e le ct rical-e ngine e ring-po rt al.co m http://electrical-engineering-po rtal.

co m/maintenance-o f-meduim-vo ltage-circuit-breakers

Maintenance Of Meduim Voltage Circuit Breakers

Edvard

Medium-voltage circuit breakers rated between 1 and 72 kV may be assembled into metal-enclosed switchgear line ups f or indoor use, or may be individual components installed outdoors in a substation. Air-break circuit breakers replaced oil-f illed units f or indoor applications, but are now themselves being replaced by vacuum circuit breakers (up to about 35 kV). Medium voltage circuit breakers which operate in the range of 600 to 15,000 volts should be inspected and maintained annually or af ter every 2,000 operations, whichever comes f irst. T he above maintenance schedule is recommended by the applicable standards to achieve required perf ormance f rom the breakers. Top

Saf ety Practices

Maintenance procedures include the saf ety practices indicated in the ROMSS (Reclamation Operation & Maintenance Saf ety Standards) and f ollowing points that require special attention. Be sure the circuit breaker and its mechanism are disconnected f rom all electric power, both high voltage and control voltage, bef ore it is inspected or repaired. Exhaust the pressure f rom air receiver of any compressed air circuit breaker bef ore it is inspected or repaired. Af ter the circuit breaker has been disconnected f rom the electrical power, attach the grounding leads properly bef ore touching any of the circuit breaker parts. Do no lay tools down on the equipment while working on it as they may be f orgotten when the equipment is placed back in service. Top

Maintenance Procedures For:

Medium Volt age Air Circuit Breakers
T he f ollowing suggestions are f or use in conjunction with manuf acturers instruction books f or the maintenance of medium voltage air circuit breakers: 1. Clean the insulating parts including the bushings. 2. Check the alignment and condition of movable and stationary contacts and adjust them per the manuf acturers data. 3. See that bolts, nuts, washers, cotter pins, and all terminal connections are in place and tight. 4. Check arc chutes f or damage and replace damaged parts.

5. Clean and lubricate the operating mechanism and adjust it as described in the instruction book. If the operating mechanism cannot be brought into specif ied tolerances, it will usually indicate excessive wear and the need f or a complete overhaul. 6. Check, af ter servicing, circuit breaker to verif y that contacts move to the f ully opened and f ully closed positions, that there is an absence of f riction or binding, and that electrical operation is f unctional.

Medium Volt age Oil Circuit Breakers

T he f ollowing suggestions are f or use in conjunction with the manuf acturers instruction books f or the maintenance of medium-voltage oil circuit breakers: 1. Check the condition, alignment, and adjustment of the contacts. 2. T horoughly clean the tank and other parts which have been in con tact with the oil. 3. Test the dielectric strength of the oil and f ilter or replace the oil if the dielectric strength is less than 22 kV. T he oil should be f iltered or replaced whenever a visual inspection shows an excessive amount of carbon, even if the dielectric strength is satisf actory. 4. Check breaker and operating mechanisms f or loose hardware and missing or broken cotter pins, retain ing rings, etc. 5. Adjust breaker as indicated in instruction book. 6. Clean and lubricate operating mechanism. 7. Bef ore replacing the tank, check to see there is no f riction or binding that would hinder the breakers operation. Also check the electrical operation. Avoid operating the breaker any more than necessary without oil in the tank as it is designed to operate in oil and mechanical damage can result f rom excessive operation without it. 8. When replacing the tank and ref illing it with oil, be sure the gaskets are undamaged and all nuts and valves are tightened properly to prevent leak age.

Medium Volt age Vacuum Circuit Breakers

Direct inspection of the primary contacts is not possible as they are enclosed in vacuum containers. T he operating mechanisms are similar to the breakers discussed earlier and may be maintained in the same manner. T he f ollowing two maintenance checks are suggested f or the primary contacts: 1. Measuring the change in external shaf t position af ter a period of use can indicate extent of contact erosion. Consult the manuf acturers instruction book. 2. Condition of the vacuum can be checked by a hipot test. Consult the manuf acturers instruction book. SOURCE: Maintenance Of Power Circuit Breakers by Hydroelectric Research And Technical Services Group

Edvard - Electrical engineer, programmer and f ounder of EEP. Highly specialized f or design of LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations, buildings and industry f ascilities. Designing of LV/MV switchgears. Prof essional in AutoCAD programming and webdesign. Developer of awsome electrical design sof tware ePlusMenuCAD. Present on Google+. Become EEP's Contributor and introduce yourself to 70k+ of our readers all across the web.