High tension circuit breaker capable of interrupting fault currents having a delayed zero crossing

A high tension circuit breaker for interrupting alternating fault currents having a pseudo-period T, a fault instant at time t.sub.0 and a delayed zero crossing occurring after a maximum time lapse t.sub.zmax -t.sub.0 after t.sub.0, said time lapse t.sub.zmax -t.sub.0 being determined by testing or simulation, said high tension circuit breaker comprising:

• a plurality of interrupting chambers in series, each of said interrupting chambers having means for opening at an instant t.sub.1, where t.sub.1 is subsequent to t.sub.0, each said interrupting chamber comprising a fixed main contact, a fixed arcing contact, moving equipment disposed adjacent to said fixed main contact and said fixed arcing contact and including a moving main contact, a moving arcing contact and arc blasting means disposed within said moving equipment for providing a blast to said contacts and designed to operate between instant t.sub.1 and instant t.sub.c, where t.sub.c is earlier than t.sub.zmax -T;
• and
• means for driving said moving equipment including arc blast flow rate reducing means for extending arc blasting to an instant t.sub.2, where t.sub.zmax -T.ltoreq.t.sub.2 .ltoreq.t.sub.zmax +T.