Primary Vacuum Circuit Breakers

 

Connect and protect in primary distribution

 

 

ABB’s medium voltage vacuum circuit breakers for primary distribution protect the evolving grid by safely interrupting the power flow when a grid anomality happens and then re-establishing it once is fixed. Grid anomalies can be caused by over currents - the overload through lightning or malfunctioning electric equipment or a short circuit in the system. ABB’s medium voltage vacuum circuit breakers are key components, in a medium-voltage switchgear, to ensure continuous and safe power flow to industrial, commercial, and residential users.  

ABB’s circuit breakers have been a market benchmark for over 35 years. ABB’s vacuum interrupters, within the circuit breakers, are embedded in poles for protection against humidity, shocks and dust.

ABB’s circuit breakers are available for original equipment manufacturers (OEM), panel builders and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPCs) partners to incorporate in their own installations or for use in repair, retrofit and upgrade projects.

ABB supports customers and partners in staying ahead of increasing electrification needs, technology, and regulatory changes, providing the power to adapt to a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

VD4/VD4 evo

VD4, up to 46 kV, is a medium voltage vacuum circuit breaker with mechanical actuator (spring mechanism) for primary distribution. With a global installed base of over 2 million units, VD4 can perform 30,000 overhaul-free2 mechanical operations on most ratings. VD4 evo, up to 17.5 kV, 1,250 A and 40 kA1, represents the next generation of ABB’s VD4 vacuum circuit breakers with integrated sensors for remote asset management, maintenance optimization and operational cost reduction.

Benefits:

  • Reliable in extreme conditions: Core components are completely protected against mechanical shocks, dust and condensation
  • Safety & protection: Motor-driven truck racks breakers in/out remotely, keeping operators away from the switchgear
  • Remote asset management, smarter maintenance, and lower costs

Industries and applications:

  • Marine Environments
  • Data Centers
  • Utilities
  • Heavy Industries
  • Process Industries (like chemicals)

VM1

VM1, up to 24 kV, is a medium voltage vacuum circuit breaker used in primary power distribution for control and protection of cables, overhead lines, substations, motors, transformers, generators, capacitor banks, etc. VM1 ideally operates in highly demand applications in chemical, steel, automobile industry, airports, large buildings and shopping malls. It can perform 30,000 overhaul-free1 mechanical operations on all the ratings.

Benefits:

  • Ideal for highly demanding applications requiring frequent switching
  • Very low maintenance requirement, sturdy design and high reliability even when C-O operations are frequent
  • Optimized interface: VM1 is mechanically interchangeable with VD4 and compatible with UniGear ZS1 and PowerCube

Industries and applications:

  • Chemical industries
  • Steelworks
  • Automobile industries
  • Airports
  • Large buildings and shopping malls

VD4 AF/AF1

VD4-AF, Vacuum circuit breaker for steel furnace applications, up to 38 kV, is a medium voltage vacuum circuit breaker for primary distribution based on an innovative actuation system to provide a high quality, reliable and efficient solution for electrical arc furnace (EAF) transformer switching application. VD4-AF is also available with extremely low inrush, to support your business needs in transformer switching, under the variant VD4-AF1.

Benefits:

  • 5-10 times increased performance (vs. standard circuit breakers) thanks to innovative actuation system based on servomotors, controlled by efficient and complex electronic.
  • Available in both fixed and withdrawable execution for Powerbloc enclosure or UniGear ZS3.2 panel for fast and easy integration or replacement.
  • High number of mechanical operations (150,000) reducing operation and maintenance costs.

Industries and applications:

  • Steel furnaces
  • Arc furnace applications

VD4 CS/CS1

VD4-CS and VD4-CS1 are the solutions based on new vacuum interrupter technology and an innovative actuation system up to 38 kV, 1250 A, 31.5 kA and with noise-free performance, to support your business needs in reactive power compensation.

Benefits:

  • Inrush minimization thanks to high accuracy in controlled switching technology
  • Reduced total cost of capacitor bank operation due to elimination of downtime for breaker overhaul and a lifespan 5 times the market standard, with predictive health indication
  • CAPEX investment reduced and space savings in applications that use power electronics for fast power factor correction; this means smaller inverters, Statcoms and SVCs

Industries and applications:

  • Renewables
  • Utilities
  • Industrial applications
  • Power quality applications

VD4G

VD4G, up to 15 kV, is a medium voltage vacuum circuit breaker for generator applications (for generators up to 100 MVA) in primary distribution. VD4G is capable of interrupting currents with delayed zero crossings that may occur in the event of faults that are fed from the generator, or faults during synchronization with the high voltage grid. Its interrupting technology enables the withstanding of severe transient recovery voltages (TRV) to protect critical equipment. It can perform 30,000 overhaul-free1 mechanical operations.

Benefits:

  • Suitable for installation in standard medium voltage switchgear for the most cost-effective solution due to compact design
  • Highest generator-fed fault breaking capacity at the same system-fed fault breaking capacity level among competitors
  • Special design allows ultra-demanding breaking current switching without any additional opening

Industries and applications:

  • Power Plants (Up to 90 MW)
  • Renewable Energy Generation
  • Emergency Power Systems
  • Industrial facilities with on-site power generation

Product scope

   VD4/VD4 evo

 

VM1 

 

 

VD4-AF 

 

 

VD4-AF1 

 

 

VD4-CS 

 

 VD4-CS1

 

VD4-G 

 
Rated voltage  up to 46 kV  up to 24 kV  up to 38 kV  up to 38 kV  up to 38 kV  up to 38 kV  up to 15 kV 
Rated current up to 4,000 A  up to 3,150 A  up to 2,500 A 
3,150 A in fixed
version 		 up to 2,500 A 
3,150A in fixed
version		 up to 1,250 A  up to 1,250 A  up to 4,000 A 
Rated
short circuit current 		 up to 63 kA  up to 50 kA  up to 31.5 kA 
40 kA in fixed version 		 up to 31.5 kA 
40 kA in fixed version 		 up to 31.5 kA  up to 31.5 kA  up to 63 kA in System Fed Fault condition 
Technology Vacuum  Vacuum  Vacuum  Vacuum  Vacuum  Vacuum  Vacuum 
Operating mechanism Mechanical  Linear magnetic actuator  Servomotors  Servomotors with synchronization  Servomotors with synchronization  Servomotors with synchronization Mechanical 
Mechanical operations  30,000 overhaul-free operations on most ratings  30,000 overhaul-free operations  150,000 overhaul-free operations  150,000 overhaul-free and inrush-free operations; 20,000 overhaul-free and noise-free operations 
10,000 in back-to-back capacitive operations 		 20,000
overhaul-free operations with transients minimization anytime  (independently
by the charge of the capacitor bank)		 30,000 overhaul-free
operations on 
Monitoring & Diagnostic  Yes,
for 17.5 kV, 1,250 A and 40 kA* 		 No  Yes  Yes  Yes  No  No 
Standards  IEC, GOST  IEC  IEC  IEC  IEC  IEC IEC, IEEE 62271-37-013 
Industries  Generic: all applications, incl. marine  Generic for highly demand application: chemical, steelworks; and standard applications in automobile industry, airports, large buildings and shopping malls  For steel furnaces applications  For steel furnaces applications  Reactive power compensation in renewables, utilities and industrial applications  Power quality applications, Utilities, Renewables, Energy demanding industries (green steel) For generator applications 

* Monitoring and diagnostics to be constantly added to more ratings.

Related offering

Primary protection relays

Critical for grid safety and reliability, Primary Protection Relays continuously monitor the system to recognize abnormal conditions and instantly initiate corrective actions, preventing faults from spreading across the network.

Secondary Vacuum Circuit Breakers

Essential for reliable power delivery to commercial and residential users, Secondary Vacuum Circuit Breakers protect the evolving secondary distribution grid by safely interrupting and restoring power flow when local anomalies occur.

UniSafe

UniSafe is an indoor air-insulated single busbar system switchgear for medium voltage primary distribution up to 24 kV, 4000 A, and 50 kA.

PowerCubes

The PowerCube is a versatile, preassembled medium voltage building block designed to simplify the construction of primary air-insulated switchgear through its modular frame-and-cassette system.

Frequently Asked Questions

A vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) is a protection device for electrical circuits capable of interrupting the energy flow in a circuit during normal operations, maintenance or in case of a potential anomality in the grid. The core component in ABB’s vacuum circuit breakers are the vacuum interrupters, where the current is extinguished and are embedded inside the poles. Vacuum technology in medium voltage is a mature and well tested technology, there where products in the market since 1950s. 

Vacuum circuit breakers protect the evolving grid by safely interrupting the power flow when a grid anomality happens and then re-establishing it once is fixed. Grid anomalies can be caused by over currents - the overload through lightning or malfunctioning electric equipment or a short circuit in the system. The vacuum circuit breakers interrupt the current through the vacuum interrupters, where the current is extinguished and are embedded inside the poles. 

ABB’s circuit breakers feature vacuum interrupters embedded in poles, which protect against humidity, shocks, and dust. This design ensures durability and reduces the risk of failure due to contamination, tracking, or partial discharge. 

The main difference between a vacuum circuit breaker and a switch disconnector is that the circuit breaker is capable to protect the electrical circuit by clearing the fault currents. The switch disconnector instead will not interrupt the fault current, but once opened it permits to operate on the disconnected part of the plant guaranteeing the insulation from the still active part of the electrical circuit. 

Yes, ABB offers also SF6 circuit breaker: the HD4. ABB’s complete transition to SF6-free portfolio will be phased in line with our ambitious sustainability targets, evolving regulatory deadlines, market demand, and production capacity. 

Vacuum technology offers many advantages: 

  • It does not require any additional refill of gas (SF6) or oil, after the operation the vacuum automatically recovers its insulating properties – as a consequence, vacuum circuit breakers require minimal maintenance. 
  • The vacuum grants a high dielectric strength allowing a compact design. 
  • The electrical arc is contained inside the vacuum interrupters contributing to a reduced footprint. 
  • Environmentally friendly, vacuum circuit breakers do not use greenhouse gases to break the current.

Yes, they are. ABB’s vacuum circuit breakers demand very low maintenance.  

Yes, they are. Our customers can select the best customization and accessories for the circuit breaker among those available. ABB also has specific circuit breakers for specific applications such as VD4G for generator applications, VD4-CS for inrush free capacitor bank operations, VD4-AF and AF1 for electrical arc furnaces transformers.