Alternative gas current pause circuit interrupter

An electric power circuit interrupter for a power line conducting electricity characterized by a rated voltage, a rated current, and a half-cycle period, comprising:

• an insulator comprising a container filled with a dielectric gas comprising at least 60% carbon dioxide housing an electric power switch comprising a puffer type pin-and-tulip main contactor and a plain break butt impedance contactor;
• terminals connecting the electricity from the power line through the electric power switch;
• a cap positioned adjacent to an end of the insulator housing a plurality of resistor disks and a plurality of varistor disks positioned around a common core, wherein the impedance contactor, the resistor, and the varistor are electrically connected in series forming a shunt leg electrically connected in parallel with a main contactor leg comprising the main contactor;
• an actuator for driving the electric power switch through an opening stroke to open the main contactor before the impedance contactor to disconnect the electricity flowing through the electric power switch;
• the opening stroke causing at most two current restrikes to occur across the main contactor followed by a current pause in the shunt leg for recovery of the dielectric gas from the at most two current restrikes, the current pause comprising an electric current less than 10% of the rated current for a duration of at least 15% of the half-cycle period.

An electric power circuit interrupter for a power line conducting electricity characterized by a rated voltage, a rated current, and a half-cycle period, comprising:

• an insulator comprising a container filled with a dielectric gas excluding sulfur hexafluoride housing an electric power switch comprising a main contactor and an impedance contactor;
• terminals connecting the electricity from the power line through the electric power switch;
• a cap positioned adjacent to an end of the insulator housing a resistor and a varistor, wherein the impedance contactor, the resistor, and the varistor are electrically connected in series forming a shunt leg electrically connected in parallel with a main contactor leg comprising the main contactor;
• an actuator for driving the electric power switch through an opening stroke to open the main contactor before the impedance contactor to disconnect the electricity flowing through the electric power switch;
• the opening stroke causing at most two current restrikes to occur across the main contactor followed by a current pause in the shunt leg for recovery of the dielectric gas from the at most two current restrikes, the current pause comprising an electric current less than 10% of the rated current for a duration of at least 15% of the half-cycle period
• wherein a voltage disturbance less than the rated voltage follows current interruption through the impedance contactor.