Fundamentals of Current Interruption in (High-Voltage) Vacuum Circuit Breakers

In this webinar, organized by ‘Current Zero Club’ (an independent research group of current interruption specialists) the physics and technology of current interruption in vacuum will be explained. The webinar is illustrated with various animations and video clips from laboratory experiments and simulation studies, and will show how fundamental processes impact performance.

In the first part, after a general introduction on the vacuum switching process for the non-specialists, vacuum arcing phenomena will be highlighted. The practical technologies to control high-current arcs in actual vacuum switchgear aimed to limit thermal stresses of the switching contacts will be explained.

The second part is on current interruption, focussing on the processes immediately after extinction of the…