Dielectric strength of double and single-break vacuum interrupters: experiments with real HV demonstration bottles

TLDR

Vacuum interrupters for high‑voltage use differ by breaker‑unit count and shielding arrangement. This study reports dielectric experiments on vacuum interrupters, comparing single‑ and double‑unit housings. Experiments were performed on two vacuum bottle designs. Conditioning increased dielectric strength, as shown under AC and lightning‑impulse voltages.

Abstract

This paper describes dielectric experiments on vacuum interrupters for HV applications. The investigations were performed with two different vacuum bottle designs. The difference between these objects is the number of breaker units per bottle and slight deviations in the shielding arrangement. On this basis the dielectric results of one and two interrupter units in one housing are discussed. The experiments show the gain of dielectric strength caused by conditioning effects, and were carried out under ac and lightning impulse voltage (LIV).