Characterization of contacts degradation in circuit breakers through the dynamic contact resistance

Abstract

Static resistance measurement of circuit breakers has been a crucial technique to assess the state of contacts, supporting maintenance procedures. However, in many cases, the obtained results do not provide accurate data for correct diagnosis, since the test examines only the main contact. This article discusses the application of the contact dynamic resistance measurement (DRM) in the evaluation of main and arcing contacts. The DRM is a contact resistance test, and the resistance is determined during the opening of contacts, analyzing the main and arcing contacts. The research objective is to get the DRM parameters that can assist in the contacts diagnosis. The obtained results indicate that DRM has presented more qualitative parameters than the static resistance test in the evaluation of contacts. The resistance tests were performed applying a direct current with 300 A of amplitude.amplitude.amplitude.