Abstract
Low voltage circuit breakers are widely used in power distribution systems to interrupt fault current rapidly and to assure the reliability of the power supply. This paper is focused on understanding the interrupting capability, more specifically of the contacts and the arc runner, based on the shape of the contact system in the current molded case circuit breaker (hereafter MCCB). Moreover, in order to improve the interrupting capability of the circuit breaker, the estimation and analysis of the interrupting capability, based on the 3-D magnetic flux analysis, were developed. Furthermore, this paper also presents results of the estimation and analysis of the interrupting capability when applied to different model breakers. In addition, this paper analyzes the efficiency of the interrupting tests by forming false current paths consisting of a three-division cascade arc runner in the contact system. With regards to the interrupting test, there is a need to assure that the optimum design required to analyze the electromagnetic forces of the contact system generated by the current and flux density be present. Based on the results of this study, this paper presents both computational analysis and test results for the newly developed MCCB 460V/225A/50㎄ contact system.