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Circuit
Breaker Switchgear Application and Maintenance is
Important
Circuit
breaker switchgear application and maintenance is a
subject that is best left to the experts. In general,
the term is used in conjunction with the electric power
system, or grid. It can also refer to the combination of
electrical disconnects, fuses or circuit breakers used
to isolate electrical equipment. These particular
devices, and there are many types, are used both to
de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to
clear faults downstream once they occur.
It
is important to understand that circuit breaker
switchgear application and maintenance can be conducted
anywhere that isolation and protection may be required.
For the most part, these locations include substations,
motors, generators, and various types of transformers.
Circuit
breakers are a unique form of switchgear. They basically
cut off the current when a fault occurs. One of their
most important aspects is that their construction allows
them to interrupt fault currents of thousands of amps.
Under the topic of circuit breaker switchgear
application and maintenance, there are four common
types:
The
oil types use a form of vaporization to blast a jet of
oil through the arc, thus extinguishing it.
Gas
(SF6) types stretch the arc using a magnetic field, and
then rely upon the dielectric strength of the SF6 to
extinguish the arc.
Vacuum
types have minimal arcing as there is nothing to ionize
other than the contact material itself. Because of this,
the arc goes out when it is stretched a tiny amount.
Lastly,
air devices may use compressed air to blow out the arc.
Any of the above may be used in conjunction with circuit
breaker switchgear application and maintenance.
When
thinking about circuit breaker switchgear application
and maintenance it is important to keep in mind that
circuit breakers are usually able to terminate all
current flow very quickly. This is typically between 30
ms and 150 ms, depending upon the age and construction
of the device that is being used.
Ratings,
design, specifications and details of circuit breaker
switchgear application and maintenance issues are set by
a multitude of standards. In North America, the IEEE and
ANSI standards are used. In other parts of the world,
IEC standards are commonly employed. It should be noted
that can be many local variances to the standards,
especially when working outside of North America. For
this reason, it is always a good idea to do some
research before beginning work.
It
is important to keep in mind that the main function of
circuit breaker switchgear application and maintenance
is protection
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