Comparison between SF6 and Vacuum Circuit Breakers

SF6 Circuit Breaker			Vacuum Circuit Breaker
Criteria	Puffer Circuit Breaker	Self-pressuring circuit-breaker	Contact material-Chrome-Copper
Energy requirements for Opeartion	Energy requirement for the operation is high as the mechanism needed to supply the energy for compressing the gas.	Operating Energy requirements are low, because the mechanism must move only relatively small masses at moderate speed, over short distances. The mechanism does not have to provide the energy to create the gas flow	Operating energy requirements are low, because the mechanism must move only relatively small masses at moderate speed, over very short distances.
Arc Energy	Because of the high conductivity of the arc in the SF6 gas, the arc energy is low. (arc voltage is between 150 and 200V.)		Because of the very low voltage across the metal vapour arc, energy is very low. (Arc voltage is between 50 and 100V.)
Contact Erosion	Due to the low energy the contact erosion is small.		Due to the very low arc energy, the rapid movement of the arc root over the contact and to the fact that most of the metal vapour re-condenses on the contact, contact erosion is extremely small.
Arc extinguishing media	The gaseous medium SF6 possesses excellent dielectric and arc quenching properties. After arc extinction, the dissociated gas molecules recombine almost completely to reform SF6. This means that practically no loss/consumption of the quenching medium occurs. The gas pressure can be very simply and permanently supervised. This function is not needed where the interrupters are sealed for life.		No additional extinguishing medium is required. A vacuum at a pressure of 10-7 bar or less is an almost ideal extinguishing medium. The interrupters are ‘sealed for life’ so that supervision of the vacuum is not required.
Switching behavior in relation to current chopping	The pressure build-up and therefore the flow of gas is independent of the value of the current. Large or small currents are cooled with the same intensity. Only small values of high frequency, transient currents, if any, will be interrupted. The de-ionization of the contact gap proceeds very rapidly, due to the electro-negative characteristic of the SF6 gas and the arc products.	The pressure build-up and therefore the flow of gas is dependent upon the value of the current to be interrupted. Large currents are cooled intensely, small currents gently. High frequency transient currents will not, in general, be interrupted. The de-ionization of the contact gap proceeds very rapidly due to the electro-negative characteristic of the SF6 gas and the products.	No flow of an ‘extinguishing’ medium needed to extinguish the vacuum arc. An extremely rapid de-ionization of the contact gap, ensures the interruption of all currents whether large or small. High frequency transient currents can be interrupted. The value of the chopped current is determined by the type of contact material used. The presence of chrome in the contact alloy with vacuum also.
No. of short-circuit operation	10—50	10—50	30—100
No. full load operation	5000—10000	5000—10000	10000—20000
No. of mechanical operation	5000—20000	5000—20000	10000—30000

Above Table will differentiate between SF6 and Vacuum Circuit breakers