Separable insulated connector loadbreak testing. I. The switching characteristic and its implications

Separable insulated connector switching reliability has become a concern for some utilities, particularly at higher distribution voltages. To facilitate assessments of in-service switching reliability, a second generation switching characteristic has been developed for use during laboratory loadbreak tests. This new switching characteristic is one step towards a realistic reliability assessment of separable connector switching. First generation switching characteristics are compared to the newly developed characteristic to demonstrate that the latter stresses separable connectors more realistically. A laboratory test protocol using the switching characteristic is proposed