5kV Breaker Operation
5kV Breaker Operation
(OP)
I have a 5kV Siemens GMI breaker that we use as a starter for our main 6500hp drive here at our plant. This breaker is opened and closed (start/stop) several times a week depending on operations.
Someone recenlty mentioned swapping this breaker with other similar feeder breakers we have in order to prevent wear and tear on the one breaker being used as a starter as mentioned above. In other words he wants to create a PM program to rotate these breakers (All 1200A Breakers) in order to prevent wear and tear on any particular one being used as the starter breaker.
My questions: Is this necessary? My argument is that the breaker would not be used as a starter breaker in the first place if it could not handle the strees of up and down operation. I am trying to prevent a situation where we would have to require power outages to switch around these breakers on some sort of routine basis.






RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
We do swap breakers during PMS. Just be careful you dont miss the ratings of the equipment wrt the breaker rating you rack into.
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
Yes, but breakers usually are not rated for as many mechanical operations as the contactors. Also contactors are less expensive to maintain/replace than breakers.
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
Contactor
Field Isolator
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
He wisely put it on a quarterly inspection regimen and had it checked for proper operation and most importantly for contact wear. When the original breaker got near its limits for contact wear, we swapped it out for a similar breaker that had been in transformer feeder service (one operation every three years). the transformer feeder breaker had essentially unworn contacts, and the old motor controller with its worn contacts would not see a dozen operations under load in the next five years.
old field guy
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
As what oldfieldguy confirmed, swapping could help in avoiding greater breaker damage.
rockman7892,
BTW, I attached a published data sheet for your reference. Breaker contact wear depends on the number of breaker cycles for a period of time, the current level (make and break), and the rated interrupting capacity of the breaker contacts.
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
Frequent operation is better handled by contactors.
JIM
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation
RE: 5kV Breaker Operation