What effects do the kinetic energy parameters of a vacuum circuit breaker have on its performance?

Kinetic Energy Parameters of Richge Technology’s Vacuum Circuit Breakers: Key Impacts on Core Performance

For the vacuum circuit breakers manufactured by Ruiqige Technology Co., Ltd., kinetic energy parameters—primarily those generated by the operating mechanism, such as opening/closing speed, operating work, and energy transfer efficiency—are critical to their core performance. Their specific impacts are detailed below:

1. Impact on Opening Performance

Contact separation speed is one of the core kinetic energy parameters during the opening process.

• Insufficient initial kinetic energy: Leads to slow contact separation, prolonging arc duration. In vacuum circuit breakers, arc extinction depends on the vacuum insulation gap formed by rapid contact separation. Prolonged arcing causes overheating and severe ablation of contact surfaces, and may even trigger fracture failures (especially when interrupting short-circuit currents) due to excessive arc energy.
• Excessive initial kinetic energy: Accelerates arc extinction but drastically increases contact collision stress. This causes fatigue damage to components like arc-extinguishing chambers and may generate excessive operating overvoltage.

2. Impact on Closing Performance

Kinetic energy during closing mainly affects contact quality and closing reliability.

• Insufficient closing kinetic energy: Results in slow contact closure, which may cause arc ablation of contacts (due to prolonged pre-breakdown time) or increased contact resistance (due to insufficient contact pressure)—leading to sharp temperature rises during operation.
• Excessive closing kinetic energy: May cause contact bounce (temporary separation after closing), generating secondary arcs and accelerating wear of contact components. Meanwhile, excessive impact force increases stress on the mechanical structure, shortening its overall service life.

3. Impact on Mechanical Life

The mechanical life of a vacuum circuit breaker (usually measured by the number of opening/closing operations) is closely tied to kinetic energy parameters.

Unreasonable parameter settings (e.g., excessive peak force, severe energy fluctuation) force the operating mechanism (springs, connecting rods, bearings, etc.) and breaker components to withstand frequent impact loads. This easily triggers failures like fatigue fracture and deformation, significantly shortening the service life of mechanical parts.

• Stable kinetic energy output: Achieved by optimizing mechanical transmission efficiency, it reduces component wear and extends service life.

4. Impact on Operational Reliability

Energytransfer efficiency is a key parameter here.

• Excessive energy loss: During kinetic energy transfer (e.g., mechanical jamming, uneven frictional resistance), energy loss causes deviations between actual output kinetic energy and design values. This may lead to issues like unstable opening/closing time, operational refusal, or misoperation—seriously endangering power grid safety.
• Environmental influences: Factors such as ambient temperature and humidity may indirectly affect kinetic energy parameters (e.g., changes in spring stiffness). Insufficient parameter margin further reduces reliability in low-temperature or high-humidity environments.

5. Impact on Insulation Recovery After Arc Extinction

The recovery speed of insulation strength between contacts, after the breaker opens, is related to the kinetic energy at the time of opening.