Insulation Coordination Qualities of 500-kV

SF, Circuit Breakers

C. F. Sonnenberg, Member IEEE J. J. Brado, Member IEEE
Abstract: High-voltage laboratory tests on a 500-kV SF6 circuit
breaker are discussed and analyzed in terms of insuring effective
insulation coordination on a live-tank breaker for either 1550kV or 1800-kV BIL service. Sixty-cycle, impulse, switching
surge, and corona level tests were made at minimum operating
(alarm) pressure. Additional tests at 0 psig revealed a 60-cycle
withstand in excess of twice line-to-neutral voltage.
A uniquely designed horizontal, live-tank, circuit-breaker
bushing is presented and shown to have excellent contamination
resistance, even when wet.
The need for parallel protective gaps is stressed to relieve the
current traiisformer from acting as the coordinating element.

A live-tank circuit breaker, consisting of a multiplicity of

series-connected interrupters, paralleled by bushings and
voltage dividing capacitors, and insulated from ground by
tall porcelain columns, presents a far greater challenge to the
insulation coordination engineer than does the dead-tank circuit breaker with its surrounding ground sheath and full voltage bushings. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the
various insulation coordination requirements and properties
of a modular line of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) extra-high-voltage (EHV) circuit breakers.
The principal design characteristics of this new line of circuit breakers are described in a companion paper [1]. This
paper will be concerned with:
1. Basic insulation coordination requirements of a live-tank
circuit breaker design; both of the individual module and the
complete breaker, with contacts open and closed

2. The need for parallel protective gapping

3. Voltage distribution measurements
4
4. Corona and radio influence
(RIV) characteristics
5. Wet and dry 60-cycle characteristics
6. Full and chopped wave impulse tests
7. Biased and unbiased wet switching-surge tests
8. Insulation properties of the circuit breaker if insulating gas
pressure is lost
9. Atmospheric contamination tests under light fog.

Description of Circuit Breaker

A single pole of a 500-kV, 1550-kV BIL, live-tank, SF6 circuit breaker was chosen for this investigation in the Westinghouse High Voltage Laboratory. Three interrupter modules,
each containing two interrupting breaks, are each mounted
on a hollow porcelain support column which is guyed by two
strings of strut insulators. Two horizontal, gas-filled bushings are mounted on an interrupter module, one extending
from each end. An electrostatic grading ring encircles the
top of the support column and guy insulator strings (Fig. 1).
Within the porcelain support column are a thick-walled
insulating feed tube which conducts the high-pressure interrupting gas up to the interrupter module, an insulated operating rod, and four spring loaded insulated tie bars which hold
the porcelain sections in compression on sealing gaskets.
Paper 31 TP 65-86, recommended and approved by the Switchgear

Committee of the IEEE Power Group for presentation at the IEEE

Winter Power Meeting, New York, N. Y., January 31-February 5,
1965. Manuscript submitted November 2, 1964; made available
for printing December 9, 1964.
C. F. SONNENBERG and J. J. BRADO are both with the Westinghouse

Electric Corporation, Trafford, Pa.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON

POWER

APPARATUS AND

SYSTEMS

Fig. 1. 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker, withstanding 850 kV,

60-cycle dry, for 1 minute in the closed position
Table I. Proposed Dielectric Test Requirements 500-kV Circuit
Breakers
BIL, kV
1S00 kV
1550 kV
Rated voltage

500

Maximum rated voltage

550

Maximumdryoperating
318
1-minutevoltage
withstand
740
60-cycle
60-cycle wet 10-second withstand
665
Impulse, 1'/,x40
Full wave withstand
1550
1785
chopped wave 2000
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3-p.s
2-ps chopped wave
Switching surge

Wet withstand closed

Wet withstand opened

1050
1250

500

550

318
860

775

1800

2070

2320

1250

1250

Rain shields under each module prevent water from cascading

down the surface of the porcelain support column. The
interior of each column and interrupter module is connected
to the common low pressure SF6 system which normally is
maintained at a gas density equivalent to 45 psig at 75F.
Since the low pressure system's alarm will operate when the
pressure drops below 30 psig, all dielectric tests are conducted
with 30 psig of SF6 in the low-pressure system.
Each interrupter break is paralleled by voltage dividing
capacitors which help to distribute the open circuit voltage
more evenly among the six series breaks. Initial design calculations indicated that 22 percent of the applied voltage
would appear across the break nearest the energized terminal.
The 1800-kV I3IL circuit breaker will utilize the same three
interrupter modules as the 1550-kV
breaker, supported
on a proportionately taller insulating column. Many of the
tests discussed in this paper will be interpreted, therefore, as
an indication of performance of the 1800-kV BIL breaker.

BIlL

These interpretations will be verified soon in another HighVoltage Laboratory test program.
Table I presents the various existing, proposed, or anticipated dielectric test requirements for 500-kV circuit breakers,
VOL.

PAS-84,

NO.

10

OCTOBER 1965

TEMIA

SHEDRN

~~~~~AS

07=_Xni ~ ~ ~ ~GASINLETFRCART IDG

INILET HOLE E

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WEAHER rOVER

\CL.RENT-CARRYING

| >

T TIONARY CONTACT FOOT

TORI-SHAPED
MOUNTING FLANGE

&

Fig. 2. Cross-section of Dog-Bone bushing as mounted in interrupter model

1550-kV or 1800-kV 31L. Many of these will be discussed

individually elsewhere in this paper.
1BUSHINGS
The entrance bushings are a departure from conventional
bushing design, (Fig. 2) in that a single top plate replaces the
spring bowl. By nesting the complete spring cluster and
flexible diaphragm cylinder within the porcelain weather
casing, the upper segment of the porcelain is electrostatically
shielded from high voltage gradients in air. The toroidshaped tol) plate further adds to this shielding complex,
producing a bushing not only free of corona at maximum lineto-ground voltage, but also capable of effectively shielding
most line terminals.
Low pressure SF6 is admitted to each bushing from the
interrupter module through a filter which prohibits the passage of interruption by-products.

Realization of the industry's concern over the supposed

vulnerability of horizontal bushings to flashover when contaminated and moist prompted an extensive laboratory investigation into the mechanism underlying such flashovers.
One result was the special "Dog-Bone" bushing, so named
because of the appearance of its cross-section, as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3.
Based on the premise [2] that correctly designed sheds form
a hindrance to the propagation of partial arcs and are able to
separate ionized air paths from each other, thus preventing
the discharges on different sheds from combining to form a
single arc, this design has been proved most effective. Droplets of moisture, made conductive through contact with surace contamination, are forced to run around the insula tor
feircumference in grooves at the crest or base of each shed and
drop to earth without any axial migration. Those which do
roll over the edge of a shed drop off the sharp under-corner
852

r
Fig. 3.
3

' ':
dH
Closeup of an EHV circuit-breaker bushing showing
of

an

bushing

Dog-Bone porcelain and terminal shield gap

and fall to the root groove without creeping along the protected undersurface. Actually, 46 percent of the total creepage is protected by the overhanging skirts, a most significant
statistic on an insulator whose creepage/striking distance
ratio of 2.8 approaches the practical maximum of 3.0.

Ceordination Theory
There are three fundamentals of insulation coordination
which must be observed in the design of a live-tank circuit
breaker.

1. The breaker must not flashover internally under any normal

or expected abnormal condition.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

OCTOBER

2. External flashovers must go to ground without shunting the

open breaker contacts.
3. The weakest internal breakdown path should be across the
open or partially open contacts to prevent shunting of the

interrupter.

oGAP
\

CURRENT

INTERRUPTER
MODULES

TRANSFORMER

PARALLEL PROTECTIVE GAPS,

When a current transformer is placed on the line side of a
live-tank circuit breaker, its line-to-ground insulation normally will be chosen to coordinate with the system and breaker
by also being 1 pu. The current transformer insulation
always is subjected to the full line-to-ground voltage regardless of whether the circuit breaker is open or closed. It will,
therefore, act as a parallel protective gap in conjunction with
the circuit breaker support columns if the contacts are closed,
or singularly if the contacts are open. This is not a desirable
situation because:
1. A porcelain surface which is designed to adequately coordinate when wet and contaminated must, of necessity, have

LIGHTNING

ARRESTER

>1.3pu

3- '-l^
J

In order to achieve the required withstand voltage when the

circuit breaker contacts are closed, the designer must make
the support insulation high enough above ground so as not
to flashover at voltages less than 1 pu where 1 pu is the required withstand voltage such as rated BIL. Consequently,
whenever the circuit breaker contacts are open, the insulation
strength of the lead bushing is added to the 1-pu strength of
the support column. If 1 pu were also the external insulation
strength across the six horizontal bushings, of which 22 percent (0.22 pu) appears across the lead bushing, the opened circuit external withstand of the circuit breaker would be 1.22 pu
to ground down the support column, but only 1.0 pu across
the contacts. This, obviously, violates the second fundamental of insulation coordination in that the flashover would
be across the bushings, thus shunting the open contacts.
However, if the external withstand voltage across the bushings were at least 1.3 pu, the external withstand from an
open circuit breaker's energized terminal to ground over the
lead bushing and support column would become
(1.3 pu)(0.22)+ 1.0 pu = 1.29 pu
(1)
and the breaker would flash to ground down the column rather
than across the bushings. The first term in (1) shows that
the external withstand of a single bushing must be 0.29 pu,
corrected for atmospheric conditions; in line with the first
stated coordination fundamental, it follows that the internal withstand of a single interrupter and bushing must
exceed 0.29 pu, uncorrected.
Readers familiar with the impulse chopped wave test requirements for outdoor circuit breakers [3], [4] will observe
that achievement of the above coordination requirement
automatically insures the circuit breaker's capability to withstand the required 1.29 pu wave chopped at 2 ,As, even w ithout relying on the fact that higher voltages may be withstood
in air for a duration less than the time to full wave.
Since this paper is concerned with a 1550-kV BIL (0.86 pu
on an 1800-kV base) circuit breaker, coordination will be
verified for the 1800-kV BIL breaker, which uses the same six
interrupter modules, by observing that in the open position
the full wave withstand of the 1550-kV BIL breaker must be
at least
(1.3 pu)(0.22)-+0.86 pu = 1.15 pu
(2)
The closed position full wave withstand, however, may be
0.86 pu.

1965

COORDINATING

-- .
4 1F1
A

.IOpu 1jI.pU jjlopu {,IOPu jjoPu ,opu

1.0 pu = desired coordination level, rated BIL, etc.
Fig. 4. Schematic diagram of ideally coordinated live-tank
circuit breaker

excessive
withstand
if clean
and dry.
Such
variation voltage
makes any
insulator
or bushing
unreliable
porcelainstrenlgth
as a coordinating gap.
2. A coordinating gap also may carry a power-follow arc which
should not be drawn near the surface of a porcelain column.

Coupling the above facts with the realization that many

variables will be encountered which can upset the coordina.
tion calculations of the previous section, such as heavily contaminated bushings, parallel protective gaps definitely should
be installed on the system ahead of the current transformers.
Such gaps should be set to coordinate within the spectrum
of lightning arrester characteristics and line design factors,
but should never be greater than either the circuit breaker
impulse or switching surge requirements.
If the circuit breaker designer will then require the circuit
breaker and current transformer support insulation to have a
voltage withstand in excess of 1 pu under the most severe requirement, safe and effective insulation coordination is insured through the use of a parallel protective gap. A
schematic of an ideally gapped and coordinated circuit
breaker-current transformer combination appears in Fig. 4.
The following High-Voltage Laboratory data will be analyzed
with this requirement in mind.
Single Module Tests
A single interrupter module was mounted on top of an insulated pedestal sufficiently high to prevent a bushing from
flashing to the floor when one interrupter break was energized.
The midpoint (interrupter tank) was grounded. Sixty-cycle
and impulse tests were conducted at the minimum operating
(alarm) pressure of 30 psig across each break separately to insure that the required coordination level of 0.29 pu had been
achieved. The interrupter module appearing on the left of
Fig. 5 is mounted as was customary for these tests. A plexiglass window was installed in the module door to permit detection of internal breakdowns or intermittent discharges,
and a camera was positioned at the window to define the
breakdown location and insure compliance with the third
stated insulation coordination fundamental.

SIXTY-CYCLE TESTS

A dry 1800-kY BIL circuit breaker is required to withstand, for one minute, a 60-cycle voltage of 860 kV. The
voltage distribution and coordination calculations indicated
that a single bushing must withstand 860 kY by 0.29 or 250
kV, and it must not break down internally during this test.
The minimum one-minute, dry withstand of any bushing
tested was 255 kY, and there were no internal breakdowns

SONNENBERG AND BRADO: INSULATION COORDINATION OF 500-Ky sF6 BREAKERS

853

VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION
Verification of voltage distribution calculations

were of
prime importance to the remainder of the High Voltage Laboratory investigation. The technique employed to determine that proportion of the total applied voltage which appeared across each of the six series-connected interrupters
utilized electrostatic voltmeters connected to the energized
line terminal and other intermediate terminals. The electrostatic voltmeter leads were directed away from the breaker
along equipotential surfaces. Ground current from the remote, grounded terminal was held constant by varying the
supply voltage to adjust for the measuring meter's influence.
Percent of applied voltage appearing across each interrupting break as measured is:

Fig. 5. Single Interrupter module (left) mounted for single

bushing60-cycle wettest, right-hand horizontal Dog-Bone bushing is shown withstanding 180 kV while upper tilted bushing
flashes over

while each was flashed over ten times at an average of 275 kV.
Under standard rain conditions, the 10-second, wet withstand of an 1800-kV BIL circuit breaker should be 775 kV.
A single bushing must, in order to effectively coordinate,
withstand 775 kV by 0.29 or 225 kV. Some statistical scatter
is to be expected with wet tests; consequently, 10-second withstands were recorded as low as 218 kV and as high as 231 kV,
with a 226 kV average.
The ceiitral bushing in Fig. 5 is the Dog-Bone shown withstanding 180 kV wet while the adjacent bushing breaks down.
Note the distinctive water shedding pattern of this porcelain.
IMPULSE TESTS
Using similar logic, a single bushing of an 1800-kV BIL
circuit breaker must have an external, corrected impulse
withstand voltage of 520 kV. Internally, it must withstand
uncorrected crest voltages in excess of 520 kV.
With this test set up, the corrected positive full wave withstand of a single bushing was 492 kV; the negative was 532
kV. However, when the interrupter module was elevated to
its normal operating height above ground, the electrostatic
field changed sufficiently to raise the positive full wave withstand to 520 kV. The negative withstand remained acceptable after elevatioin.
Additional impulse shots taken at crest voltages above 520
kV uncorrected, with the bushing chopping the wave, verified
that a higher impulse withstand existed within the interrupter.
Both the oscillographic record of the applied voltage and the
aforementioned camera verified the absence of internal
breakdowns during tbese tests.
Tests on Complete Pole

A complete pole (single phase) of the 1550-kV BIL circuit

breaker, as shown in Fig. 1, was assembled using the interrupter modules whose single break tests were described in
the previous section. The low-pressure alarm pressure of
30 psig SF6 also was used throughout this part of the test
program except where otherwise stated.
854

1. Bushing 1 energized, bushing 6 grounded.

Interrupter 1: 20.5 percent
Interrupter 2: 19.5 percent
Interrupter 4: 15.0 percent
Interrupter 5: 15.4 percent
Interrupter 6: 11.6 percent
2. Bushings 1 and 6 energized at opposite polarities, midpoint
grounded.
Interrupter 1: 17.9 percent
Interrupter 2: 15.9 percernt
Interrupter 3: 16.2 percent
Interrupter 4:
16.2 percent
5: 15.9
percent
Intearrupter
Interrupter 6: 17.9 percent

Therefore, the coordination calculations which had assumed a 22 percent maximum distribution were somewhat
pessimistic but will not be changed. The taller, 1800-kV
BIL breaker should have slightly more favorable distribution
as the stray capacity to ground will be less.

CORONA AND RADIO INFLUENCE

There is no audible or visible corona in the completely
darkened laboratory at or below 400 kV with the circuitbreaker contacts open or closed. The rated maximum operating voltage to ground is 318 kV.
Visible corona begins on the column grading ring above
665 kV, breaker closed, which is greater than twice maximum

operating voltage.

Radio influence (RIV) noise was measured on the closed and

open circuit breaker using a Stoddart NM-20 meter in the
NEMA 107-A circuit. The results are plotted in Fig. 6 as
microvolts of conducted noise vs. applied voltage. The RIV
level does not exceed 100 AV with 400 kV applied regardless of
whether the contacts are open or closed. It is interesting to
observe the lower RIV noise level when the breaker is open,
indicating that most of the breaker is not at full voltage, as
explained in the section "Coordination Theory."
It is expected that the 1800-kV BIL circuit breaker will be
quieter because it will be more elevated above ground, and a
larger cross-sectional diameter column grading ring will be

utilized.

SIXTY-CYCLE TESTS
Figure 1 shows the dry 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker withstanding 850 kV in the closed position, while Fig. 7 shows a
flashover at about 900 kV under the same conditions. In the
open position, the circuit breaker was tested with the full
1000 kV (Fig. 8) available in the Westinghouse High-Voltage

1EEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

OCTOBER

INCEPTION OF AUDIBLE

600

400

CORONA

VISIBLE

/ __*

BREAKER CLOSED

AMBIENT,/

(0 -'

e0

BREAiK

R OPEN

100

200
APPLIED

300
VOLTAGE (KV)

500

400

Fig. 6. RIV curve for 1550-kV BIL live-tank circuit breaker

-_____

dy-or 1

Fig. 8. 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker withstanding 1000 kV, 60cycle dry, for 1 minute in the open position

1___

Fig. 7. 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker flashing at 900 kV, 60-cycle

dry, in the closed position

Laboratory at that time without flashing over. Considering

that the requirement for 1550-kV BIL is 740 kV, the taller
1800-kV BIL breaker should have no trouble withstanding
860 kV for 1 minute.
Closed, the 1550-kV BIL breaker must withstand 665 kV
wet for ten seconds. It actually withstood in excess of 775
kV, the 1800-kV BIL test value. Furthermore, a 12'/2 percent drop in withstand was encountered when the 0.2 in/min,
6500 S -in ASA [5] rain rate was changed to the IEC rain rate
of 0.118 in/min, 3940 B-in. The maximum withstand still
was, however, in excess of the required 665 kV.
The open test pole, wet, withstood voltages greater than
860 kV for 10 seconds, the one-minute dry withstand value.
It actually withstood, wet, the required 10-second voltage
of 775 kV for a full minute using the IEC rain rate and resistivity (Fig. 9). A wet flashover is shown in Fig. 10. In both
pictures, the right-hand bushing was energized, the lefthand grounded. Intra-shed cavity corona is quite visible,
but shown capably confined within the Dog-Bone shed cavities in Fig. 9.
Readers are advised that these photographs are time exposures and that the center bushing flashovers in Fig. 10 were
intermittent discharges prior to the actual breakdown which
occurred over the right-hand bushing and down the right1965

Fig.9. 1550-kVBILcircuitbreakerwithstanding750kV,60-cycle
wet, in the open position

Fig. 10. 1550 kV BIL circuit breaker flashing over at 800 kV,
60-cycle wet, in the open position

SONNENBERO AND BRADO: INSULATION COORDINATION OF

500-KV SF6 BREAKERS

855

hand column. Thus, the center bushing may flash over

singularly many times as it did here, but the first flashover
of the lead, or right-hand, bushing went to ground; a demonstration of effective coordination.
IMPULSE TESTS
With its contacts closed the 1550-kV BIL pole unit was
tested with three consecutive 11/2x40 impulse waves, each
of both positive and negative polarity to insure that the maximum corrected full wave withstand exceeded 1550 kV. A
parallel rod gap permitted chopping at the 3- and 2-,us voltages
set forth in Table I for 1550-kV BIL, also without internal
breakdown. Additional closed position testing, with only
the circuit breaker column chopping the wave, was done up
to 2400 kV and 6 ,us.
In the open position, the circuit breaker withstood three
full wave shots of either polarity at crest voltages of 1900 kV,
uncorrected. The open position corrected full wave withstand was to have been exactly 1.15 pu (2070 kV) according to
(2). The actual maximum full wave withstand, as measured
and corrected, was 2062 kV. Chopped wave tests, utilizing
a parallel rod gap, were successfully conducted without internal breakdown at the 3- and the 2-,us voltages required for
1800-kV BIL.
Even cursory analysis of these results makes it evident that
a circuit breaker column which is 25 inches taller definitely
will withstand the 1800-kV BIL impulse requirements.

SWITCHING SURGES
System design engineers are convinced, and have proved,
that 500 kV systems will receive their greatest insulation stress
from switching surges. These are overvoltages produced on
a transmission line whenever switching occurs and can, under
certain conditions, attain a crest voltage level higher than
2.5 times the maximum line-to-neutral crest voltage.
Much has been written in the last few years [6]-[14] about
switching surges and their effect on line and apparatus insulation. However, no definite switching surge test procedure
or voltage requirements have been written for power circuit
breakers. The technique adopted for this investigation represents a composite of those features deemed significant by
other investigators [9], [12]-[14]:
1. A wave which crests in 125 us and decays to half-voltage
by 4500 ,us was chosen to be in a range found most critical in
air. The wave shape definition is that used by Atwood, et al.

[14].

the 3-sigma withstand. However, since there usually are

only two circuit breakers per line section although there may
be 1000 suspension insulator strings, the same insurance
against system flashover can be maintained by asking the circuit breaker to meet a 2-sigma (2.3 percent) flashover requirement instead of a 3-sigma (0.13 percent). This is consistent with the proposed switching surge withstand requirements for EHV air switches [12], [15].
5. Wet switching surge tests are more typical and subject to
less variation when the rain conforms to IEC rather than ASA
standards. Since, with switching surges, as with the wet 60cycle tests, the IEC rain rate gives a lower withstand voltage,
there should be no objection to relying on data accumulated
using the IEC values.
Switching surge results for the closed circuit breaker, accumulated according to the described method, are shown plotted
on a probability scale in Fig. 11. Note that the 1050 kV
requirement is exceeded regardless of the method chosen to
define withstand. The lowest 2-sigma withstand is with the
positive polarity IEC test at 1150 kV. Figure 12 shows a
column flashing over at a crest voltage- exceeding 1200 kV
during this test series.
Open position wet switching surge tests were conducted on
one terminal while the opposite terminal was energized at the
maximum rated line-to-ground voltage of 318 kV (rms).
The surge generator was fired at the crest (450 kV) opposite
in polarity to the switching surge, therefore making the voltage
difference across the open contacts the measured surge crest
voltage plus 450 kV. Testing with the 318 kV bias revealed
no difficulties, and some additional shots were taken with a
550 kY bias (785 kY crest) to simulate full line-to-line voltage
appearing on the opposite terminal. Figure 13 shows the 2sigma withstand level to be 1300 kV (2085 kV total) when the
surge was positive and fired at the 785 kV negative crest.
Note the 60-cycle corona on the right-hand bushing and
grading ring of Fig. 14 while a positive surge streamer is seen
on the left-hand bushing. in Fig. 15, the central column is
flashing over after the left-hand terminal was hit with a 1550
kV crest negative switching surge, with right-hand bushing
still at 555 kV (rms). The complete breaker was being
sprayed according to the JEC rain test requirements in both
figures.
When one terminal is biased, as described here, the voltage
distribution and coordination are not exactly as explained in
the earlier section. There is a distribution of 60-cycle voltage
starting at one terminal, a distribution of switching surge
voltage starting at the other terminal, and the flashover some-times may occur at the central column where the most severe
gradients will exist if a single outboard bushing flashes first,.
as is shown in Fig. 15. The many possible variations of wet
switching surge flashovers, even during consecutive shots
under identical conditions,
indicate the importance of the
prle oriaiggp

2. Earlier work on circuit breakers in the laboratory had

shown wet switching surges to be more critical than dry, and
the work reported here confirms that observation.
3. Thewithstand voltageisidefined as therest voltagewhich
falls two standard deviations (2-sigma) below that voltage
r *
............... parallel coordinating gap.
which has a 50-percent probability of flashing- over
(critical
voltage), assuming; that the probability of flashover conforms th No internal breakdowns or external flashovers betu-een
to a Gaussianor
standard istribution,random nature of the
switching surge flashover makes one
4. Twenty consecutive shots of the same voltage are sufficient
wary of guaranteeing 100 percent effective coordination,
to define the probability of flashover at that voltage when seekespecially with the taller columns utilized for 1800-kV 13IL,
ing to establish the 2-sigmalevel. Four such points should be
unless a coordinating gap is installed beyond the current
accumulated between 15 and 85^ )ercent flashover to define the
transformer. WVith such a gap) set to flashover on surges abSove
)robability curve with acceptable accuracy, a straight line
1250-kV crest to ground, the breaker can be expected not to
when plotted on a probability scale. Suspension insulator
flashover, even if the Ol)pOsite terminal carries a 2 p)u bias.
designers [14] are asking for 40 shots at each voltage to define
In discussions of switching surge voltages, 1 pu equ-als. the

w-et

856(

IEEE

TrRAN5ACTION5

ON POWER

APPARATUS

AND

SYSTEMS5

OCTlOBER

NWITHSAND L!VEL

>

1050

AR CL

0.2

5
20
50
80
95 9999E 99.99
PROBABILITY OF FLASHOVER IN PERCENT

Fig. 11. Wet switching surge probability curve for 1550-kV BIL
live-tank circuit breaker in the closed position

Fig. 14. 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker withstanding a wet 1250-kV

positive switching surge on the left-hand terminal while the
right-hand terminal is energized at 785-kV (60-cycle crest)

negative polarity

Fig. 12. 1550-ky BIL circuit breaker flashing above 1200 kV

under wet switching surge testing in the closed position

I400C

a ~~~~~~~~~~~~
a
1300

785KV CREST BIASOPPOSITE TERMINAL

I0
125

250

KREUED WTH TD-

~~~Fig. 15. 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker flashing to ground with a

wet 1550-ky negative switching surge applied to the left-hand
and positive 785 kV (60-cycle crest) applied to the
right-hand bushing

~~~~~~~~~~terminal

z
50
80
95 9 9i9iT 1s
PROBABILITY OF FLASHOVER IN PERCENT

02I1

Fig. 13. Wet switching surge probability curve for 1550-kV BIL
live-tank circuit breaker in the open position

1965

SONNENBERG AND BRADO: INSULATION COORDINATION OF

500-Kv SF6

BREAKERS

857

maximum rated line-to-neutral crest voltage (450 kV for 500

kV systems).
Loss of Pressure

Any pressurized insulating vessel must be designed with

thought given to the insulation strength remaining if the gas
pressure should be lost. Although a circuit breaker is impaired as an interrupting device if all gas pressure is lost, the
EHV system operator cannot tolerate a complete dielectric

breakdown under normal service conditions. For this reason,

tests were made to determine the dielectric strength of these
EHV circuit breakers if the SF6 pressure should drop to 0
psig and to substantiate the following statements.

BREAKER CLOSED
The closed circuit breaker containing one atmosphere (0 psig)
of SF6 will withstand, without internal breakdown, any of the
closed position tests discussed in this paper. In other words,
the breaker will, at 0 psig:
1. Withstand for one minute the required 60-cycle test
2. Flashover externally on 60-cycle overvoltages
3. Withstand its BIL and 3- and 2-ps impulse chopped waves
4. Withstand switching surges as graphically shown in Fig. 11.

BREAKER OPEN
In the open position, the dielectric strength across the
separated contacts becomes critical whenever all positive SF
pressure is lost. Nevertheless, the following insulation levels
exist at 0 psig where the open breaker will:
1. Withstand a 60-cycle voltage in excess of twice the maximum
line-to-neutral voltage (636 kV)
2. Withstand impulse full waves less than or equal to 1/2 the
rated BIL (900 kV)
3. Withstand switching surges less thanor equal to 2 pu (900kV).
Contamination Tests
Additional testing on the specially-mounted module (Fig.
16) compared the Dog-Bone bushing to conventional sawtooth or sine-wave shed designs normally used on horizontally
oriented porcelains. The concern given to atmospheric contamination stems from our previous studies and results agreeing with Nasser [2]:
The higher the system voltage, the greater is the percentage
of the failures caused by polluted surface flashovers and the lower
is the probability of a flashover due to lightning surges.
Hand cleaning, live washing, and the application of silicone
grease are all expensive, and the use of insulators with a satisfactory performance in polluted atmospheres is certainly the most
economic solution in the long run.6
the
insulators occur
in service when
FlashoversFlasoves
on polluted
opolute inulaors
ccu inservce
henthe
surface conductivity of the insulators exceeds a definite value
which varies with the shape of the insulators. To make it
conductive, the pollution deposit requires a sufficient amount of
moisture which dissolves the solid ion-forming parts of the
pollution layer. Dew, fog, and drizzling rain are the most
frequent causes of the thorough wetting of insulator surfaces
in service.
This was the philosophy underlying our early investigations
which ultimately resulted in the Dog-Bone shed design. To
prove the merits of this configuration, a contamination testing
procedure was developed, based primarily on the following

assumptions:
1. Applying multiple layers of contaminant added not only
considerable time, but also increased the variation between
858

:
4
3C
l|
Fig. 16. Right-hand horizontal Dog-Bone bushing contaminated with Kieselguh r and exposed to light fog (110 kV applied)

successive tests; i.e., the amount of contaminant deposited in

application could be more closely controlled than that

one

applied in a series of coats with intermediate wetting.

2. The lightest possible fog spray was used because it had no
washing effect, was very effective in producing contaminant
ionization, was capable of consistent reproduction, and was not
too time consuming.
3.
according to the
The Kieselguhr contaminant,VDEprepared
G
of
for testingfrom
German standard
0448/1.63
was deposited
under thespecification
effect of contamination,
insulators
above by gravity in uniform amounts on a prewet porcelain.
4. A constant 60-cycle voltage was applied at a fixed time
interval after the fog had been started, and the time to flashover
was recorded. However, a flashover comparison also was made
to approximate the situation when the bushings are energized

suddenly.

In light of these assumptions, a contamination evaluation

test was established with the following sequence:
1. Each bushing was thoroughly wet with tap water.
2. Contaminant was deposited from an overhead screenbottom box by uniform agitation of the box.
3. Overhead fog nozzles (tap water and compressed air) were
turned on immediately, at time To.
4. A 60-cycle voltage was applied across the insulator 30 seconds
(To+0.5 min) later. This voltage initially was chosen to produce
flashovers in a reasonable time, but had to be the same thereafter.
5. Time to flashover from To was recorded for at least ten
successive tests of which the mean time and standard deviation
were calculated.
6. Another series of tests was conducted on bushings connte elso et a odee nbsmsen
where the until
flashby the
same procedure,
taminated
60-cycle
each minutebutafter
over had been
recorded
stabiIiza-

tion became apparent.

TO+5

RESULTS
An interrupter module was outfitted with one Dog-Bone
bushing and one bushing whose weather casing sheds were of
the saw-tooth form. Both bushings were of identical length,
but the Dog-Bone design offered 25 percent more creepage.
The module was mounted similarly to the left-hand module in
Fig. 16, and several comparative tests were run to evaluate the
relative dry, wet, and contamination flashover properties.
The following significant points were learned:
1. The 60-cycle dry withstand of the two bushings was identical.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

OCTOBER

2. The 60-cycle wet withstand of the Dog-Bone bushing was

15 percent higher than the saw-tooth bushing.
3. The mean withstand time before flashover when contaminated, fogged, and energized at 150 kV, as outlined in step 5,
was 30 percent higher for the Dog-Bone design although the
standard deviations varied by only 0.1 minute.
4. Flashover voltages were compared until stabilization occurred, according to step 6, with the two bushings contaminated
and subject to fog. The Dog-Bone bushing's flashover voltage
was always at least 331/3 percent higher than the saw-tooth

bushing.
Note in Fig. 16, where the contaminated Dog-Bone
bushing iS shown withstanding 110 kV while fogged, the
effectiveness of its shed design in directing the contaminant
stream around to the underside of the proce]ain.

[6] I. S. Stekolnikov, E. N. Brago, and E. M. Bazelyan, "The

peculiarities of oblique wave front discharges and their role in
the estimation of EHV transmission line insulation," presented
at the International Conference, Surrey, England, 1962.
[7] A. J. McElroy, W. S. Price, H. M. Smith, and D. F. Shankle,
"Field measurement of switching surges on unterminated 345kV transmission lines," IEEE Trans. on Power Apparatus and
Systems, vol. 82, pp. 465-487, August 1963.
[8] A. Klopfenstein, E. York, and J. W. Kalb, "Effect of preceding
bias voltages on switching surge operation of spill gaps and
lightning arresters," Trans. AIEE (Power Apparatus and
Systems), vol. 81, pp. 320-327, August 1962.
[9] J. W. Kalb, "How the switching surge family affects line insulation," IEEE Trans. on Power Apparatus and Systems, vol.
82, pp. 1024-1033, December 1963.
[10] G. N. Aleksandrov and V. L. Ivanov, "Electrical strengths of
air gaps and insulator strings under the action of switching
surges," Elektrichestro, no. 9, 33-38, pp. 460-473, 1962 (in

[11] Russian).
S. C. Killian and J. H. Moran, "Characteristics of EHV station
post insulators," IEEE Trans. on Power Apparatus and Systems,
vol. 83, pp. 280-285, March 1964.
Conclusion
[12] J. B. Owens, "The determination of switching surge withstand
1. It has been shown through analytical logic, through High
voltages for EHV insulation systems," IEEE Trans. on Power
'
and
vol. 83, pp. 263-266, March 1964.
Voltage Laborator
tests
individualinterApparatus
Voltage Laboratory tests on individual
iterrupter
modules,
[13] D. E. AlexanderSystems,
and E. W. Boehne,
"Switching surge insulation
and through complete High Voltage Laboratory verification
level of porcelain insulator strings," IEEE Trans. on Power

tests on one pole of a 1550-kV BIL circuit breaker that such a

live-tank EHV circuit breaker will coordinate effectively not
only at 1550-kV BIL, but equally well at 1800-kY BIL.
2. An EHV circuit breaker can be designed to withstand
switching surges in excess
,. . . of 2.8 pu while
. . . . . . . .remaining within .the
coordination spectrum dictated by existing
60-cycle and impulse standards.
3. The line of EHV circuit breakers which will be constructed
around this basic interrupter module retains considerable dielectric strength even if all gas pressure is lost. In the open
position, the breaker will withstand 60-cycle voltages in excess
of twice line-to-neutral besides exhibiting moderate impulse
and switching surge strength.
4. A uniquely designed horizontal, live-tank, circuit breaker
bushing hasbeen shown

to

bemorecapableofwithstanding

re
bumosphing i contamination,
bentaminen
shownntodbe
fof conditions,
nditong
atmospheric
evenemo
under
light fog
than a conventionally designed bushing while also having a
higher wet withstand.
5. Although effective coordination was demonstrated for
these live-tank circuit breakers, the need for parallel protective gaps has been stressed on the basis that there are many
capa

variables such as the random nature of switching

vontariablessuch
the
ings which
whashmayupset
contaminated
bushings
may reo
upset thechingosurgesior
coordination
balance. Also, such a parallel gap would relieve the current
transformer from having to act as the coordinating gap.
surges

or

Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the Westinghouse High Voltage
Laboratory personnel for their cooperation in the accumulation and analysis of the data presented in this paper.

and Systems,
vol. 83, pp. 1145-1157, November and
Apparatus
W. Atwood,
J. F. Wittibschlager, A. R. Hileman,1964.
[14] A.
J. W. Skooglund, Jr.,
"Switchingsurge
tests on simulated EHV towerinsulator systems," presented at the 1964 Western Electronic
Show and Convention, Los Angeles, Calif., August 1964.
[15] American Standard Test Code for High Voltage Air Switches,
ASA C37.34, Proposed additions to cover switching
~~~~~testing of EHV switches, Fourth draft, January 1965. surge

Discussion
A. W. Atwood, Jr. (Southern California Edison Company,

Los Angeles, Calif.): From a user's standpoint, it is difficult

to understand the stress placed upon the necessity of a parallel
protective gap. It is agreed that any porcelain insulator or
bushing is unreliable as a coordinating gap and that a powerfollow arc should not be drawn near the surface of a porcelain
column. However, by the very nature of the circuit, a transmission line terminating in a substation, there will always be
many, perhaps even thousands, parallel gaps over porcelain
such as line insulators, post insulators, and disconnect switches,
as well as the current transformer.
When open, the 1550-kV BIL design circuit breaker has a
1.3 pu withstand across the gap and a 1.15 pu over the column,
or a safety factor of 13 percent. However,
1800-kV
BIL design, the withstand across the gap is stillon1.3,the
and that of
the column is 1.29, a mere 1-percent less. In the case of disconnect switches, a 10-percent margin of safety is normally
required. However, in the case of this PCB, it already has
30-percent margin over the surrounding porcelain station posts,
disconnect switches, etc., which should be satisfactory. To
install a gap in the line side would only lower the overall coordination of the system and invite unnecessary outages.

J. E. Beehler (American Electric Power Service Corporation,

New York, N. Y.): The authors have presented a most interestReferences
ing
paper on the determination of the coordination and characand R N.
IRCVanSickle
"A 500kVcircuitbreaker
N. Yekley
Yeckley,
500-kY circuit
teristics
new breaker's
insulation.
SF ggas," IEEE
using
on Power"AApparatu
R.C.Vang
Many of
REEETrans.
of this
the questions
and Systems,
of power
system engineers on how this
[2] E. Nasser, "The problem of flashovers on contaminated insunew insulation breaker can be integrated into a new or existing
lators," Elekt. Zeit., ETZ-A vol. 83, pp. 356-365, May 1962
system are answered. The notable answers are:
(in German).
[3] 0. Naef and C. E. Asbury, "Power circuit breaker insulation
1. If a pole unit flashes over, it is expected that the flashover
coordination-required minimum volt-time characteristics for
will occur on the external insulation of the breaker.
power circuit breakers," Trans. AIEE (Power Apparatus and
2.IthSFgaprsueilot(dcdtonetmpee)
Systems), vol. 79, pp. 1129-1150, February 1961.2.Ith
Fgaprsue1lot(dcdtonetmpee)
[4] American Standard AC High-Voltage Circubit Breaker Tests,
the closed breaker designed insulation strength will notr be
ASA C37.06-1964, Addendum A, Table 5, Schedule of Diimpaired; however, an open breaker could be expected to flash
electric Test Values, July 1964.
-across the arcing contacts if a surge having a crest value of twice
[5] American Standard Insulator Tests, ASA C29.1-1961.
the leg voltage (900 kV) is experienced.
[1

1965

ickle

nd

breaker

SONNENBERG AND BRADO: INSULATION COORDINATION OF 500-Ky SF6 BREAKERS

859

3. The impulse flashover characteristics of the support column

were found and noted to be equivalent to a 2400-kV impulse
wave chopped in 6 As.
One unanswered question that comes to mind concerns the
assembly of a 3-phase unit. What is the minimum allowable
spacing between pole units to limit the unbalance in voltage
distribution across the open contacts of the pole unit to a safe
value, assuming that a normal 60-cycle voltage is impressed on
the bus terminals, a dc bias voltage is impressed on two line
terminals, and a switching surge voltage is impressed on the third
line terminal of the breaker? This rather complicated voltage
combination is a normal condition experienced by a breaker
after interrupting a line fault and the remote breaker re-energizes
the line.
R. M. Milton and F. Smith (Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tenn.): The authors' paper deals with an interesting
as well as difficult problem. The authors are to be congratulated
for presenting this insulation coordination problem in a comprehensive and logical manner. The information and test values
will be of much assistance to the people who will later determine
the method and values to be used in making proof tests as required to demonstrate that flashovers will be phase to ground,
externally, instead of flashing the open gap either internally or

externally.
Sound engineering practice demands not only that the three
basic tenets of insulation coordination as stated in this paper
are met, but that reasonable margins exist between external
flashover to ground, open gap flashover, and internal flashover.
In testing airbreak switches, the margin between phase to ground
and open gap flashover may be verified by establishing a flashover
level for phase to ground insulation, then deliberately increasing
the insulation to ground and establishing a flashover level across
the open gap. The ratio of minimum open gap flashover to
maximum phase to ground flashover is the margin of safety.
A convenient means sometimes used to increase the phase to

ground insulation is to mount the switch base itself on insulator

stacks. When normal insulation is required, the stacks are simply
short-circuited with conducting leads. It would be interesting
to have the authors' opinion as to whether a similar technique
might be used in testing airblast circuit breakers.
It is noted that no dry switching surge test data are presented.
Dry flashover values at these levels, especially at 1800-kV BIL,
become quite high, often taxing the facilities of test laboratories.
In view of this fact, and the well-known paradoxical behavior
of switching surge discharges, we wonder if proper insulation
coordination in the switching surge region is correctly demonstrated with only wet tests.
In the description of the coordination theory, the statement
is made that "the breaker must not flash over internally under
any inormal or expected abnormal condition." This is not a
very specific statement and a more detailed explanation is
desired. It. is to be hoped that the coordination is such that
flashover will be to ground at all times regardless of whether
normal or abnormal conditions exist. It is expected that all
six closing contacts in the breaker will close within a period of
one-half cycle or less; however, it is reasonable to expect some
maladjustment which would delay closing of a contact. Would
this cause an external flashover and what would be the resulting

damage?

E. Nasser (Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa): This paper

represents a completely new design aspect of circuit breakers
which is more than welcome in view of the challenging problems
of EHV insulation. It is also the first paper that I know of
whih seriously investigates the influene of ontamination on
insulation coordination of power apparatus. For these two
reasons, it has made a substantial progress not only in insulation

design, but also in demonstrating all the important and some of

the conventional factors which should be taken into consideration
in the coordination of insulation. In particular, the contamination problem was given a special consideration which it
actually deserves since contamination problems do not exist

only in polluted atmospheres, but also in areas where air contamination was not considered of any danger to the insulation
ability under all weather conditions [1].
860

Fig. 17. Schematic

flashover voltage

characteristic of
two different insulator types as a
function of the
amount or conductivity of contaminant
g

wVDv,

I-

0>
:

>

v2
vA
B
AMOUNT OF CONTAMINATION OR
SURFACE LAYER CONDUCTIVITY

The tests described in this paper which were carried out under
simulated atmospheric contamination require, however, much
more care if the results and their interpretations are to yield
correct reproducible information.
Important factors that govern results obtained from laboratory
contamination tests include surface layer distribution [2],
method of moistening, the way of applying the test voltage and
the condition of the surface and also the method of interpreting
the results.
The method of applying the contaminant as used by the
authors, although it seems very similar to the actual contamination process, is not capable of producing surface layers comparable with natural ones. Examining naturally contaminated
insulators placed at different locations of different pollution and
atmospheric conditions had shown that the periodic distribution
of surface layer along the insulator length varies between uniformity and two different extremes. After heavy rains the
contaminant is thicker underneath the sheds than on exposed
surfaces and is thicker on these surfaces after long dry periods.
In the average and after mixed weather conditions, the deposited
surface layer is usually very near to being uniform. In laboratory
tests, changing the periodic distribution of a surface layer could
change the performance of an insulator to a great extent [3].
A second point which must be given great care when performing contamination tests is the moistening of the surface.
In practice, this can take place either by dew, which is sometimes
accompanied by fog, or by light rain or drizzle. While dew
produces a more or less uniform moisture layer, rain or drizzle
causes a completely nonuniform unpredictable moisture layer,
which depends on intensity, conductivity, and direction of rain.
In order to keep the amount of variables at a minimum, and
since dew and fog are considered to have the strongest insulation
deteriorating effect, a simulated moistening method was agreed
upon, which produced results correlating with practical experience. Therefore, the overhead fog or spray nozzles used by
the authors do not represent the most severe and common conditions and could yield misleading results.
The third point, which is often overlooked by many researchers
in this area, is the dependability of insulator performance on the
height of test voltage applied. Figure 17 illustrates this fact
for two insulator types, A and B. It is seen that at a voltage
VI, insulator B is superior to A. If the voltage is lowered to
V2, the performance reverses. The test voltage should, therefore,
be equal to the actual service voltage for most realistic results.
I hope that the 150 kV used corresponds to the actual service
voltage. Experience has also shown that measuring flashover
voltages by means of applying a test voltage and increasing it to
flashover is an intorrect proredure.
k oordinate the authors' results with others, I would like
To
to know whether the surface aurrent and the resistivity of the
contaminant were measured and, if so, whieh values were
obtained.
REFERENCES

[1 ] T. Wittenzellner, "The influences of climate on insulation ability

of outdoor insulators," Elektrizitaetswirtschaft, vol. 61, pp. 212217, April 1962, (in German).
[2 ] E. Nasser, "The behavior of artificially polluted suspension
insulators under the influence of natural rain," Report of CIGRE

Working Group on Insulator Pollution, April 1963.

tributed contamination layers,ISElekt. Zeit.,

353-357, June 1963 (in German).

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

ETZ-A,ivorl. 84,spp
OCTOBER

REFERENCE

[1] E. W. Boehrie aiid G. Carrara, 'Switchinig surge insulation

strength of EHV line and station insulating structures," Rept.
415, CIGIlE, Paris, France, 1964.

Fig. 18. Surge induced on the 50-c/s voltage (upper beam)

applied to one terminal of a switch by the switching surge
(lower beam) applied to the other terminal (voltage scales are
not the same)

Fig. 19. View of the CESI high-voltage laboratory showing the

switch (being assembled) and its clearances from the generator and the transformers, approximately 40 feet from each
G. Carrara (Centro Elettrotecnico Speriinentale Italiaiio, Milan,
Italy): I wish to report a phenomenon which occurred during
bias voltage switching surge tests performed in 1963, in the highvoltage laboratory of CESI, Milan. The same phenomenion
may have also occurred during the bias switching surge tests
reported in the paper and, therefore, was perlhaps considered before
adding to the 1300-kV switching surge applied to one terminal
arid the 785-kV negative crest of the bias voltage applied to the
other terminal. The value of 2085 kV total withstood across
the terminals seems, to me, a little too high if one considers the
voltage distribution and the power frequency sparkover voltage
of each bushing under wet conditions.
Figure 18 shows the oscillograins of the 50-c/s voltage applied
to one terminial (upper beain) of an open switch tested as in [1],
arid of the switching surge applied to the other terniiinal (lower

beam).
On the 50-c/s voltage wave, it is evident that there is superpositioii of a surge having the same waveform and the same
polarity of the switchiiig surge applied to the other terminal.
Such an effect is considered a result of the capacitive coupling of
the two terminals.
In the case of our switch, the crest value of the induced surge
voltage was approximately 10 percent of the crest value of the
applied switching surge; the results were accordingly corrected.
In the case described in the paper, rny feeling is that such a
phenomenion may be more pronounced than in our case, since:
1) the indoor laboratory where the tests were performed seems
to allow less clearance (and, therefore, higher coupling) than
those of our tests which were approximately 40 feet from both
the generator and the transformer cascade (see Fig. 19), and 2)
the voltage dividing capacitors, coiinected between the two
terriiinals wlhen the breaker is open, represent an additional
strong coupling.
A second point that I wish to submit to the authors is that
my experience on the behavior of rod-rod gaps, especially with

respect to switching surges, is such that I will not consider them

as reliable protective devices for systems of 420 kV and above
since the higher the voltage, the worse they behave.
1965

SONNENBEiIG

AND BRADO:

R. B. Shores (General Electric Company, Philadelphia, Pa.):

The authors have presented an interesting paper on the insulation
qualities of a new 500-kV SF6 circuit breaker. The three insulation coordination fundamentals listed under the heading "Coordination Theory" are laudable. However, exception must be
taken to the authors' approach to the problem.
The basic error in the coordination theory presented is the
implied assumption that a flashover under any voltage waveform occurs instanitaneously from the line terminiial to ground
(i.e., over one entranice bushing to the tank and simultaneously
over the support columni from tank to ground). The problem
lies in the fact that such flashovers, particularly with the various
capacitances involved in the interrupter module, proceed in
_"steps," althouglh these steps may be separated in time by only
a fractioni of a microsecond. The flashover of the entrance
bushing arid the support columni can occur at separate time
intervals with the result that each remaining interrupter break
(and entrance bushing) is subjected to a sudden and very steep
voltage increase. Flashover, or intermittent discharge, can then
occur across the other breaks; this may or may not cause damage
when tested by a laboratory voltage surge, but in actual service
could be followed by power flow. The flashover of a center
bushing can be simultaneously matched by flashovers internally
in the entrance bushings (if riot in the taiiks) of the remaining
breaks. Since laboratory flashover marks internally in SFginsulated elements are difficult to find, cameras and viewing
windows become a requirement for the interior of all tanks and
bushings (as well as exteriial observation) to realiy state what
occurred oii each test.
This insulation coordination problem has been the subject of
niuch industry discussion in the past 5 to 10 years, with a final
general agreement that the only practical solution is to design
to specified withstarid conditions. The authors' later conclusion
that one must be "wary of guaranteeing 100 percent effective
coordination" seems to continue to be the only tenable conclusion.
The peculiar Dog-Bone design of the sheds of the entrance
bushing porcelaiii, described under the heading "Contamination
Tests," is certainly a novel approach. However, the deposition
of contaminant from immediately above by gravity (as stated
in the first section of the paper) is hardly a practical case since
such material is usually carried at some angle by wind. It is
also not usually deposited in one coat (as appears necessary to
determine atiy variation in the test data in voltage withstand
between various shed designs). The serious difficulty with the
design appears to be the loss in the washing effectiveness of rain.

R. H. Bower (Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, Allentown, Pa.): In this paper, it is indicated that parallel protective
gaps should definitely be installed ahead of the current transformers on any system utilizing these breakers. The authors
also indicate that such gaps should be set to coordinate with the
Iine design factors, as well as within the spectrum of lightning
arrester characteristics, but beneath the circuit breaker impulse
or switching surge requirements. The information regarding

the gap setting is desirable and could very well be provided by

the circuit breaker manufacturer at time of testing the circuit
breaker in question. I would be interested in knowing your
recommendation for a gap setting which would coordinate
properly with your circuit breaker.
It is indicated, in the paper, that for an 1800-kV BIL circuit
breaker, the 60-cycle 1-minute withstand should be 860 kV
and the withstand for 10 seconds under wet conditions should
be 775 kV. Various station insulator manufacturers have set
requirements for stacks of insulators at around 990 kV for the
dry withstaiid and 900 kV for the wet. One of the authors'
competitors is working on a breaker design using a 1025-kV
dry withstand and an 880-kV wet withstand. It, would be
desirable from an insulation coordination standpoint to have
the Westinghouse SF6 gas circuit breaker rated 500 kV, 1800-kV

rNSULATION COORDINATION

OF

500-KV SF6

BREAKERS

861

BIL to be built with a dry withstand no less than 990 kV and a

wet withstand no less than 900 kV.
After witnessinig a series of contamination tests with the
Dog-Bone as compared to the tilted bushing with the saw-tooth
or sine wave rainshed under extremely heavy contamination,
I conclude that the flashover values in time are essentially the
same. For lesser contaminations, the Dog-Bone design bushing
did show superiority in withstand for the tests performed.
Since contamination is a very real operating problem, an accepted nmethod of testing would be desirable. It is recognized
that cointaiminlatioin in various parts of the country is represented
by widely different exposures. It would, therefore, be very
difficult to devise a contamination test which would cover the
many operating conditions. This is a field which should be
further explored in order to provide a test procedure for checking
equipment under various conditions of contamination which could
be considered representative.

Normal operating voltage is approximately 70 kV per bushing

and some tests measuring time to flashover were conducted at
that voltage. Twice, operating voltage was chosen for the
majority of the program because the testing time was shortened
without an effect on either standard deviation or relationship
between candidate bushing designs.
Dr. Nasser wisely questions reliance on comparative flashover
voltage magnitudes. This was done to approximate sudden
switching applications, but was not the primary means of comparison. The primary means was the actual time to flashover
at a given voltage.
Mr. Atwood wonders why the concern over a current transformer porcelain acting as a coordinating gap when there are
thousands of parallel gaps over line insulator, post insulator,
and disconnect switch porcelains. None of these other porcelains
are pressurized, and none have a central electrode to draw a
flashover into the porcelain.
The circuit breaker, in the open position, does have the 30percent margin over the required levels, but the current transformer would not if it were designed to just meet its requirements.
We would like to re-emphasize our statement that, "parallel
gaps should be set to coordinate within the spectrum of lightningarrester characteristics and line design factors, but never greater
than either the circuit breaker impulse or switching surge requirements." A gap set equal to the breaker's requirements
cannot lower the overall coordination of the system and invite
unnecessary outages as suggested by Mr. Atwood, nor lie beneath
the breaker's impulse or switching surge requirements as interpreted by Mr. Bower.
We did not suggest rod-rod gaps for coordination, because, as
Dr. Carrara suggests, they are not reliable for system protectionl.
Gap types and settings can only be made after reviewing a
particular system's coordination spectrum, and so we will refrain
from recommending a single specific gap setting.
Coordination insurance for live-tank, EHV breakers through
reliance on parallel gaps is not new to the Institute, the suggestion
having also been made at the previous Winter Power Meeting [1].
Our basic design philosophy of this breaker was that a manufacturer, circuit breaker or station post insulator, does not set
withstand requirements, but conforms to existing or anticipated
industry standards. For this reason, the 60-cycle dry and wet
withstands of the 1800-kV BIL breaker were set at 860 kV and
775 kV, respectively. Both are logical extrapolations of existing
standards at lower voltage levels, and agree with the majority
of customer specifications. They coordinate with the withstand
levels suggested by most insulator manufacturers.
Analysis of the data presented in this paper shows, however,
that the breaker will withstand voltages well in excess of the
anticipated standards. The 1550-kV BIL breaker actually
withstood greater than 860 kV to grouiid and 1000 kV across its
open contact.
Like our competitor, we are also manufacturing an 1800-kV
BIL breaker with a 60-cycle dry withstand in excess of 1000 kV,
but these breakers are for a system with certain specific voltage
requirements which even the customer recognizes as nonstandard.
The simple arithmetic presented in the coordination section
was intended only to be illustrative of the general coordination
requirements and the difference between an open and a closed
circuit breaker. We were not, as Mr. Shores states implying
a
an assumption that a flashover under any voltage waveform
occurs instantaneously from the line terminal to ground. In
fact, Fig. 10 was presented and carefully explained to illustrate
fthat central bushings may intermittently flashover but that the
flashover to ground iS always initiated by a flashover of a lead

E. W. Boehne (I-T-E Circuit Breaker Company, Philadelphia,

Pa.): The authors have pioneered in an area of EHV research
and testing, and submitted a report which is unique in the field.
They have abandoned outmoded standards, have approached
their problem realistically, and have used the growing body of
EHV knowledge in a prudent and useful manner. Their report
of the testing of a 500-kV power circuit breaker with the 125-,us
front switching surge will readily fall within the range of wave
shapes being recommended for such product testing.
I would like to ask if the open breaker has been tested with
the negative switching surge of such a magnitude as to flash
over the dry bushing externally, or was this magnitude limited
by an actual or assumed terminal arrester?
C. F. Sonnenberg and J. J. Brado: It has been rewarding to

us to receive so many well prepared discussions on a paper which

had been primarily focused on tests beyond the scope of presently

existing standards.
Concern has been expressed about the contamination testing
technique, and we most heartily support the pleas for standards
in this yet undefined area. Dr. Nasser's introductory comments
summarize very well the present state of the art. Some, however, have questioned certain elements in the reported contamination testing procedure. It must be emphasized that the
contamination tests were only intended to compare two porcelains identical in all physical and voltage characteristics except
for shed configuration. They cannot be used to predict the time
to flashover under any field-encountered conditions, nor the
interval between porcelain cleanings. Most importantly, no
guarantee was made or implied that the Dog-Bone design would
withstand all forms and/or degrees of atmospheric contamination.
It was only shown to have a higher probability of withstand than
the conventional saw-tooth design.
Multiple layers of contaminant were tried, but discarded
because the deviation or scatter of the results only increased
without altering the conclusion, making the additional application and drying time unwarranted. Wind direction was not
considered because: 1) what contaminant is added to the windwar fac of a pocli she is sb race fro th lewr

wfac e Dof -Bore shed iubthracte

the leewardhe
face 2th e D ne ovrh defrere flt txedep o thet
leeward fa,
ad 3)situations
lt fg and
or mostly
w
eindependent
ft t be t of wind,
flashover
breeding
'
no nomlly
normally ocurn
occurring with
not,
wit hev
heavy winds.
winds.

bushing.
was the

A loss in the washing effectiveness was not observed as all

exposed surfaces were continually washed clean of contaminant

using either the wEC or ASA rain tests.
ASA
usingeitherdthea pECorelain
paratintests.
e
whichMr.Bower
witnessed in our High Voltage Laboratory did not involve the

saw-tooth shed horizontally mounted bushing but, instead, a

specially designed petticoat configuration quite similar to conventional transformer or oil circuit breaker bushing. The
contaminant layer thickness averaged 3/8 inch at the shed roots
during the extremely heavy contamination tests exceeding the
most abnormal field situations, even the blowing of an adjacent
power house stack. The saw-tooth bushing displayed an extreme
vulnerability to heavy contamination as it had neither the
Dog-Bone's overhang nor the shielding afforded by the tilted
bushing's petticoats.
862

Mt

basic purpose of this paper to present actual test

It
results and photographs showing that a live-tank breaker can
coordinate effectively by adhering to all three of stated insulation
I I
W
w
a w- a

cameras and a darkened laboratory to permit us to "really state

what occurred on each test." The windows are apparent in
several of the photographs and were under observation during
all tests.
Exception may be taken with our approach to the problem, but
not with the substantiated conclusions that a live-tank breaker
will coordinate effectively, although statements to the contrary
have been offered previously [2].
We are quoted out of context when Mr. Shores repeats our
conclusion that "one must be wvary of guaranteeing 100 percent

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

O)CTOBER

effective coordination." The statement had been made following mention of the extremely random nature of the wet switching
surge flashover and pertained only to wet switching surges on
an ungapped breaker.
The High Voltage Laboratory testing on the 1300-kV and
1550-kV BIL breakers demonstrated complete coordination
under impulse, switching surge, and 60-cycle voltages; the latter
two were both wet and dry.
Dr. Carrara's observation of coupling between the switching
surge generator and the 60-cycle transformers is most interesting and appreciated. Regretfully, conformation is impossible
as we were not observing the 60-cycle wave form during the
biased switching surge tests. The effect as shown in Fig. 18
seems to be an almost 1/4 reduction in 60-cycle crest voltage.
Our tests with a line-to-line crest voltage bias (1.73 pu), if
affected, were still adequate to show that a bias at least equal to
1 pu could be tolerated.
Dry switching surge tests were conducted, the breaker was
flashed over, the voltages were in excess of the reported wet
withstand levels, and coordination was demonstrated.
We have never tried a method of demonstrating coordination
of a live-tank breaker similar to that described by Mr. Milton
Cange
tray capacitance
apactanc or lngthning
M. Smth.
and Mr.and
Smith.
Changes in
in stray
lengthening
of column members might be sufficient to upset the normal
voltage division network, if the breaker were elevated.
or

The cited "expected abnormal condition" was intended to be

a loss of insulating gas pressure; the paper discusses the breaker's

dielectric capabilities under such a condition. It is unlikely to

expect maladjustment which would cause delay in the closing
of a contact as all six contacts of a given phase are mechanically

interconnected. Since all contacts are closing together, it is

highly unlikely that a bushing would flash externally as the first

contact closes when all others are within 1/4 cycle of closing.
In answer to Mr. Beehler's question about the minimum
allowable phase spacing which limits, to a safe value, the unbalance of voltage distribution, we can only say that it is less
than the suggested minimum spacing to prohibit interphase
switching surge flashovers and is therefore a rather improbable
condition. This was confirmed by repeating, on an assembly of
two parallel poles, the single-pole voltage distribution tests
outlined in this paper.

REFERENCES
[11 I. B. Johnson, V. E. Phillips, and H. 0. Simmons, Jr., "Switching
of extra-high-voltage circuits, I-System requirements for circuit
breakers," IEEE Trans. on Power Apparatus and Systems, vol.
pp.Shores,
1187-1196,
1964.V. E. Phillips, "Switching of
R. B.
J. W.December
[2] 83,
Beatty, and
extra-high-voltage circuits, II-Design of air blast circuit
breakers," IEEE Trans. on Power Apparatus and Systems, vol.
83, pp. 1206-1212, December 1964.

A Laboratory Circuit for Arc

Interruption Research
D. R. Kurtz, Member IEEE E. H. Bogert

Abstract: A synthetic laboratory circuit for arc interruption

research is described. The ability of this circuit to simulate
many power system fault conditions is shown. The important
role it has in the development of new circuit breaker interrupters
is presented. Results of some experimental studies on are
interruption are reported and discussed.

Synthetic laboratory power circuits have been successfully

used to provide information on arc interruption phenomena
and to assist in developing circuit breaker interrupters.
Recent trends of increased electric power usage and increased interconnection of electric power systems have required considerable activity in circuit interrupter development. Laboratory power circuits can contribute to this development. The one described here is used to obtain prelimary information for designing circuit breaker interrupters,
Interruption tests are made on these breakers at a highpower laboratory to evaluate and correlate the preliminary
information and to prove the breaker performance under
rated conditions. This approach is more efficient and economical than generating development information using only
high-power laboratory breaker tests.
This laboratory circuit provides comparable waveforms
and order of magnitude of the current, rate of change of
current immediately before current zero, and the recovery
voltage seen by circuit breakers in service. Therefore, the
experimental information can be directly and easily applied
___________________________________________
Paper 31 TP 65-79, recommended and approved by the Switchgear
CSommittee of the IEEE Power Group for presentation at the IEEE
Winter Power Meeting, New York, N. Y., January 31-February 5,
1965. Manuscript submitted November 2, 1964; made available
for printing December 1, 1964.bakarchre.Tecoiginto

D. R. KURTZ and E. H. BOGERT are with the Power Transmission

Division of General Electric Company, Philadelphia, Pa.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS

to circuit breaker design. This has advantages over the approach used by some of the other arc interruption investigations which are based on experimental data using step functions of current or voltage, or which use current amplitudes
significantly less than that seen by the breaker [1], [2]. These
other approaches have provided valuable information for the
particular fundamental
process being studied.
However,
untilac fundamental
theory std evel
d

unproved, the solution of circt breaker design problems is best

achieved by tests with current and voltage conditions which

are comparablealtobreak
actual breaker
example,
therm
ep conditions.
onditiandFordx/dt,

of which are dependent on the arc characteristics and the

external
Because of thisoftermlbeadowns
interdependence of the are
arc
adte circuit.
circuit, iestigatis
best made with currents and voltages that are comparable to
.those with circuts breaker.
Power Source
The basic power source is shown in Fig. 1. It uses the
stored energy in capacitor banks to provide the current and
voltage. It consists of a low-voltage high-current source and
a low-current high-voltage source. A vacuum interrupter
[3] isolates the two power supplies. The auxiliary equipment
for chargingand discharging thecapacitorbanks,instrumentation, etc., is not shown in this simplified diagram. These two
power sources can be connected in a number of ways to provide a variety of circuit configurations.
The Weil [4] circuit connection, as shown in Fig. 1, operates
in the following manner: Prior to a test, both the Ci and C2

hre.Tecoigigirni hnfrd etn

stenfedgtig
a half-cycle of current as indicated in curve A, Fig. 2. At a
bak r

specified time ti, before current-zero, the trigatron gap is

VOL.

PAS-84, NO. 10

OCTOBER 1965