MR PUBLICATION

VACUTAP® Technology
New Standard for Users of Regulating Transformers
®
VACUTAP

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 1 Vacuum Switching Technology 2 Characteristics of the Vacuum
Switching Technology

In the course of the last two decades, the vacuum switching The triumph of the vacuum switching technology is due to a num-
technology has developed to become the predominant switch- ber of technical features giving the vacuum interrupter a signifi-
ing technology in the area of medium voltage substations and cant superiority to competitive switching technologies in the range
high-capacity power contactors. Today, worldwide more than 60% of low and medium voltage.
of the demand for circuit breakers in the medium voltage range is
covered by vacuum-type circuit breakers. These characteristics are as follows:
The importance of the vacuum switching technology is also – The arc in vacuum has a considerably lower arc (drop) voltage,
growing in the field of regulating transformers, which is due to a as compared to the arc in oil or SF6.
number of reasons: –> Low energy consumption during breaking of the contacts
–> Little contact wear
Along with the increase in the demand for electrical energy in
metropolitan areas, the necessity for installing transformers in
– The already low material wear resulting from the low arc volt-
buildings creates a need for regulating transformers with reduced
age is still more reduced by a high rate of condensation of the
fire hazards. In addition to this and with respect to the prevention
metal-vapour plasma on the contact surfaces.
of water pollution, those regulating transformers are preferable
The combination of both effects helps to achieve a substantially
that do not require mineral oil as insulating or switching medium.
longer contact life, than what OLTC users would expect from
Apart from gas-immersed transformers, mainly used in Japan, e. g. tungsten-copper contacts operated in oil.
dry-type transformers, and transformers with alternative insulating
liquids meet these requirements which are increasingly asked for. – As a result of the hermetically sealed switching chamber, the
For this sort of regulating transformers, the conventional tap- arc does not get in contact with any quenching medium. Thus
changers are little suitable, because the use of mineral oil as the switching characteristics are independent of the ambient
switching medium is - for the reasons mentioned above - not media, resulting in the following advantages:
desirable and would moreover require technically complex and • No decomposition of the quenching agent
expensive overall solutions. –> No carbon by-products when working in insulating oil
For the realization of the features that are increasingly demanded –> No oil filter plant required
and expected by users, such as –> Easy disposal
• No aging of quenching material
• Low failure rate
–> Constant switching characteristics during the entire life
• Long-term, uninterrupted availability of the regulating
of the vacuum interrupter.
transformer
The quality of the vacuum in the vacuum interrupter
–> Reduced inspection work
is even increased during the performance of switching
–> Longer inspection intervals
operations, because the metal-vapour plasma coming
• Low maintenance costs
from contact material produced by the arc absorbs free
the vacuum switching technology offers the best qualification. The gas molecules (getter effect).
special qualities of the vacuum interrupter are that it is a hermeti- • No oxidation of the contact surface
cally sealed system, thus, despite arcing, not interacting with the –> Constantly low contact resistance
surrounding medium. In addition, high-vacuum generally offers
optimal conditions for an extremely quick dielectric recovery after – Insulating fluids other than mineral oil might be used in
current zero. applications where a high flash point or biodegradability is
important.

– The extraordinarily fast dielectric recovery of up to 10 kV/µs

ensures short arcing times of a maximum of one half-cycle
Contents even in case of a large phase angle between current and volt-
age or in special applications (converter transformer) with high
1 Vacuum Switching Technology 2 dU/dt after current zero.
2 Characteristics of the Vacuum Switching Technology 2
– Vacuum interrupters only need small contact gaps, which
3 Application of the Vacuum Switching Technology to
enables a comparatively easy drive with little energy required.
On-Load Tap-Changers (OLTC) 3
4 On-Load Tap-Changer VACUTAP® AVT, RMV-A and V V
with Vacuum Interrupters 4
5 On-Load Tap-Changer VACUTAP® V R
with Vacuum Interrupters 7

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 3 Application of the Vacuum Switching
Technology to On-Load Tap-Changers (OLTC)

Definition:
VACUTAP®: OLTC with vacuum interrupters
OILTAP®: conventional OLTC with arcing contacts in oil

Because of the extremely attractive overall profile of the vacuum

switching technology, MR decided to design new on-load tap-
changer series based on this technology.
This decision was supported by the fact that vacuum interrupters
now, after more than two decades of development, have reached a
high technical performance and owing to modern vacuum furnace
soldering technology eliminating the need of a suction pipe have
become so compact that it is possible to install them in on-load
tap-changers with the same outer dimensions as OILTAP® OLTC
designs.
On the basis of this technology, MR has developed vacuum inter-
rupters for the use in on-load tap-changers.
Apart from the size, the central parameters for this development
are mechanical life in oil or other liquids in the requested tempera-
ture range, the switching behaviour, and the contact wear.
Thus the contact material or contact arrangement, the shielding
electrode and the connecting interfaces were optimised, to mention
just a few.
These measures ensure reliable operation and a high number of
permissible switching operations, as well as low chopping currents
of an average of 3 A.
Since the mid 80s, MR has been manufacturing reactor-type on-
load tap-changers with vacuum interrupters for the US market.
These OLTCs are designed for attached mounting and are filled with
insulating oil. Instead of transition resistors, transition reactors are
used.
Already 8,000 on-load tap-changers VACUTAP® RMV (Figs. 1, 4)
with a total of 24,000 vacuum interrupters are in use today.
2

Particularly in industrial applications (furnace transformers) with

extremely high numbers of switching operations (> 100,000 per
annum) the vacuum interrupters have demonstrated their operation
safety and superiority compared to the switching process in oil.
In 1995, MR produced and marketed its first high-speed resis-
tor-type on-load tap-changer operating according to the vacuum
switching technology: VACUTAP® VT (Fig. 2).
This on-load tap-changer is designed for the regulation of dry-
type transformers and is operating in air.
So far, approximately 1,300 single-phase units with 3,900 vacuum
interrupters have been delivered and are successfully in operation.
Based on the outstanding operating experience gained with vacu-
um interrupters and the improvements in operation behaviour for
the user resulting from this technology, MR applied the vacuum
switching technology to further product segments.
1

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 4 On-Load Tap-Changer VACUTAP® AVT,
RMV-A and V V with Vacuum Interrupters

Vacuum interrupters are installed in VACUTAP® AVT (Fig. 3) for the VACUTAP® V V (Fig. 5) looks like OILTAP® selector switch V.
regulation of dry-type transformers in the lower power segment OILTAP® V simultaneously select the tap and switch under load
supplied to the Chinese market. (selector switch switching principle).
Vacuum interrupters are also installed in VACUTAP® RMV-A As opposed to this, VACUTAP® V V has the vacuum interrupter
(Fig. 4), which is the most recent model of its series and re­placed connected in series with tap selector contacts. The vacuum inter-
the last model of reactor-type on-load tap-changers with arcing rupter breaks the current flowing through the path just before the
contacts in oil, thus covering the complete RMV product family tap selector contacts open, thus ensuring that they are opened
with vacuum switching technology. while not on load.
The VACUTAP® V V represents the implementation of the
vacuum switching technology in the segment of high-speed
resistor-type on-load tap-changers for in-tank installation in
transformers. Already 5,000 units with 30,000 vacuum interrupters
are at site since the year 2000.

4 5

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 The path is closed again by the corresponding vacuum interrupter
immediately after the tap selector contacts have switched off-
load to the neighbouring fixed contact, thus ensuring that the tap
selector contacts are closed while not on-load.
Although the outward construction without separate tap selector
seems to be contradicting it, VACUTAP® V V can in fact in its func-
tion be considered an on-load tap-changer, consisting of a diverter
switch and a separate tap selector.
Fig. 6 shows the connection diagram and the switching sequence
from tap 1 to tap 2 (switching steps 1-9).
VACUTAP® V V has two paths: the main path with the main switch-
ing contacts (vacuum interrupter) MSV and the corresponding tap
selector contacts MTS connected in series, as well as a transition
path comprising the transition contacts (vacuum interrupter) TTV,
the corresponding tap selector contacts TTS connected in series,
and the transition resistor R.
In the initial positions (switching step 1 or 9) both vacuum inter-
rupters are closed, thus not under voltage stress.
The switching operation starts with the opening of the tap selec-
tor contacts TTS, disconnecting from the fixed contact of tap 1
(switching step 1 –> 2). As the main path bridges the transition
path, no current flows through the transition path despite TTV
being closed.
TTV opens (switching step 3) before TTS closes to the fixed contact
of tap 2 (switching step 4), as otherwise the tap selector contacts
TTS would make the circulating current, which would then result in
predischarge arcs, thus producing some carbonised oil.
Therefore, the vacuum interrupter TTV makes the circulating cur-
rent (switching step 5).
Subsequently, MSV opens (switching step 6) and commutates the MTS Tap selector contacts, main path
load current to tap 2 and to the transition path. Simultaneously, MSV Main switching contacts (vacuum interrupter),
the circulating current is interrupted. main path
The tap selector contacts MTS now switch from the fixed contact TTS Tap selector contacts, transition path
of tap 1 to the fixed contact of tap 2 (switching steps 7, 8) without TTV Transition contacts (vacuum interrupter),
carrying current. transition path
By the closing of the MSV, shunting the transition path, the STC Sliding take-off contacts
switching operation is completed and the new initial position is
R Transition resistor
reached (switching step 9).
IC Circulating current
Every switching operation in this direction (m –> m + 1), here
defined as “RAISE”, is performed in the just described manner. Switching sequence, 10-pitch VACUTAP® V V
Switching operations in the direction “LOWER” are performed in
6
the order reverse to the one just described: 9 –> 1.
The illustrated switching sequence applies to the 10-pitch VACU-
TAP® V V. For a 12-pitch VACUTAP® V V, the distance between the
fixed contacts is shorter, so that the tap selector contacts TTS are
not switched to a fixed contact in any of the two initial positions.
Apart from that, the switching operation proceeds as described.
The arrangement of the fixed contacts in the area where the volt-
age for the regulating range may occur is the same way for the
12-pitch as for the 10-pitch VACUTAP® V V.

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 Fig. 7 shows a single-phase switching element of VACUTAP® V V. It is a known fact, that vacuum interrupters can restrike within
The design and the arrangement of the above described contacts, up to 50 ms after the completed quenching of the previous arc
vacuum interrupters, and transition resistor is illustrated as fol- and remain live until the next current zero, if particles of contact
lows: material are moved by vibrations or electrical field forces between
• Finger-type contacts on top right: sliding take-off contacts STC. the open main switching contacts of the vacuum interrupter. This
phenomenon is called late restrike. With respect to the number of
• Finger-type contacts on bottom right: tap selector contacts MTS
interruptions performed, the probability of such an occurrence is
of main path. The tap selector contacts TTS of the transition
only some ppm.
path are located behind the MTS, thus not visible in the figure.
The tap selector contacts of VACUTAP® V V, however, open imme-
• T he vacuum interrupter MSV is shown in axial arrangement
diately after the arc in the corresponding vacuum interrupter has
between the MTS and the switching column. The vacuum inter-
been extinguished (see switching steps 6 –> 7 (direction “RAISE”);
rupter TTV of the transition path is located behind the MSV,
8 –> 7, 4 –> 3 (direction “LOWER”) of the switching sequence), so
thus not visible in the figure either.
that the vacuum interrupter is not under voltage stress. Phenom-
• O
 n the left of the switching column, the supporting frame of ena such as late restrikes and the resulting danger of short-circuits
the transition resistor is shown in profile. Established transi- between taps cannot occur.
tion resistors made of meander-shaped resistor tapes are used,
As a protective device for the on-load tap-changer, the well-tried
which are also used for the product range of the OILTAP®
protective relay RS 2001 is used which is to be connected to the
OLTCs.
tripping circuit of the circuit breaker in the usual manner.
As there are no operating arcs in oil which may produce gas,
the protective oil-surge relay RS 2001 can be adjusted to the
VACUTAP® V V in such a way that malfunctions with relatively
small energy consumption already energize the RS 2001.
The innovative use of the vacuum switching technology in the
high-speed resistor-type on-load tap-changer VACUTAP® V V offers
the user a long-term availability of the transformer - as compared
with OILTAP® V - resulting from the following facts:
• Maintenance-free up to 300,000 operations
–> no time based maintenance
–> maintenance-free for more or less all network
applications
7 –> significant reduction of life-cycle-costs

VACUTAP®
VRx Ium (A) Uim Tap Um max Comparable OILTAP®
selector (kV)
VRC I 401 551 701 1001 1301 300 M I 351, M I 501, M I 601, M I 802, M I 1203
VRC II 402 552 702 3.3 kV Typ M M II 352, M II 502, M II 602
VRC III 400 550 700 245 M III 350Y, M III 500Y, M III 600Y
VRE I 701 1001 1301 4.0 kV Typ M 300 RM I 601, RM I 1201, RM I 1201, RM I 1201 (M I 1203)
VRE III 700 245 RM III 600Y
VRD I 1301 3.3 kV Typ R 300 M I 1203 (R I 1201)
VRD III 1000 1300 245 R III 1200Y, R III 1200Y
VRF I 1001 1301 2600* 362 R I 1201, R I 2402
VRF II 1302 4.0 kV Typ R R II 1202
VRF III 1000 1300 245 R III 1200Y
VRG I 1001 1301 2600* 362 R I 1201, R I 2402
VRG II 1302 4.0 kV Typ R R II 1202
VRG III 1000 1301 245 R III 1200Y
* Forced current splitting by two parallel winding branches required
Table 1

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 5 The New On-Load Tap-Changer VACUTAP® V R
with Vacuum Interrupters

VACUTAP® VR – Now With Even More Possible Applications

The VACUTAP® VRC/VRE 700 vacuum on-load tap-changer became

available for delivery in 2004. Since then they have made a name
for themselves around the world. In 2006, the high end of the
performance spectrum with the new VACUTAP® VRD/VRF/VRG
1300 (Fig. 8, Table 1) was expanded. Today more than 3,000 units
are on site.
The result will convince you: significantly reduced operating costs
combined with maximum quality and highest environmental and
safety standards.

Advantages VACUTAP® VR:

• Experience with the state-of-the-art vacuum switching

technology since the 80ies, i.e. 17,000 VACUTAP® OLTCs with
70,000 vacuum interrupters are in use worldwide.
• Maintenance-free for up to 300,000 operations
–> No time based maintenance
–> Maintenance-free for nearly all network applications
–> Significant reduction of life-cycle-costs
–> Increased transformer availability
• Friendly to the environment
–> No oil carbonization: no arcing in the insulating oil
–> No oil filter unit
–> Extended lifespan of the insulating oil
• Designed for selected, alternative liquids
• Extended application of VACUTAP® VR for autotransformers, for
regulation at beginning of the delta winding, for HVDC trans-
formers and for sealed transformers
• Ideal for industrial applications and for application in potentially
explosive areas
• Vacuum switching technology now also available for almost all
the extensive OILTAP® R/RM and M program
• Same diameter (740 mm) of the on-load tap-changer head,
same diameter (478 mm) of the oil compartment as for OILTAP®
R/RM and M – only minor changes in installation length

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 © Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH Phone +49 (0)941 4090-0
www.reinhausen.com Falkensteinstrasse 8 Fax +49 (0)941 4090-7001
93059 Regensburg, Germany E-mail [email protected]

Contact Person

For questions on applications or any further details on the

Author vacuum switching technology please contact:

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Karlheinz Lindl

Product Manager VACUTAP®
Dr.-Ing. Dieter Dohnal Phone +49 (0)941 4090-158
Senior Vice President Fax +49 (0)941 4090-666
Engineering and R & D E-mail [email protected]

Please note: The data in our publications may differ from the data of devices delivered.
We reserve the right to make changes without notice.
PB196/07 EN – 0109 – F0065806 · dp · Printed in Germany

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