Detecting contamination and deterioration in SF6 breakers to ensure longevity
BY LINDA NOWAK, Doble Engineering Company
The purpose of “Doble testing”, or power factor testing, SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) circuit breakers is to detect the presence of contamination and/or deterioration of the breaker’s insulating system. This process will allow corrective actions to be taken to ensure the integrity of the breaker.
The Doble test is completed by measuring the insulation’s dielectric-loss and capacitance and...
Developing circuit breaker lubrication procedures BY RICK YOUNGBLOOD, Doble Engineering Company Circuit breaker analyzers are used to determine operating speeds and velocity. This information enables the tester to determine if a breaker is safe to place back into service. The data recorded by a...
Determining mechanical condition of high-voltage circuit breakers BY JOZEF LEVI, Doble Engineering Company Life expectancy of a newly installed high-voltage circuit breaker is approximately 40 years. Throughout its life, under normal circuit conditions, the circuit breaker will operate less than...
Detecting and avoiding preventable failures BY JAY GARNETT, Doble Engineering Company While metal clad switchgear can be very reliable, sometimes operating for over 50 years, throughout the aging process, this group of electrical disconnect switches, fuses and circuit breakers can experience...
How to predict field life using vacuum interrupters BY FINLEY LEDBETTER, Group CBS Utilities have widely replaced older air-magnetic and oil interrupters for circuit breakers rated at one kilovolt (kV) or higher with vacuum interrupters (VI) due to higher interrupt capability. Vacuum interrupters...
In a significant move that underscores the growing demand for reliable and sustainable energy to power the expanding digital infrastructure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved an interconnection agreement between Talen Energy, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Exelon. This...
In a significant move for Pennsylvania’s energy sector, State Senator Gene Yaw has introduced a transformative piece of legislation aimed at modernizing the state's approach to power plant development and capacity management. The bill, which has been the subject of considerable discussion,...
Test lead management, including quality of connection and correct lead placement, is an important part of testing. Poor or incorrect connections can be the culprit for nonrepresentative results that ultimately lead to longer test times and, in some cases, wasteful investigations...
In today’s society we are faced with many obstacles, one of these obstacles is the high cost of electricity around the world. Electricity prices for commercial, industrial and institutional have increased a considerable amount. There are many reasons why this is occurring,...
Detecting and avoiding preventable failures BY JAY GARNETT, Doble Engineering Company While metal clad switchgear can be very reliable, sometimes operating for over 50 years, throughout the aging process, this group of electrical disconnect switches, fuses and circuit breakers can experience...
Determining mechanical condition of high-voltage circuit breakers BY JOZEF LEVI, Doble Engineering Company Life expectancy of a newly installed high-voltage circuit breaker is approximately 40 years. Throughout its life, under normal circuit conditions, the circuit breaker will operate less than...
