http://electrical- engineering- portal.com/medium- voltage- switchgear- selection- of- switching- devices February 15, 2013
Emmanouil Angeladas
Continued from first part: Medium Voltage Switchgear (1) Basics of Switching Devices
5. Contactors
Rated voltage
The upper limit of the system voltage the device is designed for. Because all high voltage switching devices are zero-current interrupters, except for some for fuses the system voltage is the most important dimensioning criterion. It determines the dielectric stress of the switching device by means of the transient recovery voltage and the recovery voltage, especially while switching off.
device. This stress is greater than that of the rated peak withstand current, because dynamic forces may work against the contact movement.
Switches:
Standard IEC 62271 103/VDE 0671 103 only specifies classes for the so called generalpurpose switches. There are also special switches and switches for limited applications. Import ant not e: Disconnectors up to 52kV may only switch negligible currents up to 500mA (e.g., voltage transformer), or larger currents only when there is an insignificant voltage difference (e.g., during busbar transfer when the bus coupler is closed).
Generalpurpose switches
General-purpose switches must be able to break different types of operating currents (load currents, ring currents, currents of unloaded transformers, charging currents of unloaded cables and overhead lines), as well as to make on short circuit currents. General-purpose switches that are intended for use in systems with isolated neutral or with earth fault compensation must also be able to switch under earth fault conditions.
SF6 switches are appropriate when the switching rate is not more than once a month. These switches are usually classified as E3 with regard to their electrical endurance.
Vacuum switches
The switching capacity of vacuum switches is significantly higher than that of the M2/E2 classes. Vacuum switches are used for special tasks: mostly in industrial power supply systems, or when the switching rate is at least once a week.
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Circuit breakers
Whereas the number of mechanical operating cycles is specifically stated in the M classes, the circuit breaker standard IEC 62271-100/VDE 0671100 does not define the electrical endurance of the E classes by specific numbers of operating cycles; the standard remains very vague on this. The test duties of the short circuit type tests provide an orientation as to what is meant by normal electrical endurance and extended
endurance and extended electrical endurance. The number of make and break operations (Close, Open) is specified in Table 2. Modern vacuum circuit breakers can generally make and break the rated normal current up to the number of mechanical operating cycles. The switching rate is not a determining selection criterion, because circuit breakers are always used where short circuit breaking capacity is required to protect equipment.
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Disconnectors
Disconnectors do not have any switching capacity (switches for limited applications must only control some of the switching duties of a general-purpose
general-purpose switch). Switches for special applications are provided for switching duties such as switching of single capacitor banks, switching of ring circuits formed by transformers connected in parallel, or switching of motors in normal and locked condition. Therefore, classes are only specified for the number of mechanical operating cycles.
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Earthing switches
With earthing switches, the E classes designate the short circuit making capacity (earthing on applied voltage). E0 corresponds to a normal earthing switch; switches of the E1 and E2 classes are also called make-proof or high-speed earthing switches.
The standard does not specify how often an earthing switch can be T able 3 - Endurance classes f or disconnectors actuated purely mechanically; there are no M classes for these switches.
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Contactors
The standard has not specified any endurance classes for conductors yet. T able 4 - Endurance classes f or earthing switches Commonly used conductors today have a mechanical and electrical endurance in the range of 250,000 to 1,000,000 operating cycles. They are used wherever switching operations are performed very frequently, e.g., more than once per hour.
T oshiba vacuum contactors, 400A. Current limiting, high interrupting power f uses.