Safe and reliable power protection with ABB’s innovative medium-voltage circuit breaker

2020-7-24 abb

Latest 38 kV VD4 vacuum circuit breaker offers 20 percent smaller footprint, up to 5 times the performance of market standard and saves up to $100,000 during product lifetime compared to traditional solutions ABB enlarges its market-leading portfolio of medium-voltage circuit breakers featuring the all new VD4-CS with servomotor actuation and new, space-saving vacuum interrupter technology. The VD4-CS supports business needs in reactive power compensation: there is no longer a need of inrush limiting reactors because the innovative breaker limits inrush by itself. VD4-CS advanced technology addresses the main technical challenges of capacitive load switching. Transient events, momentary energy bursts which drive voltage and current peaks into a circuit, particularly affect customers who must assure high power quality and reliability of the network, notably utilities and the renewable energy sector, to avoid damages to assets and financial penalties for compromising energy stability. When compared to traditional solutions, VD4-CS lead¬s to savings of up to $100,000 during a more than 10 percent increased lifespan of capacitors, transformers and/or reactors. The VD4-CS also performs up to 5 times the number of electrical operations compared to current solutions in capacitive banks switching. The VD4-CS offers both the circuit-breaker and the capacitive switching devices in a single solution, saving the space of one complete breaker. This stand-alone product has the same ratings and the same interfaces as existing medium voltage sub¬stations and thanks to the optimized footprint, which makes it interchangeable with the standard distribution breaker, it brings 20 percent savings on space. The main technical characteristics of this new solution are: • up to 38kV, 1250A, 31.5kA • embedded predictive health indication • 20,000 mechanical operations “Capacitor banks are crucial for power system stability and reliability in medium voltage distribution networks” said Matteo Caiti, Global Product Group Manager, Control and Protection Products for ABB. “Thanks to its advanced controlled switching with improved vacuum interruption for such application, customers will be able to benefit from the extreme reduction of typical transient phenomena that VD4-CS ensures during operation, with up to 5 times the performance available today in the market.”