNC TEST ............................................................................... 131
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 5 of 137

Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this material complete, accurate, and up-to-date. In
addition, changes are periodically added to the information herein; these changes will be
incorporated into new editions of the publication. ISA S.R.L reserves the right to make
improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this
document without notice, and shall not be responsible for any damages, including but not
limited to consequential damages, caused by reliance on the material presented,
including but not limited to typographical errors.

Copies, reprints or other reproductions of the content or of parts of this publication shall
only be permitted with our prior written consent.
All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Copyright 2012© ISA S.R.L. Italy – All rights reserved.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 6 of 137

SH O R T FO REW O RD

Dear user,

I often wondered why the user’s manual is not very much used,
even if it includes valuable information. As me too I am a user of
such manuals, the answer I have given myself is that valuable
information are concealed somewhere in the thick thing, and I do
not have time to waste to find it. So, either the manual is actually
of help, or I ignore it.

This is why I decided to split the manual in three: specification,


with all performance details; introductory guide, with the device
description; application manual, with instructions about how to
use it one its operation is understood. The idea is that you may
read once the introductory guide or the specification, while you
need to follow application examples more than once; so, why not
to split the manual in three?

This manual deals with application examples: read through them,


they will help you.

Have a good work with CBA 1000!

Luca Biotti
Q&A Manager
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 7 of 137

S AFE TY AT W O R K

The Product hereafter described is manufactured and tested


according to the specifications, and when used for normal
applications and within the normal electrical and mechanical
limits will not cause hazard to health and safety, provided that
the standard engineering rules are observed and that it is used by
trained personnel only.

The application guide is published by the Seller to be used


together with the Product described in the corresponding
document. The Seller reserves the right to modify the guide
without warning, for any reason. This includes also but not only,
the adoption of more advanced technological solutions and
modified manufacturing procedures, and also the addition of
other features, not available in the first release.

The Seller declines any difficulties arising from unknown technical


problems. The Seller declines also any responsibility in case of
modification of the Product or of any intervention not authorized
by the Seller in writing.

The warranty includes the repair time and the materials


necessary to restore the complete efficiency of the Product; so, it
does not include other burdens, such as the transport and
customs fee. Under no circumstances the warrantee includes
any cost that the User may have suffered because of the Product
unavailability and downtime.

The Product is CE marked, and has been tested to operate


according to EN 61010-1, with the following operating conditions:
. Pollution degree 2: normally, non-conductive pollution occurs;
. Measurement category III, for measurement inputs (micro-
Ohmmeter measure and transducer analog input).

Would the Product be used beyond these limits, its safety


could be impaired.

Mains supply characteristics are:


.. From 85 to 265 V AC; 50-60 Hz,
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 8 of 137

.. From 100 to 350 V DC.


. Power consumption: 100W maximum.

- Directive n. 73/23/CEE, modified by the directive 93/68/CEE.


Applicable standard: EN 61010-1. In particular, for a pollution
degree 2:
- Dielectric rigidity 1.4 kV AC, 1 minute.
- Inputs/outputs protection: IP 2X - EN60529.
- Operating temperature: 0 to 45 °C; storage: - 20 °C to + 70
°C.
- Relative humidity : 5 - 95% without condensing.
- Vibration: IEC 68-2-6 (20 m/s^2 at 10 – 150 Hz);
- Shock: IEC 68-2-27 (15 g; 11 ms; half-sine).
- Altitude: less than 2000 m.

IMPORTANT
Don’t position the equipment so that is difficult to operate the
disconnecting device.
The Product includes a rechargeable NI-Cd battery (the battery
must be supplied and substituted only by manufacturer).

The product must be cleaned with a soft wet cloth, when it is


powered off.

The Product deals with voltages and currents that may be lethal
to the unadvertised user. Besides, in order to avoid any danger in
case of fault inside the Product, the device under test should have
the following characteristics:
. Connection sockets must be not accessible;
. Input circuits must have an isolation degree at least equal to the
one of the Product.

. The symbol
! is related to dangerous output, and is
located close to the coil drivers.

. The symbol is located close to the ground socket.

. The symbol is located close to the mains supply


socket, that incorporates the protection fuse.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 9 of 137

Inside the power supply connection there are 2 fuses, rated T 2A


250V.
Inside the transducer/analog input zone there is a fuse, rated F
100mA 500V.

If you want to clean the test set, don’t pour liquids on it: they
could pour in, and damage some card.

The following table lists a number of situations that are


potentially hazardous to the user and/or to the Product. Please
consider this list, and check the situation in case of doubt.

SITUATION CAUSE OF RISK CONTROL

TEST SET NOT Capacitor dividers Ground connection


GROUNDED take the case at on the dedicated
BEFORE ANY 110 V; the unit is socket;
CONNECTION not protected supply plug with
against common ground.
mode noise.
Heavy risk in case
of fault during
tests.
CB NOT CLOSED When floating, CB closed.
AND GROUNDED main poles can be Main poles
ON BOTH SIDES, at high voltage grounding.
BEFORE because of
CONNECTING AND inductions.
DISCONNECTING Heavy risk in
THE MAIN case of
CONTACTS connection error!
CB NOT Heavy risk in Main poles
GROUNDED ON case of wrong grounding on one
ONE SIDE DURING disconnector side.
TESTS operation!
Connection sockets Contact to a live If the optional cable
not isolated wire. set is not used, use
safety connection
sockets!
CB coils not There can be CB coils
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 10 of 137

disconnected from voltage from the disconnected.


the circuit. plant during tests:
this could damage
the test set.
Contact with the The DC voltage can Connections to the
plant auxiliary be higher than 50 DC supply must be
supply. V DC, hence very protected.
dangerous.
Travel transducer Damage of the Verify Open and
does not have extra travel transducer Close positions
stroke or joints because of
extra stroke during
tests
CB in service Danger of short- Disconnect CBA
before circuits on the test 1000 prior to
disconnecting it set. restoring. In case,
from CBA 1000. use the PARK
sockets for coil
cables.

Of these points, the first three are very hazardous, both for the
user and the test set. THESE TYPES OF FAULT ARE NOT
COVERED BY THE WARRANTY.

The connection to ground is provided through the mains supply


cable or, when the test set is battery operated, it is connected to
ground using the dedicated socket.

In case of doubt, please contact your Seller. The Seller, and


Manufacturer, declines any and all responsibility due to improper
usage, or any usage outside the specified limits.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 11 of 137

1 I NT RO D U CT IO N

The circuit breaker analyser and micro-Ohmmeter model is a two-


in-one test set.

When used as a circuit breaker analyser, it allows the off-line


testing of the characteristics of all modern MV and HV circuit
breakers.

When used as a micro-Ohmmeter, it allows measuring the contact


resistance of the circuit breaker contact, or also of joints or other
circuit parts. It allows also to perform the dynamic test of the
contact resistance, that is to record and display how does the
contact resistance change while it is closing: this allows detecting
hidden defects, that are otherwise impossible to be diagnosed.

Purpose of this manual is to guide you step by step, so that you


can perform all CB tests. It is understood that the user knows
how to perform selections, as explained in the introductory
manual, and also knows how to operate the CIRCUIT BREAKER
software, as explained in the corresponding manual: in case of
doubt, please refer to these documents. This application manual
does not cover all possible selections, as explained in the
introductory manual and in the software manual: it explains all
main commands in order to obtain the desired test results.

The manual has been revised to the firmware revision 2.21. The
firmware revision is shown at power-on on the main screen.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 12 of 137

FIRMWARE VERSION 2.21

If your test set is not upgraded, you have to connect to the ISA
WEB site:
www.isatest.com,
enter the customer area with the test set number, and download
the firmware RELATED TO : DON’T MISTAKE PLEASE. Then use
UPGRADE in the TDMS services to transfer the new file into your
test set.

Revision 2.21 includes the following main additional features:


. Use of keys 1, 2, 3 4, 5 as function keys;
. Scrolling zoom using 4;
. Two speed cursors pressing 5;
. Time measurements on auxiliary contacts;
. Imports the complete header from the PC;
. Added the Slow motion test;
. Possibility to monitor AC signals;
. Improved the time measurement accuracy even with heavy
noise.

After a short while, the following window is displayed.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 13 of 137

The meaning of various selections are explained in the


Introductory manual.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 14 of 137

2 C B T IM I N G T ES T

Purpose of the test is to verify the time delays of main contacts


with respect to the coil open/close commands, and the timing
spread of contacts. Test result will tell if timings are within the
limits; the comparison with former test results will tell how much
the CB has changed its timing because of the wear induced by
operation, and how uniform has been the wear on the three
phases.

The test is performed connecting to the CB main contacts and


coils, and then issuing the test commands. During the test, CBA
1000 issues the coils Open – Close commands, and measures the
corresponding contact timings. Test results are shown on the
display.

2.1 CONNECTION TO THE CIRCUIT BREAKER

2.1.1 CB contacts.

Before proceeding, apply the rules listed in the Safety at


work chapter!

The first operation is to connect CBA 1000 to CB contacts. To this


purpose:
. Use inputs A1, B1, C1, for phases A, B, C, in case of single-
chamber CB.
. Use inputs A1-A2, B1-B2, C1-C2, for phases A, B, C, in case of
two-chamber CB.
The selection is performed as follows:

Menu > Breaker and auxiliary channel settings > Breaker


contacts > A1+B1+C1 or all RET

The selection window is the following one.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 15 of 137

During the connection, CB MUST BE CLOSED AND GROUNDED


ON BOTH SIDES. If the optional cable kit has been purchased,
the connection is performed using the three-conductors cables
provided, one for each phase: conductors are marked A, B, C.
Once the connection is performed, it is necessary to open the
earth connection on one side, but THE OTHER SIDE MUST BE
LEFT CONNECTED TO GROUND. Which socket (red, black, blue)
should be connected to ground is not relevant.

For the test of the pre-insertion resistor there is no further


connection: you have to select it.

Menu > Breaker and auxiliary channel settings > Pre-


insertion resistor test > Enable RET

If you don’t use the optional connection cables, they should be


tied together, in order to minimize the interference cause by the
electric field.

2.1.2 More than two chambers per phase

If you have more than two chambers per phase, you can split the
test in three, testing one phase at a time: you can connect up to
six chambers per phase.
The alternative solution is to use two (or more; up to 4) CBA
1000, taking advantage of the Master-Slave option (one Master,
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 16 of 137

up to three Slaves, total four units). The following connection


refers to four chambers per phase, but up to 8 chambers can be
tested (only one pole is shown).

The CBA 1000 on the left is the Master: this is the one to which
are connected the coils (only one is shown). The Slave is the one
that monitors the additional chambers: its Slave input is
connected to the Master output of the Master CBA 1000. Before
starting the test on the Master unit, on the Slave unit(s) you
have to select the Slave operation, as follows.

Menu > Trigger options > External trigger RET


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 17 of 137

Only CB contacts (and auxiliary CB contacts, analog input) are


connected to the slave unit: NOT the coil drivers. At the end of
tests, on the Slave unit timings are measured with reference to
the Master’s trigger. The total test result can be glued using the
software.

2.1.3 Coil drivers

Next operation is to connect logic CBA 1000 coil driver outputs to


the CB coils. Before proceeding, coils must be DISCONNECTED
FROM THE PLANT CIRCUITS, so that there is no interference
during the test.

The connection is made in two steps:


- First step: Connect one of the two sockets of all coil drive
circuits to the auxiliary DC voltage supply of the plant; usually,
the connection is performed to the positive pole of the auxiliary
supply. Coil driver is bidirectional, so it does not matter to which
socket the auxiliary voltage is connected.
- Second step: connect the coil input to the corresponding CBA
1000 sockets, considering that:
. The Close coil command is always one, and is to be connected
to the socked marked C;
. The Open coils command could be three phase: in this instance,
connect it to THE SOCKET MARKED O1;
. If the Open coils command is single phase, and if the four coils
option is available, then connect the Open phase 1 coil command
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 18 of 137

to socket O1, the Open phase 2 coil command to socket O2; the
Open phase 3 coil command to socket O3.

If you don’t use the optional connection cables, the cross section
should be enough for the coil drive current: at least 6 sq. mm, in
order to minimize the current drop.

NOTE: sockets O2 and O3 are always present, even if the four


coils option is not available.
NOTE: sockets marked PARK are not connected: prior to test, it is
safer to fit the coil driving connections in these sockets, until
everything is OK.

At this moment, connections are as follows (case of: single


chamber CB, with three Open coils).

Note that, if you use the three opening coils option, when you
enter the Test options menu and select a sequence involving
Open (Open, Open-Close, Close-Open, Open–Close–Open), the
following additional selection is displayed.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 19 of 137

Available selections are:


 Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3: only the selected phase is
opened;
 Phase 1 and 2, 2 and 3, 3 and 1: two open commands are
issued at the same time;
 All phases: three open commands are issued at the same
time.

Now, select the coil current range. In order to have the best
measurement accuracy, you should select the closest range
bigger than the test current; however, don’t select a range less
than the peak, else it would be clipped in the test result diagram.

Menu > Analog channel/coils settings > Coils current


range RET
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 20 of 137

2.2 TEST EXECUTION

Once connections and key selections are performed, you should


go to the Test diagram.

On the front panel, breaker contacts LED’s will display the


contacts status: RED = Main contact Closed, as it should be at
this moment; GREEN = main contact Open. In case of
discrepancy, correct the connection. This is the situation with a
single-chamber CB with closed contacts.

NOTE: if the test set is supplied by the mains, the LED turns red
as soon as the contact is sensed; if it is supplied by the battery,
contacts are tested only as the test is started.

On the first test, you have to input the tests header, as follows.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 21 of 137

You can key in the header by the keyboard, that uses the logic of
portable phones. Once test data are input, you can proceed with
the test. As you are finished with a CB, don’t forget to input the
new CB header.

The test can be executed with a number of different values for


the various available choices. At power-on, the default situation is
presented. Parameters selection can be read pressing the Set
pushbutton, and selecting Show current setup: the following
window is displayed.

Selecting Show setups you get the list of the saved setups: you
can choose the desired one. If these values match with what you
want to do, you can immediately start the test; else, you can
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 22 of 137

enter the menu, modify the desired parameters and then save
the setting, before proceeding. For instance, if you want to
modify the timing setting, act as follows:

Menu > Recording options > Open to close delay > (new
value) RET

And so on with other parameters. If you have a doubt about


timing definitions, you can check them pressing Help diagram:
the following window is displayed. (NOTE: this diagram does not
show you your selection: it serves to remind the timing
definitions).

Note that it is possible to time the duration so that the Open coil
command arrives while the Close coil command is still active.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 23 of 137

Remember that the “Recording duration” must be bigger than


“OC delay” + “CO delay” + the CB time settings, so that no
significant part of the test is lost. On the other side, the duration
should not be too big, as it defines the test result dimension,
hence the number of test results that can be kept in memory.

There are as many as 48 memory positions available for test


settings; so, we suggest preparing the desired ones using the
software, possibly before leaving the office; when you are on site,
you just load the desired setting, as follows.

Setup options > Load setup > File selection RET

Now, you are ready for the test. As you see, on the front panel
there are two buttons in all: one selects the type of test; the
other one starts the test. You don’t have to use the Menu
selection to set the desired test. After power-on, the default
selection is OCO; for instance, if you want to perform an O-C test,
press the SEL button until the OC LED turns on: the test is
selected.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 24 of 137

Now, press the START button: the buzzer warns eight times that
the test is about to start, then the test is performed. The LED
above the pushbutton turns on until the test is over.

Breaker contacts LED’s turn red and green, as main contacts


open and close: at the end of the test, LED’s follow the last test
selection. On the display it is shown the test result.

The dotted lines mark the Open, Close, Open commands. You can
examine the diagram, and verify current peaks and waveform,
main contact timing, pre-insertion resistor timing, by moving the
two cursors. Cursor selection is performed checking t1 or t2: after
selection, turning the wheel the cursor can be moved to the
desired point. As you move it, time measurements are updated;
to the left, current values are the ones selected by the cursor.
Pressing 5 on the keyboard, the movement is slowed down for a
better pointing at the diagram.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 25 of 137

If the result is OK, you can save it, and perform other tests; else,
you can repeat it, ignoring the warning message about saving.
Saving the result is performed using the Result selection:

Results > Save result > File name

The following window is displayed:

Key in the file name: as soon as you press the knob, the memory
is updated.

It is possible to continue testing the same CB and saving results


with different tests. It is also possible to recall the former result
of the same CB, so that you can check for deviations in time; this
is easily performed using the software.

When the test on the CB is finished, before going to another one,


remember to Close the CB as a last command, prior to
disconnect cables!

2.3 TEST RESULTS ANALYSIS

The analysis of test results allows to measure the relevant CB


contacts parameters. There are two areas to consider: the test
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 26 of 137

result diagram and the test result table. Let us consider first the
diagrams.

A) TEST RESULT DIAGRAM

The first measurement is the delay between the Open (Close) coil
command and the corresponding main contact Opened (Closed)
position. The following figure shows the recording with an Open –
Close command: delays are referred to coil commands.

During the timing measurement, the high electromagnetic field


can cause disturbances that make it difficult to read the result. To
avoid these problems, a powerful filter algorithm removes the
noise, and guarantees that the result is measured on the first
touch when closing, and on the last touch when opening.

In its action, the filter does not show the short bounces; so, there
can be a mismatch between the bounce duration, shown in the
result table, and the display. If it is desired to view these
bounces, it is possible to select “Original waveforms” in
Preferences: this can be useful also to verify that there is not too
much noise, especially with the BSG option.

Other relevant measurements are the Open coil current and Close
coil current: they are metered moving the cursors on the desired
point.

The coil current shape is also providing information on what does


it happen as the coil actuator moves. At the beginning, the coil
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 27 of 137

inductance is low, as there is a big gap on the actuator. At some


moment, the actuator operates the mechanical latch that keeps
the contact in the Closed position: from then, the actuator moves
faster, and the inductance increases until the actuator reaches
the end of stroke. The inductance increase typically causes a
momentary current decrease, that depends upon the actuator
characteristics of inductance and speed. From this moment on,
the current increase is defined by the R-L actuator characteristic,
where L is the end-of-stroke actuator inductance, and R is the coil
DC resistance. The maximum coil current is Imax = Vaux / R.

MAXIMUM COIL CURRENT

COIL CURRENT OPENING


END OF STROKE
TRIP LATCH OPENED

When the CB contact is close to its Open position, the auxiliary


contact cuts the Open coil current: this is (almost) the end of the
CB stroke. All these timings can be compared to specs or to
former test results.

Another important measurement is the contact timing spread and


the pole spread: the first one applies when there are two
chambers per phase. Zooming on the contacts trip, it is possible
to examine the details.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 28 of 137

Zooming even more, it is possible to verify if there are bounces


on the contact: they are detrimental to contact life, and mean
that the contact surface is worn. The following is an example of
bounces during the contact opening.

The reported bounce value is the longest one among the contacts
being in series.

The last important parameter that is reported in the result table is


the “dwell” duration. If the CB closes on a fault, the protection
(after its delay) issues an open command while the close
command is active: the CB must open immediately. The dwell is
the delay between the Open command and the actual CB
opening.

CLOSE

CB CONTACT

OPEN
DWELL

If you start the CIRCUIT BREAKER software you can download


test results. For instance, a test result would be shown as follows.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 29 of 137

The study of the graphic part can be performed as on the test


set, using the two cursors and the zoom command. The addition
is the test result table shown to the right of the screen. The table
summarizes the measurements that can be taken using the
cursors, and is reproduced in the test report.

B) TEST RESULT TABLE

Selecting Rslt (and then, if necessary, view result), the following


table is displayed.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 30 of 137

All the relevant test result parameters are reported.


The first two (or four) lines of the window above report peak
currents and current flow duration, separately for the different
coils. Next data are the main breaker contacts timing
measurements.

These are the timing measurements of the Close; Open 1; Open 2


tests of an O-C-O sequence, for each pole (one chamber test).

From these data, the program computes the corresponding


contacts and poles spreads, and also the average Open and Close
times.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 31 of 137

Next, the bounce time duration is reported.

When you load a result, the screen becomes the following one.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 32 of 137

If you want to start a new test, press Set on the screen, or the
DEL button on the test set.

2.4 AUXILIARY CONTACTS TEST

Usually, you test also some auxiliary contacts. For instance, it is


important to monitor the CB Open and CB closed auxiliary
contacts, and to verify at which point of the stroke they operate:
this allows to know if mechanical tolerances are met.

Performing the connection, please consider the following:


. CBA 1000 has two ISOLATED groups of two inputs each; so, it is
possible to watch two types of contacts, for instance one
polarized, and the other one voltage free.
. If inputs are with voltage, the zero of the voltage must be
connected to the black C socket. If contacts are more than two,
connect both C sockets.
. If inputs are without voltage, connect the contacts common wire
to the black C socket. If contacts are more than two, connect
both C sockets.

The following figure shows the connection to one polarized


contact.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 33 of 137

After powering-on CBA 1000, first of all select the type of input
(dry or with voltage); then, check that the contact status
displayed by LED’s on the front matches with the nominal one
(light ON = Closed or With voltage), and correct if something is
wrong. The selection is performed as follows.

Menu > Breaker and auxiliary channel settings

The following window is opened.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 34 of 137

Select auxiliary inputs as desired. When you enable a contact,


you can select label and level; at the end of it, in order to
proceed with next contact, you have to press the return arrow
At the end of programming, pressing the return arrow you
come back to the MENU window, as usual.

2.5 TESTS OPTIONS

The selection defines the type of test. Standard tests are always
available, while tests on the CB’s under-voltage coil and the
minimum voltage test on standard coils depend upon the
availability of the options: Four Coils, MTC (Minimum Trip Coil).

By CB’s under-voltage coil we mean the coil which opens the CB


when the DC supply is less than a threshold value. The test set
MTC option allows testing the actual threshold and the delay by
which the under-voltage coil opens the CB. If the four coils option
is available, it is possible to test the under-voltage coil delay only.

By minimum voltage test we mean verifying the CB delay when


the DC supply is at its minimum. For this test it is necessary to
have the MTC option on the test set.

The following table summarizes available tests.

N. OPTION 4 COILS MTC BOTH

1 CB’s under-voltage delay X X


2,3 DC loss: threshold and X X
delay
4 Minimum voltage test X X

2.5.1 Configuration without options

In this case, the selection window is the following one.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 35 of 137

The selected option is displayed by LED’s by the side of the SEL

pushbutton ; until this window is open, acting on SEL


has no effect.

If you are on the main window, you can act on SEL: opening this
window the performed selection is displayed. In the normal
operation way, if you don’t need to change the default selections,
after power-on select with SEL the desired test and start it.

Selecting tolerances, the following window is opened.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 36 of 137

Purpose of the table is to allow programming the accepted limits


of the various parameters: any discrepancy will be alerted by the
following message, as soon as test stops:

Besides, going to the results table, the following Tolerance


failures will be displayed.

2.5.2 Four coils option: single phase opening; CB’S under-


voltage coil time delay

In this case, the selection window is the following one.

With respect to the former window there is an additional selection


available, test of the CB’s under-voltage coil timing; besides, the
selections including the Open action have further selections, as
explained in the following.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 37 of 137

2.5.2.1 Single phase open selections

- With the “Open” selection, it is possible to select the phase to


be driven: selections are performed in the following window.

The selection allows to choose which phase(s) will be opened.

- With the “Close” selection, the test set issues a Close command.

- With selections: “Open-Close, Close-Open, the test set issues


the selected series of commands; with the selection Open-Close-
Open” , on the first Open command the test set issues the
selected series of commands, while the second Open command is
always three phase.

NOTE: prior to test, the CB position will be opposite with respect


to the first command; i.e. it will be Closed if the first command is
Open, and vice versa it will be Open if the first command is Close.

2.5.2.2 CB’s under-voltage coil time delay

The last selection, Minimum Trip Coil time delay, allows to test
the timing of the CB's under-voltage coil protection: purpose of
the test is to verify the CB performance when the DC supply is
lost.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 38 of 137

This feature is available only if the four coils option is present: in


particular, we use the command O3 for this job.

The logic of this testing is reversed as compared to normal


tests. With normal test, CBA 1000 starts with the COIL driver
circuit open, and closes it at the moment of test, thus supplying
the coil. With this test, CBA 1000 has to start with the contact
closed, and to open it as the test is started. This poses some
difficulty, because usually the circuit is open, and the CB would
immediately open if we interrupt the circuit. We have solved the
problem by taking advantage of a jumper. The following diagram
shows the test connection.

DC V

JUMPER

UNDER-VOLTAGE
COIL

0 DC V

And this is the test sequence.


1. OPEN the CB, by issuing an OPEN command.
2. Disconnect the CB's under-voltage coil from V DC, and connect
it to O3.
3. The DC supply is connected to the other end of O3.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 39 of 137

4. By-pass O3 by a jumper: CB’s under-voltage coil is unlocked.


Until the jumper is there, the CB's under-voltage coil does not
intervene.
5. CLOSE the CB.
6. Now, select the Minimum trip coil time delay in the Test
options menu window:

7. Press the START button: the following message is displayed:

This means that now the O3 driving circuit is closed: it is possible


to remove the jumper; the CB's under-voltage coil will not
operate.
8. Now, remove the jumper and press the menu knob: the circuit
driving O3 opens, the CB's under-voltage coil of the CB is
activated, and the delay measurement is started.
9. At the end of the test, the following message is displayed:

10. Fit back the jumper, that keeps the CB's under-voltage coil
in the normal position, then press again the knob: C3 opens, but
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 40 of 137

the CB's under-voltage coil is supplied via the jumper. The


display will show the following result:

11. The window shows the O3 coil current, and the CB opening.
In the Results table are reported O3 current and opening timings,
starting from the O3 voltage loss.
12. You can measure the open delay, save the result or repeat
the test: in this instance, you have to send a Close command
before next test.
13. After the last test, while the CB is open, connect again the
CB's under-voltage coil to the auxiliary DC voltage supply: the
test is finished.

2.5.3 MTC option: Minimum voltage test; CB's under-


voltage coil threshold and time delay

In this case, the selection window is the following one.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 41 of 137

The availability of the option allows to verify:


. The timing with coils supplied at minimum voltage;
. The CB's under-voltage coil threshold;
. The CB's under-voltage coil delay.

The MTC option is supplied by the plant’s auxiliary DC voltage, at


the socked marked + VDC IN. Take care: the option does not
generate an adjustable DC voltage output; instead, it -allows to
generate a programmable voltage drop, either stepped or
ramped, so that the desired test voltage can be generated at the
socket + VDC OUT. This voltage drop does not cover all the +
VDC IN range: there is a minimum voltage which can be
generated.

ATTENTION: there are two MTC options, with maximum voltages


of 250 V or 70 V. The table summarizes the different
performances.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 42 of 137

OPTION 250 V 70 V
Maximum input voltage 250 V 70 V
Maximum operating voltage 240 V 50 V
Minimum operating voltage 50 V 16 V
Maximum voltage drop 120 V 45 V
Minimum voltage drop 10 V 5V
Voltage adjustment step 2V 0,5 V
Voltage accuracy 2V 0,5 V
Maximum output current 4 A; dV < 10 A; dV <
60 V; 12 V;
2 A; dV > 5 A; dV > 12
60 V V
Maximum test duration 500 ms 500 ms

In conclusion, if your auxiliary DC voltage is 110 V, with the 250


V option you can adjust from 100 V (110 V – minimum drop = 10
V) to 0 V (110 V – maximum drop), with a test current of 2 A, or
from 100 V to 50 V (110 – 60), but at the current of 4 A.
If your auxiliary DC voltage is 220 V, with the 250 V option you
can adjust from 210 V (220 V – minimum drop = 10 V) to 100 V
(110 V – maximum drop), with a test current of 2 A.
Similar considerations for the 70 V model, which is used for 48 V
supplies: less voltage, more current.

Before performing the test, please consider the following :


. The maximum current that can be controlled by the circuit: it is
a function of the voltage drop. The test cannot be performed at
higher currents: if the limit is exceeded, the test is interrupted
and the operator is alerted by a message. Before starting the
test, please check the CB current consumption!
. If necessary, in order to reduce the current consumption it is
possible to perform the test powering separately the coils.
. Verify also the maximum and minimum voltage drop, as a
function of the desired test value.

If the test is stopped, the test set displays the following message.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 43 of 137

2.5.3.1 Timing of coils supplied at the minimum voltage

Purpose of the test is to verify the CB performance when the coil


is supplied with an auxiliary DC voltage that is close to its
minimum value: in this situation the CB could be malfunctioning.

When the auxiliary DC voltage is at minimum, the CB is usually


increasing its Open and Close delays in comparison with its
nominal delay values; this is seen also in the coils current
waveform, that is reduced in amplitude and increased in duration.

The connection to be performed is sketched here below.

Connections are as follows:


 The auxiliary voltage positive is connected to the + VDC IN
socket;
 The + VDC OUT is connected to the coil to be tested
(CLOSE, in the drawing), and also to the positive socket of
the 500 V measuring input;
 The negative socket of the 500 V measuring input is
connected to the zero voltage of the auxiliary supply.

Given the current limitation of the MTC option , usually it is


possible to test only one coil at a time: please, verify prior to
testing!
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 44 of 137

The test is selected going to Menu, then test option, and then
checking the “Enable minimum voltage test”: the following screen
is displayed.

The task of the MTC option is to generate a voltage drop so that


the voltage goes to the programmed value, and to allow feeding
the coil under test with the reduced voltage.

Test parameters are two:


 Nominal DC battery voltage. It is necessary to measure
the DC voltage, and to key in the value.
 Voltage threshold. It is the voltage at which the test is
performed: the program computes the percentage of the
programmed DC supply voltage.
Remember that MTC module causes a voltage drop: from the
above values, the test set computes a voltage drop of 110-70
= 40 V. If the battery voltage is not 110 V, but, for instance,
115 V, the voltage output would be 75 V: this is why it is
necessary to program the actual battery voltage.

After this, it is possible to program any test, with the normal


commands. The difference is that, during the test, the supply
voltage will drop to the programmed value, and it will be
possible to measure the time difference with respect to the
nominal voltage supply.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 45 of 137

For a complete test documentation, it is possible to measure the


actual test voltage. To this purpose, select:

Menu > Analog channel / Coils settings > Check Enabled >
Analog input 500 V > Select Voltage input range 500 V

The test result table is the same as usual, with the addition of the
test voltage.

Once the result with the minimum supply is achieved, it is


possible to compare currents and timings by saving test results in
the PC, and then using the Compare Result command of the
Result menu.

The following is an example of the comparison of two results on


the software, of which the second one has been obtained at the
minimum voltage, hence with delayed times.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 46 of 137

2.5.3.2 CB's under-voltage coil threshold

This selection is dedicated to the test of the CB's under-voltage


coil: it is possible to test the intervention and reset thresholds,
and the timing.

Purpose of the test is to verify the DC voltage at which the CB's


under-voltage coil issues the OPEN command to the CB. The
connection scheme to the CB's under-voltage coil is as follows.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 47 of 137

UNDER-
VOLTAGE
COIL

Connections are the followings:


. Positive of the auxiliary DC voltage to the VDC IN socket;
. VDC OUT socket to the CB's under-voltage coil and to the 500 V
measurement positive socket;
. Negative of the auxiliary DC voltage to the 500 V measurement
negative socket.
Usually, the current output of the MTC option is enough for this
coil.

The test sequence is the following.


1. OPEN the CB.
2. Connect the positive of the auxiliary DC voltage to the VDC IN
socket.
3. Disconnect the CB's under-voltage coil from the supply, and
connect it to the VDC OUT socket, and to the 500 V measurement
positive (red) socket.
4. Connect the negative of the auxiliary DC voltage to the
negative (black) socket of the 500 V measurement.
5. Short-circuit with a bridge the MTC sockets, marked VDC IN
and VDC OUT: the CB's under-voltage coil is supplied.
6. CLOSE the CB: thanks to the short circuit, the CB's under-
voltage coil does not open again the CB.
7. Select in the Analog channel window the 500 V input.
Menu > Analog channel / Coils settings > Check Enabled >
Analog input 500 V > Select Voltage input range 500 V
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 48 of 137

8. Now, select in the Test options window the DC voltage supply


loss test: the following window is opened.

It is necessary to measure the DC voltage supply value with a


voltage meter, and to key it in.
9. Next, program the stabilization time, that is the pause at the
end of the test ramp.
10. Press F2 to return to the main page, then Start the test: the
test set issues a Close command to the CB, and the circuit of the
MTC module closes, so that the CB's under-voltage coil is supplied
(no more need of the jumper); after this, the program instructs
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 49 of 137

the operator to open the jumper across the MTC option sockets,
with the following message:

MTC ACTIVATED!
Remove the jumper.
Press the knob to start the test.

Remove the jumper and press the knob: the display says
TEST IN PROGRESS

11. The test set reduces the voltage across the coil with a ramp
having a slope of 20 V/s; the descent is stopped when the voltage
reaches its minimum. During the ramp, the test set monitors the
main contact inputs (actually the test is referred to input A1), in
order to memorize the intervention threshold.
12. Once the minimum is reached, the voltage stays at that value
during the stabilization time, and then increases with a ramp at
the same slope until the nominal voltage is reached. The CB
should not close, as there is no CLOSE command; if it does, the
voltage at which the CB closes is displayed.
13. After this, the following message is displayed.
TEST COMPLETED!
Press the knob to de-activate the MTC.
And the test result is displayed.
14. Set back the bridge: the test is over.
15. Restore the connections to the CB's under-voltage coil before
closing the CB again.

The following is the test result.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 50 of 137

The test result table shows the voltage threshold at the time of
intervention.

2.5.3.3 CB's under-voltage coil delay

The CB's under-voltage coil timing measurement explained in the


paragraph before requires the presence of the four coils option. If
the MTC option is available, the alternative method is to use it for
the test. In this instance, the connection is the same shown in the
paragraph above.

The test sequence is the following.


1. OPEN the CB.
2. Connect the positive of the auxiliary DC voltage to the VDC IN
socket.
3. Disconnect the CB's under-voltage coil from the supply, and
connect it to the VDC OUT socket, and to the 500 V measurement
positive (red) socket.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 51 of 137

4. Connect the negative of the auxiliary DC voltage to the


negative (black) socket of the 500 V measurement.
5. Short-circuit with a bridge the MTC sockets, marked VDC IN
and VDC OUT.
6. CLOSE the CB: thanks to the short circuit, the CB's under-
voltage coil does not intervene.
7. Select in the Analog channel window the 500 V input.
Menu > Analog channel / Coils settings > Check Enabled >
Analog input 500 V > Select Voltage input range 500 V

8. Select in the Test options window the DC supply loss voltage


test and choose the item Time delay checking.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 52 of 137

9. Measure the DC voltage supply, and key it in.


10. Next, it is possible to program the voltage where the timer
starts to count. This value has to be less than the supply, and it
cannot be too low, in order to avoid introducing a measurement
error caused by the voltage descending slope.
11. At test starts, the MTC circuit closes, so that the CB's under-
voltage coil is supplied; after this, the program instructs the
operator to open the jumper across the MTC option sockets, with
the following message:
MTC ACTIVATED!
Remove the jumper.
Press the knob to start the test.

Remove the jumper and press the knob: the display says
TEST IN PROGRESS

12. The test set issues a CLOSE command, to make sure that the
CB is closed; then, about 2 s after, the voltage drops to the
minimum value, stays down during about 0.4 s and goes up
again. The CB should open; the test set records the timing of all
the selected main contact inputs, in order to memorize the
intervention time (actually, the time is measured on input A1).
13. After this, the following message is displayed.
TEST COMPLETED!
Press the knob to de-activate the MTC.

The test result window will look like this:


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 53 of 137

14. Set back the bridge: the test is over.


15. Restore the connections to the CB's under-voltage coil before
closing again the CB.

The following diagram shows the test evolution.

The test result table shows the breaker opening time delay, which
is measured on input A1.

2.6 TWO RECORDINGS TEST

This is a special test that solves the problem of testing


disconnectors, or any device that takes a long time to switch,
after the command has been issued, or to test the “Pole
discrepancy” protection, for single phase CB. The selection avoids
to waste time recording during the delay while the contact is not
yet closed (opened). Thanks to this selection, the timing accuracy
at the moment of recording is improved. The path is the
following.

Menu > Recording options > Two recordings


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 54 of 137

The following window is displayed:

The test is split in three parts:


. The first part, when the Open (Close) command is issued: of
this part it is possible to select the duration, so that it is possible
to record the coil current and the first reaction;
. The second part, that can be any duration, during which CBA
1000 does not record anything;
. The third part, when the second action is occurring, and
contacts movement is recorded.

The following diagram shows the case of “Pole discrepancy”, that


applies when Open commands are given separately on each
phase. The performance to be checked is that if after an one-pole
Open command there is no subsequent Close command. We also
verify that if the Open command for the other two poles does not
come within a given maximum time, then the Open command is
given automatically by the CB itself.
At first, an Open command is issued; only one pole is opened; we
monitor the Open coil current and the pole opening. Next, we
program a pause, that is equal to the minimum Pole discrepancy
intervention time, considering the time tolerance. Next, we
program the second time, that will be equal to two times the Pole
discrepancy intervention time tolerance, so that we are sure to
record the final CB opening.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 55 of 137

Example: the nominal Pole discrepancy intervention time is 2.6 s;


tolerance is ± 0.2 s. We will program: T1 = 0,4 s; Pause = 2.6 –
0.4 – 0.2 = 2 s; T2 = 0.4 s. Doing so, the measurement will be
centred around a 2.6 s delay from the Open 1 command.

The test result is split into two windows: the first one is displayed
as test is over, as follows.

This part shows the opening of pole C1 and its timing. To access
the second part recording you have to select the two arrows
, press to enter, rotate the knob and select Rec 2:
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 56 of 137

It shows the opening of the other two phases. If you want to


know the delay from the first open command and the phase A
and B openings, download the test result to the CB Analyzer
program CBA Pro: the first screen is displayed. Now, go to
Operations and select 1 open: the measurements show you these
delays.

2.7 MOTOR TEST

When the mechanical energy stored in the CB spring or


compressed air is below a certain threshold, the CB recharges this
energy, during some seconds. It can be important to monitor the
current absorption during the recharge, in terms of amplitude and
duration.

To this purpose, it is necessary to use the optional DC current


clamp, which will be closed on thee CB power supply wire. As the
motor is operated, the clamp measures the absorbed current
waveform: from this recording, it is possible to measure the
current amplitude and its duration.

The test is performed as follows.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 57 of 137

 Enter the menu, and select “Recording options”. Now,


program the “Recording duration” with a value greater
than the nominal motor operation: for instance, program
10 s if the nominal duration is 5 s. Program also the
“Sample frequency”: 1000 Hz is OK for a recording up to
10 s; for bigger durations, program 500 Hz.
 Now, still in the menu, select “Analog channels and coils
setting”; then, “Enabled”; then, “Current clamp”; last,
select the “Analog input 5 V” or 500 V, according to the
maximum voltage to be metered. In this field, program
the clamp V/I ratio, and the maximum current. NOTE: if
the programmed ratio multiplied by the maximum current
exceeds 5 V, the message “PARAMETERS SETTINGS
MISMATCH” warns you to reduce the maximum current, or
to select the 500 V input.
 The type of test to select is OCO: in fact, after this test,
the mechanical energy is discharged, and the motor starts
re-charging the CB.
 Start the test: the screen displays the motor current
diagram, and it is possible to measure the recharge
duration. In the following, this is the instance of a motor
current recording. The drive duration is 5 s.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 58 of 137

Next, on the same recording, it is displayed the current


measurement. The current changes during the operation: it is
possible to move the cursor to the point of interest; the
corresponding current is displayed to the right.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 59 of 137

3 CB MOVEMENT AND ANALOG


SIGNALS TESTS

The test set has six analog inputs plus three digital ones:
. Coil currents; two standard, four optional;
. High voltage (up to 350 V AC): one;
. Low voltage (up to 5 V DC): one.
The two inputs are isolated between them and with respect to
other circuits.
Open and Close coil currents measurement cannot be selected.
Other inputs are provided for the test of:
. Auxiliary DC voltage (500 V input);
. Motors AC voltage (500 V input);
. Auxiliary DC current (500 V input or 5 V DC, with the current
probe option);
. Analog position transducers (5 V DC): for this case, the test set
is also provided with an accurate voltage source.

3.1 POSITION TRANSDUCER MOUNTING

3.1.1 Introduction

Position transducers are used for the purpose of having a better


detail on the mechanical status of the CB. This is accomplished as
follows:
. Comparing the movement trace to CB Open and Close contacts,
it is possible to verify if they act at the desired stroke positions,
including tolerances;
. Computing from the trace the corresponding speed, it is possible
to verify if CB limits are exceeded because of plays caused by
wearing.
. Also auxiliary CB contacts acting positions can be checked.

There are two types of transducers: analog and digital. CBA 1000
does not control digital transducers: the feature is available with
CBA 2000.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 60 of 137

The analog transducer is a potentiometer; the conversion from


the position to the measured voltage is performed using the
following law (see the schematic).

Given the following parameters:


 L = transducer length;
 V = supply voltage;
 P = cursor position;
 Vc = voltage at cursor,
The voltage Vc is related to the other parameters by the formula:

Vc = V * P / L

From this, the test set computes the stroke of the cursor, and
therefore the CB movement.

There are two types of analog transducers: linear, with different


strokes, and angular. The linear transducer is mechanically
connected to the leverage that acts on poles by means of joints;
the angular one is connected to some rotating cam. To allow the
connections, the optional linear transducers are equipped with
suitable connection hardware.

For the linear transducer there are two ends which cannot be
trespassed during the test.

For the angular transducer there is not such a limit: the


transducer can rotate continuously. However, during its rotation,
the angular transducer goes from zero volts to the maximum, and
then, continuing the rotation, the voltage comes back to zero.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 61 of 137

Also, the total rotation angle is usually 355°; during the


remaining 5°, the voltage output is zero.

The consequence is that the transducer has to be properly


mounted to avoid any problem: we will deal with this later on.

3.1.2 Transducer mounting

The transducer is usually connected to a point that does not


perform the same movement of the contact: usually, the
movement is less than the one of the contact. This means that for
both types of transducers it is necessary to know not only the
nominal contact stroke, but also the nominal stroke of the
transducer connection.

The following picture shows the content of the optional mounting


kit for one transducer, that includes the following materials:
. N. 1 Magnetic support (1): rotating the knob before it the
magnet can be set ON or OFF for a strong lock to an iron base;
. N. 1 Adaptive arm (2): it is made of two arms that can be
blocked with the central knob. Both arms end with a thread that
fits in the magnetic support (1) or in mechanical clamps (3) or
(4) or in the support for the rotating transducer (5). The arm can
be rotated so that it can be accommodated to the CB shape;
. N. 1 Small mechanical clamp (3), with two threaded holes for
the arm (2). It can be used to lock the linear transducer (6);
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 62 of 137

. N. 1 Big mechanical clamp (4) , with two threaded holes for the
arm (2). It can be used to lock the linear transducer (6), or to
lock all to a support;
. N. 1 Support for the rotating transducer (5), with a threaded
hole for the arm (2);

. N. 1 Rotating or linear transducer (7, if ordered). It can be


mounted either with its legs or blocked with the clamp (3) or with
the support (5);
. N. 1 connection cable, and 10 m long (6), with the suitable
connector: it changes with the type of transducer, linear or
digital.

The mounting of the transducer depends upon the type of


transducer and the physical configuration of the CB. The following
pictures show the mounting with: mechanical support, adaptive
arm, big clamp to lock the linear transducer, or support for the
rotating transducer.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 63 of 137

The procedure for the mounting is:


. First of all verify where the transducer can be connected, and
define if to use a linear or a rotating transducer;
. Next, connect the transducer to the CB connection point.

The selection of the connection point is critical for a good


diagnosis of CB mechanical problems. In fact, from the motor
shaft to the pole shaft, there is a series of leverages and rotating
shafts. If you connect the transducer to the motor shaft, you lose
all information related to plays, frictions, bounces on the
mechanism after it. The ideal mounting is the direct connection to
the pole shaft; otherwise, as close as possible to it.

Mount it so that there is some stroke after Open and Close


positions (minimum 5% of the stroke): this is because
during operation the CB shaft moves beyond the Open and Close
positions at rest. If you don’t, the movement diagram would cut
the extra stroke, and the transducer could be damaged. The
following design shows the situation.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 64 of 137

. Next, define the position of the support (magnetic or clamp) and


of the adaptive arm so that the transducer can be kept in its
position during the movement.

. It is very important that there is no play between the CB


connection point and the transducer, or that the transducer does
not move, else the measurement would show false problems. To
this purpose, a fast attack glue can solve matching problems: at
the end of testing, it can be easily removed.

Next picture shows a rotating transducer mounted on an ABB HGI


CB.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 65 of 137

As you can see, the rotating transducer is joined to the shaft; it is


supported by the adaptive arm, that was blocked with the clamp.
The following picture shows the setting on the CB.

Next picture shows the mounting of a rotating transducer on an


ELKSN CB.

Last picture shows the mounting of a linear transducer, using the


magnetic support.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 66 of 137

3.2 TRAVEL TRANSDUCER CONNECTION TO THE TEST SET

As both types of transducers are potentiometers, it is necessary


to supply them with a DC voltage: the cursor voltage is measured
by CBA 1000. This voltage is available on sockets marked 5 V 10
mA: see the connection diagram.

NOTE: the + 5 V supply voltage is generated only during the test;


otherwise, you would measure zero between the sockets.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 67 of 137

. If you don’t use the optional connection cables, use the


connector provided and make the connection cable using a
shielded wire pair, with the shield connected to the connector
body. This serves to minimize interference on the measurement
signal.

The programming of the test is performed as follows.

. Select on the menu the Recording options, and, on it, the


sample frequency of 5 kHz: this ensures the proper timing
accuracy for speed measurement.

. Enable the Analog input measurement: the window is now the


following.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 68 of 137

. Pressing the right arrow, the following window is displayed.

. After having labelled the input and its phase, the first set of data
is referred to the transducer. You can select the type of
transducer: degree for angular, mm or Inch for linear.

Next you have to key in the total transducer stroke, that is the
transducer movement: it will be, for instance, 350° for an angular
transducer, and 100 or 200 mm for a linear one.

.Next, you have to inform about the supply voltage for the
transducer. If it is the internal source, the test can continue; else,
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 69 of 137

you have to key in the supply voltage, that must be accurately


measured for an errorless test result.

. The next data refers to the CB contact movement. You can


select the unit of measurement, that can be millimetres or inches,
regardless of the transducer unit of measurement; then, you
have to input the nominal CB contact stroke.

. Next you have to key in the transducer stroke that corresponds


to the CB contact movement, at the position where it is
connected. This data can be input as absolute value, in the same
units of the transducer, or in percentage of the transducer
length. These information allow CBA 1000 to translate the
voltage from the transducer cursor into the CB contact position.

3.2.1 Transducer calibration

. Now, select Transducer calibration: this serves to measure the


actual CB contact stroke, and to provide the first relevant data
about CB wearing. CBA 1000 measures the voltage input from the
transducer, recognizes if the CB is open or closed, and displays
the Close (or Open) transducer position, in the selected U.M. and
in percentage of the total transducer stroke.

. Now, following the instructions, issue a START command so that


the CB goes to the opposite position, Open (or closed): the
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 70 of 137

window displays the next position, and computes the actual


transducer and CB contact strokes and the stroke percent error
with respect to the nominal, that must match with the tolerance
limits. The following is how does the window looks like at this
moment.

. If the error exceeds 10%, the test set displays a warning


message: pressing RESET, the measurement is deleted, and it
can be repeated after the necessary corrections; otherwise, on
the low left of the window it is displayed the message
CALIBRATION COMPLETED, and tests can proceed.

Unlike linear transducers, the rotating transducer does not have


an end of rotation that gives a reference for the mounting: as it
rotates, the cursor resistance goes from 0 to the maximum, and
then, continuing the rotation, back to zero, after a short area of
no contact. This poses a problem, because there is no external
reference telling you where the cursor is. The situation is
sketched in the figure below.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 71 of 137

To avoid the wrong mounting, proceed as follows:


 Define the nominal angle at Closed and Open position.
For example, if the shaft rotation is 90°, one position
will be (355-90)/2 = 132° nominal; the other one will
be (355-90)/2 + 90 = 222°. These angles are not
mandatory, but serve as a reference.
 Mount the transducer and its joint, but don’t lock the
joint to the CB shaft, so that, moving the joint, you can
move the transducer.
 Take note of the two positions of the shaft as it
rotates.
 Start the calibration: the display shows the current
position, in degrees.
 Acting on the loose joint, rotate the transducer shaft
until the displayed angle is close to one of the values
computed above. (NOTE: if you rotate the shaft
CLOCKWISE looking from the rear of the transducer,
the angle will DECREASE). Now rotate the transducer
in order to simulate the CB shaft rotation. Two
possibilities:
 The starting angle was 132°; the angle is increased
to about 222°. In this instance, rotate the joint
back to the first position and screw it to the shaft:
the adjustment is performed.
 The starting angle was 132°; the angle is decreased
to about 20°. In this instance, rotate the joint back
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 72 of 137

and proceed until the display shows 222°, then


screw it to the shaft: the adjustment is performed

NOTE: if the angle is about 180°, angles would be


about 90° and 270°, no matter if the mounting is good
or not. In this case, start from 90°, rotate the joint
and VERIFY THAT THE ANGLE DOES NOT GO TO 0°
AND THEN TO 355° DURING THE ROTATION. If this
occurs, adjust the angle to 270°. With this procedure,
it is possible to adjust the transducer correctly even if
the shaft rotation is 270°.

 Last, issue an Open or Close command, and verify that


the error is less than 10%.

3.2.2 Current transducers

There is a special case of linear transducer: it is when it is a


current converter, which can be 0-5 mA, or 4-20 mA. Both
converter types can be used to connect to CBA 1000, with the
following notes.

The first problem is that CBA 1000 needs a voltage input. This
problem is easily solved connecting the transducer output to a
resistor of a well-known value. There is an additional problem:
you cannot exceed the maximum resistance rating for the
converter. A reasonable choice is to use a resistor of 1 kOhm, for
the 0 to 5 mA converters, and of 250 Ohm, for the 4 to 20 mA
one. One kOhm resistors are easily found with a tolerance of 1%,
0.5%, or even 0.1%: the accuracy is up to you. For the 250 Ohm
resistor, parallel 4 resistors rated 1 kOhm.

When you connect the resistor to the transducer output, you will
have a voltage drop across it of 0 to 5 V, for the 0-5 mA
converter, or of 1 V at 4 mA, and 5 V at 20 mA, for the second
one. Connect the resistor to our measurement input.

Now, select external voltage, and program a voltage of 5 V.

Next, the problem is that the test set asks for the nominal
transducer stroke. The point is that the test set understands that
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 73 of 137

when the voltage input is 0 V the stroke is 0, and that when the
voltage input is 5 V the stroke is maximum. With 0 to 5 mA
converters we have no problem, and we can proceed as usual.

The problem is with 4 to 20 mA converters, when we never have


0 V, but 1 V as the minimum voltage; the delta is 4 V, not 5 V.
So, suppose that, during the operation, the transducer current
goes from 8 mA to 16 mA; they are 8 mA out of 16 mA (20 mA –
4 mA), that is, 50% of the stroke. The corresponding voltage
drops are 2 to 4 V.

As the variation is 50% of the total, you may say that you have a
stroke of 50 mm, and the transducer stroke is 100 mm long. If
you program the transducer total stroke of 100*5/4 = 125 mm,
the actual stroke will occur between 2 V = 50 mm and 4 V = 100
mm; the delta is 50 mm, as you desire.

The fact is that, when you calibrate, you compute the actual
stroke, between two points which are neither 0 V nor + 5 V, and
you have the correct stroke measurement.

In conclusion, with this trick you are able to use also these
transducers.

3.2.3 Datum points

. Prior to testing, you can also select Datum points, which are the
reference points where the speed is computed for the test result
recording. At the end of the test, if you press the Res button, the
displayed speed value is the average between datum points A and
B. The coordinates of these points are the followings:

. Datum point A: it is the CB pole stroke (in the same unit of


measurement as the CB stroke definition) with respect to the
selected position;

. Datum point B: it is the CB pole stroke (in the same unit of


measurement as the CB stroke definition, or ms) with respect to
the datum point A.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 74 of 137

NOTE: for all selections, in the test result diagram, the ZERO
value is the CLOSED position. In all diagrams, the CLOSED
position is always drawn as a BOLD line.

For each contact position are available three definitions


1. At C position: it means that points are defined with respect to
the position when the CB is Closed. With this selection, the
coordinates of these points are the followings:
. Datum point A: it is the CB contact stroke (in mm or inches)
with respect to the CLOSED position;
. Datum point B: it is the CB contact stroke (in mm / inches, or
ms) towards the OPEN position, with respect to the datum
point A.
The following curve explains the definitions.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 75 of 137

2. At O position: as above, but the reference is the Open position.


With this selection, the coordinates of these points are the
followings:
. Datum point A: it is the CB contact stroke (in mm or inches)
with respect to the OPEN position;
. Datum point B: it is the CB contact stroke (in mm / inches, or
ms) towards the CLOSED position, with respect to the datum
point A.
The following curve explains the definitions.

3. At C level: the reference is the point where the contact actually


opens. With this selection, datum point A is already defined, and
datum point B is the CB contact stroke (in mm / inches, or ms)
towards the OPEN position, with respect to the datum point A.
The following curve explains the definitions.

With all selections, it is possible to define separately the two


datum points, for the Open to Close movement, and for the
Closed to Open movement.

From this moment, CBA 1000 is ready to display the CB contact


movement in the selected U.M.: from these values, the test set
computes movement and speed, while the software computes
also the acceleration. The following is how the screen looks like.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 76 of 137

The two datum points are displayed as a more marked dot, on


the first movement only: the square one is point A. As the test is
finished, the displayed speed is the average between datum
points. If cursors are moved, the displayed speed is the average
value between the cursors.

The analysis of test results allows measuring other relevant CB


parameters. Next figure shows a typical movement diagram, after
a Close – Open command.

The test set reports in the results table the key parameters of the
diagram:
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 77 of 137

 Breaker stroke, measured after the oscillations at the


end of the movement;
 Wipe: it is the movement from the rest position to
when the contact opens;
 Over-travel: it is the stroke beyond the reference Open
or Closed positions;
 Rebound: it is the stroke after the over-travel;
 Average speed between the two datum points.
The following window shows the performed measurements, which
are found after all other measurements.

3.2.4 Slow motion

During the CB manufacturing, or after a repair intervention, it is


important to have the possibility to position the Open and Close
contact positions in the centre of the total available stroke. About
this, it is important to consider that the contact stroke is limited
by shock absorbers, that dissipate the mechanism kinetic energy,
and don’t allow it to hit the end of the stroke, a situation that
would quickly damage the system.

During the calibration it is possible to measure the CB stroke;


during a normal test it is also possible to measure the extra
strokes. However, it is impossible to know the safety margin with
respect to the end of stroke.

Purpose of this test is to allow the operator to adjust the contact


movement so that the safety margin can be set as desired and
verified after the mounting. This operation has been called “slow
motion” because the mechanism movement is actuated by hand
by the operator. The situation is summarized in the following
drawing.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 78 of 137

Where :
. TOTAL STROKE is the contact stroke between mechanical ends,
with shock absorbing medium removed ;
. A and B BOUNDS are the stroke limits between mechanical
ends, with shock absorbing medium removed ;
. CB STROKE is the contact stroke during normal operation: it is
limited by shock absorbers;
. A and B POSITIONS are the stroke limits between the shock
absorbers ;
. OVER-TRAVEL A and B are the limits dynamically reached by the
contact during normal operation;
. OVER-TRAVEL STROKE is the difference between the contact
position at rest and the position dynamically reached during the
movement;
. A and B MARGINS are the residual shock absorber strokes,
before the mechanism beats against the mechanical ends: these
are what we are looking for.

The first step is to disconnect the contact from the driving


mechanism, and to remove the shock absorbing mean from the
shock absorbers, so that the end of stroke can be reached. Next,
locate the contact at its nominal Open and Closed positions, and
adjust them with respect to end of stroke positions. Last, shock
absorbers are restored, the driving mechanism is connected, and
actual margins are verified.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 79 of 137

The following is the detail of the operation. Once the test is


selected, the following window is opened.

The fact that the first limit is referred to the Open or Closed
position is not relevant. The calibration will be performed
separately on the three phases; once the first phase has been
selected, press Execute: the window displays the first
measurement.

Slowly reach the A bound.


Press F4 when OK
Slowly move the CB pole to the end of stroke (A bound). While
you move the mechanism, the displayed value changes. Once you
have reached the A bound, press F4: the screen shows the
following message.

The A bound is set to zero, and taken as the reference for further
measurements. Move again the contact, and take it to B bound:
the B bound figure changes. Of course, this value will be bigger
than the final contact stroke: the difference is the total available
margin. Once you have reached the B bound, press F4: the
window becomes the following one.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 80 of 137

Now, set back shock absorbers at their normal operation, and


take the mechanism against the B position (Open or Closed).
Once the position is reached, press F4: the message becomes the
following one.

Now the adjustment is almost done: mechanically connect the


contact to the drive leverages, and press the START button: the
test set checks if the CB is open or closed, and issues the
corresponding Close or Open command. The screen becomes the
following one.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 81 of 137

The screen displays the Open and Closed extra strokes: it is now
possible to verify if they are the ones foreseen; otherwise,
pressing DEL it is possible to delete the measurements and to
start over again. If extra strokes are OK, change the phase and
repeat the procedure.

Once adjustments are finished, it is possible to verify the stroke


margin including the shock absorbers action. This is performed by
executing two tests, Open and Close. After each test, at the end
of the result table you find the following additional indication,
which tells you the margin before physical end.

. Total stroke;
. O/C extra stroke;
. O/C margin.

If margins are not satisfactory, the procedure can be repeated or


some final fine adjustments can be performed.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 82 of 137

These limits will be reported until the transducer settings will be


changed.

3.3 ANALOG SIGNAL CONNECTION TO CBA 1000

The test set allows monitoring any analog voltage; for instance, it
could be interesting to watch:
. Motors current or voltage;
. Auxiliary supply current or voltage.

In this instance, the connection is performed to the 500 V input


sockets. The meter has three measurement ranges: 500 V, 50 V,
5 V DC (corresponding to 353 V, 35,3 V, 3,53 V AC). It is possible
to select the desired range; for a more accurate measurement,
select the first range greater than the maximum input. If your
input exceeds the range, the measurement will be distorted. For
this test, don’t use the 5 V DC input.

If you want to measure the motor current, or the DC supply


current during the test, and you don’t have the optional current
clamp, you should use a current to voltage clip-on meter, with a
suitable conversion constant. For instance, for a DC current test
with currents up to 20 A, use a clamp with a constant of 1 V – 10
A, and select the 5 V input range.

The analog input measurement is selected as follows.

Menu > Analog channel/coils setting > Analog input 500 V


> Label > Voltage input range RET

The window is the following one. Note that if the voltage input is
AC instead of DC, you can select the AC input checking the icon
.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 83 of 137

The result window displays the analog input waveform during the
test. Measurements are performed moving the cursor on the
desired points, but there is no value in the test result table.

The following figure shows how to connect to monitor the


auxiliary supply changes during the test.

NOTE: Do not exceed the input voltage limit of 350 V AC


or 500 V DC.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 84 of 137

3.4 PRESSURE TRANSDUCER CONNECTION TO CBA 1000

Pressure transducers measure the gas pressure as the CB is


operated: watching this signal is useful as hidden problems could
be revealed. Usually the transducer is mounted on the CB, and
outputs a low voltage.

The selection is performed as follows.


. If you did not purchase the optional connection cables, use the
connector provided and make the connection cable using a
shielded wire pair, with the shield connected to the connector
body. This serves to minimize interference on the measurement
signal.
. Enable the Analog input measurement, as follows:

Menu > Analog channel/coils setting > Analog channel >


Enabled > Pressure transducer >

With this selection, the following window is displayed.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 85 of 137

Once selected the measurement input, the following window is


displayed.

. First of all, introduce the reference Label.


. Then, select the type Unit of Measurement of the transducer.
. Next, you have to key in the pressure when the voltage is 0 V
(usually it is 1 Bar), and the pressure transducer constant, in
V/U.M.: it will be, for instance, 0,1 V/Bar. This information allows
CBA 1000 to translate the input voltage into pressure.
. From this moment, CBA 1000 is ready to display the pressure,
in the selected U.M..

The test execution is the same as for CB contacts test. The result
window displays the analog input waveform during the test.
Measurements are performed moving the cursor on the desired
points, but there is no value in the test result table.

3.5 CURRENT CLAMP

The “Current clamp” selection is for the measurement of current


by means of a clip-on transformer. The first selection is the
following.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 86 of 137

Usually the used input is the 5 V connector: this increases the


measurement accuracy. If you did not purchase the optional
connection cables kit, with the test set you received the 5 V
mating cable: prepare a two wires plus shield cable, with the
shield connected to the external of the connector. With the right
arrow the following window is displayed.

It is possible to:
 Label the current to be measured;
 Select if the current is DC or AC; in the latter instance,
check the sinusoidal waveform icon
 Select the V/A clamp constant;
 Select the maximum test current.
With these parameters, the screen will perform the conversion
from voltage to current, and display the current.

The result window displays the analog input waveform during the
test. Measurements are performed moving the cursor on the
desired points, but there is no value in the test result table.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 87 of 137

4 ST AT I C RE S IST A N CE T E ST

This test serves to measure the contact resistance of the CB main


contact, and also the resistance of any connection, joints etc.

The test is performed applying a high current to the test object (if
it is a CB contact it must be Closed), and measuring the voltage
drop across it.

The high current cables are connected to the high current sockets
(19): they should have a cross section of 25 sq. mm, in order to
minimize the voltage drop; besides, they should be twisted
along the maximum possible cable length, in order to
minimize the inductance.

The measurement cable is connected to connector (16): if the


optional cable set was not purchased, the cable should have two
wires, and should be shielded: the shield is connected to the male
connector provided. The measurement cable will be connected as
close as possible to the joint or CB contact, after the current
connections, so that the contact voltage drop is not affecting the
measurement. Don’t connect the measurement input to CBA
1000 sockets, else we would measure the conductors
resistance, that is much bigger than the contact or joint
resistance. Also, don’t connect to the high current clips, as
otherwise we would measure the clips contact resistance, that is
also much bigger than the CB contact resistance.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 88 of 137

The figure above shows the connection, with one pole grounded.
However, during this test both ends can be grounded: the
resistance of ground connections, that is in parallel to CB contact
resistance, is in the range of 10 mOhm, and it does not affect
very much the measurement, that is in the range of 100 µOhm or
less: if the CB contact resistance is greater than 100 µOhm, then
the contact is damaged and needs an intervention for repairing it.
In fact, with a nominal current is 1000 A, the contact resistance
power dissipation is 1 W per µOhm: 1 mOhm means an 1 kW
power dissipation.

If the ground connection resistance is smaller, and therefore it


affects the correct contact resistance measurement, the
procedure is the following. This procedure is to be used when you
are testing a Gas Insulated Substation.
 Open the CB, and measure the resistance: you measure
the total grounding resistance, say Rg;
 Close the CB, and measure the resistance: you measure
the parallel resistance Rp of RG and the CB contact
resistance, Rc;
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 89 of 137

 Compute Rc using the following formula:


Rc = Rp*Rg/(Rg-Rp)

NOTE: if you operate with the battery, as this test is power


consuming, the maximum battery duration drops to one hour,
with respect to the four hours when timing tests are performed.

To execute the test, select:

Menu > Micro-Ohmmeter test > Static contact resistance

The following window is opened:

. First of all, select the test current: for CB contact, it is 200 A.


. Next, select the resistance range: for CB contacts, it is 200
µOhm. NOTE: if the resistance is more than the range, the test
set displays an alarm message ; in this instance, select the 1
mOhm range and repeat the test.

Now you can perform the test: with different test numbers and
labels they will be separately recorded.

A. TEST OF A RESISTANCE

If you have to perform the measurement of a resistance (joint,..),


select Single test, and then press Start: the test set beeps and
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 90 of 137

displays a cursor that corresponds to the level of charging of the


test set capacitor which energizes the current circuit. After some
beeping, as soon as the capacitor is fully charged, the current is
injected. Test current, voltage drop and resistance are displayed
to the right.

B. TEST OF CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACT RESISTANCES

If the test is for CB contacts, select “Test on breaker phase”: the


window will change as follows.

Specify the CB phase (A, B, C) and contact (1, 2, 3, 4) under


test.

Press START: the test set beeps and displays a cursor that
correspond to the level of charging of the capacitor. After some
beeping, as soon as the capacitor is fully charged, the current is
injected, the voltage drop measured, the corresponding
resistance measured. Test current, voltage drop and resistance
are displayed to the right. If the measurement is good, pressing
SAVE, the resistance is added to the test results table.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 91 of 137

The time to wait between two tests is about 1 minute, that serves
to charge the capacitor.
If the measurement is OK, select another phase or contact,
change connections and continue until all contacts have been
tested.

C. TEST Y CB’S, NO DIRECT ACCESS TO THE COMMON

The last selection applies to Y (two chambers) CB’s, where the


connection between the chambers is not directly accessible. In
this situation, there is some resistance that adds to the contact;
the following procedure allows nulling it, and measuring the
actual contacts resistance.

After the selection, the window is the following one.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 92 of 137

The selection applies to Y2 type of breaker, where it is impossible


to connect the probes to the common point of the contacts: the
resistance called TR adds to the measurements that we can
perform. To overcome the problem posed by the presence of TR,
it is necessary to perform three measurements. The first one is
the measurement of the contact L1 + TR; the second one is the
measurement of the contact L2 + TR; the last one is the
measurement of contacts L1 + L2.

From these measurements, the test set computes the values of


contacts L1 and L2, and also of TR. This is how the screen would
look like after the test.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 93 of 137
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 94 of 137

5 D Y N AM IC RE SI S T A N CE T E ST

This test serves to verify the CB main contact resistance change


during actual operation: it is possible that contact resistance is
good some time after the contact has closed, but during the
closing (and opening) stroke some mechanical damage may
cause sudden openings or resistance changes that are
detrimental to the CB contact.

The test is performed connecting the CBA 1000 high current


output to the contact, then issuing an Open (or Close) command:
the high test current flows through it as the contact moves, and
the resistance profile is recorded and displayed. Test result is the
resistance profile during the operation.

The high current cables are connected to the high current


sockets: they should have a cross section of 25 sq. mm, in order
to minimize the voltage drop; besides, they should be twisted
for the maximum possible length, in order to minimize the
inductance, and should be as short as possible. This is very
important, because cables inductance alters the first part of the
recording.

The measurement cable is connected to the 5 V connector. If the


optional cable set was not purchased, the cable should be two-
wires, shielded; the shield is connected to the male connector
provided. The measurement cable will be connected as close as
possible to the joint or CB contact, after the current connections,
so that the contact voltage drop is not affecting the measure-
ment.

Don’t connect the measurement input to CBA 1000 sockets


(that is, before the cable), else we would measure the
conductors resistance, that is much bigger than the contact or
joint resistance. Also, don’t connect the measurement input
to the high current clips, as otherwise we would measure the
clips contact resistance, that is also much bigger than the CB
contact resistance.

The following schematics shows the correct connections.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 95 of 137

MEASUREMENT CONNECTIONS
AFTER HIGH CURRENT CLAMPS

The figure above shows the connection, with one pole grounded.
NOTE. During this test, both ends can be grounded: the
resistance of ground connections, that is in parallel to CB contact
resistance, is in the range of 10 mOhm, and it does not affect
very much the measurement, that is in the range of 100 µOhm or
less. If on an HV CB the CB contact resistance is greater than 100
µOhm, then the contact is damaged, and needs an intervention
for repairing it. In fact, with a nominal current of 1000 A, the
contact resistance power dissipation is 1 W per µOhm: 1 mOhm
means a 1 kW power dissipation.

NOTE: during this test, remember to remove the connection to


the time measurement input sockets A, B, C; else, when the
contact is open, the test set would measure a resistance of
zero μOhm: see the following pictures.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 96 of 137

WRONG CONNECTION: THREE CLAMPS PER POLE.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 97 of 137

In this example, we have performed a Close dynamic resistance


test. When the contact is closed, it should measure the static
resistance; because of the connection error, it measures zero,
which is impossible.

This is the correct result, with the contact resistance


measurement.

To execute the test, select:

Menu > Micro-ohmmeter > Dynamic contact resistance

The following window is opened:


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 98 of 137

It is possible to test the dynamic contact resistance both during


the Close action and with the Open action. The selection is
performed pressing the SEL button of the front panel.

A) CLOSE TEST

In this instance, the test is performed connecting CBA 1000 to


the contact while it is open, and then issuing a Close command.
The test set enables the current generating circuit, but, until the
contact closes, no current is flowing. As soon as the contact
closes, the programmed current flows through it, and the
dynamic resistance profile is displayed: the diagram on the
screen shows what happens. Test result is the resistance profile
during close: the additional information with respect to the static
measurement is the actual behaviour of the contact as it closes.

Summarizing the test, we should understand what we are about


to see as the test result.
 We start the test with an open contact: at this moment,
there is no current flow: the resistance is infinite;
 The test starts generating a Close command; yet, until the
contact actually closes, there is no current flow: the
resistance is infinite. If we move the cursor on this area,
the resistance measurement is > 3 mOhm (with the scale
of 1 mOhm);
 At some moment, the contact closes. Purpose of the test is
to record what actually occurs, in terms of resistance,
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 99 of 137

during this transition: it is a matter of few milliseconds.


The resistance goes from infinity to the static closed value,
which can be µOhm: this is why the resistance range
should be 1 mOhm. You can examine the dynamic
resistance by zooming the transition and moving on it with
the cursor. If the range is too small, such as 200 µOhm,
you could be losing some important part of the dynamic
resistance behaviour: in this case, select 100 A and 10
mOhm, and repeat the test;
 Shortly after the closing contact, the contact resistance
value quickly reaches the static resistance value that you
have already measured;
 The test ends with the current injection ending with a
discharge curve. The resistance measurement here is
affected by increasing errors.

The test is performed as follows.


. Start by selecting the Close command using the SEL push-
button.
. Next, select the test current: for a CB contact, it is 200 A, and
the resistance range is 1 mOhm.
. Next, select the test mode. If you want to test all CB contacts,
select Breaker phase (A, B, C), then the contact under test (1, 2,
3, 4).
. Next, program the nominal close time: the test set learns when
the current will arrive after the Close command. The diagram to
the right explains the test timing: current generation is enabled
shortly before the contact closes, and stopped time after.
. The last checkbox allows you to enable the transducer recording
during the test: this can be very useful, because you can
compare the resistance variation to possible movement
irregularities. If you check it, the selection window seen before is
displayed; the only difference is that the transducer input channel
is the 500 V one, as the 5 V one is for the resistance
measurement.
NOTE: if you enable the auxiliary contacts, they will be shown as
test results, thus providing a time reference to the test.
. Press START: the contact is closed, and the current flows;
current and voltage variations are recorded, and the
corresponding resistance is measured point per point. The
nominal test current, voltage drop and resistance are displayed
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 100 of 137

on the diagram, which is automatically opened. The following is


an instance of the screen, with V, I R displayed.

The voltage is high before current flows; current is zero. Then,


current increases and resistance is displayed. The following is the
zoom of the transition portion.

The three diagrams are superimposing too much, so, for a better
understanding, you can go to View, and remove the voltage and
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 101 of 137

the current input measurements: this is how the screen looks


like.

Now it can be clearly seen that the resistance has a starting peak
(1), that goes down in 4.4 ms: at the meantime, the current goes
to a stable value. This part of the resistance diagram is to be
ignored, as it comes from the connection cables inductance,
which cannot be eliminated.

The remaining part is the resistance profile, which can have


variations that are important to be monitored (2). Note that even
if the first 4.4 ms of the diagram is masked by the inductance, if
the contact resistance is changing very much, this causes a
distortion of the resistance curve, that can be observed.

For a better understanding of the test, let us study another result,


taking it from the software. Here we can study current, voltage
and resistance together, because traces are not superimposing.

We have cut the recording in four areas, separated by the dotted lines.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 102 of 137

1 2 3 4

In the area 1), the contact is still open: current is zero, resistance
is > 3 mOhm: in this test, we used the 1 mOhm range. The red
cursor, T1, reads > 3 mOhm.

In the area 2), there is a transition on the current, which is


caused by the connection cables inductance. In this area, if you
measure the resistance, you see it decreasing: it actually is the
contact resistance plus the cable impedance measurement. In
this area, the recording is not reproducing the resistance, but, if
there is a major resistance change, this is recorded and
displayed.

In the area 3), the current is stable: the blue cursor, at T2,
measures the static contact resistance (0.106 mOhm).

In the area 4), the capacitor is discharged; no current flows, the


resistance measurement is meaningless.

In conclusion, this is the profile for a good CB: deviations from


this mean that there is a dynamic resistance change, which has
to be studied and evaluated.

Here in the following is the example of the catastrophic result of


a CB dynamic resistance close test.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 103 of 137

You may see that the current was interrupted after about 24 ms,
and the resistance was out of scale. The point here is that this CB
had passed all other tests, and was OK to be put in service!
Luckily, the operator decided to perform also the dynamic
resistance test. They found all nuts being loose. This single test
paid the expenses to purchase the CBA!

B) OPEN TEST

This is the most important dynamic test, because the CB is


submitted to the worst operation as it opens. In fact, it has to
open the high voltage and the short circuit current, which is much
bigger than the normal load.

In this instance, the test is performed connecting CBA 1000 to


the contact while it is closed, then issuing an Open command.
Unlike the Close command, the test set does not enable
immediately the current generating circuit. The problem is that
the current generation lasts 30 ms in all, and we have to be sure
that the contact will open while the current is flowing. The current
generation waits until few (15) milliseconds before the contact
opening: this is why the Nominal Open time should be the actual
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 104 of 137

one, as derived by a timing test. The test current flows through


the contact slightly before and during the opening action, and the
resistance profile is displayed: the diagram on the screen shows
what happens. The test result is the resistance profile during
open: the additional information with respect to the static
measurement is the actual behaviour of the contact as it opens.

Summarizing the test, we should understand what we are about


to see as the test result.
 We start the test with a closed contact;
 The test is started generating the Open command, but the
current is not yet generated: the resistance is infinite;
 At some moment, we generate the current. Unlike the
Close test, the current ramp does not disturb the
resistance measurement, as we have enough time before
the contact opening. If we move the cursor on this area,
the resistance measurement is the static value;
 At some moment, the contact opens. Purpose of the test is
to record what actually occurs, in terms of resistance,
during this transition: it is a matter of few milliseconds.
The resistance goes from the µOhm range to infinity. You
can examine the dynamic resistance by zooming the
transition and moving on it with the cursor. If the
metering range is too small, such as 200 µOhm, you could
be losing some important part of the dynamic resistance
behaviour: in this case, select 100 A and 10 mOhm, and
repeat the test;
 The test ends with the current injection being cut down to
zero by the contact opening.

The test is performed as follows.

. Start by selecting the Open command using the SEL push-


button.
. First of all, select the test current: for CB contact, it is 200 A
and 1 mOhm.
. Next, select the test mode. If you want to test all CB contacts,
select Breaker phase (A, B, C), then the contact under test (1, 2,
3, 4).
. Next, program the nominal open time: the test set learns when
the current will be generated before the actual contact opening.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 105 of 137

The diagram to the right explains the test timing: current


generation is enabled shortly before the contact opens or closes,
and stopped by the contact opening.
. The last checkbox allows you to enable the transducer recording
during the test: this can be very useful, because you can
compare the resistance variation to possible movement
irregularities. If you check it, the selection window seen before is
displayed; the only difference is that the transducer input channel
is the 500 V one, as the 5 V one is for the resistance
measurement. This selection can be entered only if you
previously enable the transducer test in the corresponding
window.
NOTE: if you enable the auxiliary contacts, they will be shown as
test results, thus providing a time reference to the test.
. Press START: the Open command is issued, after some time the
current is generated, the contact opens, and this stops the
current flow; current and voltage variations are recorded, and the
corresponding resistance is measured point per point. The
nominal test current, voltage drop and resistance are displayed
on the diagram, that is automatically opened. The following is an
instance of the screen, with all parameters displayed.

It is necessary to zoom, else the diagram cannot be read. The


following is the zoom of the transition portion, with the coil
current removed, and all other parameters displayed.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 106 of 137

The three diagrams are superimposing too much; so, for a better
understanding, you can go to View, and remove all unless the
resistance: this is how the screen looks like.

4
1 2
3

Now it can be clearly seen that the resistance has a starting value
(1) higher than the nominal one.

When the current is injected, during 4.4 ms, the resistance has a
variation (2). This part of the resistance diagram is to be ignored,
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 107 of 137

as it comes from the connection cables inductance, which cannot


be eliminated. After the transition, the resistance value is the
static resistance (3): the contact is closed.

The remaining part is the dynamic open resistance transition (4):


the resistance starts changing, and can have important
variations, to be studied in amplitude and duration, as they can
be beyond the accepted maximum.

If test result is saved and transferred to the PC CB program, the


details can be studied at ease, taking advantage of different
colours, screen dimensions and so on. The following is the
example of the above result, detailed on the contact opening. We
have cut the recording in four areas, separated by the dotted lines.

1 4 5
3

In the area 1), the contact is still closed, but current is zero,
resistance is > 3 mOhm: in this test, we used the 1 mOhm range.

In the area 2), there is a transition on the current, which is


caused by the connection cables inductance. In this area, if you
measure the resistance, you see it decreasing: it actually is the
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 108 of 137

contact resistance plus the cable impedance measurement. This


part is not interesting for our test.

In the area 3), the current is stable: the red cursor, at T1,
measures the static contact resistance (0.191 mOhm).

In the area 4), the contact starts opening; the resistance grows
to 2.5 mOhm (blue cursor at T2) in about 3.6 ms. This resistance
variation is to be considered, because, given the high currents
involved in short-circuit opening, there is a lot of heat being
generated. The ideal is no resistance change until the opening.

In the area 5), the contact is open; resistance is infinite, no


current flows.

The addition of the transducer analysis can give further details


such as the actual stroke at open – close; contact speed and so
on.

C) BOTH ENDS GROUNDED

The dynamic resistance test can be performed also if both CB


ends are grounded. Following pictures show the differences in the
two situations.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 109 of 137

Close 1: Dynamic CLOSE test; only one end grounded. When the
test is started, the current will not be generated, until the contact
closes. At cursor 1 the resistance is infinite; at cursor 2, we
measure the contact resistance (0.629 mOhm).

Close 2: Dynamic CLOSE test; both ends grounded. When the


test is started, the current flows through the earth connection;
then, as the contact closes, the CB contact resistance shunts the
earth resistance. At cursor 1 the resistance is 45 mOhm (the
grounding resistance); at cursor 2, we measure the contact
resistance (0.601 mOhm).

Unlike the dynamic resistance Close test, when both ends are
grounded, the current flows as soon as it is started; so, it is
important to program the Close delay, as it is in the Open test.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 110 of 137

Open 1: Dynamic OPEN test; only one end grounded. When the
test is started, the current flows through the closed contact; next
to CB opening, the current is stopped. At cursor 1 the resistance
is the one of the contact (0.629 mOhm); at cursor 2, the
resistance is infinite.

Open 2: Dynamic OPEN test; both ends grounded. When the test
is started, the current flows through the closed contact; next to
CB opening, the current flows through the ground connection. At
cursor 1 the resistance is the one of the contact (0,601 mOhm);
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 111 of 137

at cursor 2, the resistance is 45 mOhm (the grounding


resistance).

D) CASE: GAS INSULATED SUBSTATIONS (GIS)

Gas insulated substations include the CB itself, and also the


grounding contacts. When they are set out of service, both
grounding contacts close; so, this is a typical case of having both
sides grounded during the test.

The problem is that the CB contact AND the grounding contacts


have a very low resistance: for instance, 40 μOhm each. In this
situation, the resistance between the poles is:
 80 μOhm (2*40), when the contact is OPEN;
 26 μOhm (40 in parallel to 80), when the contact is
CLOSED.

Unfortunately, these resistances are too small for the BSG option
to operate. However, with the dynamic resistance test it is
possible to measure the CB timing, as follows.

 Connect CBA as explained for the dynamic resistance test.


 Let us consider first the OPEN timing test. As the CB is
closed, the contact resistance is very low; when it opens,
the CB resistance does not grow very much.
 The following is an example of the recording.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 112 of 137

In the first part of the diagram there is no current. As the


current is injected, the measured resistance is 13 μOhm; as
the CB opens, the resistance increases, and reaches the value
of 136 μOhm. To the right, the screen displays the resistance
values.

Now, to measure the CB OPEN delay, you have to locate the


right cursor on the point where the resistance starts
increasing.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 113 of 137

You better zoom for a correct measurement.

As you see, the delay is 41.9 ms.

The procedure is the same for the CLOSE delay. In our example,
the resistance with the CB open is 134 μOhm; as the CB closes, it
decreases to 10 μOhm. The screen is the following one.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 114 of 137

As usual, the cable inductance opposes to the fast change of the


current. If we zoom, horizontally and vertically, the transition
point we get the following.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 115 of 137

It is possible to observe an initial change of the resistance at T1


= 68.4 ms, followed by an increase, then by a second descent,
and a final descent at T2 = 69.4 ms. Among these values, the
one to be taken as the close delay is T1, because in the real case,
as soon as the pole touches (first touch), the current starts
flowing, and it cannot be interrupted unless because of huge
resistance changes.

In conclusion, with the dynamic resistance it is possible to


perform the CB delay measurement, even within the SF6
insulated substation.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 116 of 137

6 BO TH S ID ES GR O U N DE D T EST W IT H BS G 10 00

As explained in the previous chapters, during the CBA 1000


connection to main CB poles, CB must be closed, and grounded
on both sides. Once the connection is performed, one of the two
ground connections must be removed, because otherwise the
ground connection would shunt the CB contact test current, and
the CB would appear always closed.

There is a drawback about removing a grounding: it is that the


operator IS NO MORE PROTECTED AGAINST A HV BEING
APPLIED TO THE OPEN SIDE: when the CB contact is open,
that side is not grounded at all. Besides, in this situation the wire
is no more grounded, hence, it is subject to the induction of
voltage from the plant.

BSG 1000 has been developed to allow to perform the test EVEN
IF BOTH GROUNDS ARE CLOSED. The operating principle takes
advantage of the fact that the ground connection has a resistance
in the range of 10 – 20 mOhm, that is at least 10 times the CB
contact resistance.

BSG 1000 generates a higher current (nominally 20 A) than CBA


1000 (50 mA ) to detect the closed contact: the higher current
allows to generate a voltage drop that is 200 mV up for the
ground connection, and at least 10 times less for the closed CB
contact (1 mOhm x 20 A = 20 mV).

The detection principle is that the contact is closed when the


sensed resistance drops below 3 mOhm, that corresponds to the
first moment when poles are touching.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 117 of 137

VOLTAGE
MEASUREMENT V IN 20 A

BSG1000

BYPASS
RESISTANCE
GROUND
CONNECTION
RESISTANCES

To perform the test, you have to:


. Connect to ground both ends of the CB main poles, locating the
earth clamps AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE to the CB contact, in order
to minimize induction. Clean the contact surfaces to minimize the
voltage drop across oxidation;
. If the CB has two chambers, the connection between chambers
has to be connected to ground;
. Short-circuit the poles with the bypass provided: this nulls the
induced noise and improves the time measurement accuracy: see
the following figure.

BYPASS:
ONE PER
CONTACT
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 118 of 137

NOTE: if this is not performed, the recording could show an 100


Hz (or 120 Hz) induction, as shown in the following screen.

NOTE: if the measuring head is for two poles and the CB has only
one pole, connect the unused clamp to the black clamp: don’t
leave them un-connected!
. Prior to connect BSG, perform two resistance tests, in order to
measure the resistance in Closed and Open situation. This serves
to set the resistance thresholds during the test. The ideal Open
contact resistance is close to 5 mOhm, that is the maximum
threshold setting. If the Open resistance is more than 8 mOhm,
clamp another shunt in parallel.
. Connect the BSG 1000 measuring heads’ current outputs to CB
main contacts, using the three 10sq. mm cables.
. Connect BSG 1000 measuring heads signal inputs to CB main
contacts, using the measurement clamps.
. Connect the three BSG 1000 measuring heads to BSG 1000
main unit (three shielded cables, 10 m long).

The following picture shows the measurement head connected to


a single-pole CB.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 119 of 137

. Connect CBA 1000 to BSG 1000 main unit (two cables);

. Connect to coils, auxiliary contacts, transducer;


. Power-on: the screen displays the following message;
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 120 of 137

. Select the page for the setting of breaker channels, that will
modify as follows. This means that CBA 1000 has detected that
the option is present;

. For the Open threshold, input a value equal to 95% of the Open
resistance measurement that you have previously performed (but
not more than 5 mOhm).
. For the Closed threshold, two choices:
. With normal CB’s, program a Closed threshold 200 µOhm less
than the Open one;
. If the CB has a graphite nozzle (typical resistance 0.5 mOhm),
input a Closed threshold value equal the Closed resistance
measurement plus 200 µOhm: the duration of the graphite
closing will be displayed with a line with intermediate thickness;
the CB time measurement will be taken when the graphite closes.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 121 of 137

Moving the cursors you will be able to measure the duration of


the graphite contact.

Any resistance value less than the Closed threshold is sensed and
the contact is displayed as Closed. Any resistance value more
than the Open threshold is sensed, and the contact is displayed
as Open. Any resistance value between these thresholds is
sensed and displayed as a Resistive contact: this is the case for
graphite nozzles.
. Issue an Open CB command: the CBA diagram should show the
contact OPEN. If not, go to the BSG 1000 menu, threshold
selection, and reduce the threshold until contacts are sensed
Open;
. Now, issue a Close CB command: the CBA diagram should show
the contact CLOSED. If not, go to the LOW threshold selection,
and increase it until contacts are sensed Closed.
The possible cases for the threshold settings are summarized in
the following table.

CB DIAGRAM CORRECTION
OPEN CLOSED REDUCE HIGH
THRESHOLD
CLOSED OPEN INCREASE LOW
THRESHOLD

NOTE: LED’S on the front panel don’t follow the contact status
unless as the test is performed.

Now it is possible to perform tests as usual, operating on CBA


1000. The following is the connection schematic.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 122 of 137

If there is some connection error, the following messages would


be displayed.

and the similar messages for clamps black and blue: please,
correct.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 123 of 137

Sequence of operation
 The BSG measuring heads generate the current only when a
test is to be performed.
 The current generation is initiated by CBA 1000, by means of
the Master output. The START signal goes to the BSG Main
unit, that, in turn, commands the Measuring Heads.
 One minute is necessary to charge the capacitors: if this time is
not elapsed, you are alerted by a message.
 When the capacitor is charged the heads inform the CBA via
the Main unit; at this moment, the CBA drives the CB coils, and
the time measurement starts.
 The head measures the contact resistance, compares it to the
threshold and communicates in real time the result (CLOSED,
GRAPHITE or OPEN) to the Main unit;
 The Main unit converts this information into a voltage level that
is sensed by CBA as CLOSED, RESISTANCE or OPEN. These
operations are performed at very high speed, so that the time
measurement is not influenced;
 CBA measures the times, and displays the results as a thick –
intermediate – thin line;
 It is possible to change the resistance threshold operating on
the CBA screen.

NOTE: Threshold setting and trip times.

When time tests are executed with the BSG 1000, it is possible to
observe some time deviation when you compare time results
taken with the option to the same results taken without the
option. The reason is explained in the following sketch, that
shows the resistance change versus time during the Close and
Open
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 124 of 137

transitions.

The sketch shows that, during the Close operation, there is some
time between the moment when the CB contact resistance is 100
mOhm and when it goes down to values such as 10 mOhm to 1
mOhm; the same occurs during the Open operation. The amount
of time difference depends upon the type of CB and of its
isolation mean. Now, the point is that during the normal time
measurement, when the contact resistance is 100 mOhm the
contact is detected as closed, and the Close time delay is T1 CL,
but the 100 mOhm threshold cannot be used during the BSG test
as the Closed level, because of the paralleling shunts. The same
is for the Open delay time measurement, where the measured
delay is T1 OP. This causes a time difference with respect to the
normal measurement, where:
- The Close delay is LONGER than the normal one;
- The OPEN delay is SHORTER than the normal one.

On the other side, it has to be considered that during our test the
reading head does not measure the CB contact resistance: it
measures the PARALLEL resistance between the CB contact and
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 125 of 137

the ground connections and the shunt cable. The resulting


resistance change in relation to time is shown as the dashed line.

The minimum BSG threshold is 4.9 mOhm: in order to minimize


the problem, the high threshold should be programmed as close
as possible to the measured OPEN resistance, that should be
close to 5 mOhm. As it is possible to see on the drawing, time
measurements T2 CL and T2 OP are very close to T1 CL and T1
OP respectively. The error would increase with Closed resistance
higher than 8 mOhm, or with a low value for the high threshold.

A particular case is given by gas isolated CB’s, that have an


internal shunting where the resistance is in the order of few
mOhm. If, for instance, the Open resistance is 3 mOhm, the
timing error becomes negligible programming the high threshold
at 2.8 mOhm.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 126 of 137

7 F IR ST TR I P T ES T

A very important measurement of the CB behaviour is the


measurement of the time response of the CB after a long time of
service, because friction developed during the time can cause an
unwanted increase of the opening time. The problem is that, in
order to perform timing tests, the CB has to be put out of service,
and therefore opened prior to connect it to the test set: at this
moment, all the information related to friction are lost.

The test of the CB behaviour when it is operated the first time is


called First trip test: purpose of this test is to measure the open
delay time when the CB is still in service.

The First trip test is performed the following way:


. The CB is in service;
. The secondary current of one CT is monitored by CBA 1000;
. In order to avoid any problem, the Open command is not issued
by CBA, but by an external contact, that is connected to an
Auxiliary input that will trigger the test set;
. The trigger command that makes the CBA 1000 to start its
recording is the voltage applied to the Open coil;
. When the Open command is issued, the test set records and
displays the command and the current;
. On the display it is possible to measure the delay between the
open command and the current disappearing: this is the First trip
time delay;
. Also the coil current waveform can be recorded and analysed.

The following is the connection scheme.


Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 127 of 137

I
CB

Busbar with voltage

I Clamp
OPEN COIL COMMAND

Circuits

CBA

500 V

AUX 1
input

. Connect the Hall effect clamp to the 500 V analog input.


. On the optional clamp there are two ranges: 10 mV/A and 1
V/A. Select 10 mV/A if the secondary is rated 5 A, and select 1
V/A if it is rated 1 A.
. On CBA 1000, program in the Analog channel selection window
the current clamp.
. The input has to be selected as an AC waveform, and the clamp
ratio has to be input: see the window here below.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 128 of 137

. Connect the CB Coil Open command to the auxiliary input AUX1.


. Select this input as the trigger for the test: it must be selected
as Wet.
. If it is desired, select also other auxiliary inputs.

. Next, go to the trigger options programming window: as soon as


you enable the auxiliary input, the window by the side is opened.
Input 1 must be enabled and selected as Normally Open; the
trigger mode selection is OR.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 129 of 137

. In the Test options window select Open (one test only); in the
recording options select: 50 ms as Open coil duration, 20 ms as
pre-trigger duration, frequency 2000 Hz, 0.2 s as test duration:
this improves the test result resolution.

. Now the test set is ready to perform the test. Go to the test
diagram and press START: after a short while, the display will
show the message “Armed” on the left top of the display.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 130 of 137

. From this moment, you have 60 s to execute the manual CB


Opening. The test set will wait until A1 is sensed; then it will
display a screen such as the following one.

. The timing can be read by using the key 4 to zoom the first part
of the diagram: the screen is now the following one.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 131 of 137

. The first trip delay measurement is performed by moving the


cursor t2 to the point where the current has been interrupted: in
our instance, 80 ms. Take care: because of the arc extinction
time, there is a delay between this moment and when the current
reaches the zero. The simplified waveform above is not a real
case: when the contact opens, there are deformations on the
current which mark the opening moment.

8 SW IT CH S Y N C T EST

Some lines are compensated by capacitors banks: in this


situation, there is the problem of the huge inrush current when
the CB is closed. The solution is provided by CB’s provided with
the switch sync performance: the operation of each phase is
synchronized with the input voltage so that poles close when the
voltage is at zero crossing. Purpose of this test is to verify this
behaviour.

Let us consider first the case when the CB is in service: it is


impossible to connect to main contacts. We will perform the test
by observing the current waveform only, and in particular if it is
starting from the zero crossing.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 132 of 137

The test is performed the following way:


. The CB is in service, with current and voltage;
. The test set monitors one CT secondary current;
. In order to avoid any problem, the Close command is not issued
by CBA, but by an external command, that is connected to an
Auxiliary input that will trigger the test set;
. When the Close command is sensed, the test set records the
current;
. On the screen, it is possible to verify that the current is started
at the zero crossing;
. Actually, it is possible to test only one phase: for a complete
test, the operation is to be repeated on the three phases.

The following is the connection schematic.

I
CB

Busbar with voltage

I Clamp
CLOSE COIL COMMAND

Circuits

CBA

500 V

AUX 1
input

. Connect the Hall effect clamp to the 500 V analog input, and
clamp it to the secondary side of the selected CT.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 133 of 137

. On the optional clamp there are two ranges: 10 mV/A and 1


V/A. Select 10 mV/A if the secondary is rated 5 A, and select 1
V/A is rated 1 A.
On CBA 1000, program in the Analog channel selection window
the current clamp; the input has to be selected as an AC
waveform, and the clamp ratio has to be input: see the window
here below.

. Connect the CB Coil Close command to the auxiliary input AUX1,


and set it as with voltage.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 134 of 137

. If it is desired, select also other auxiliary inputs.


. Go to the Trigger options window and select this input as the
trigger for the test.
. Input 1 must be enabled and selected as Normally Open; the
trigger mode selection is OR.

. In the Test options window select Close (one test only); in the
recording options select: 50 ms as Close coil duration, 20 ms as
pre-trigger duration, frequency 2000 Hz, 0.2 s as test duration:
this improves the test result resolution.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 135 of 137

Now the test set is ready to perform the test. Go to the test
diagram and press START: after a short while, the display will
show the message “Armed” on the left top of the display.

From this moment, you have 60 s to issue the manual CB Close


command. The test set will wait until the selected AUX input is
sensed; then it will display a screen such as the following one.
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 136 of 137

Zooming with 4, it is possible to verify that the current starts at


the zero crossing: this is the test result.

For a better reading, it is possible to transfer the test result to the


CBAPro program.

It is possible to see very well that the current starts at the zero
crossing.

The test is much easier if the CB is not connected to the plant. In


this situation:
. Connect the main CB pole phase A to CBA 1000;
. Connect the voltage providing the reference for phase A to the
500 V input, and select AC signal;
Doc. MIE11166 Rev. 2.21 Page 137 of 137

. Issue a Close command, and verify on the screen that the


closing occurs when the reference voltage is at its zero crossing;
. Repeat on the other phases.

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