Circuit Breakers MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Circuit Breakers - Download Free PDF

Concept:

The Rate of Rise of Restriking Voltage (RRRV) is a critical parameter in high-voltage circuit breakers. It refers to how quickly the voltage across the circuit breaker contacts increases after the current has been interrupted. If this voltage rises too fast, it can cause the arc to reignite between the contacts, preventing successful interruption.

Importance in Circuit Breakers:

A circuit breaker must withstand the RRRV during the arcing period; otherwise, the arc may restrike, and the fault may not be cleared. The ability to handle high RRRV is a mark of a good breaker design.

Shortening the arc is NOT a method used for extinction of arc.

Methods for arc quenching of a circuit breaker

Current Zero Method:

• The Current Zero Method is different because it relies on the natural current zero crossing in AC circuits.
• In AC systems, current passes through zero twice per cycle. Circuit breakers designed for AC use this point to interrupt the arc with minimal energy.
• Unlike the other three methods, it does not involve modifying the arc physically but rather utilizing the natural characteristics of AC current.

Cooling the Arc Method:

• The arc is cooled using air, oil, or gas, reducing its temperature and increasing resistance, leading to extinction.

Lengthening the Arc Method:

• The arc path is extended to increase resistance, making it more difficult for current to sustain.
   

Splitting the Arc Method:

• The arc is broken into multiple small arcs using arc splitters, increasing resistance and aiding in extinction.

 

Differential relay

• A differential relay is defined as the relay that operates when the phase difference of two or more identical electrical quantities exceeds a predetermined value.
• It works on the principle of comparison between the phase angle and magnitude of two or more similar electrical quantities, i.e., vector difference between two or more similar electrical quantities.

Time distance impedance relay

• The relay operates based on impedance measurement, which is directly related to the distance between the relay location and the fault.
• Time grading is applied, meaning the relay operates faster for faults closer to the relay and slower for faults farther away.

Distance type impedance relay

• The relay continuously monitors the voltage (V) and current (I) at a given location. It calculates the impedance (Z = V/I).
• If the impedance falls below a preset value, it indicates a fault within the protected zone, and the relay triggers a trip signal.

Directional overcurrent relay

• The relay measures current magnitude using a Current Transformer (CT). It also measures voltage using a Potential Transformer (PT) to determine the fault direction.
• If both conditions (overcurrent + correct direction) are met, the relay trips the circuit breaker.

Braking Capacity of the Circuit Breaker

The breaking capacity of a circuit breaker is the maximum power it can safely interrupt without damage.

It is usually expressed in MVA (Mega Volt-Amperes).

Given Specifications:

• Rated Current = 1500 A
• Breaking Capacity = 1000 MVA
• Voltage Rating = 33 kV
• Time Duration = 3 seconds

From the options provided, Option 3: 1000 MVA is correct, as it matches the given breaking capacity of the circuit breaker.

The maximum economical voltage range for vacuum CBs is 36 kV.

Vacuum Circuit Breaker

• A breaker that used a vacuum as an arc extinction medium is called a vacuum circuit breaker.
• In this circuit breaker, the fixed and moving contact is enclosed in a permanently sealed vacuum interrupter.
• The arc is extinct as the contacts are separated in a high vacuum. 
• It is mainly used for medium voltage ranging from 11 KV to 33 KV.
   

The vacuum circuit breaker has mainly two phenomenal properties:

• It has high insulating strength in comparison to various other insulating media used in circuit breaker vacuums and is a superior dielectric medium. It is better than all other media except air and SF6, which are employed at high pressure.
• When an arc is opened by moving apart the contacts in a vacuum, an interruption occurs at the first current zero. With the arc interruption, their dielectric strength increases up to a rate of thousands of times as compared to other breakers.
   

The above two properties make the breakers more efficient, less bulky, and cheaper.

Recovery Voltage:

The RMS voltage that appears across the circuit breaker contacts after final arc interruption (when breaker opens) is called “recovery voltage”

Restriking Voltage:

It may be defined as the voltages that appears across the breaking contact at the instant of arc extinction

Active Recovery Voltage:

It may be defined as the instantaneous recovery voltage at the instant of arc extinction

Arc Voltage:

It may be defined as the voltages that appears across the contact during the arcing period, when the current flow is maintained in the form of an arc. It assumes low value except for the point at which the voltage rises rapidly to a peak value and current reaches to zero.

The correct answer is option 1

Concept :

Rated voltage of circuit breaker :

• For below 400 kV systems, the circuit breaker is designed to withstand 10% above the normal system voltage.
• For an above or equal to 400 kV system, the insulation of the circuit breaker should be capable of withstanding 5% above the normal system voltage.
• The voltage rating of the circuit breaker is normally from 1.05 to 1.10 times more than the normal operating voltage.
• this is because during no load or small loads condition voltage level of the power system is allowed to rise up to the highest voltage rating of the system

Circuit Elements	Symbols
Earthing
Circuit Breaker
Current Transformer
Bus Bar
Potential Transformer
Lightning Arrestor
Fuse
Transformer
Isolator
Tandem Isolator
Auto Transformer

• In SF6 circuit breaker, Sulphur hexafluoride gas is used as the arc quenching medium.
• Due to its low gaseous viscosity and high molecular weight, the SF6 gas can efficiently transfer heat by convection.
• It has high insulating properties and highly electronegative properties.
• Pure Sulphur hexafluoride gas is inert and thermally stable.
• SF6 has a very high dielectric strength (breakdown strength). It has 100 times more effective than air and oil as interrupting mediums.
• Its dielectric strength is 2.5 times that of air and 30% less than that of the dielectric oil.

 

Additional Information

Circuit breaker:

A circuit breaker is a switching device which can be operated manually and automatically for controlling and protecting an electrical power system.

There are four types of circuit breaker

• Oil circuit breaker
• Air circuit breaker
• SF6 circuit breaker
• Vacuum circuit breaker

 

Circuit breaker	Arc Quenching medium	Rating	Used
SF6 circuit breaker	SF6 gas	Up to 760 kV	Used in a complete range of medium voltage and high voltage electrical power system
Oil circuit breaker	Insulating Oil	Up to 132 kV	It is mainly used for interrupting low current at high voltage
Vacuum circuit breaker	Vacuum	Up to 66 kV	It is mainly used for high current at low voltage Used for remote and rural area
Air circuit breaker	Air	up to 15 kV	Used for railway traction purpose

 

Type of circuit breaker	Medium	Operating voltages
Air break	Air at atmospheric pressure	Low voltage up to l000 V
Tank type oil circuit breaker	Oil	Up to 33 kV
Minimum oil circuit breaker	Oil	36 kV, 1500 MVA 132 kV, 3000 MVA
Air blast	Compressed air	132 kV, 220 kV 400 kV, 760 kV
SF6	SF6 gas	132 k V, 220 kV 400 kV, 760 kV
Vacuum C.B.	Vacuum	11 kV. 33 kV
High voltage direct current C.B.	Vacuum or SF6 gas	± 500 kV DC

A triple pole with a Neutral (TPN) Miniature Circuit Breaker:

• It is used to protect the circuits from short circuit faults. It is used in the place of the fuse.
• When the amount of electricity is increasing in wire, the MCB turns off and the result is it breaks the circuit.
• It prevents from burning of home appliances.
• The current rating of single-pole Triple pole with Neutral (TPN)  MCB main switches available in the local market is 63 A.

Additional Information

A miniature circuit breaker (MCB):

• It automatically switches off the power supply during overload and faults.
• This function of automatic switching is accomplished by a bimetallic strip.
• Whenever continuous overcurrent flows through MCB, the bimetallic strip is heated and deflects by bending.
• This deflection of the bimetallic strip releases a mechanical latch.
• As this mechanical latch is attached to the operating mechanism, it causes to open the miniature circuit breaker contacts, and the MCB turns off thereby stopping the current to flow in the circuit.

Current chopping in circuit breaker is defined as a phenomenon in which current is forcibly interrupted before the natural current zero.

We can derive the voltage across the capacitor during current chopping

\(\frac{L{{I}^{2}}}{2}=\frac{C{{V}^{2}}}{2}\)

\(V=\frac{1}{\sqrt{L/C}}\)

Current Chopping is mainly observed in the vacuum circuit breaker and air blast circuit breaker. There is no such phenomenon in oil circuit breaker.

• A circuit breaker is a switching device that interrupts the abnormal or fault current
• It is a mechanical device that disturbs the flow of high magnitude (fault) current and in additions performs the function of a switch
• The circuit breaker is mainly designed for closing or opening of an electrical circuit, thus protects the electrical system from damage
• When the circuit breaker is closed, it acts as short switch; Thus, before interruption ideal circuit breaker should offer zero impedance
• When the circuit breaker is open, it acts as open switch; Thus, after interruption ideal circuit breaker should offer infinite impedance

Isolator:

• An isolator is a manually operated mechanical switch that separates a part of the electrical power.
• This separates a part of the system from the rest for safe maintenance works.
• Isolators are used to open a circuit under no load (No current condition).
• Its main purpose is to isolate one portion of the circuit from the other and is not intended to be opened while the current is flowing in the line.
• Isolators are generally used on both ends of the breaker so that repair or replacement of circuit breaker can be done without any danger.

L series MCB: L series MCBs are designed to protect circuits with resistive loads. They are ideal for protection of heating equipment like geysers, ovens and general lighting systems.

G series MCB: G series MCBs are designed to protect circuits with inductive loads. These are suitable for protection of motors, air conditioners, hand tools, halogen lamps, etc.

DC series MCB: DC series MCBs are suitable for voltage up to 220 V DC and have a breaking capacity up to 6 kA. The tripping characteristics are similar to the L and G series. They find extensive application in DC controls, locomotives, diesel generator sets, etc.