B8.1 - The trip coil as a soft sensor for medium voltage circuit breakers
- Event
- ETTC 2026 - European Test and Telemetry Conference
2026-06-09 - 2026-06-11
Nuremberg - Chapter
- Data Aquisition II
- Author(s)
- A. Haroun, M. Fuhrländer, A. Boyaci, F. Frech, A. A. Sarvestani, J. Gebhardt - ABB AG, Mannheim (Germany)
- Pages
- 316 - 320
- DOI
- 10.5162/ettc2026/B8.1
- Price
- free
Abstract
This paper presents electromechanical modeling and experimental validation of the interaction between the tripping coil and the mechanical drive of a vacuum interrupter circuit breaker during the closing operation. A model of the coil connected to the mechanical drive is developed, capturing the plunger motion induced by a constant input voltage and its subsequent transfer through a lever system to rotate the closing shaft and enable de-latching. To validate the model, an experimental setup replicating the actual breaker mechanism was constructed. The setup incorporates the coil mounted on a reduced mechanical drive, with a latching mechanism that utilizes a spring-loaded push stick to simulate the latching force applied to the closing shaft. The push stick’s initial spring compression is adjustable, allowing tests under varying latching force conditions. A regulated 60 V supply energizes the coil. Coil current is measured using an oscilloscope, while force and displacement sensors provide synchronized measurements on a common time scale. Three experimental configurations are investigated: (1) locked position with the closing shaft fixed at the de-latching position, free movement without latching force, and full engagement with complete latching force applied. The results demonstrate close agreement between simulation and experiment, providing insights into the dynamic behavior of the coil-mechanical drive system and establishing a reliable foundation for both design optimization and condition monitoring of vacuum interrupter circuit breakers.