Development of the Controlled Switching Device for a Cirrcuit Breaker

Studies on the controlled switching method have been done to prevent the power system surges which cause the insulation deterioration and electro magnetic compatibility (EMC) problems during closing and opening of a circuit breaker. The controlled switching method controls the closing and tripping time in coincidence with the voltage or current to suppress switching surge. It is used to switch condenser bank, no load transformer, and shunt reactor. In this study, basic concept of the controlled switching is introduced, and also the test is performed to find parameters of the controlled switching in a 24kV vacuum circuit. And then, the control device hardware using TMS320C31 DSP has been designed and manufactured. It has been found that the application of IT technology to a circuit breaker is very effective to depress the switching surge.