RATING OF OIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS

WITH REFERENCE TO RUPTURING

CAPACITY
BY

GEORGE A. BURNHAM

Presented under the auspices of the

Standards Committee
A. E. KENNELLY, Chairman, Harvard university, Cambridge, Mass.
COMFORT A. ADAMS, Secretary, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
W. C. L. EGLIN, Philadelphia, Pa.
W. S. MOODY, Pittsfield, Mass.
H. W. FISHER, Perth Amboy, N. J.
W. H. POWELL, Milwaukee, Wis.
E. R. HILL, New York.
CHARLES ROBBINS, Pittsburgh, Pa.
CHARLES F. SCOTT, New Haven, Conn.
PETER JUNKERSFELD, Chicago, 111.
B. G. LAMME, Pittsburgh, Pa.
J. FRANKLIN STEVENS, Philadelphia, Pa.
W. L. MERRILL, Schenectady, N. Y.
CHARLES P. STEINMETZ,Schenectady,N.Y
SAMUEL W. STRATTON, WASHINGTON, D. C.

277

RATING OF OIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH REFERENCE TO

RUPTURING CAPACITY
BY G. A. BURNHAM
ABSTRACT OF PAPER

The paper advocates a universal method of rating oil circuit breakers

which will be devoid of as many variables as possible.
Rating circuit breakers with reference to the aggregate full load of all
synchronous apparatus alone is not sufficient to guide in the selection of
the proper circuit breaker, as the location of the switching equipment
and interposed lines is of equal importance.
If rupturing capacity were rated as " maximum instantaneous," mean
ing by " instantaneous " the elimination of time limit relays in tripping,
it would eliminate all rating in reference to non-automatic, cell mounted,
pipe frame, time-limit tripping, etc., and be confined entirely to the switch
itself.
The author suggests that all circuit breaking devices be rated with refer
ence to the rupturing capacity on their instantaneous action.

278

A paper to be Presented at the Midwinter Conven

tion of the American Institute of Electrical
Engineers, New York, February 26-28, 1913.
Copyright, 1913. By A. I. E. E.
(Subject to final revion for the Transactions.)

RATING OF OIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS W I T H R E F E R

ENCE TO R U P T U R I N G CAPACITY
BY G E O R G E A. B U R N H A M

There are several ways of rating the rupturing capacity of

oil circuit breakers in use at the present time, and when compar
ing this class of apparatus of different manufacturers consid
erable explanation and detail are involved. For example, one
company will rate the circuit breaker in " ultimate rupturing
capacity ;" another will specify that the circuit breaker is suitable
for use on a circuit of certain characteristics or base the rupturing
capacity on the aggregate full-load capacity of all synchronous
apparatus.
The rating of oil circuit breakers with reference to rupturing
capacity is an important matter and deserves the careful con
sideration of the Standards Committee.
The purchaser or user of this class of apparatus is interested
in how much energy or kilovolt-amperes a particular circuit
breaker will safely interrupt. The answer at the best is only
an estimate based on familiarity with design, tests and actual
service. I believe that most engineers and designers will agree
that the proper selection of a circuit breaker with reference to
rupturing capacity depends as much on the characteristics of
generator, transmission line and translating devices as on the
design of the circuit breaker itself. The designer has fixed the
characteristic of the circuit breaker, but, on the other hand,
has no control over the characteristic of the distribution system,
and the characteristics are vastly different in transmission sys
tems of the same kilovolt-ampere capacity.
Rating circuit breakers with reference to the aggregate fullload rating of all synchronous apparatus alone is not sufficient
279

280

BURNHAM:

RATING

CIRCUIT

BREAKERS

[Feb. 26

to guide in the selecting of the proper circuit breaker, as the

location of the switching equipment, the interposed lines and
apparatus are of equal importance.
It appears to the writer that the most definite and clear way
of rating oil circuit breakers is to give the maximum " instan
taneous " rupturing capacity, meaning by " instantaneous "
the elimination of time-limit relays in tripping. This gives the
engineer something definite and one can then judge whether or
not the circuit breaker is suited for the particular requirements
and the engineer of the distribution system or central station
is in a better position to judge, as a general rule, than the designer,
unless many details involving the characteristics of the system
are first considered.
If rupturing capacity were rated as " maximum instan
taneous " this would eliminate all ratings in reference to nonautomatic, cell mounted, pipe-frame mounting, time-limit
tripping, limitations as to reactance, etc., and be confined en
tirely to the switch itself, which after all is the important factor.
It is fairly well settled that, other things being equal, the rup
turing capacity of an oil circuit breaker depends on the head
of oil over the break at the starting of the arc, the amount of
space above the oil for gas expansion, the shape and strength
of the oil tank and its fastenings, and, to some extent, the length
and rapidity of contact movement.
An automatic circuit breaker with its tripping features re
moved becomes a non-automatic circuit breaker, but has its
rupturing capacity been altered? Does the application of the
time-limit relay or cell construction actually increase the rup
turing capacity, or does the introduction of reactance affect
the circuit breaker itself? I think most engineers will agree
that these factors do not actually affect the rupturing capacity
of the switch but change only the character or value of the shortcircuit current and at the instant of break tend to limit the
kiiovolt-amperes of the circuit to that of the circuit breaker
or switch controlling it.
In view of these conditions, I would suggest for the consid
eration of the Standards Committee that all oil circuit-breaking
devices be rated with reference to rupturing capacity on their
" instantaneous action.''