Asynchronous Discharge of Two Serial Connected Vacuum Interrupters under Lightning Impulse Voltage

• Published in: 2020 29th International Symposium on Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum (ISDEIV) pp. 282 - 285
• Main Authors: Liu, Xue, Ding, Jiangang, Yao, Xiaofei, Liu, Zhiyuan, Geng, Yingsan, Wang, Jianhua
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 27.09.2021
• Subjects: Asynchronous Discharge; Breakdown voltage; Discharges (electric); Electric breakdown; Insulation; Interrupters; Lightning; Multi Vacuum Interrupters; Time difference; Vacuum breakdown
• ISSN: 2471-786X
• DOI: 10.1109/ISDEIV46977.2021.9586868

The objective of this paper is to determine asynchronous discharge characteristics of two serial connected vacuum interrupters under lightning impulse voltage. Two commercial vacuum interrupters were used in the experiments. Two 12 kV commercial vacuum interrupter (VI) with the contact material of CuCr50 were used and connected in series. The double vacuum interrupters were connected in a configuration of U type. The total gap distance of the two VIs was 3mm. The gap distance of each VI ranges from 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, stepped by 0.5 mm. A positive standard lightning impulse voltage is stressed across the test VIs with an up and down method. Two voltage dividers with the same parameter are used to record the voltage waveform of the interrupters. Four kinds of typical discharge phenomena were observed. For type I, discharge of the two VIs occurred almost synchronously. For type II, asynchronous discharge of the two VIs were observed with discharge of each VI occurred only once. For type III, asynchronous discharge became more evident, and discharge in one of the VI occurred twice while the other VI only once. For type IV, repetitive discharge could occur in one of the VIs while no breakdown occurred in the whole arrangement. Gap distance distribution significantly influences the discharge type.