Fundamentals of Current Interruption in (High-Voltage) Vacuum Circuit Breakers
Wed, Jan 17, 2024 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM CET
In this webinar, organized by ‘Current Zero Club’ (an independent research group of current interruption specialists) the physics and technology of current interruption in vacuum will be explained. The webinar is illustrated with various animations and video clips from laboratory experiments and simulation studies, and will show how fundamental processes impact performance.
In the first part, after a general introduction on the vacuum switching process for the non-specialists, vacuum arcing phenomena will be highlighted. The practical technologies to control high-current arcs in actual vacuum switchgear aimed to limit thermal stresses of the switching contacts will be explained.
The second part is on current interruption, focussing on the processes immediately after extinction of the arc. The role of neutral and charged particles and droplets, emitted after current zero, and their impact on thermal and dielectric recovery will be highlighted. Root causes of failures to interrupt will be highlighted.
The third part is on the special challenges that vacuum circuit breakers for transmission voltage are facing, as well as the technical solutions to make “vacuum” a mature technology for SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers. Apart from interruption, this part will also cover several other technical requirements for normal operation, relevant for system operators, such as dielectric performance.
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