A history of fifty years of vacuum interrupter development - (the English connection)

From the very beginning the UK has significantly contributed to the development of the vacuum interrupter. During the early years of the technology, important techniques and materials were developed which today form the basis of much of modern design. In order to develop viable vacuum interrupters four key technologies are needed. They are discussed in this paper as the "contact material", the "arc control", the "interrupter construction", and the "interrupter manufacture". The description of the 50-year's contribution of the UK to these four technologies opens the door for a future generation of designers of vacuum circuit breakers.