Co2 Circuit Breaker
N. H. Mate1, M. M. Hapse2
nikhilmate07@gmail.com1, hapse.manik@rediffmail.com2
Department of Electrical Engineering1, 2
S. N. D. COERC Nasik, India1, 2
Abstract- Adopting CO2 as an alternative gas of SF6 in a gaseous
type circuit breaker from the nature point of view, a 72kV-31.5kA
group of CO2 gas circuit breaker model, which does not contain SF6
gas at all, was contrive and produced .In CO2 GCB model, some
powerful technologies for current interruption by CO2 gas were
chosen; namely puffer pressure improve techniques utilizing arc
energy during a current breaking and ablation phenomena of a
polymer component located in the puffer type cylinder. As a effect of
current disruption and electric insulation tests, the CO2 breaker
model carries out practical levels of appearance. Additionally, it was
notice that by taken out a life cycle assessment (LCA) that the CO2
GCB model reduces the global warming impact on an about 40% as
compared with the latest SF6 gas circuit breaker in the same rating
for 2 years operation including one maintenance opportunity.
Keywords: CO2, C.B, GCB, LCA, SF6.
I. INTRODUCTION
In switchgear, substitute for SF6 gas is currently
underway.CO2 gas use as a arc extinguishing medium for
circuit breakers pays attention of the researchers [2]. A flow
of large post arc current of few amperes has been achieved for
a momentary line fault interruption of CO2 circuit breaker,
many aspects which are differ those from SF6 gas circuit
breaker also thermal arc breaking of CO2 is found to be a
shorter than the SF6 breaker but higher than of the air. A
specific model known as streamer model is used to calculate
the breakdown voltage in CO2 measured the dielectric
restoration after the arcing which is balance for CO2 and
SF6,good agreement with measurement is found. The speed of
sound and adiabatic coefficient that important parameters that
influences pressure and gas flow.CO2 breaker has more global
warming potential than SF6 circuit breaker [3].
II. TECHNOLOGY
ABB is a leader in an automation technologies that enables
utility and industry consumers to improve their performance
while lowering environmental impact.
ABB strive to:
 Design efficient and salvage products.
 Lower the use of energy as well as materials in their
operations
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 Eliminate hazardous materials to improve the system
performance.
 Improves consumer’s environmental performance.
 Streamline the means of transporting goods.
III. CONSTRUCTION AND FUNCTION OF CO2
CIRCUIT BREAKER
It consists mainly two parts
A. INTERRUPTER SECTION
It has fixed contacts which contain a set of current carrying
element and arcing probe. When breaker is in normal
position, the elements make contact round the periphery of
the unfixed contact which has the arcing probe enclosed
within its hollow end [1]. The contacts placed inside the
interrupting nozzles and a blast shield which controls are
displacement and the moving of hot gases. The movable
contact is in the form of hollow nozzle which sliding in
second set of spring loaded elements. side vents in the
moving contacts allow the high pressure gas in to the main
tank as soon as main contact separate from fixed contact and
arc is drawn between the moving nozzle and arcing element.
As the contacts get further apart the arc is lengthen and
attenuated. Then it is finally extinguished by the action of gas
flow from high pressure to short pressure system [4].
B. THE GAS SYSTEM
Since care must be taken cause the pressure of gas is very
high to prevent gas leakage at joints by proving perfect
scaling. The low and high systems pressure fitted with the
low pressure alarms and lock out set. switches which are
responsible to warning the moment gas pressure drops below
a certain value, otherwise there will reduction in dielectric
strength and arc suppress ability of breaker is reduced. If the
abnormal limit is reached the safety devices immobilize the
breaker. The overriding caring devices see to it that a fault in
the control circuitry does not allows the compressor to build
up excessive pressure in the high pressure reservoir or
continue to pump gas in to atmosphere in the event of major
leakage [1] [2].
 III. TECHNIQUE USED IN CO2 CIRCUIT BREAKER
An auto-compression technique is used in CO2 breaker
.Merlin Gerin range of CO2 MV circuit breakers is called as
Flu arc. All the Flu arc are self extinguishing C.B.That means
that the same mass of CO2 gas is working during the whole
life - more than 20 or 30 years - of the C.B, in a sealed for life
enclosure. During the arcing phase the arc is cool down by
convection in that a particular quantity of hot gas is substitute
by cold gas. This is not a surface phenomenon; the cold gas is
carry in orthogonally to the direction of flow and boosting the
merge of hot gas and cold gas. Heat is exchange by means of
radial conduction is very low compared with this [4]. We
expect that heat may exchange by the radiation, because of
the high temperature of the arc. In fact, the exchanges are
small because radiation is from the peripheral layers only.
Finally the heat exchanges during when the arcing take place
chiefly by means of convection.
The energy provided by the system in time dt to a dm mass of
gas is given as:
dw = VI dt = h dm
IV. OPERATION OF CO2 BREAKER
The operation of CO2 breaker can be explained with the help
of following four stages. The breaker uses an optimized self
blast CO2 interrupter requiring highly low amount of
operating energy and therefore lower operating forces within
the breaker. It is established using the same technology and
similar components including the high conductivity, low
resistive materials.
1. First Stage
CO2 circuit breakers use the CO2 auto-compression technique.
The contacts are initially closed in first stage
2. Pre-Compression or Second Stage
CO2 circuit breakers use the CO2 auto-compression technique.
The two contacts that is the main and arcing contacts are
initially closed When the contacts begin to start separate, the
piston slowly compresses the CO2 gas in the pressure
chamber.
3. The Arcing Period or Thired Stage
The arc then stuck between the arcing contacts. The piston
keeps its movement in downward side. A quantity of gas is
injected by the insulating nozzle, which is forced on to the
arc. For the breaking of low currents, the arc is chill down by
pressurized convection method. However, for high value of
currents which transfers the hot gases toward the cold parts
due to thermal expansion to the pole unit [2]. CO2 has some
dielectric properties; the gap between the two arcing contacts
is adequate at the first current zero to definitively break the
current.
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4. Sweeping Overstroke or fourth Stage
The unfixed parts end their travel and the injection of cold
gas continues until the contacts are completely open.
V. DIFFERENT TEST CARRIED OUT ON CB
1. Short Circuit Tests
These tests carried out in short circuit testing sections to
prove the ratings of circuit breaker.
There are testing stations of two types where short circuit test
is carried out.
a. Field Type
In this test the power required for testing the breaker is fed
directly from the bulk power system. The breaker which is
tested is combined to system and this method proves to be
economical for high voltage C.B but this test has some
drawbacks:
 Availability of the power depends upon the testing stations.
 Needed recovery voltage could not be achieved easily.
b. Laboratory Type
In this type power required to carry out testing is supplied by
specially designed generators.
This method gives the advantage as:
 Some several indirect methods can be used.
 Test condition can be controlled accurately.
2. Dielectric Test
In this type the test voltage is applied for period of a one
minute between
 Phases with closed breaker.
 Phases and earth with circuit breaker open.
 Across the terminal with open breaker.
These tests are normally carried out on indoor type
switchgear. Since the outdoor switchgear is electrically
exposed, they may be subjected to over voltages caused by the
lightening. Therefore this type of switchgear has to subject to
wet dielectric test. Also In this type an external insulation is
scattered for more than one minutes while the rated service
voltage is given, the overvoltage is then maintained continue
for 30 seconds during which no flashover should occur.
3. Thermal Test
This test is made to check it out the thermal behaviour of
breaker. In this test the rated current is circulate through all
three phases of switchgear continuously for a long period
which is enough to achieve steady state point condition. The
temperature increase above ambient must not be exceed 40◦C
when the rated normal current is below than 750A and 50◦C
if it is above 800 A. An supplementary requirement is done
for the measurement of the contact resistances between
isolating contacts between fixed and the moving contacts [1].
These are the main points which causes the generation of application & having less contribution in global warming as
excessive heat. compared to SF6 gas.

4. Mechanical Tests REFERENCES

A circuit breaker must close correctly and open at accurate
speed and perform such operations without any mechanical
failure according to specified [3] slandered B.S.116:1952
such 500 operation is to be done without any mechanical
adjustment to the circuit breaker.
VI. ARC - INTERRUPTION THEORIES FOR CO2
CIRCUIT BREAKER
When a short circuit occurs on the system the relay will give
an indication to the C.B to trip and separate the healthy part
from faulty part without any harm to system.
There are two methods by which arc interruption is done,
[1] T. Shinkai, H. Kawano, Shenli jia, jianying zhong, “High voltage circuit
breakers”, international conference on renewable energies and power quality
(ICREPQ’09) at Valencia(Spain) 15th to 17th of april 2009 .
[2] K. Udagawa, T. Koshizuka, T. Uchii, “CO2 Circuit Breaker” in Inernational
Conference on High-Voltage Circuit Breaker.
[3] Kai zhu, xingwen li, xu jiang, hu zhao, “ An Experimental study on
characteristics of CO2 and its gas mixtures with sf6 for high voltage gas circuit
breakers”.
[4] K.Udagawa , T.Koshizuka , T. Uchii , T . Shinkai , H.Kawano, “CO2 circuit
Breaker arc model for EMTP Simulation of SLF Interrupting Performance”,
International Electro technical commission 62271-100.

1. High Resistance Method

In this method resistance of arc is increased to high value that
forces the current to be zero that avoids the any restriking of
arc. The rate at which the resistance is increased is not
abnormal so as to cause harmful induced voltage The
resistance of arc may be increased due to any or all of the de
ionizing methods any one of these cooling, lengthen and
splitting of the arc.

2. Low Resistance or Current Zero Interruption

This method is applied only in ac type circuit interruption
because there is zero neutral of current present in such
systems. In case of 50 Hz A.C supply there are 100 zeros per
second. This property of ac circuit is exploited for arc
interruption purpose and the current is never permitted to rise
again after a zero occurs.

VII. ADVANTAGES
1. It has high reliability with an optimized low energy self-
blast CO2 interrupter and has mechanical spring drive.
Simple with a common, single pressure dielectric and
interruption medium.

2. Easy installation and operation also high switching

performance.

3. Replacement of SF6 with CO2 has been the pre-dominant

factor in diminishing CO2 emissions which is equivalent over
the product life cycle by 10 tons to 18 percent over a 30 year
life time period. This estimate is based on modeling cycle also
SF6 has a global warming which is 24, 0000 times worse than
CO2.
VIII. CONCLUSION
The non stopping growing electric power utility grid demands
increased the performance and reliability but also
sustainability thus it is important to developing new C.B
technology more reliable, less costly, environment friendly
reusable and safe for humans the CO2 breaker has better

IJETT ISSN: 2350 – 0808 | September 2015 | Volume 2 | Issue 2 | 392