$V\!{-}t$ Characteristics of Vacuum Interrupter After Large Current Interruption

Because of the contact material's evaporation and ejection of some metal particles out of the contact gap during the flow of the vacuum arc, the contact surface may exhibit some erosion after each operation of vacuum circuit breakers. In this paper, the insulation properties were investigated for vacuum interrupters with the rated voltage of about 10-kV operating voltage after short-circuit current interruption of more than 10 kA of 50-Hz current. The vacuum interrupter contacts were opened at either a current-zero point or an ac current peak. The latter involves greater arc energy at the short gap length compared with the former. After such interrupting duty, the characteristics were measured with the lightning impulse and rectangular impulse voltages as a function of polarity relative to that of the interrupting current. When the contact was opened at the current peak, the insulation properties deteriorated substantially compared with those of the new interrupter, and the polarity of the applied impulse voltage relative to that of the interrupting current has considerable effect.