IDX – Intelligent Electronic Device Circuit Breaker Monitor

Circuit breakers are widely employed to protect and switch electric power systems. Therefore,they must be in perfect operating condition in order to maintain system reliability and safe installations.

Online monitoring and condition assessment using the expert Circuit-breaker Monitor – IDX ensuresfailure reductions through early detection and diagnosis of equipment defects hence maintaining continuity of the power supply.

The safe operation of circuit breakers employed in electric power systems depends on reliable operation of the different sub-systems that make up the breaker – the mechanism that activates and stores energy, the mechanisms that trigger and move the main contactsand the insulation system. Based on measurements and algorithms, the IDX issues alarms in the event of abnormalities as well as maintenance reminders. These alarms and warnings are configured by the user and are communicated via a colour coded system, permitting the user to rapidly check the status of the disconnect switch.

• Green – Breaker working correctly. No maintenance is needed;
• Blue – Breaker working correctly. Maintenance reminder;
• Yellow – Minor abnormality;
• Red – Major abnormality.

The IDX correlates measurementswith engineering algorithms to obtain diverse information for diagnosis and prognosis, such as:

• Instantaneous speed and acceleration and average speed of the main contact;
• Main contact stroke, overtravel and bounce during operation;
• Main contact open, closure, pre-insertion movement times;
• Auxiliary contact opening and closing times during operation;
• Arc, pre-arc, establishment, interruption and re-ignition times;
• Integration of arc currents, separated into arc regions and nozzles;
• Percentage of wear in main contacts and circuit-breaker nozzle contacts;
• Synchronisation times between poles with independent activation;
• Opening and closing coil reaction and pulse times;
• Coil resistance and coil continuity during operation;
• Minimum and maximum coil voltages during operation;
• No. of operations and time the switch has been in service (total and since last maintenance service);
• Average number of operations and extrapolated time for circuit-breaker maintenance;
• Motor consumption signature, power spent and times during loading;
• No. of operations and time the motor has been in service (total and since last maintenance service);
• Average daily operations and time remaining until next pump maintenance;
• Excessive hydraulic pump use or excessive period for spring loading;
• Faults in mechanism operation sequence after operation of the circuit-breaker;
• Mechanism heater operation as a result of low temperature;
• Control and motor supply under and overvoltage;
• Coherence of status of circuit-breaker signalling contacts;
• Leakage rate and time for SF6 gas recharge;
• SF6 pressure, real and standardized at 20 ºC;
• Operation of pole heaters in accordance with temperatures.

The IDX supervises diverse elements to perform the diagnostics above, such as:

• Displacement of the main contacts during operation;
• Line currents;
• Opening and closing coil voltages and current;
• Drive motor voltage, current and power consumption;
• Power storage displacement;
• Hydraulic pressure;
• Mechanism and environmental temperatures and heater current;
• Control voltages;
• Status of circuit-breaker signalling contacts;
• SF6 density and temperature;
• Alarms and blocking due to low SF6 pressure;
• SF6 heaters currents.

Features:

Communications via Modbus or DNP 3.0 protocols

Accessories

• External Split Core Clip-On CTs
• Auxiliary voltage Transformers
• PT100Ω temperature sensor at 0ºC
• Weather shield for ambient temperature RTD
• Incremental Encoder
• Surge Protection device for Encoder and Digital Density and Temperature Sensor – DEP