HPA

SF6-circuit
breaker

HPA is a medium-voltage circuit breaker

using SF6 gas as the insulation and break-
ing medium. Its design is compact and
space-saving.
The breaker is also available in a ver-
sion with synchronised making for maxi-
mum damping of transients for different
applications.

ABB Switchgear
The HPA circuit breaker
HPA is a medium-voltage circuit breaker
using SF6 gas as the insulation and
breaking medium. Its design is compact
and space-saving.
The HPA breaker works extremely
“smoothly“, which means that no dange-
rous overvoltages arise through current
cut-off or restriking. It is therefore very
suitable for the majority of operating
situations, including the breaking of motor
loads and capacitors.
The breaker is also available in a ver-
sion with synchronised making for maxi-
mum damping of transients when switch-
ing in parallel capacitor banks.
The excellent electrical and mechanical
lifetime of the HPA breaker means that it
requires only a minimum of maintenance.
Breaking principle

Arc
Main contact
contact
Nozzle
Moving
cylinder Fixed
plunger

Closed position Breaking Open position

The breaking pole in

different positions.

The HPA breaker works according to the
puffer principle, implying that when
breaking, the gas is compressed between a
fixed plunger and a moving cylinder and
then blown on to the arc between the fixed
and moving arc contacts (see figure).
When the breaker is closed, the current
flows via the main contacts and the cylinder.
When a tripping impulse is given, the
cylinder moves downwards, whereupon the
upper main contact opens and the current
commutes over to the arc contact. At the
same time, the gas in the cylinder is com-
pressed. When the nozzle has left the arc
contact, the compressed gas is blown along
the arc and cools it. The breaking process is
completed as the current passes through
zero.
 Breaking poles
The casing for the breaking poles is made casing can under no circumstances “dis-
of cast epoxy resin. The poles are integrate“ due to negligence, for instance
Exploded HPA breaking thoroughly if it should be dropped during transport.
pole.
vacuum-dried The worst that can happen is that the
after assembly casing cracks and the gas pressure drops.
and then sub- To further increase their reliability, the
jected to breaking poles can be provided with
pressure and temperature-compensating transducers
sealing tests. The that provide an alarm at the lowest gas
low gas pressure pressure permissible upon breaking of full
(2.5 bar over- short-circuit current.
pressure) and the However, the safety margins are so
small volume (12 large that the poles can cope with
dm3) mean that the breaking of rated current even without
breaking pole’s overpressure.

Breaking gas
SF6 (sulphurhexafluoride) gas possesses a
unique combination of properties that
makes it extremely suitable for use in
circuit breakers. This has been confirmed
by service experience from more than
25,000 HPA breakers installed throughout
the world.
SF6 gas has an insulation strength some
three times higher than that of air at an
overpressure of 2 bar, which is even
higher than that of transformer oil.

SF6 gas properties

• High insulation strength
• Excellent ability to quench arcs
Model of SF6 molecule.
• Chemically stable
• Non-toxic
• Non-flammable
Operating device
The HPA breaker is provided with a
simple and dependable operating device
based on well established principles in
combination with many years of service
experience.
The maintenance-free bearings and the
ease of dismantling and removing
breaking poles and operating devices are
examples of valuable properties that
reduce maintenance costs.
The HPA breaker is operated by a
spring-loaded operating device that is
normally tensioned by an electric motor. It
can also be tensioned manually.
The tripping spring is automatically
tensioned when the breaker is switched HPA breaker with
operating device and
on. After each make operation, the motor
breaking pole dis-
starts and tensions the making spring. assembled.
A breaker that is switched on can then
perform an Off-On-Off operation without
having to tension the making spring in
between, which means that the breaker
can also be used for fast reconnection (a
further On-Off operation can be made
with a normal time lag).
The breaker has making and tripping
coils for electric operation and can also be
supplied with pushbuttons for manual
operation. There is space for an under-
voltage release or a further tripping coil.
A counter for the number of operations
and indicators for tensioned/untensioned
making spring and open/closed breaker
are included as standard.
The operating device is easily accessible
in the breaker’s rack and can be easily
dismantled and replaced.

The HPA breaker’s

operating device.
 Lifetime
The HPA breaker requires a minimum of lifetime is achieved through short breaking
maintenance. The gas and the breaking times. For example, the poles cope with 160
poles do not need to be replaced and burn- breaks at 10 kA without maintenance of the
Electrical endurance of contacts.
Number of interruptions
the HPA circuit breaker. The graph on the left shows the
10 000
contact lifetime expressed in the
number of possible breaks at various
1000 short-circuit currents. The fact that
the main contacts are never affected
100 by the arcs is also of great significan-
ce for the long lifetime.
10 In the unlikely event of the break-
ing pole requiring repair, this has to
10 20 30 40 kA
take place at the factory since vacuum
Short-circuit current
drying and pressure and sealing tests
off of contacts and nozzle due to the arcs is have to be carried out. The breaking pole
insignificant. The breaking poles therefore can then be replaced by a spare pole that
have a very long lifetime. The high electrical can be easily mounted on site.

Principal dimensions for HPA

4.5 mm

Phase distance
640 mm
367 mm
90 mm

185 or 210 mm
139 mm

3.6 - 12 kV: 617 mm, 15 - 30 kV: 717 mm 3.6 - 12 kV: 622 mm, 15 - 30 kV: 747 mm
Principal data for HPA
Type testing has been carried out in accord- Holland, at IREQ in Canada and at Powertest
ance with IEC 56 and ANSI c37.09. in the U.S.A.
The short-circuit tests were performed at A certificate and test report can be
ABB’s laboratory in Sweden, at KEMA in obtained upon request.

Data according to IEC 56

Rated voltage kV 3.6 – 12 17 24 36
Rated frequency ...............................................................................................Hz............................50...........................50..............................50 ................................50
Rated power frequency withstand voltage .................................kV............................28...........................38..............................50 ................................70
Rated lightning impulse withstand voltage ..................................kV............................75...........................95 ..........................125 .............................170
Rated current .........................................................................................................A ..................–3150 ................– 2500 ...................– 2500 .....................– 1250
Rated (peak) making current ...................................................kA peak ........................100 .......................100..............................79 ................................63
Short circuit breaking current with operating cycle:
O – 0.3 s – CO – 3 min – CO .................................................................kA............................40...........................40 .........................31.5 ................................25
O – 3min – CO – 3 min – CO ............................................................... kA............................50.......................... — ........................... — .............................. —
Opening time ......................................................................................................ms............................38...........................38..............................38 ................................38
Opening time for 12 kV 50 kA ..............................................................ms............................70.......................... — ........................... — ............................. —
Arcing time, max. ............................................................................................ms............................15...........................15..............................15 ................................15
Breaking time .....................................................................................................ms............................53...........................53..............................53 ................................53
Breaking time for 12 kV 50 kA .............................................................ms............................85.......................... — ........................... — ............................. —
Making time, max...........................................................................................ms............................75...........................75..............................75 ................................75
Short-time current .........................................................................................kA............................50...........................40 .........................31.5 ................................25

Data according to ANSI c37.09

Max. voltage kV 15 26 30

K factor ....................................................................................................................................................................1.3 ....................................... 1.0......................................1.0

Frequency..............................................................................................................Hz ...........................................60 ..........................................60 .......................................60

Rated holding voltage with alternating voltage testing......kV ...........................................36 ..........................................50 .......................................60

Rated holding voltage with surge testing .....................................kV ...........................................95 .......................................125 ....................................150

Rated current .........................................................................................................A .................1200 – 3000.................1200 – 3000 ..............1200 – 3000

Making capacity................................................................................................kA ...........................................58 ..........................................37 .......................................41

Short-circuit current ......................................................................................kA ...........................................28 ..........................................18 .......................................20

Operating cycle.....................................................................................................................O – 0.3 s – CO/P – 15 s – CO – 1 h – CO

Breaking time ........................................................................................ periods ..............................................5 .............................................5 ..........................................5

Max. breaking capacity symmetrical ...............................................kA ...........................................36 ..........................................18 .......................................20

Short-time current, 3 sec. ........................................................................kA ...........................................36 ..........................................18 .......................................20

 Broschyr 1 VEB 580901-914. Edition 2b, 98-08. Production: Roos & Co Västerås. Stenby Offset. 2000 ex.

We reserve the right to alter design, dimensions and

technical data without prior notice.

ABB Switchgear AB
Medium Voltage Division
12
Box 1023
S-732 27 Arboga, Sweden
Telephone: +46 589 851 00
Telefax: +46 589 852 90
E-mail: medium.voltage@seswg.mail.abb.com