Characteristics and applications of various arc interrupting methods

It is shown that the choice of an arc interrupting means will depend upon a number of factors of the equipment involved, including cost, maintenance, reliability, space requirements, and interrupting requirements. For medium voltage applications, the above considerations and the improvement in interrupting technology and manufacturing techniques have made vacuum the dominant industry choice for 5-15 kV switchgear. Due to the third generation SF/sub 6/ puffer technology, SF/sub 6/ gas is the dominant choice for breakers above 15 kV, with some overlap with vacuum in the 15-38 kV range. For certain applications where the investment of circuit breakers is not deemed appropriate, fuses can be a viable option, with current-limiting types being the logical choice where high level fault current is available (38 kV and below). Low-voltage applications using conventional design or current limiting breaker designs are now readily available using air as the arc interrupting medium.<>