Comparative Performance of Paraffinic and Naphthenic Insulating Oils Under ARC-Quenching Conditions

An investigation into the arc-quenching characteristics of two experimental paraffinic oils made from western Canadian crudes was performed in Conparison with Voltesso 35. The approach chosen was to subject low-voltage circuit breakers to both resistive and short-circuit arcing conditions. The arc-interruption performance of the two experimental oils was equivalent to Voltesso 35. Gas formation was also similar in composition and rate.