Coupled Electromagnetic-Mechanical Dynamic Analysis of Generator Circuit Breakers

Due to their specific position and role in electric power systems, generator circuit breakers (GCBs) must be so developed and manufactured that they can withstand extremely high short circuit currents several times over their entire lifetime. Therefore, an accurate and efficient method for performing a coupled electromagnetic-mechanical simulation of a GCB in its full geometrical complexity is of paramount importance for daily design. This paper presents in detail a novel method for coupling of electromagnetic and dynamic mechanical analysis for GCBs. The suggested method is fast, accurate, efficient, robust, and suitable for 3-D geometries of high complexity.