ABB is adding a new member to the medium-voltage VD4G circuit breaker family for generator applications requiring 63 kA interrupting capability for system-source faults. With the new VD4G-63 circuit breaker, customers can now count on an enlarged product family capable of covering power plants that need up to 100 MVA.
Decentralized power plants and renewable resources cover the increasing worldwide energy demand. As generated energy is fed into the grid by step-up transformers and medium-voltage distribution boards, a reliable and economic solution to protect power plant assets, such as VD4G circuit breakers, is needed.
Generator circuit breakers protect the important assets in power plants, such as generators and transformers, by clearing potentially harmful short-circuit faults in tens of milliseconds, thereby preventing severe damage and lengthy plant downtime. ABB’s new VD4G-63 represents a complete asset protection solution that safely masters fault conditions with delayed current zeros (up to 130 percent dc-component) and with severe transient recovery voltages (up to 6kV/us).
The full compliance of VD4G to the new global Dual Logo Standard IEC/IEEE 62271-37-013 will bring higher reliability of power plants, eliminating the need of any intentional delay in protection logic. The VD4G breaker family is the first complete product line with vacuum technology for generator switching applications to have been developed in accordance with this recent standard.
“The new VD4G 63 kA represents ABB’s solution to all generator applications where the highest possible protection is needed, especially in case of critical short-circuit conditions,” said Alessandro Palin, Managing Director of ABB’s Distribution Solutions business line. “Customers can now count on an optimized footprint compared to standard solutions available on the market, with the same high performances of the VD4G product family.”
The VD4G 63 kA special compact design is possible thanks to the use of resin-insulated vacuum interrupters, which also guarantee higher protection of the core components thanks to the resin insulated phases, while its small footprint provides a cost-optimized solution that saves time during site commissioning.
The VD4G family is suitable for the small power plants as well as for industrial, oil and gas applications in which generators are connected to the medium voltage distribution of the plant. The circuit breakers VD4G are available for 15 kV, from 25/16 kA to 63/50 kA, and from 1,250 A up to 4,000 A*, as the main component of the ABB Medium Voltage UniGear switchgear or of customized cubicle solutions, as well as a loose circuit breaker for panel builders and system integrators working on new projects or retrofits.
* with forced ventilation
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader with a comprehensive offering for digital industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB is today a leader in digital industries with four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by its common ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s market leading Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com
