Fundamental Properties of CO 2 Gas as an Arc Quenching Medium and Thermal Interruption Performance of Full-Scale GCB Model

Fundamental properties of CO2 gas, as an alternative arc quenching medium of SF6 gas, in a puffer-type gas circuit breaker were investigated theoretically and experimentally, focusing particularly on its thermal interruption performance. It was found that utilizing arc energy for enhancing puffer pressure is a good solution to construct a CO2 gas circuit breaker due to the physical properties of CO2 gas. Based on these fundamental investigations, the 72 kV-31.5 kA-class CO2 gas circuit breaker model, which does not contain SF6 gas at all, was designed, manufactured, and tested. As a result, the CO2 gas circuit breaker model achieved the specified interruption performance for short line fault.

[1]  H. E. Spindle,et al.  A Study of the Dynamic Response of Arcs in Various Gases , 1958, Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Part III: Power Apparatus and Systems.

[2]  Mizoguchi Hitoshi,et al.  Calculation of the opening characteristics on 3 phase current interruption for 3 phase common operating mechanism type GCB , 2001 .

[3]  T. E. Browne,et al.  Arc Cooling and Short Line Fault Interruption , 1971 .

[4]  Hiromichi Kawano,et al.  Development of 72kV Class Environmentally-Benign CO 2 Gas Circuit Breaker Model , 2004 .

[5]  Thomas E. Browne.  Circuit interruption : theory and techniques , 1984 .

[6]  L. S. Frost,et al.  Composition and transport properties of SF 6 and their use in a simplified enthalpy flow arc model , 1971 .

[7]  T. Uchii,et al.  Thermal interruption capability of carbon dioxide in a puffer-type circuit breaker utilizing polymer ablation , 2002, IEEE/PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exhibition.

[8]  Hiromichi Kawano,et al.  Gas density and temperature in thermal volume for self-blast interrupting chambers , 2002, IEEE/PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exhibition.

[9]  Toshiro Matsumura,et al.  Decaying processes of conductances around current zero for wall-stabilized arcs in various gases , 2001 .

[10]  Hisatoshi Ikeda,et al.  Development of novel hybrid puffer interrupting chamber for SF/sub 6/ gas circuit breaker utilizing self-pressure-rise phenomena by arc , 1989 .

[11]  H. Nishikawa,et al.  Arc extinction performance of SF6gas blast interrupter , 1976, IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems.

[12]  G. Frind,et al.  Recovery Speed of Axial Flow Gas Blast Interrupter: Dependence on Pressure and dI/dt for Air anf SF6 , 1974 .