Air-Break Magnetic Blow-Outs For Contactors and Circuit Breakers Both A-C. and D-C

TLDR: In this article, a blowout coil is connected in series with each pair of current-rupturing contacts, in order to avoid the possibility of gasification and explosion on heavy short circuits.

Abstract: Magnetic blow-outs have been used in contactors, circuit breakers and controllers for many years for rupturing both a-c. and d-c. power circuits, but their commercial use, particularly on alternating current has been largely confined to relatively low voltages. Oil circuit breakers and switches have been generally used for rupturing high-voltage a-c. power circuits, and their development has reached a high state of perfection. The air break has the advantage of avoiding the possibilities which attend the use of any inflammable material?like oil, with its possible gasification and explosion on heavy short circuits. While there are many different types of magnetic blow-outs this paper deals largely with the ``individual'' type, in which a blow-out coil is connected in series with each pair of current-rupturing contacts, since it is with this type that most of the progress and studies have been made in recent years. Contactors and circuit breakers with the ``individual'' type of blow-out are now used almost exclusively in the main d-c. power circuits of the 1500 and 3000-volt d-c. railway systems. Oil circuit breakers have been tried for this service, but they are rather unsatisfactory because there is no periodic zero point in the current wave at which the oil can form an insulating seal between contacts. The oil under d-c. arc conditions carbonizes rapidly and involves the possible danger from explosive gases. Recently the use of magnetic blow-out contactors on a-c. circuits has been extended to moderately high voltage and capacity. Short-circuit tests on a 6600-volt, 26,700-kv-a.