Life testing of low-voltage air circuit breaker to assess age-related degradation

This paper reports that a DS-416 low-voltage air circuit breaker manufactured by Westinghouse is mechanically cycled to identify age-related degradation in the various breaker subcomponents, specifically in the power-operated mechanism. This accelerated aging test is performed on one breaker unit for over 36 000 cycles. Three separate pole shafts, one with a 60-deg weld, one with a 120-deg weld, and one with a 180-deg weld in the third pole lever, are used to characterize cracking in the welds. In addition, during the testing, three different operating mechanisms and several other parts are replaced as they become inoperable. Among the seven welds on the pole shaft, welds 1 and 3 are found to be critical ones whose fracture can result in misalignment of the pole levers. This can lead to problems with the operating mechanism, including the burning of coils, excessive wear in certain parts, and overstressed linkages. Furthermore, the limiting service life of a number of subcomponents of the power-operated mechanism, including the operating mechanism itself, is assessed