2008-GM Tutorial 1 Nelson PDF

History of
Circuit Breaker Standards

Jeffrey H. Nelson, P.E.
Principal Electrical Engineer
Tennessee Valley Authority
Senior Member, IEEE
1 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

Early Oil Circuit Breaker – 1898
• Designed by L.L. Elden in

1898
• Installed at the Boston
Electric Light Company
L Street Plant
(later Boston Edison)
• Open tank with upward
motion operation
• Mounted on a panel

Early Oil Circuit Breaker – 1898
Inside view
of 1898
oil breaker

AIEE Committee on Standardization
• Held first committee on

standardization in 1898
• “…recognized the importance of

standardization in the electrical field.”
• All apparatus standards published in

single volume until 1922
• AIEE Std. 19 – AC Power Circuit

Breakers
Power Plant Crew in Early 1900s

Pickle Barrel Breaker

Minimum Oil/Puffer Breaker

70 kV Circuit Breaker – 1910

Internal View of 70 kV Breaker
• One tank per phase

• Plain rotary break
contacts
• Had a voltage and
continuous current
rating
• No stated interrupting
rating

Other Groups Interested in Standards
• National Electric Light Association
• Electric Power Club (manufacturer’s association)
• Association of Edison Illuminating Companies

(AEIC)
• Many papers submitted to AIEE on circuit breakers

from 1910 to 1920

1919 Performance Standard
Electric Power Club

• Breaker must be able to make 2
OPEN operations with a 2 MIN interval
• No limit on flame or oil rejected
• JUST INTERRUPT !!!!

“Skate Wheel” Breaker – 1924
• Multiple breaks to elongate the arc

• Some magnetic blow-out effects

1924 Performance Standard
• Standard now prohibited flame and said that

the condition afterwards should be
“…substantially the same as before.”
• AIEE 19 was revised to the same

requirements

24 kV Oil Breaker Test
at Duquesne Light in 1926




Condit Electrical
Mfg. Corporation
• Part of 1926 Catalog

• Many voltage and
current ratings
• 12 to 20 cycles
interrupting time

1926 Merger
Electric Power Club

merged with
Associated Manufacturers of Electrical Supplies
to become
NEMA
National Electrical Manufacturers Association

Condit 34 kV Breaker

Westinghouse 230 kV Breaker

General Electric – Oil Blast Chamber
Breaker Closed Breaker Opening Interruption

Westinghouse – Deion Grid

Allis Chalmers Ruptor – Baffle Plates

Performance Developments
• Interrupting Times: 20 – 12 – 8 cycles

later 5 – 3 – and work on 2 cycles
• Operating Duty: 2 Min., then down to 15 sec
• Reclosing: 30 to 45 cycles with development of
pneumatic operating mechanisms, later 20
cycles
• Impulse withstand dielectric test requirements
were added to the 60 Hz “hipot” withstand
requirement

161kV Breaker Tested in mid-1950s

161kV Breaker Tested in mid-1950s

First American Standard
• Developed from standards of AIEE, NEMA and AEIC

• Issued for “trial use” in 1941 and published in 1945
First American Standard – ASA C37
Designation: C “electrical
37 “switchgear” etc. (57 was transformers)
___________________________________________________
Alternating-Current Power Circuit Breakers

C37.4-1945
Methods for Determining the Rms Value of a Sinusoidal

Current Wave and a Normal-Frequency Recovery Voltage
C37.5-1945
Schedule of Preferred Ratings for Power Circuit Breakers

C37.6-1945
Operating Duty (Duty Cycle) for Standard and Reclosing Service

C37.7-1945
Rated Control Voltages

C37.8-1945
Test Code for Power Circuit Breakers

C37.9-1945

C37.6-1945 Table 1 Preferred Ratings

Interrupting Ratings at Various
Operating Duties – C37.7-1945 Table 1

Arc extinction in an oil circuit breaker
Gas de-ionizes the arc Arc is extinguished
• Creates perturbations and gas in the oil

• Requires reduction in the interrupting rating for some reclosing duty cycles

ASA C37 Revision
C37.4-1953 Alternating-Current Power Circuit Breakers
C37.5-1953 Methods for Determining the Rms Value of a

Sinusoidal Current Wave and a Normal-Frequency
Recovery Voltage
C37.6-1953 Schedule of Preferred Ratings for Power Circuit

Breakers
C37.7-1952 Operating Duty (Duty Cycle) for Standard and

Reclosing Service
C37.8-1952 Rated Control Voltages
C37.9-1953 Test Code for Power Circuit Breakers
C37.12-1952 Guide Specification for Alternating Current

Power Circuit Breakers

C37.6-1955 Table 3 Preferred Ratings

Example from C37.6-1955
Line No. 26
Voltage Ratings
Rated kV 138
Max Design kV 145
Min kV for rated MVA 132
Interrupting Ratings
3-Phase Rated MVA 10,000
Amperes at Rated Voltage 42,000
Max Amperes 44,000

Relation of Application Voltage
and Interrupting Current

Short Circuit Current Wave
Amount of dc
“asymmetry” is a
function of the
point on the voltage
wave when the
fault starts
Peak & dc decay:

function of L and R
in the circuit, stated
2 2
Total rms current at any instant = (ac) + (dc) as X/R ratio

Asymmetry Application Factors
C37.5-1953
Circuit Breaker Rated Multiplying
Interrupting Time Factor
(60 Hz Basis)
8 cycle 1.0
5 cycle 1.1
3 cycle 1.2

Interrupting Rating Factors for Reclosing
Service (C37.7-1952, Fig. 7-1)
• Reclosing Duty Cycle I: O + 15 sec* + CO + 15 sec* + CO + 15 sec* + CO

• Reclosing Duty Cycle II: O + 0 sec** + CO
• Reclosing Duty Cycle III: O + 0 sec** + CO + 15 sec* + CO + 15 sec* + CO
*15 seconds or longer

**Zero seconds shall be interpreted to mean no intentional time delay.
Symmetrical Rating Standards
• Simplify application where high speed relaying

and fast clearing circuit breakers were used.
• Bring American standards into closer agreement

with accepted international standards (IEC-
International Electrotechnical Commission) to
avoid confusion on rating differences, and
• Require that circuit breakers be proven to

demonstrate a definite relationship between
asymmetrical interrupting capability and
symmetrical ratings

Symmetrical Rating Standards
Total Current Symmetrical Current
Subject
Standard Standard
C37.03
Definitions
C37.4 C37.04
Rating Structure
C37.04a
Measurement of Voltage
C37.5 C37.05
and Current Waves
C37.06
C37.6 Preferred Ratings
C37.06a
C37.7 C37.07 Reclosing Factors
C37.8 Included in C37.06 Control Voltages
C37.09
C37.9 Test Code
C37.09a
Application Guide
C37.5 C37.010 (Expansion of material
previously in C37.5)

Relation of Application Voltage
and Symmetrical Interrupting Current

“S Factor”

C37.06a-1968 Table 3 Preferred Ratings

Example from C37.06a-1968
Line No. 5C
Nominal Voltage Class kV 138
Nominal MVA Class 10,000
Rated Values
Rated Maximum Voltage kV 145
Rated Voltage Range Factor - K 1.10
Rated Short Circuit at Rated Max kV 37,000
Related Required Capabilities

Max Symmetrical Interrupting Capability 41,000
Rated Max Voltage Divided by K - kV 132

Derivation of Rated Symmetrical
Short Circuit Current
10,000MVA 1
I1964 = 145kV × 3 × 1.1 = 37kA

Required Asymmetrical Capability
at Nominal 138 kV
145kV
37 kA × = 38.9kA
138kV
38.9kA × 1.2 = 46.5kA
S Factor for 3 cycle breaker = 1.2

Interrupting Rating Factors for Reclosing
Service (C37.07-1969, Fig. 2)
• This method of derating originally introduced in C37.7-1960.

Circuit Breaker Standards
Development in the 1970s
Standards Development Organizations
• IEEE/PES Power Circuit Breaker Subcommittee
• NEMA Switchgear Section
• American National Standards Committee C37
• AEIC Committee on Electric Power Apparatus
• EEI-AEIC-NEMA Joint Committee

New Interrupting Current Ratings
• C37.06-1971 introduced new interrupting current ratings
for outdoor circuit breakers rated 121 kV and above,
Table 4a
• Renard numbers: Set of preferred numbers proposed in

the 1870s for use with the metric system
• Factor between two consecutive numbers in a Renard

series is constant (before rounding), namely 5th, 10th,
20th or 40th root of 10 (1.58, 1.26, 1.12 and 1.06)
• R10 Series:
10, 12.5, 16, 20, 25, 31.5, 40, 50, 63, 80, 100

Other Changes to Table 4a, C37.06-1971
• The nominal 3-phase MVA Class was removed

from the table of preferred ratings since it was
no longer directly related to the interrupting
current rating
• Voltage Range Factor, K, was changed to 1.0

Supplementary Standards
C37.071-1969 Requirements for Line-Closing Switching Surge
Control
C37.071a-1974 (Added corresponding parameters for 765 kV)
C37.072-1971 Requirements for Transient Recovery Voltage

(TRV)
C37.0721-1971 TRV Application Guide
C37.0722-1971 TRV Ratings
C37.073-1972 Requirements for Capacitance Current Switching
C37.0731-1973 Capacitance Current Switching

Application Guide
C37.0732-1972 Capacitance Current Switching Ratings

C37.074-1972 Requirements for Switching Impulse
Voltage Insulation Strength
C37.076-1972 Requirements for Pressurized Components
C37.078-1972 Requirements for External Insulation for

Outdoor Circuit Breakers
C37.0781-1972 Rated Test Values for External Insulation
C37.079-1973 Method of Testing Circuit Breakers When

Rated for Out-of-Phase Switching

Circuit Breaker Standards Consolidation
C37.04-1979 Rating Structure
C37.06-1979 Preferred Ratings and Related Capabilities
C37.09-1979 Test Procedures
C37.010-1979 Application Guide – General
C37.011-1979 Application Guide – Transient

Recovery Voltage
C37.012-1979 Application Guide – Capacitance

Current Switching
C37.11-1979 Requirements for Electrical Control

Circuit Breaker Standards Development
1980 to 1999
• IEEE/PES High Voltage Circuit Breaker Subcommittee
• NEMA High Voltage Circuit Breaker Technical Committee
• Accredited Standards Committee C37, Power Switchgear
• AEIC Committee on Electric Power Apparatus

Standards Withdrawal
Total Current Basis Standards
• In 1986, the original standards for circuit

breakers rated on a total current basis were
withdrawn
• They continue to be applicable for those circuit

breakers designed and built to those standards

C37.081-1981 Guide for Synthetic Fault Testing
C37.081a-1997 Recovery voltage for terminal faults

Asymmetrical short circuit current
C37.082-1982 Methods for the Measurement

of Sound Pressure Levels of
AC Power Circuit Breakers
C37.083-1999 Guide for Synthetic Capacitive Current

Switching Tests of AC High-Voltage
Circuit Breakers

Standards Consolidation
• Several amendments for C37.04, C37.09 and C37.010
were issued during the 1980s and 1990s.
• At the end of the 1990s work culminated in general

revisions which incorporated the amendment
requirements and made additional revisions.
C37.04-1999 Rating Structure

C37.06-2000 Preferred Ratings and Related
Required Capabilities
C37.09-1999 Test Procedures
C37.010-1999 Application Guide – General

Rating Structure Revisions
• Rated standard operating duty (standard duty cycle)

was changed and expanded
O - t - CO - t΄ - CO
where, O = Open
CO = Close-Open
t΄= 3 min
t = 15 s for circuit breakers not rated for
rapid reclosing and
= 0.3 s for circuit breakers rated for rapid
reclosing duty

• The “S” factor for asymmetrical interrupting
capability was eliminated. The standard now
defines the percent dc component based on a
standard time constant of 45 ms
(corresponding to X/R of 17 for 60 Hz)

• Circuit breaker mechanisms to be “trip-free” or

“trip-free in any position.”
• TRV first pole-to-clear factor was revised to 1.3

for circuit breakers rated above 100 kV.
• Maximum difference for simultaneity of poles

was defined.
Closing 1/4 cycle
Opening 1/6 cycle

Preferred Ratings
1987 Revisions
• Table of preferred ratings for indoor oil circuit

breakers was deleted and Table 1 now
pertained to indoor oilless circuit breakers.
• Table 2 was expanded to include oil and oilless
circuit breakers rated 72.5 kV and below,
including breakers applied in GIS.
• Preferred ratings for circuit breakers used in

GIS were included in Tables 2, 2A, 3 and 3A.

Preferred Ratings
1987 Revisions
• A new Table 5 provided a Schedule of Dielectric Test Values,
for Circuit Breakers Applied in Gas Insulated Substations.

Preferred Ratings
1997 Revisions
• The K factor for indoor circuit breakers was set to 1.0
and rated time-to-peak (T2) values for TRV were
specified for the first time.
• Rated TRV for outdoor circuit breakers was revised to

2.0 kV/μsec.
• Voltage classes of 121 kV, 169 kV and 242 kV were

changed to 123 kV, 170 kV and 245 kV. This
completed a harmonization of rated voltages above 100
kV with IEC. IEC adopted 550 kV and 800 kV, replacing
525 kV and 765 kV respectively.

Preferred Ratings
1997 Revisions
Portion of Table 3, C37.06-1997

Preferred Ratings
1997 Revisions
• Trial Use Guide, C37.06.1-1997, “Definite
Purpose for Fast Transient Recovery Voltage
Rise Times” was published following reports of
circuit breaker failures in applications where
very fast TRVs were determined to be the
cause of the failure.
• Required special fast TRV parameters for:
– Test Duty 1 (7% of rated short-circuit current)
– Test Duty 2 (30% of rated short-circuit current)
• Published as Full-Use Guide in 2000

Test Procedure Revisions
• Lightning impulse withstand testing included

the 3 x 9 method.
• Short-line fault tests were made mandatory for

all outdoor breakers rated 15.5 kV and above.

Application Guide Revisions
• C37.010b-1985, Standard for Emergency Load Current-
Carrying Capability, established overload current criteria that
allowed limits of total temperature for the circuit breaker to be
exceeded under specified emergency load currents.

Generator Circuit Breakers
• A new standard for AC High-Voltage Generator

Circuit Breakers, C37.013-1989
– Established rating capabilities and test requirements
for circuit breakers applied between the generator
and the step-up transformer
– Voltage ratings typically up to 38 kV
– Continuous current ratings up to 20 kA
– Symmetrical interrupting current ratings up to
160 kA or more
• C37.013-1993 clarified meaning of rated
maximum voltage and added an application
guide clause

Generator Circuit Breakers
• No other national or international standard on

generator circuit breakers
• IEEE Working Group with members from IEC
developed C37.013-1997
• The 1997 revision made the standard
acceptable to IEC and as a result the IEC
Technical Committee 17A on High-Voltage
Switchgear has not developed it’s own
generator circuit breaker standard

Application Guides
• C37.011-1994, Guide for Transient Recovery

Voltage for AC High Voltage Circuit Breakers
• C37.015-1993, Application Guide for Shunt

Reactor Current Switching
• C37.10-1995, Guide for Diagnostics and

Failure Investigation

Circuit Breaker Standards Development
2000 to Present
• 2002 – IEEE Standards Association BOD terminated the
Memorandum of Understanding with NEMA and it’s Co-Secretariat
relationship with ASC C37
• As a result, ASC C37 and NEMA turned over control of several

documents which covered dimensions, preferred ratings,
construction, manufacturing, installation and maintenance to the
IEEE
• NEMA retained control of documents covering conformance testing

for metal enclosed and metal-clad switchgear
• Since 2002, the IEEE High Voltage Circuit Breaker Subcommittee

controls all technical areas of C37 circuit breaker standards
development, except for conformance testing

Capacitance Current Switching
• IEEE C37.04a, Standard Rating Structure

Amendment 1: Capacitance Current Switching
• IEEE C37.09a, Standard Test Procedure
Amendment 1: Capacitance Current Switching
– Capacitance current switching ratings unbundled
– A “basic” circuit breaker has either an overhead line
switching or a cable switching rating
– Capacitor bank ratings or additional overhead line
or cable ratings must be specified separately
• C37.012-2005 reflected changes made to the

capacitive current switching requirements and
test procedures
Capacitance Current Switching
Three Classes of Restrike Performance
• C0 – Has a probability of restrike up to one

restrike per operation. Similar to the old
“general purpose circuit breaker.”
• C1 – “Low Probability of Restrike”: Restrike
performance similar to the old “definite purpose
circuit breaker.”
• C2 – “Very Low Probability of Restrike”:
Approximately 1/10 or less than that of a Class
C1 circuit breaker.
Transient Recovery Voltage
• C37.04b and C37.09b amendments being

developed to redefine transient recovery
voltage requirements
• C37.011-2005 addressed the application of the

new TRV requirements

Preferred Ratings – C37.06
• C37.06.1 ratings for fast TRV rise times will be

incorporated
• Adjusting ratings tables to coordinate with new

requirements for TRV and capacitance current
switching
• Two new terms being introduced

– Class S1 – Circuit breakers for cable systems
– Class S2 – Circuit breakers for line systems

Application Guides
• C37.10.1-2000, Guide for the Selection of Monitoring for

Circuit Breakers
• PC37.12 – Specification Guide revision addressing

latest revisions to ratings, requirements and test
procedure documents
• C37.12.1-2007, Guide for High-Voltage Circuit Breaker

Instruction Manual Content
• PC37.015 – Revision started to address some

terminology, current chopping phenomena, arrester
protection and controlled switching

Circuit Switchers
• C37.016-2006, Standard for AC High-Voltage Circuit
Switchers Rated 15.5 kV through 245 kV

Joint Working Groups
• PC57.142 – Guide to Describe The Occurrence

and Mitigation of Switching Transients Induced
by Transformer, Switching Device, and System
Interaction
• PC37.122 – Standard for Gas Insulated
Substations
• PC37.122.2 – Guide for the Application of
Medium Voltage Gas-Insulated Substations
1kV to 52kV
• Guide for SF6 Gas Handling for High Voltage
Equipment

Future Activities
• C37.04 revision
• C37.09 revision
• Application guides as required
• C37.082 – Sound Pressure Levels
• Long Line Fault TRV
• Gas Bushings for HV Breakers and GIS

FINAL
QUESTIONS?

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History of

Circuit Breaker Standards

1 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Designed by L.L. Elden in

2 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

3 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Held first committee on

• “…recognized the importance of

• All apparatus standards published in

• AIEE Std. 19 – AC Power Circuit

5 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

6 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

7 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

8 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• One tank per phase

9 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• National Electric Light Association

• Electric Power Club (manufacturer’s association)

• Association of Edison Illuminating Companies

• Many papers submitted to AIEE on circuit breakers

10 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

Electric Power Club

• No limit on flame or oil rejected

• JUST INTERRUPT !!!!

11 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Multiple breaks to elongate the arc

12 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Standard now prohibited flame and said that

• AIEE 19 was revised to the same

13 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

14 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

15 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

16 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

17 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Part of 1926 Catalog

18 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

Electric Power Club

National Electrical Manufacturers Association

19 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

20 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

21 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

Breaker Closed Breaker Opening Interruption

22 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

23 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

24 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Interrupting Times: 20 – 12 – 8 cycles

25 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

26 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

27 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

• Developed from standards of AIEE, NEMA and AEIC

Alternating-Current Power Circuit Breakers

Methods for Determining the Rms Value of a Sinusoidal

Schedule of Preferred Ratings for Power Circuit Breakers

Operating Duty (Duty Cycle) for Standard and Reclosing Service

Rated Control Voltages

Test Code for Power Circuit Breakers

29 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

30 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

31 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

Gas de-ionizes the arc Arc is extinguished

• Creates perturbations and gas in the oil

32 IEEE/PES Circuit Breaker Tutorial Pittsburgh , PA 24 July 2008

C37.5-1953 Methods for Determining the Rms Value of a