Air CB

SWITCHGEAR AND PROTECTION
Circuit Breakers
• Classification:
• Based on Voltage rating :
• LV Circuit Breakers: < 1 KV.
• MV Circuit Breakers: Upto 66KV.
• HV Circuit Breakers: Upto 220KV.
• EHV Circuit Breakers: Upto 400KV.
• UHV Circuit Breakers : > 400KV.
Based on Arc quenching medium
• Air break CB(ACB): Air at atmospheric pressure.
• MCB : Air at atmospheric pressure.
• MCCB: Air at atmospheric pressure.
• Oil CB(OCB) :Mineral or transformer oil.
• Air Blast Circuit Breaker(ABCB): High Pressure air.
• Vacuum Circuit Breaker(VCB) : High Vacuum.
• SF6 Circuit Breaker: Sulphur Hexafluoride gas at
high pressure.
Other Classifications
• Single pole and 3 pole Circuit breakers.
• Single and Multibreak Circuit Breakers.
• D.C. and A.C. Circuit Breakers.
• Indoor and outdoor Circuit Breakers.
Air break circuit breaker
• The air at atmosphere pressure is used as an
arc extinguishing medium.
• These circuit breakers employ the high
resistance interruption principle.
Construction details
• It employs two pairs of contacts- main

contacts and arcing contacts.
• Arc runners
• Arc chute
• Arc splitter plates
• The main contacts carry current when the
breaker is in closed position.
• When contacts are opened, the main contacts
separate first, the arcing contacts still remain
closed.
• Therefore, the current is shifted from the main
contacts to arcing contacts.
• The arcing contacts separate later on and the
arc is drawn between them.
• This arc is forced upwards by electromagnetic
forces & thermal action.
• The arc ends travel along the Arc runner
(Arcing horns).
• The arc moves upwards and is split by arc
splitter plates .
• The arc is extinguished by lengthening,
cooling, splitting etc.
• AC air-break circuit breakers are available in
the voltage range 400 to 12kV.
• widely used in low and medium voltage
system.
• Extensively used with electric furnaces, with
large motors requiring frequent starting, in a
place where chances of fire hazard exist, etc.
• Also used in DC circuits up to 12kV.
Air Blast Circuit Breakers
• Depending upon the direction of air blast in
relation to the arc;air blast circuit breakers are
classified into:
• (i)Axial-blast type in which air-blast is directed
along the arc path as shown in figure below.
• (ii) Cross-blast type in which air blast is
directed at right angles to the arc path as
shown in figure below
• (iii) Radial-blast type in which the air blast is
directed radially as shown in figure below
Axial-blast air circuit breaker
• The fixed and moving contacts are held in

closed position by spring pressure under
normal conditions .
• The air reservoir is connected to the arcing
chamber through an air valve .
• This valve remains closed under normal
conditions but opens automatically by tripping
impulse when a fault occurs on the system.
Working
• When a fault occurs , the tripping impulse causes the
opening of the air valve which connects the circuit breaker
reservoir to the arcing chamber .
• The high pressure air entering the arcing chamber pushes
away the moving contact against spring pressure .
• The moving contact is separated and an arc is struck.
• At the same time , high pressure air blast flows along the
arc and takes away the ionised gases along with it.
• Consequently , the arc is extinguished and current flow is
interrupted.
• It may be noted that in such circuit breakers,
the contact separation required for
interruption is generally small about 1.75 cm.
• Such a small gap may constitute inadequate
clearance for the normal service voltage .
• Therefore , an isolating switch is incorporated
as part of this type of circuit breaker .
• This switch opens immediately after fault
interruption to provide necessary clearance
for insulation.
Cross Blast air breaker
• In this type of circuit breaker , an air blast is
directed at right angles to the arc .
• The cross-blast lengthens and forces the arc
into a suitable chute for arc extinction .
Working
• When the moving contact is withdrawn , an arc is struck between
the fixed and moving contacts .
• The high pressure cross-blast forces into a chute consisting of an
arc splitters and baffles .
• The splitters serve to increase the length of the arc and baffles give
improved cooling .
• The result is that arc is extinguished and flow of current is
interrupted .
• Since the blast pressure is same for all currents , the inefficiency at
low currents is eliminated .
• The final gap for interruption is great enough to give normal
insulation clearance so that series isolating switch is not necessary.
Advantages of Air Blast CB
• The risk of fire is eliminated.
• The arcing products are completely removed by the blast
whereas the oil deteriorates with successive operations;the
expense of regular oil is replacement is avoided.
• The growth of dielectric strength is so rapid that final contact
gap needed for arc extinction is very small.This reduces the
size of device.
• The arcing time is very small due to the rapid build up of
dielectric strength between contacts.
• Due to lesser arc energy , air blast circuit breakers are very
suitable for conditions where frequent operation is required.
• The energy supplied for arc extinction is obtained from high
pressure air and is independent of the current to be
interrupted.
Disadvantages:
• Air has relatively inferior arc extinguishing

properties
• Air blast circuit breakers are very sensitive to
the variations in the rate of restriking voltage.
• Considerable maintenance is required for the
compressor plant which supplies the air blast
Applications
• Air blast circuit breakers are finding wide
applications in high voltage installations.
• Majority of circuit breakers for voltages
beyond 110 kV are of this type.

Air CB

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SWITCHGEAR AND PROTECTION

• It employs two pairs of contacts- main

• The fixed and moving contacts are held in

• Air has relatively inferior arc extinguishing

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