Observations on the Development of Arc Interrupters of Small Pysical Volume for Industrial Circuit Breakers with Large Interrupting Ratings

Abstract

An interrupter has been developed for a 50-ka (kiloamperes) 600-volt industrial circuit breaker, capable of being mounted, four-high, in a switchboard with a height of 90 in. (inches), and of meeting unusually onerous interrupting-test duty requirements. The results are summarized of short-circuit tests conducted on experimetal arc chutes containing a variety of metallic and nonmetallic baffles and cooling rods. Their performance characteristics are illustrated by oscillograms correlated with excerpts from high-speed cine film records.