S&c Electric Company

Gary W Hardesty

Michael G Ennis

Richard George Smith

Roy T Swanson

Keith W Benson

Richard P Mikosz

Jason R Bogusz

Thomas E Kovanko

Andrew D Pfister

Keith Iv Benson

A fault interrupting and reclosing device includes a circuit interrupter coupled to an actuator. The actuator includes at least one force generating element for generating an opening force for opening the circuit interrupter and for generating a restoring force to close the circuit interrupter. The device further includes a latch to engage the actuator to hold the contacts open once opened. In a preferred arrangement, the device is provided with an automatic mode of operation including a reclose process and a non-reclosing mode of operation. The device also preferably includes a method of determining the end-of-life of a vacuum interrupter monitors characteristics and/or parameters of a fault current or vacuum interrupter operation to predict a percent of life consumed with each fault current interruption operation. A cumulative percent of life consumed may also be determined, and an end-of-life may be predicted based upon the cumulative percent of life consumed.

Method of determining end-of-life of a fault interrupting device

Fault interrupting and reclosing device

A fault interrupter and a method of operating a fault interrupter to reduce arcing time during fault interruption. Fault interrupter operation is delayed following detecting a peak current such that its operation occurs at a point of the current wave resulting in reduced arcing during fault isolation.

Fault interrupter and operating method

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Northfield, IL, United States of America

Gary W Hardesty