Reclosers and Controls

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Reclosers and Controls

Reclosers
Automatic circuit reclosers are recognized by electric utilities throughout the world as an essential device for achieving their prime goal: providing maximum continuity of electric service to their customers simply and economically. Reclosers sense and interrupt fault currents and automatically restore service after momentary outage. The automatic circuit recloser is essentially a self-contained device with the necessary intelligence to sense overcurrents to time and interrupt fault currents, and to re-energize the line by reclosing automatically. If a fault is permanent, the recloser locks open after a preset number of operations (usually three or four), isolating the faulted section from the main part of the system. Major classifying features of automatic circuit reclosers are:

Single-phase or Three-phase
Interrupters: Oil or Vacuum
Control: Hydraulic or Electronic
Insulation: Oil, Air, or Epoxy

Single-Phase Reclosers
Single-phase reclosers are used to protect single-phase lines such as branches or taps of a three-phase feeder. They can also be used on three-phase circuits where the load is predominantly single phase. Thus, when a permanent phase-to-ground fault occurs, one phase can be locked-out while service is maintained to the remaining two-thirds of the system.

Three-Phase Reclosers
There are various types of three-phase reclosers available to satisfy multiple applications at the most economical cost. They are used as main breakers three phase feeders for substations with rating up to 1200 amps and 20 KA and also for distribution feeders to segment the feeder into multiple zones of protection.

Recloser Controls
The intelligence that enables a recloser to sense overcurrents, select timing operation, time the tripping and reclosing functions, and finally lockout is provided by the recloser control. There are two basic types of control schemes used: an integral hydraulic control or an electronic control located in a separate cabinet.

Hydraulic Controls
Hydraulic recloser control is used in most single-phase reclosers and in three-phase recloser types 6H and V6H. It is built as an integral part of the recloser. With this type of control, an overcurrent is sensed by a trip coil that is connected in series with the line.

Electronic Controls
Kyle electronic recloser controls are used in most three-phase reclosers and in the single-phase recloser types VXE and NOVA¹. Compared with the hydraulic control, they are more flexible, more easily customized and programmed, and many have advanced protection, metering, and automation functionality.

Kyle Classic Program
Retire your legacy recloser or control for future purchase credits.

Cooper Power Systems Kyle single-phase and three-phase reclosers are among the most reliable devices offered to the electric utility industry—so reliable, in fact, many customers have reclosers on their system well over 50 years. To promote refurbishment of the grid, Cooper Power Systems offers an incentive program for customers to retire Kyle reclosers with more than a quarter century of service and purchase new Kyle reclosers.

Learn more about this program
Scrap Report and Credit Request (PDF)
Scrap Report and Credit Request (Word)
Scrap Report and Credit Request Appendix (Word)

Upgrade to Superior Performance with the PerForm 6 Recloser Control Retrofit Program
An extraordinary opportunity created especially for Cooper Power Systems customers.

The PerForm 6 retrofit program provides Cooper Power Systems Form 3A, Form 4A, Form 4C, FXA, FXB, and Form 5 control users the opportunity to upgrade their recloser controls to the Form 6 control, complete with ProView 4.0.1 application software, at a discounted price.

Contact your Cooper Power Systems representative for special pricing information.