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Introduction To Current Chopping

Current chopping is the interruption of current in circuit breakers before it reaches the zero crossing point, primarily occurring in air blast circuit breakers. This phenomenon can lead to high voltage transients and restriking of the arc, necessitating mitigation strategies such as resistance switching to prevent excessive voltage surges. Understanding and addressing current chopping is essential for optimizing circuit breaker performance and ensuring system reliability.

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ANTARIKSH CHOUDHURY
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262 views6 pages

Introduction To Current Chopping

Current chopping is the interruption of current in circuit breakers before it reaches the zero crossing point, primarily occurring in air blast circuit breakers. This phenomenon can lead to high voltage transients and restriking of the arc, necessitating mitigation strategies such as resistance switching to prevent excessive voltage surges. Understanding and addressing current chopping is essential for optimizing circuit breaker performance and ensuring system reliability.

Uploaded by

ANTARIKSH CHOUDHURY
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Introduction to current chopping:

• Current chopping refers to the Phenomenon Where the current is


Interrupted before It reaches the zero crossing point

• This can occur in circuit breakers Particularly those using air as the
Interrupting medium

• Understanding Current chopping is essential for optimizing circuit


breakers Performance and ensuring System reliability
Current chopping:

• It is the phenomenon of the current interruption before the natural


current Zero is reached.

• Current chopping mainly occurs in air blast Circuit breakers because the
retain the same extinguishing Power irrespective of the magnitude of
the current to be interrupted.

• When breaking low current ( ex: transformer magnetising current) with


such breakers, the Powerful ionising effect of air Blast causes the
current to be abruptly to zero well before the natural current Zero is
reached .

• This phenomenon is known as current chopping and results in the


Production of high voltage transient across the contact of the circuit
breakers.
Current chopping circuit diagram:
• In such a situation energy stored in the magnetic field appears in the form of
High voltage across the stray Capacitance , which will cause restriking of the
arc.

• The energy stored in the magnetic field ½ Li² is the instantaneous value of the
current Which is interrupted This will appear in the form of electrostatic
energy is equal to ½ CV².As the two energies are equal they can be related as
Follow

½ Li²= ½ CV²
V= i √L/c
• The Prospective voltage V is very high as compared to dielectric strength
Gained by the Gap so that the breaker restrikes.
• As the de ionising force still in action Therefore chop occurs But the arc
current this time is smaller than the previous case.
• This induces lower prospective Voltage re ignite the arc . In fact several chops
may occurs until a low enough current is interrupted Which produces
insufficient Induced voltages to re strike across the breaker gap .
• Consequently the Final interruption of the current take place . Excessive
Voltage surges due to current chopping are prevented by Shunting the
contacts of the breaker with a resistor (resistance switching) Such that
reignition is unlikely to occur.
• Applications of current chopping:
• Switching shunt reactors.
• Switching unloaded Transformers

• Advantages and Disadvantages:


• Fast operation: circuit breakers can operate quickly and repeatedly
• Oscillating voltage : Current chopping can causes the Voltage across the circuit
breakers to oscillate which may leads to restriking

• How to reduce current chopping?


• Use SF6 gas
• Use metals with High Vapor pressure and low conductivity.
• The metals can help Limit current chopping
Conclusion:

• Current chopping is a critical phenomenon that circuit breaker Engineers


need to address

• Understanding its causes and effects is vital For ensuring the longevity
and reliability for electrical system .

• By implementing Appropriate Mitigation strategies the negative impact


of current chopping Can be significantly reduced .

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