Monitoring circuit breakers: Reviewing current testing methodologies
BY FINLEY LEDBETTER, Group CBS
Circuit breakers, from low-voltage molded case to high-voltage SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) circuit breakers, all connect and isolate electrical loads from downstream machinery. While some breakers are used as disconnect switches, they are not designed for this purpose. Most breakers are used sparingly, giving technicians few opportunities to test the breaker’s operation without removing the breaker and downstream equipment from service.
To minimize downtime, maintain productivity, and improve personnel safety, electricians are constantly looking for faster, easier ways to verify that circuit breakers will perform to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications. Today, electrical testing technicians have a multitude of available test methods and sets available to them. Industry Essentials will look at those testing methods with a focus on the trend towards testing methodologies that are capable of providing frequent, operational data on the breaker without the need to...
