Analysis of multiple-faults of high-voltage circuit breakers based on non-negative matrix decomposition

High-voltage circuit breakers are the core equipment in power networks,and to a certain extent,are related to the safe and reliable operation of power systems.However,their core components are prone to mechanical faults.This study proposes a component separation method to detect multiple mechanical faults in circuit breakers that can achieve online real-time monitoring.First,a model and strategy are presented for obtaining mechanical voiceprint signals from circuit breakers.Subsequently,the component separation method was used to decompose the voiceprint signals of multiple faults into individual component signals.Based on this,the recognition of the features of a single-fault voiceprint signal can be achieved.Finally,multiple faults in high-voltage circuit breakers were identified through an experimental simulation and verification of the circuit breaker voiceprint signals collected from the substation site.The research results indicate that the proposed method exhibits excellent performance for multiple mechanical faults,such as spring structures and loose internal components of circuit breakers.In addition,it provides a reference method for the real-time online monitoring of high-voltage circuit breakers.

Fault DiagnosisMethod of Energy Storage Unit of Circuit Breakers Based on EWT-ISSA-BP

Aiming at the problem of energy storage unit failure in the spring operating mechanism of low voltage circuit breakers(LVCBs).A fault diagnosis algorithm based on an improved Sparrow Search Algorithm(ISSA)optimized Backpropagation Neural Network(BPNN)is proposed to improve the operational safety of LVCB.Taking the 1.5kV/4000A/75kA LVCB as an example.According to the current operating characteristics of the energy storage motor,fault characteristics are extracted based on Empirical Wavelet Transform(EWT).Traditional BPNN has problems such as difficulty adjusting network weights and thresholds,being sensitive to initial weights,and quickly falling into local optimal solutions.The Sparrow Search Algorithm(SSA)with self-adjusting weight factors combined with bidirectional mutations is added to optimize the selection of BPNN hyperparameters.The results show that the ISSA-BPNN can accurately and quickly distinguish six conditions of motor voltage reduction:motor voltage increase,motor voltage decrease,energy storage spring stuck,transmission gear stuck,regular state and energy storage spring not locked.It is suitable for fault diagnosis and detection of the energy storage part of LVCB.

Integrated Experimental and Simulation Investigation of Breakdown Voltage Characteristics Across Electrode Configurations in SF_(6) Circuit Breakers

This study investigates the breakdown voltage characteristics in sulfur hexafluoride(SF6)circuit breakers,employing a novel approach that integrates both experimental investigations and finite element simulations.Utilizing a sphere-sphere electrode configuration,we meticulously measured the relationship between breakdown voltage and electrode gap distances ranging from 1 cm to 4.5 cm.Subsequent simulations,conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics,mirrored the experimental setup to validate the model’s accuracy through a comparison of the breakdown voltage-electrode gap distance curves.The simulation results not only aligned closely with the experimental data but also allowed the extraction of detailed electric field strength,electric potential contours,and electric current flow curves at the breakdown voltage for gap distances extending from 1 to 4.5 cm.Extending the analysis,the study explored the electric field and potential distribution at a constant voltage of 72.5 kV for gap distances between 1 to 10 cm,identifying the maximum electric field strength.A comprehensive comparison of five different electrode configurations(sphere-sphere,sphere-rod,sphere-plane,rod-plane,rod-rod)at 72.5 kV and a gap distance of 1.84 cm underscored the significant influence of electrode geometry on the breakdown process.Moreover,the research contrasts the breakdown voltage in SF6 with that in air,emphasizing SF6’s superior insulating properties.This investigation not only elucidates the intricate dynamics of electrical breakdown in SF6 circuit breakers but also contributes valuable insights into the optimal electrode configurations and the potential for alternative insulating gases,steering future advancements in high-voltage circuit breaker technology.

Particle Swarm Optimization-Support Vector Machine Model for Machinery Fault Diagnoses in High-Voltage Circuit Breakers

According to statistic data,machinery faults contribute to largest proportion of High-voltage circuit breaker failures,and traditional maintenance methods exist some disadvantages for that issue.Therefore,based on the wavelet packet decomposition approach and support vector machines,a new diagnosis model is proposed for such fault diagnoses in this study.The vibration eigenvalue extraction is analyzed through wavelet packet decomposition,and a four-layer support vector machine is constituted as a fault classifier.The Gaussian radial basis function is employed as the kernel function for the classifier.The penalty parameter c and kernel parameterδof the support vector machine are vital for the diagnostic accuracy,and these parameters must be carefully predetermined.Thus,a particle swarm optimizationsupport vector machine model is developed in which the optimal parameters c andδfor the support vector machine in each layer are determined by the particle swarm algorithm.The validity of this fault diagnosis model is determined with a real dataset from the operation experiment.Moreover,comparative investigations of fault diagnosis experiments with a normal support vector machine and a particle swarm optimization back-propagation neural network are also implemented.The results indicate that the proposed fault diagnosis model yields better accuracy and e-ciency than these other models.

Research on the overload protection reliability of moulded case circuit-breakers and its test device

This paper analyzed the reliability and put forward the reliability index of overload protection for moulded case circuit breaker. The success rate was adopted as its reliability index of overload protection. Based on the reliability index and the reli- ability level, the reliability examination plan was analyzed and a test device for the overload protection of moulded case cir- cuit-breaker was developed. In the reliability test of overload protection, two power sources were used, which reduced the time of conversion and regulation between two different test currents in the overload protection test, which made the characteristic test more accurate. The test device was designed on the base of a Windows system, which made its operation simple and friendly.

Study on the instantaneous protection reliability of low voltage circuit breakers

This paper outlines the significance of enhancing the instantaneous protection reliability of low voltage circuit breakers and describes their main failure modes. The instantaneous failure mechanism of low voltage circuit breakers was analyzed so that measures to improve instantaneous protection reliability can be determined. Furthermore, the theory of the instantaneous characteristics calibration device for low voltage circuit breakers and the method of eliminating the non-periodic component of test current are given in detail. Finally, the test results are presented.

Fluid-chemical modeling of the near-cathode sheath formation process in a high current broken in DC air circuit breaker

When the contacts of a medium-voltage DC air circuit breaker(DCCB) are separated, the energy distribution of the arc is determined by the formation process of the near-electrode sheath. Therefore, the voltage drop through the near-electrode sheath is an important means to build up the arc voltage, which directly determines the current-limiting performance of the DCCB. A numerical model to describe the near-electrode sheath formation process can provide insight into the physical mechanism of the arc formation, and thus provide a method for arc energy regulation. In this work, we establish a two-dimensional axisymmetric time-varying model of a medium-voltage DCCB arc when interrupted by high current based on a fluid-chemical model involving 16 kinds of species and 46 collision reactions. The transient distributions of electron number density, positive and negative ion number density, net space charge density, axial electric field, axial potential between electrodes, and near-cathode sheath are obtained from the numerical model. The computational results show that the electron density in the arc column increases, then decreases, and then stabilizes during the near-cathode sheath formation process, and the arc column's diameter gradually becomes wider. The 11.14 V–12.33 V drops along the17 μm space charge layer away from the cathode(65.5 k V/m–72.5 k V/m) when the current varies from 20 k A–80 k A.The homogeneous external magnetic field has little effect on the distribution of particles in the near-cathode sheath core,but the electron number density at the near-cathode sheath periphery can increase as the magnetic field increases and the homogeneous external magnetic field will lead to arc diffusion. The validity of the numerical model can be proven by comparison with the experiment.

A Novel Discrete Branch Bidirectional Solid-State Circuit Breaker based on Mixture Device

Solid state circuit breakers(SSCBs)based on fullcontrolled devices such as IGBT and based on half-controlled devices such as thyristor have their respective advantages.The mixture device solid state circuit breaker(M-SSCB)combines the advantages together and can achieve lower loss,high efficiency,active and reliable blocking at the same time.However,the conduction loss will increase significantly when the topology expanding to a bidirectional topology because the bidirectional line commutation switch(LCS)structure composed of two groups of IGBTs in reverse series.In this paper,a novel discrete branch mixture SSCB(DBM-SSCB)is proposed,bidirectional current only flows through one IGBT that has the obvious conduction losses advantage at the same voltage and current level.Only one energy-absorbing component is shared by two discrete branches can guarantee optimal costs and volume.By calculation,the proposed DBM-SSCB can reduce the conduction loss about 30.4%in 10 k V MVDC system,while retaining other advantages of the mixture device SSCB,such as without introducing additional thyristors,charging power supply and the ability to actively interrupt bidirectional fault currents.The blocking principles and designing guidelines are presented in detail,the feasibility is verified by 500 V-18 A simulation results and scale-down experiment,the engineering calculation and simulation of 10 k V-1 k A prototype is completed and compared with other DCCBs.Experimental results and comparative analysis show that the proposed DBM-SSCB has both lower losses and significant performance advantages thus has a good engineering application prospect.

Transient Ablation Regime in Circuit Breakers

Nozzle wall ablation caused by high temperature electric arcs is studied in the context of high voltage SF6 circuit breakers. The simplified ablation model used in litterature has been updated to take into account the unsteady state of ablation. Ablation rate and velocity are now calculated by a kinetic model using two layers of transition, between the bulk plasma and the ablating wall. The first layer （Knudsen layer）, right by the wall, is a kinetic layer of a few mean-free path of thickness. The second layer is collision dominated and makes the transition between the kinetic layer and the plasma bulk. With this new coupled algorithm, it is now possible to calculate the temperature distribution inside the wall, as well as more accurate ablation rates.

Analysis of the Correlation between the Level of Contact Degradation and the Dynamic Resistance Curve in Circuit Breakers

The DRM （dynamic contact resistance measurement） in high voltage circuit breakers is a manner of evaluating the internal ageing condition of the chamber. DRM is similar to static contact resistance measurement testing, but instead of measuring a single value when the breaker contacts are closed （static value）, the ohmic resistance is measured at various contact positions, from the beginning of the contact opening until a complete separation of the contacts. The relationship between the contact resistances of the new circuit breaker and the ageing circuit breaker in operation provides subsidy for the evaluation of both the main and arcing contact conditions. This research aims to analyze the correlation between the various levels of degradation of the contacts and the configuration of the DRM curve. This work considers curve samples from new acceleration tests. breaker chamber contacts and different levels of degradation by

Numerical Simulation of Gas Flow During Arcing Process for 252 kV Puffer Circuit Breakers

A numerical simulation model for 252 kV puffer circuit breaker is constructed, by using a proven commercial computational fluid dynamics （CFD） package, PHOENICS. The model takes into account the moving parts in the circuit breaker, turbulence enhanced momentum and energy transport, radiation transport. The arcing process in a SF6 puffer circuit breaker with two hollow contacts is simulated under different conditions, and the simulation results are verified with experimental results. Through simulation, the pressure, temperature and velocity in the arc quenching chamber can be obtained. The simulation model is also capable of predicting the influence of design parameters variations on breaker performance, and can thus help to reduce the number of short-circuit tests during the design stage.

Research on Online Monitoring Methods on SF_(6) Circuit Breakers

To promote the accuracy and application of arcing time measurement for SF_6 circuit breaker in substation,five measurement methods are investigated by two cases experimentally. First,the test results of the five methods for a circuit breaker in different stages of wear and a circuit breaker with a component failure were presented. Then,the time error is analyzed by simulation.Finally,the advantage and disadvantage of these methods are discussed.

New Generation of Outdoor Vacuum Circuit Breakers with Rated Voltage up to 40.5 kV

The article describes design peculiarities of the novel compact vacuum circuit breaker with rated voltage 40.5 kV. The design incorporates several novel technical solutions： polycarbonate support insulation, mono-stable magnetic actuator, labyrinth pulling insulator, core-type flexible contact and new compact vacuum interrupter （VI）. Phases are encapsulated into silicone rubber providing required creepage distance and excellent tracking resistance. These novelties along with extensive modeling of the mechanical and electrical fields followed by design optimization resulted in weight reduction of more than 50% compared with alternatives available in the market. And this is in spite of built in sensors measuring： phase currents, zero-sequence current, phase voltages.

Study of post-arc residual plasma dissipation process of vacuum circuit breakers based on a 2D particle-in-cell model

In order to get an insight into residual plasma radial motion during the post-arc stage,a twodimensional(2D)cylindrical particle-in-cell(PIC)model is developed.Firstly,influences of a virtual boundary condition on the residual plasma motion are studied.For purpose of validating this 2D cylindrical particle-in-cell model,a comparison between one-dimensional particle-in-cell model is also presented in this paper.Then a study about the influences of the rising rate of transient recovery voltage on the residual plasma radial motion is presented on the basis of the 2D PIC model.

Circuit breakers： Development of testable hypothesis

In October 1996, The Dhaka Stock Exchange （DSE） adopted trading halts for individual stocks, collectively known as ＂circuit breakers＂, to reduce the stock market volatility. This paper reviews the existing circuit breakers literature and developed five hypothesis--＂Magnet Effect＂, ＂Cool off-Heating （C-H） Effect＂, ＂Information Hypothesis＂, ＂Volatility Spillover Hypothesis＂ and ＂Trading Interferences Hypothesis＂--which could be tested empirically not only in the Dhaka Stock Exchange but any stock exchanges around the world. This paper also suggests most appropriate econometric models for empirical testing. GARCH for inter day data and Event Study methodology for intra day data. Moreover, to test the robustness non-parametric tests need to use along with parametric one. Considering the stock market bubbles in 1996, it has been found that it was optimal for the regulators to adopt this trading halt, but not for the market. It failed to protect the market. However, this might be the consequences of misconceptions about the purpose and effectiveness of circuit breakers. Despite many arguments contrary to this mechanism and absence of any conclusive empirical evidence for a fragile stock exchange like DSE, it may be useful sometimes to replace the ＂invisible hand of the marketplace＂ with the ＂visible hand of the market regulators＂.

Study on Restrike Phenomena for 40.5-kV Vacuum Circuit Breakers

When interrupting short circuit fault by 40.5-kV vacuum circuit breakers, it is significant to eliminate multiple restrike phenomena, which occur frequently and result in high overvoltage and even interruption failure. A synthetic circuit that can supply a DC recovery voltage after current zero was used to study multiple restrike phenomena in switching. Some key factors including breaking current, clearance between open contacts, electrode structure and contact material, which may affect restrike characteristics, were studied. Under various clearances, the statistical probability of restrike was obtained. As a result, the best scope of clearance between open contacts was found. The performance of CuCr50/50 and CuCr75/25 material were compared. Two kinds of electrode structures, namely 1/2 coil structure and cup-shaped axial magnetic structure, were tested. After a high-current interruption, conditioning effoct was realized and the probability of restrike decreased.

Numerical Study on Arc Plasma Behavior During Arc Commutation Process in Direct Current Circuit Breaker

This paper focuses on the numerical investigation of arc plasma behavior during arc commutation process in a medium-voltage direct current circuit breaker （DCCB） contact system. A three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic （MHD） model of air arc plasma in the contact system of a DCCB is developed, based on commercial software FLUENT. Coupled electromagnetic and gas dynamic interactions are considered as usual, and a thin layer of nonlinear electrical resistance elements is used to represent the voltage drop of plasma sheath and the formation of new arc root. The distributions of pressure, temperature, gas flow and current density of arc plasma in arc region are calculated. The simulation results indicate that the pressure distribution related to the contact system has a strong effect on the arc commutation process, arising from the change of electrical conductivity in the arc root region. In DCCB contact system, the pressure of arc root region will be concentrated and higher if the space above the moving contact is enclosed, which is not good for arc root commutation. However, when the region is opened, the pressure distribution would be lower and more evenly, which is favorable for the arc root commutation.

Study on the Mathematical Model of Dielectric Recovery Characteristics in High Voltage SF6 Circuit Breaker

According to the stream theory, this paper proposes a mathematical model of the dielectric recovery characteristic based on the two-temperature ionization equilibrium equation. Taking the dynamic variation of charged particle＇s ionization and attachment into account, this model can be used in collaboration with the Coulomb collision model, which gives the relationship of the heavy particle temperature and electron temperature to calculate the electron density and temperature under different pressure and electric field conditions, so as to deliver the breakdown electric field strength under different pressure conditions. Meanwhile an experiment loop of the circuit breaker has been built to measure the breakdown voltage. It is shown that calculated results are in conformity with experiment results on the whole while results based on the stream criterion are larger than experiment results. This indicates that the mathematical model proposed here is more accurate for calculating the dielectric recovery characteristic, it is derived from the stream model with some improvement and refinement and has great significance for increasing the simulation accuracy of circuit breaker＇s interruption characteristic.

The Voltage Distribution Characteristics of a Hybrid Circuit Breaker During High Current Interruption

Hybrid circuit breaker （HCB） technology based on a vacuum interrupter and a SF6 interrupter in series has become a new research direction because of the low-carbon requirements for high voltage switches. The vacuum interrupter has an excellent ability to deal with the steep rising part of the transient recovery voltage （TRV）, while the SF6 interrupter can withstand the peak part of the voltage easily. An HCB can take advantage of the interrupters in the current interruption process. In this study, an HCB model based on the vacuum ion diffusion equations, ion density equation, and modified Cassie-Mayr arc equation is explored. A simulation platform is constructed by using a set of software called the alternative transient program （ATP）. An HCB prototype is also designed, and the short circuit current is interrupted by the HCB under different action sequences of contacts. The voltage distribution of the HCB is analyzed through simulations and tests. The results demonstrate that if the vacuum interrupter withstands the initial TRV and interrupts the post-arc current first, then the recovery speed of the dielectric strength of the SF6 interrupter will be fast. The voltage distribution between two interrupters is determined by their post-arc resistance, which happens after current-zero, and subsequently, it is determined by the capacitive impedance after the post-arc current decays to zero.

Simulation and Experimental Analysis of Arc Motion Characteristics in Air Circuit Breaker

In this paper, to simulate the arc motion in an air circuit breaker （ACB）, a three- dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic （MHD） model is developed, considering the influence of ther- mal radiation, the change of physical parameters of arc plasma and the nonlinear characteristic of ferromagnetic material. The distributions of pressure, temperature, gas flow and current density of arc plasma in the arc region are calculated. The simulation results show some phenomena which discourage arc interruption, such as back commutation and arc burning at the back of the splitter plate. To verify the simulation model, the arc motion is studied experimentally. The influences of the material and position of the innermost barrier plate are analyzed mainly. It proved that the model developed in this paper can efficiently simulate the arc motion. The results indicate that the insulation barrier plate close to the top of the splitter plate is conducive to the arc splitting, which leads to the significant increase of the arc voltage, so it is better for arc interruption. The research can provide methods and references to the optimization of ACB design.