Question Bank

1. Where and why isolators, contactors and circuit

breaker are used in power system. (2M)
 Isolators are used for manually disconnecting an equipment
from power source. The isolators are usually located very close
to the equipment. The isolators usually do not provide any
protection to the equipment and in some cases the isolators are
incorporated with HRC fuses to cater to short circuit conditions.
For example, if a transformer is located away from its source of
power supply and protection - may be 200–300 meters
distance, an isolator will be introduced in the circuit very close -
5–10mts from the transformer. This will enable the people
attending maintenance or shutdown work on the transformer to
keep the isolator in OFF condition and then go to work on the
transformer. Even if by accident the Circuit breaker located at
the substation 300mts away is switched ON inadvertently, no
harm will be done to the team as the isolator is in OFF
condition.

 The contactor is just an electrically operated switch, operated by

providing power supply to the coil. This is used for several
applications where switching ON and OFF of power supply is
required to be controlled / operated remotely. The reason for
using contactors in this fashion is that while the contactor may
be handling high currents, the current required for closing or
opening the contactor will be very small and can thereby
controlled electrically or electronically, either locally or from a
remote location.

 Circuit breaker is used to provide protection to electrical

equipment. These will have an arc quenching medium and will
open the circuit (with the help of connected accessories) to
protect the equipment.

2. Explain different methods of arc interruption. (5M)

here are mainly two methods in this and they are as below,

 High resistance Arc interruption method

 Low resistance/ Zero point Extinction method

Let us discuss these two methods in detail.

High resistance Arc interruption method:
 So the first one is a High resistance arc interruption method, in this, there are other three sub-
method that work on the principle of High resistance arc interruption method.

 Lengthening of Arc:

The name itself says about this method. In this method, the arc length between two contacts is
increased by using arc runners which are horn-like blades of conducting material. Arc runners
are connected to arcing contacts. The arc is initiated at the bottom and blows upward due to
electromagnetic force. Because of this arc length increases and finally arc gets extinguished.

Lengthening of arc                                    

 Splitting of Arc:
                                Splitting of Arc                                                   

In this method, the interruption of an arc is done through splitting the arc using arc splitters
which are specially made plates of resin fiberglass. These plates are placed on the
perpendicular path to arc so that it will be pulled towards it by an electromagnetic force. So
when arc gets pulled upward it gets elongated the split and cooled due to which it gets
extinguished.
Cooling of Arc:
This phenomenon is done by bringing the arc in contact with cooled air. Due to cooling the arc
diameter reduces. This will increase its resistance and thus the arc gets extinguished.

Low resistance or zero point extinction :

This method is used for A.c. arc interruption. The current becomes zero two times in a single
cycle. So at each current zero points, the arc vanishes for small instant and again it appears.
The extinction of the arc takes place when the current becomes zero. Circuit breaker like SF6
interrupts arc at current zero points.

The different phases in the arc extinction process are :

Arcing phase: In this, the temperature of the contact space is increased due to arc. The heat
produced must be removed quickly by providing radial and axial flow to gases. The arc cannot
be broken abruptly but its diameter can be reduced by the passage of gas over the arc.

Current zero phase: When the current wave is near to zero, the diameter of an arc is very less
and consequently arc is extinguished. This is nothing but the current zero phase.
Post arc phase: In order to avoid the reestablishment of arc, the contact space must be filled
with a dielectric medium having high dielectric strength. This phase is called the post arc phase.
In this, the hot gases are removed and fresh dielectric medium is introduced.

3. Explain construction and working principle of bulk

oil circuit breaker. (5M)
Bulk Oil Circuit Breakers :
Construction of Oil Circuit Breakers :

 Figure shows the construction of plain break oil circuit breaker.

 It consists of a strong weather tight-earthed tank containing oil up to certain level in which fixed
contact and moving contacts are separated. Air cushion is provided above the oil level.
 The air cushion provides sufficient room to allow for the reception of the are gases without the
generation of unsafe pressure in the dome of the circuit breaker.
 It also absorbs the mechanical shock of the upward oil movement. Double break plain oil circuit
breaker is called a double break because it provides two breaks in series.
Working of bulk Oil Circuit Breakers:

 Under normal operating conditions the fixed and moving contacts remains closed and breaker
carries the normal circuit current.

 When a fault occurs, the moving contacts are pulled down by the protective system and an arc is
struck which vaporises the oil mainly into hydrogen gas.
 In plain break oil circuit breaker contacts are separated under the whole of the oil in tank.
  The are extinction process occurs when certain critical gap between the contacts is reached.
 There is no special arrangement for arc control other than the increase in length caused by the
separation of contacts.
   The are quenching process occurs by the following ways in Bulk oil circuit breaker :

1. The hydrogen gas bubble generated around the are cools the arc and aids the deionization of the
medium between the contacts.
2. The gas sets up turbulence in the oil and help in eliminating the arcing products from the are path.
3. As the are lengthens due to the separating contacts the dielectric strength of the medium is
increased.

4. Explain construction and working principle of

SF6circuit breaker. (5M)
Construction of SF6 Circuit  Breakers

SF6 circuit breakers mainly consist of two parts, namely (a) the interrupter unit
and (b) the gas system.

Interrupter Unit – This unit consists of moving and fixed contacts comprising
a set of current-carrying parts and an arcing probe. It is connected to the
SF6 gas reservoir. This unit consists slide vents in the moving contacts which
permit the high-pressure gas into the main tank.
Gas System – The closed circuit gas system is employed in SF6 circuit
breakers. The SF6 gas is costly, so it is reclaimed after each operation. This unit
consists low and high-pressure chambers with a low-pressure alarm along with
warning switches. When the pressure of the gas is very low due to which the
dielectric strength of gases decrease and an arc quenching ability of the
breakers is endangered, then this system gives the warning alarm.

Working Principle of SF6 Circuit Breaker

In the normal operating conditions, the contacts of the breaker are closed.
When the fault occurs in the system, the contacts are pulled apart, and an arc is
struck between them. The displacement of the moving contacts is synchronised
with the valve which enters the high-pressure SF6 gas in the arc interrupting
chamber at a pressure of about 16kg/cm^2.

The SF6 gas absorbs the free electrons in the arc path and forms ions which do
not act as a charge carrier. These ions increase the dielectric strength of the gas
and hence the arc is extinguished. This process reduces the pressure of the
SF6 gas up to 3kg/cm^2 thus; it is stored in the low-pressure reservoir. This
low-pressure gas is pulled back to the high-pressure reservoir for re-use.

Now a day puffer piston pressure is used for generating arc quenching pressure
during an opening operation by mean of a piston attached to the moving
contacts.

5. Explain construction and working principle of HRC

fuses. (5M)
HRC fuse is an abbreviation of high rupturing capacity cartridge fuse. In
high rupturing capacity fuse, the fuse link carries a short circuit current
up to a certain limit. If the limit exceeds the link blow off and it
disconnects the faulty circuit.
 
It has the advantage over normal rewirable fuse as it has high accuracy
and reliable operation.

HRC fuse normally used to protect distribution systems and electrical

motors. HRC fuse diagram is shown below.

Construction of HRC Fuse

HRC fuse construction is done using the cylindrical body of ceramic

material. The fuse element is fitted inside the body and surrounding area
filled with pure powdered quartz.
 
The two ends of the fuse element are connected to the metal end caps
which are screwed to the ceramic body to withstand the pressure
developed under short circuit conditions. The contact blade is welded to
metal end caps.
 
The fuse element is made of either pure silver or bimetallic material. The
fuse element is generally constructed with two or more sections of the
joint which are joined by means of a tin joint.
 
The long cylindrical wire is not used for fuse elements because after a
short circuit it will melt and will form a string of droplets and an arc will
form between each droplet. Later on, these droplets will also evaporate
and a long arc will be struck between droplets.
 
Due to this tin is used between joints, the purpose of the tin joint is to
prevent the formation of long arc during short circuit conditions as the
melting point of tin metal is low i.e 230 degree as compared to silver fuse
element 960 degrees. Hence tin melts first under fault conditions and
prevents the silver link from attaining a high temperature.

 
Working Principle Of HRC Fuse

Under normal working conditions, the HRC fuse link carries a normal
rated current, the heat energy developed is not sufficient to melt the fuse
element.
But under short circuit conditions or when the fault occurs, a high fault
current starts flowing through the fuse link and it melts before the fault
current reaches its first peak.
 
As the element melts it vaporized and scattered, as an arc form the
chemical reaction between element vapor and quartz powder, forming a
high resistance substance which helps in quenching the arc thus fault
current interrupts.

6. Explain construction and working principle of

Vacuum circuit breaker. (5M)
The vacuum circuit breaker (also known as vacuum interrupter or VCB)
uses the arc quenching process in the vacuum as a switching medium.

The vacuum has the highest insulating strength. So, it has far superior arc
quenching properties than any other medium. The degree of vacuum is in the
range of 10^-7 to 10^-5 torr. It is suitable for medium-voltage power
distribution ranging from 22kV to 66 kV.

Construction of Vacuum Circuit Breaker

The below figure shows the vacuum circuit breaker parts and their

construction.
The vacuum circuit breaker consists of fixed contact, moving contact and an
arc shield mounted in a vacuum interrupter. The outer insulating body is
made with glass and has a high vacuum capacity. The movable member is
connected to the bellows.

The arc shield prevents the deterioration of the internal dielectric strength by
preventing metallic vapors from falling on the inside surface of the outer
insulating body. This allows reducing the chopping current up to 3.5
amperes. To reduce the leakage permanently, the tight sealing of the
chamber is done.

The contacts use a large stem with disc shape faces.  To dissipate heat for
large overload current during arcing, contact materials like copper alloy is
used.

Working of Vacuum Circuit Breaker

The working principle of vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) is the arc

quenching using vacuum interrupters. The operation of  VCB depends on
the stored-energy mechanism using closing spring.  The spring system
reduces the closing operating current.
The charging of closing spring is done electrically or manually. For this
VCBs, the closing spring recharges automatically after the operation of the
circuit. The tripping push button activates the tripping spring immediately
after detecting high voltage and breaks the circuit.

The auxiliary switch contacts and primary contacts are separate. The
auxiliary contacts provide a trigger signal for the external equipment
(burglar alarm and fire alarm circuits) to initiate shut down or alert the user
that the breaker has tripped.

When the VCB contacts are separated, an arc is formed between the
contacts. Ionization occurs because of the high temperature due to the arc
formation. Space is filled with a vapor of positive ions due to ionization and
discharges from the contact material.

The arc extinguishes quickly because of the metallic vapors, ions produced
during arc diffuses in a short period of time. This is known as a diffuse
mode.
7. Explain the properties of SF6 gas that makes it
suitable for arc quenching. (5M)
8. Give the advantages/ Disadvantages of HRC fuse.
(2M)

Advantages of HRC Fuse

Some benefits of HRC fuse are:

 It has high-speed operation.

 It has low let-through energy, low cut-off characteristics and
reduced electromagnetic stress.
 It saves energy through low power losses.
 It has a high breaking capacity.
 There is no emission of gases after a short circuit occurs.
 It has a long lifespan.
 It is a cheap solution. Its initial cost is low compared to a breaker.
 It has a high resistance to aging. It has extreme reliability.
 It has compact dimensions.
 Some models have status indicators on the fuse.
 It is not affected by environmental conditions. It operates safely in
high and low temperatures.
 It can be produced up to 1250 Amps.
 It has various types. It can be used in different applications.

Disadvantages of HRC Fuse

Some drawbacks of HRC fuse are:

 It has to be replaced after each opening. It cannot be reused once

the fuse wire melts in the operation.
 It has an open-type body and this could cause safety problems.
 It has high maintenance and replacement costs.
 Fuses with incorrect ratings can easily be installed in the fuse
holders.
  In a three-phase motor circuit, if one fuse blows, the motor works
in 2 phases.
 Unlike general industrial fuses, high-speed fuses do not have
intentional time-delay features.
 It is old technology.
 It is not possible to add electrical or mechanical accessories to it.
 The heat produced by the arc may affect the associated switches.
 Generally, it must be used with a fuse base. This increases the cost
of the total solution

9. Write a full note on MCCB. (2M)

Moulded case circuit breaker is a full form of MCCB in electrical.
MCCB is an automatic electrical device used to protect the electrical
equipment from overload, short circuit, instantaneous over current
and earth fault. It is an advanced version of MCB (Miniature circuit
breaker). It is available from 32 Amps to 1600 Amps with the voltage
range of 230V to 1.1kV.

The main advantage of MCCB (Moulded case circuit breaker) is

that we can tailor it as per our requirement by installing with new
future such as remote closing, UV trip etc. It is the best replacement
for an air circuit breaker in terms of cost as well as better function.
Also, you can adjust the current setting as well as the time setting in
the moulded case circuit breaker.

Single Line Diagram:

Moulded case circuit breaker is indicated by a small curve followed by

the two lines
 Single Line Diagram

The input and output of the moulded case circuit will be bottom
and top side.

10. Define RRRV. (2M)

Rate of Rise of Restriking Voltage (RRRV): The RRRV is defined as the slope of the
steepest tangent to the restriking voltage curve. It is expressed in volts per
microsecond.

11. Explain operating principle of circuit breaker. (2M)

12. Draw a trip-circuit of circuit breaker.(2M)
It is the circuit that controls the circuit breaker for opening operation and
comprises of trip coil, relay contacts, auxiliary switch battery supply, etc.
13. Define the terms (5M)
(i) Current rating of a fuse
Current Rating: A nominal current rating which a fuse can continuously carry without
overheating or melting. It is based on the temperature rise of the fuse element and
its environment.
(ii) Fusing current
that fuse can withstand only till its rating current flow.
When current flows more than its rating wires of fuse melts and it
causes current interruption. The minimum value of current which cause
to melt fuse is called fusing current
(iii) Fusing factor
Fusing Factor This is the ratio of minimum fusing current and current rating of fuse.
Therefore, fusing factor = Minimum fusing current or current rating of the fuse. The
value of fusing factor is always more than 1.

(iv) Protective current

(v) Cut of current
A fuse cuts off current when the current exceeds a safe value (due to short circuit or
overloading). When the current becomes too large , it heats the fuse wire too much.
Since the melting point of fuse wire is low, it melts and breaks the circuit.
Thus, current in the circuit is cut off.

14. What is primary and backup protection? Why

backup protection is needed? (5M)
15. State the need of protective system. (2M)
In a power system, there are various equipments such as alternators,
busbar, transmission line, transformers, etc. connected between the
generation side and distribution side. All such equipment undergo
abnormal conditions or faults in their lifetime due to various reasons.

For example, a tree falling or touching an overhead transmission line

may cause a fault. There will be overloading of a motor due to worn
out of the bearing. A lightning strike on the overhead insulator can
cause insulation failure. Pollution may result in degradation in the
performance of insulators which may lead to a breakdown. Under
frequency or over frequency of an alternator may result in mechanical
damage to its turbine requiring tripping of an alternator. Even
otherwise, the low-frequency operation will reduce the life of a
turbine, and hence it should be avoided.

Protective systems disconnect the faulty part of the system and

ensure that the rest of the system is still powered, and protect the
system from further damage caused by the fault. In order to generate,
transmit, and distribute power with the least amount of interruptions
and restoration time, it is extremely important to make use of
protection systems. There is no doubt that protective systems are very
important in order to minimize the negative effects of faults, which,
otherwise, can shut down the whole system. Hence there is a need of
protective system.

16. Explain effects of Shunt faults. (5M)

17. What are normal and abnormal conditions in power
system? (2M)
Normal Conditions:

1. It is a state of network in which the current flowing through it is the

rated current provided that the voltage and frequency is constant.
2. The current is not diverted to the other path that is generally towards
the earth then the condition is said to be normal condition.
Abnormal Condition:

1. It is the defect in the any part of the system which produce

abnormalities like over current, over voltage, disturbance and elements
are likely to be damaged and the system is disturb.
2. It is the defect in part of the power system due to which the current is
diverted from the desired path with increase in magnitude called fault.
3. Due to abnormalities following are the defects observed:-
 Voltage and Current unbalanced
 Over Voltages
 Reversal Power
 Power Swinging
 Under Frequency
 Temperature Rise

18. Explain following terms related to protective

relaying
(i) Fault clearing time
It is the time between the existence of a fault and at the time of final arc
quenching in a circuit breaker is called the fault clearing time.
(ii) Relay time
the interval between the existence of fault and closure of relay contacts is
called the relay time.

(iii) Pick up
A relay is said to pick up when it moves from the off position to the on
position or the operation of the relay is called the relay pick-up
(iv) Drop off