The

apparatus used for switching, controlling and protecting the electrical circuits and equipment is known as switchgear.

Complete reliability Absolutely certain discrimination Quick operation Provision for manual control Provision for instruments

 SWITCHES-

A switch is a device which is used to open or close an electrical circuit in convenient way. It can be used under full or no load conditions but it cannot interrupt the fault currents. When the contacts of a switch are opened, an arc is produced in the air between the contacts.

 ISOLATOR-

An isolator is also known as disconnecting switch or knife switch and is designed to open a circuit under no load . Its main purpose is to isolate one portion of the circuit from the other and is not intended to be opened while current is flowing in the line. Such switches are used on both sides of circuit breaker in order that repairs and replacement of circuit breakers can be made without any danger.

 CIRCUIT

BREAKERSA circuit breaker is an equipment which can open or close circuit under all condition ( i.e. no load, full load and fault conditions) under normal conditions and automatically under fault conditions. The circuit breaker essentially consists of moving and fixed contacts enclosed in strong metal tank and immersed in oil known as transformer oil.

Oil circuit breakers Air blast circuit breakers Sulphur hexafluroide circuit breakers (SF6) Vacuum circuit breakers

In these circuit breakers, the current carrying contacts are immersed in transformer oil. When the contacts are separated arc is struck between them. The heat of the arc dissociates the oil and gases (hydrogen) are evolved. The hydrogen gas bubbles surrounds the arc and cools it down which helps in deionistaion of the medium between the contacts and extinguishes the arc.

In these circuit breakers, compressed air (18 to20 kg/cm^2) is employed for arc extinction. When contacts are separated, arc is struck, simultaneously the blast valve is opened. The air blast cools the arc and sweeps away the ionised medium established between the contacts. This increases the dielectric strength of the medium between the contacts and prevents restriking of arc. Thus the arc is extinguished and current is interrupted.

In SF6 circuit breakers, the gas is made to flow from a high pressure to a low pressure zone through a convergent divergent nozzle. When moving contact is separated from the fixed contact, an arc is struck between them. Gas nozzle is located such that a flow of gas covers the arc. Thus, the gas takes away the heat from the periphery of the arc and reduces its diameter to zero at zero current and the arc is extinguished

In such breakers, vacuum is used as the arc quenching medium. When the breaker operates, the moving contacts separates from fixed contact and arc is struck between the contacts. The production of arc is due to the ionisation of metal ions and depends very much on the material of contacts. The arc is quickly extinguished because the metallic vapours, electrons and ions produced during the arc are diffused in short time and seized by the surfaces of moving and fixed members and shields.

It is current (r.m.s) that a circuit breaker is capable of breaking at given recovery voltage and under specified conditions ( expower factor, rate of rise of restriking voltage) Breaking capacity- 3*V*I*10^-6