Resonant responses of high voltage switchgear and connected networks

Simulation studies are reported of circuit breaker behaviour excited by transients and oscillations arising on the connected transmission circuitry, and by current chopping and arc reignition in the breaker. A number of levels of approximation are used to focus on different aspects of the system response. These are based on the numerical solution of electromagnetic field and lumped element equivalent circuit models. The work is mostly concerned with reactor switching by SF/sub 6/ puffers, but also includes a simulation of a vacuum device. The results demonstrate the capacity for the systems to respond with a variety of resonances across a wide range of radio frequencies, and the substantive influence that these may have on interrupter overvoltages and hence the success of transient recovery.