The research and development work towards a compact SF₆-free load break switch for the medium voltage range has led to several design proposals. The interruption capability of three different nozzle and gas flow concepts with atmospheric air as the interrupting medium is compared and assessed. The t...

When the pressure and temperature of a fluid exceed a critical point, the fluid enters into the supercritical (SC) region. In this region, the physical properties are believed to be in favor of a good current interruption medium. This paper focuses on the arc voltage characteristics of nitrogen arcs...

The load break switch is an important component in the distribution grid. Besides its capability to break load currents reliably, it has to be able to make short-circuit currents according to the IEC 62271 standard. In this paper, the process of making a short-circuit current and the used test metho...

This paper focuses on the arc voltage measurements of electrical arcs burning inside cylindrical tubes in nitrogen at different filling pressures from atmospheric and up to 80 bar. To investigate the effect of ablation, both nonablating ceramic tubes (alumina) and ablating polytetrafluoroethylene (P...