1) A circuit breaker protects an electrical circuit from damage caused by overloading or short circuit by interrupting current flow. 2) When a fault occurs, a relay detects it and energizes the circuit breaker's trip coil, actuating the operating mechanism to open the contacts and disconnect faulty elements. 3) When contacts open under fault conditions, an arc is struck that must be extinguished quickly to prevent damage. Circuit breakers use various methods like increasing arc length, cooling it, or taking advantage of current zeros in AC to extinguish the arc.

1. BHAGALPUR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, BHAGALPUR
(Department of Science & Technology, Government of Bihar)
Anshul Shekhar
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Switchgear & Protection
Lecture-3 & 4 (07 August 2020)

2. UNIT-1: Circuit breakers
2
Arc voltage mechanism of arc interruption, Restriking
Voltage and Recovery Voltage, Classification of CBs
Oil CBs, Air CBs, Vacuum, SF6 CBs, HVDC CBs,
Rating and Resting of CBs.

3. 3
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an
electrical circuit from damage caused by overloading or short circuit.
It protects the circuit by interrupting the current flowing in the line, transformer etc when
fault occurs
A Circuit Breaker can make or break a circuit either manually or automatically under all
conditions i.e., no-load, full-load and short-circuit conditions.
An Introduction

4. 4
Fig 1.1 Simplified Diagram of circuit breaker for opening operation
When the fault occurs in the protected circuit, the relay connected to the CT & VT detects
the fault, actuates and closes its contacts to complete the trip circuit. Current flows from the
battery to trip circuit. As the trip coil of CB energized, the CB operating mechanism is
actuated and it operates for the opening operation to disconnect the faulty elements.
Contd..

5. 5
A circuit breaker is a switching and current interrupting device. It consists of fixed and
moving contacts called electrodes. Both contacts are placed in a closed chamber
containing a fluid insulating medium (either liquid or gas) which quenches the arc formed
between the contacts.
Working
Fig 1.2 Separation of contacts of the Circuit Breaker

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Under normal operating conditions, these contacts remain closed (touching each other )
and will not open automatically until and unless the system becomes faulty. But the contacts
can be opened manually or remote control whenever desired)
Whenever fault occurs (i.e., under abnormal condition) at any part of the power system,
the relay coil gets energized which is sufficient enough to close the trip circuit. Thus trip coils
of the circuit breaker get energized and the moving contacts are pulled apart by some
mechanism, thus opening the circuit.
Working Contd..

7. 7
When the contacts of a circuit breaker are separated under fault conditions, an arc is
struck between them. The current is thus able to continue until the discharge ceases. The
production of arc not only delays the current interruption process but it also generates
enormous heat which may cause damage to the system or to the circuit breaker itself.
The problem in a circuit breaker is to extinguish the arc within the shortest possible time
so that heat generated by it may not reach a dangerous value.
Working Contd..

8. 8
When short-circuit occurs, a heavy current flows through the contacts of the circuit breaker
before they are opened by the protecting system. At the instant, when the contacts starts to
separate, the contact area decreases rapidly and large fault current will lead to increased
current density and hence rise in temperature.
The heat produced in the medium between contacts is sufficient enough to ionize the air or
vaporize and ionize the oil. The ionized air or vapour acts as conductor and an arc is struck
between the contacts.
The potential difference between the contacts is quite small and which is sufficient to
maintain the arc. The arc provides a low resistance path and consequently the current in the
circuit remains uninterrupted as long as the arc persists.
Arc Phenomenon

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During the arcing period, the current flowing between the contacts depends upon the arc
resistance. Greater is the arc resistance, and then smaller will be the current that flows
in between the contacts. The arc resistance depends upon the following factors:
(i) Degree of ionization - the arc resistance increases with the decrease in the number of
ionized particles between the contacts.
(ii) Length of arc – the arc resistance increases with the length of the arc. i.e., separation
of contacts.
(iii) Cross-section of arc – the arc resistance increases with the decrease in area of cross-
section of the arc.
Arc Phenomenon Contd..

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When current carrying contacts of circuit breaker are separated, an arc is formed, which
persists for a period after separation of contacts. The circuit breaker should be capable of
extinguishing the arc without causing any damage to the equipment or danger to personnel.
The factors responsible for the maintenance of arc between the contacts are:
1. Potential difference between the contacts
2. Ionized particles between the contacts
PRI NCIPLES OF ARC INTERRUPTION

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Potential difference between the contacts: When the separation between the contacts is
small, the potential difference between them is sufficient enough to maintain the arc. One
way to extinguish the arc is to separate the contacts to a distance that the potential difference
becomes inadequate to maintain the arc. However, this method is impracticable in high
voltage system.
Ionized particles between the contacts: The ionized particles between the contacts tend
to maintain the arc. If the arc path is de-ionized then the arc extinction will be facilitated. This
may be achieved by cooling the arc or by removing ionized particles from the space between
the circuit breaker contacts.
PRI NCIPLES OF ARC INTERRUPTION Contd..

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There are two methods of extinguishing the arc in the circuit breakers
1. High resistance method
2. Low resistance method or current zero method
1. High resistance method: In this method, arc resistance is made to increase with time so
that current is reduced to a value insufficient to maintain the arc. Consequently, the
current is interrupted or the arc is extinguished. The principal disadvantage of this
method is that enormous energy is dissipated in the arc. Therefore it is employed in D.C.
circuit breakers and low-capacity a.c. circuit breakers only.
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION

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The resistance of the arc may be increased by
(i) Lengthening the arc: The resistance of the arc is directly proportional to its length. The
length of the arc can be increased by increasing the gap between the contacts.
(ii) Cooling the arc: Cooling helps in the deionization of the medium between the contacts.
This increases the arc resistance. Efficient cooling may be obtained by a gas blast
directed along the arc.
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(High resistance method)
Contd..

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(iii) Reducing the Cross-section of the arc: If area of the cross-section of the arc is
reduced, the voltage necessary to maintain the arc is increased. In other words, the
resistance of the arc path is increased. The cross-section of the arc can be reduced by letting
the arc pass through a narrow opening or by having smaller area of contacts.
(iv) Splitting the arc: The resistance of the arc can be increased by splitting the arc into a
number of smaller arcs in series. Each one of these arcs experiences the effect of
lengthening and cooling. The arc may be split by introducing some conducting plates
between the contacts.
Contd..
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(High resistance method)

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This method is applicable only in ac circuit interruption because there is natural zero of
current 100 times in a second for 50 Hz supply system. This property of ac circuit is exploited
for interruption purposes and current is not allowed to rise again after a current zero occurs.
The phenomenon of arc extinction is explained by two theories as follows.
(i) Energy balance or Cassie theory
(ii) Recovery Rate or Slepian’s Theory
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(Low Resistance or Current Zero Interruption)

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(i) Energy Balance or Cassie Theory :
This theory states that “if the rate of heat dissipation between the contacts is
greater than the rate at which heat is generated, the arc will be extinguished,
otherwise it will restrike”.
 The heat generated varies from time to time depending upon the separation of breaker
contacts. Initially when the contacts are about to open, the restriking voltage is zero and
therefore, the heat generated is zero. Again when the contacts are fully open, the
resistance between the contacts is also infinite and hence the heat generated is zero.
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(Low Resistance or Current Zero Interruption)
Contd..

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 Between these two limits the heat generation reaches a maximum. Now if the heat so
generated could be removed by cooling, lengthening and splitting the arc at a faster rate
than that of generation of heat, the arc is extinguished.
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(Energy Balance Theory)
Contd..
Fig 1.3 Energy Balance Theory

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(ii) Recovery Rate or Slepian’s Theory:
This theory states that, the rate at which the gap recovers its dielectric strength is
faster than the rate at which voltage stress rises, the arc will be extinguished else
the arc may be interrupted for a brief period but it again restrikes.
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(Low Resistance or Current Zero Interruption)
Contd..

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 In an a.c. system, current drops to zero after every half-cycle. At every current zero,
the arc extinguishes for a brief moment. Now the medium between the contacts
contains ions so that it has small dielectric strength and can be easily broken down by
the rising contact voltage known as restriking voltage.
 If such a breakdown occurs, the arc will persist for another half cycle. If immediately after
current zero, the dielectric strength of the medium between the contacts is built up more
rapidly than the voltage across the contacts, the arc fails to restrike and the current will
be interrupted.
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(Low Resistance or Current Zero Interruption)
Contd..

20. 20
METHODS OF ARC EXTINCTION
(Low Resistance or Current Zero Interruption)
Contd..
Fig 1.4 Recovery Rate Theory

21. References:
21
Badari Ram, D. N. Vishwakarma “Power System Protection and Switchgear” 2nd
edition, TMH Publications, 2011.

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Thank you