B. P. Baker

The Use of Oil in Arc Rupture With Special Reference to System Stability

The relationship of the rupturing ability of oil circuit breakers to system stability problems is discussed, and conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness with which the oil must be used in arc rupture if the requirements of stability are to be met. Past attempts to improve the rupturing performance of oil circuit breakers are reviewed and the results of an investigation of the processes of a-c. arc extinction in oil are discussed, from which conclusions are drawn as to the degree of efficiency with which oil has been used in conventional oil circuit breakers. A description is given of a new device, known as the deion-grid, developed to permit the application of scientific principles to arc extinction in oil, and its theory of operation is discussed together with the results of interrupting tests in both the laboratory and field. Conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness of this device in improving the rupturing performance of oil breakers and its suitability for use where questions of system stability are involved.

A New 15-Kv Pneumatic Circuit Interrupter

The demand for oilless circuit breakers of large interrupting capacity to meet the requirements of American practice directs attention toward an improved compressed-air circuit breaker which materially extends the present limitations as exemplified by continental designs.

A Vertical-Flow Outdoor Compressed-Air Breaker

The elimination of oil in indoor circuit breakers, particularly for powerhouse use, has been insistently demanded to reduce fire hazard. In an effort to meet these requirements, various types of breakers not containing oil have been built and studied. Self-contained breakers of the “De-ion” type1 have been available for several years, and the potentialities of water breakers2 have been carefully investigated. Compressed-air breakers3 for this service have been successfully developed, particularly to meet high kilovolt-ampere interrupting requirements, and the circuit-rupturing ability of these devices has been so amazingly efficient that experimental breakers using this principle have now been built and tested for high-voltage outdoor application.

A 2,500,000-Kva Compressed-Air Powerhouse Breaker

THE use of compressed-air breakers for indoor service has become established by several field installations since the presentation of papers1,2 describing these devices two years ago. At that time complete tests had been made justifying ratings to 1,500,000 kva. Since then, powerhouse requirements have demanded the development of similar breakers for 2,500,000 kva. During the same interval new laboratory facilities have been provided3 which are capable of completely testing these large breakers. This paper describes the theory and construction of this new breaker and for the first time presents test results of full 2,500,000 kva under three-phase fault conditions, together with a study of associated voltage recovery rates.

The Vertical-Flow Interrupter and Its Application to ``Oil-Poor'' Circuit Breakers

The historical background of the development of the vertical-flow interrupter for “oil-poor” circuit breakers is reviewed. A description of the interrupter and its theory of operation is given. The application of two of these interrupters to a 138-kv 1 1/2-nillion-kva “oil-poor” porcelain-clad circuit breaker is shown, together with laboratory test results.

A Vertical-Flow Compressed-Air Circuit Breaker and Its Application on a 132-Kv Power System

Discussion and authors closure of paper 43–51 by H. A. P. Langstaff and B. P. Baker, presented at the AIEE national technical meeting, New York, N. Y., January 25–29, 1943, and published in AIEE TRANSACTIONS, 1943, April section, pages 188–92.

Abridgment of the use of oil in arc rupture

The relationship of the rupturing ability of oil circuit breakers to system stability problems is discussed, and conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness with which the oil must be used in arc rupture if the requirements of stability are to be met. Past attempts to improve the rupturing performance of oil circuit breakers are reviewed and the results of an investigation of the processes of a-c. arc extinction in oil are discussed, from which conclusions are drawn as to the degree of efficiency with which oil has been used in conventional oil circuit breakers. A description is given of a new device known as the deion grid, developed to permit the application of scientific principles to arc extinction in oil, and its theory of operation is discussed, together with the results of interrupting tests in both the laboratory and field Conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness of this device in improving the rupturing performance of oil breakers and its suitability for use where questions of system stability are involved.

Abridgment of the structural development of the Deion circuit breaker up to 15,000 volts

UP to the present time, the interruption of an a-c. circuit has been accomplished generally in one of two ways. The arc may be drawn between contacts located in some insulating liquid such as oil. In this case, the insulating value of the oil depreciates with each current interruption until it reaches a point where it must be renewed. On the other hand, the arc may be drawn in air with no means of extinguishing it other than lengthening it to such an extent that the generated voltage is no longer able to maintain it. For modern generating voltages, this requires arcs of great length and, for the upper range of transmission voltages, results in arc lengths which are impractical. As a result of this limitation, the oil circuit breaker has assumed a position of paramount importance on modern operating systems.