Vacuum Interrupters

35 to 450 A RMS; Single Terminal; 28 to 45 kV; Mechanical Life 0.5 to 2 Mio. Operations

Jennings Technology’s series of vacuum interrupters handle a wide range of voltage and current interrupt levels, and high-quality and highly reliable interrupters are available for the utility and industrial markets.

Current interruption in a vacuum is recognized as the ideal switching technology in the medium voltage range, and it is also applied in high-voltage and low-voltage applications. Excellent switching capabilities and compact design make vacuum interrupters the most economical switching device solutions possible.

Jennings vacuum interrupters feature an evacuated ceramic insulating envelope surrounding two contacts, one fixed and one movable. The movable contact is operated from the outside through a metallic bellows. Contacts are typically a copper alloy that is developed for use in AC voltage applications. The end plates are made of stainless steel or copper.

With these features, vacuum interrupters can be expected to last the life of the equipment in which they are installed. Their interruption mechanism is independent of the current magnitude, so interruption can normally be anticipated at the first current zero with no restriking, as the dielectric strength of the contact gap recovers more rapidly than the recovery voltage can rise.

Vacuum dielectric enables the interrupters’ contacts to be arranged close together, so circuit interruptions can be designed in a smaller envelope. With current interruption occurring in a vacuum, all arcing is confined within the vacuum interrupter body, so Jennings interrupters are noise-free and flash-free, avoid contact contamination as oxides and corrosion layers cannot form in vacuum, and they do not emit any greenhouse or toxic gases.

Key Features:

• Long Life, High Reliability
• Controlled Contact Erosion Results in Virtually Maintenance-free Operation
• Fast Interrupting Speed
• Rapid Dielectric Recovery
• High Cycle Withstand Voltages
• Robust, Compact Design
• Environmentally Friendly
• Atmospheric Contact Contamination is Eliminated
• Noise-free and Flash-free

Applications: Load Break Switches; Contactors for Industrial and Motor Control; Capacitor Bank Switching; Circuit Breakers; Specialty RF and DC Applications