Siemens Energy High Voltage Dead Tank Circuit Breakers — US Catalog

Platform overview — since 1964

With over 160,000 installed circuit breakers of the current platform in service internationally, Siemens Energy positions this family as proven technology that customers rely on for dependable performance.

The globally standardized design is built around the FA spring-spring operating mechanism (requiring no maintenance or adjustments), the 3AP Arc-Assist self-blast interrupter, rupture disks for each interrupter, porcelain and composite bushing options with standard provision for up to four CTs per bushing, and tanks meeting ASME pressure requirements.

Application-based options extend the platform: pre-insertion resistors (PIR), point-on-wave controlled switching with a phase synchronizing device (PSD), metering-accuracy CTs, extra-creep bushings, dual trip coils, tank heaters for low-temperature applications, and high-kA short-circuit ratings.

Manufacturing and quality

All breakers in the brochure are built at the Siemens Energy facility in Jackson, Mississippi, which combines current breaker technology with economies of scale and a streamlined production process. The plant is certified to ISO 9001:2015 (Quality), OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health & Safety), and ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental).

Every circuit breaker is tested to ANSI and IEC standards in one of the world's largest high-voltage laboratories. Live tank breakers, dead tank breakers, and gas-insulated switchgear all share common components, supporting longevity, reliability, and coverage of diverse climate zones.

Application configurations

Because a breaker's application defines the operating conditions it will see over its lifetime, the portfolio is configurable across transmission line protection, controlled switching, and high-kA duties.

High-kA short-circuit capability addresses evolving power systems where extreme transient recovery voltage (TRV) conditions and high X/R ratios are common.

Independent pole operation (IPO) combined with PSD controlled switching increases system reliability by reducing voltage fluctuations and harmonic stress, and extends interrupter service life by cutting switching over-voltages and inrush currents.

Pre-insertion resistors (PIR) limit TRV impacts in transmission line protection and smooth reclosing by dissipating trapped charge on the affected phases; they can be configured with various resistance values and externally adjustable pre-insertion times.

SPS2 15 kV – 72.5 kV

The SPS2 15.5 – 72.5 kV dead tank breakers use the same FA spring-spring mechanism and 3AP arc-assist interrupter common to the entire SPS2 portfolio (15 kV – 550 kV), and can be configured with IPO and PSD for demanding switching duties.

They meet Class M2 mechanical endurance (10,000 operations) and Class C2 capacitive switching certifications for virtually maintenance-free life. Standard features: FA spring-spring mechanism, gang or IPO on a common frame, and operation to -40 °C without tank heaters. Options: PSD point-on-wave switching, composite/extra-creep bushings, and up to four CTs per bushing.

SPS2S 123 kV – 170 kV

Continuous development of the SPS2 design led to the refined SPS2S designation for 123 – 245 kV-rated breakers, reflecting upgrades that shrink the foundation footprint across all kA classes for easy replacement of existing breakers.

With 40, 50, and 63 kA designs available, the 123 – 170 kV breakers suit all applications including transmission line, transformer, and capacitor bank switching. No SPS2S breaker needs capacitors to reach its kA requirement, eliminating both that initial cost and the maintenance exposure of failed capacitors.

Rated Class M2 (10,000 operations) and Class C2. Standard: FA spring-spring mechanism, gang or IPO on common frame, no capacitors necessary. Options: PSD, composite/extra-creep bushings, slip-over CTs.

Note: the brochure's ratings table for this page labels the 145 and 170 kV columns as SPS2-25.8 and SPS2-38; the values shown are the 123/145/170 kV class ratings as printed.

SPS2S 245 kV

With versions from 40 – 90 kA, BIL options up to 1050 kV, 2- or 3-cycle interruption, and IEEE 693 high-seismic designs available, the SPS2S 245 kV portfolio is described as the most adaptable in its class.

Like the 123 – 170 kV models, the 245 kV 63 kA breaker has a minimized footprint for drop-in replacement of existing breakers. Rated Class M2 (10,000 operations) and Class C2.

Standard: FA spring-spring mechanism, gang or IPO on common frame. Options: PSD, composite/extra-creep bushings, tank heaters for low ambient temperatures, slip-over CTs.

Note: as printed, the brochure labels the 90 kA column SPS2-25.8; both columns are 245 kV class ratings.

SPS2S 362 kV

SPS2 362 kV breakers come standard with IPO configuration and 2-cycle interruption to cover all extra-high-voltage (EHV) applications. A unique common frame version simplifies installation — a common frame 362 kV breaker can typically be installed on an existing foundation in less than one day.

The FA spring-spring mechanism and 3AP arc-assist interrupter give exceptional reliability and long service life with virtually no maintenance; the breaker meets Class M2 (10,000 operations) and Class C2.

Standard: FA spring-spring mechanism, IPO configuration, 63 kA without TRV capacitors, single-break up to 63 kA. Options: PSD, composite bushings, pre-insertion resistors with externally adjustable insertion time, tank heaters, common frame version.

SPS2 550 kV

Each pole of the SPS2 550 kV breaker carries a dual-break 3AP2 arc-assist interrupter for reliable interruption under large voltage transients and high reactive-power switching. Siemens Energy offers the only 550 kV breaker operated by a spring-spring mechanism capable of reliable 2-cycle interruption and reclosing.

Rated Class M2 (10,000 operations) and Class C2. Standard: FA spring-spring mechanism, shipped with CTs and CT covers installed, no line-to-ground capacitors necessary for 63 kA. Options: PSD, composite/extra-creep bushings, plug-and-play control wiring for ease of installation.

Live tank option — CPV 2/2S, 3AP 2/3, 3AP 4/5

Live tank circuit breakers and circuit switchers suit applications needing 2- or 3-cycle interruption in limited space, offering fast protection at economical cost — commonly for power transformer switching where reliable switching devices protect substation transformer assets worth millions. Built on the same FA spring-spring mechanism, they carry the same reliability standard as the SPS2 dead tank portfolio.

Their small footprint makes the CPV2/CPV2S, 3AP 2/3, and 3AP 4/5 the preferred models for retrofit installations replacing existing fault-interruption devices. Units rated up to 170 kV ship fully assembled; 245 kV and above ship in sub-assemblies engineered to optimize installation time and cost.

Blue Circuit Breaker (SF6-free)

SF6, the insulating gas in most modern gas-insulated equipment (GIE), has a global warming potential 23,500x that of CO2. Siemens Energy developed CLEAN AIR vacuum technology capable of reliable short-circuit interruption above 69 kV with zero CO2 emissions over the equipment's lifetime.

Tested to the same IEEE/IEC standards as SF6 equivalents, Blue Circuit Breaker products offer the reliability expected of HV GIE. Vacuum interruption additionally works at low ambient temperatures, carries higher full-fault duty than equivalent SF6 products (rated for up to 30 interruptions at rated short-circuit current), and is maintenance-free thanks to hermetically sealed vacuum interrupter components.

Driven by the FA spring-spring mechanism, Blue Circuit Breaker products carry Class M2 mechanical endurance (10,000 operations) and Class C2 capacitive switching certifications. The release schedule below applies (as printed; the short-circuit column is headed 'kV' in the source).

3AP arc-assist interrupter and FA spring-spring operating mechanism

The field-proven 3AP arc-assist interrupter is the core of Siemens Energy HV switchgear because it needs substantially less operating-mechanism energy than the preceding puffer interrupter technology. Each interrupter consists of a main contact assembly and an arcing contact mounted inside a pole unit housing. During opening, the puffer action in the interrupter's compression cylinder suffices for low-current faults and switching operations; during high-current interruptions, arc heat raises pressure in the heating volume chamber, and the resulting high-pressure gas extinguishes the arc.

The FA spring-spring operating mechanism is unique in the industry for its scalable design, applied across the entire Siemens Energy breaker portfolio from 15 kV to 800+ kV. Unlike hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms, the spring-spring design is inherently maintenance-free for the breaker's installed lifetime.

The mechanism-to-voltage assignment table below maps FA mechanism variants to interrupter operation modes across voltage ratings ('-' = not applicable; the '72.5 W' column header is as printed in the source, evidently 72.5 kV).

Figures & drawings

Click any figure to enlarge.