Vacuum Contactors

For continous switching

General Information

Description
Switching Duties
Technical Data
Dimension

3TL vacuum contactors are 3-pole contactors with electromagnetic operating mechanism for medium-voltage switchgear. They are load breaking devices with a limited short-circuit making and breaking capacity for applications with high switching rates of up to 3 million operating cycles.

Vacuum contactor 3TL6 – The Compact
■ 3TL61; 7,2 kV; 3Mio mechanical operating cycles
■ 3TL65; 12 kV; 1Mio mechanical operating cycles

For easy integration the vacuum contactors 3TL6 are also available as compact Contactor-Fuse-Combination .

Vacuum contactors 3TL8 – The Slim
■ 7,2 kV; 250T mechanical operating cycles

Vacuum contactor 3TL7 - The Powerful
■ 24 kV; 1Mio mechanical operating cycles

Vacuum contactors are suitable for operational switching of alternating-current consumers in indoor switchgear

Switching of three-phase motors in AC-3 or Ac-4 operation (eg in conveying and elevator systems, compressors, pumping stations, ventilation and heating)
Vacuum contactors are especially suitable for frequent operation of motors. As the chopping currents of the contactors are ≤ 5 A, no unpermissibly high overvoltages are produced when started motors are switched during normal operation. However, when high-voltage motors with starting currents of ≤ 600 A are stopped during start-up, overvoltages may arise. The magnitude of these overvoltages can be reduced to harmless
values by means of special surge limiters.

Switching of transformers (e.g. in secondary distribution switchgear, industrial distributions)
When inductive currents are interrupted, current chopping can produce overvoltages at the contact gap. Such overvoltages can be controlled with a protective circuit composed of 3EF surge limiters.

Switching of capacitors (e.g. in power factor correction systems, capacitor banks)
3TL vacuum contactors can interrupt capacitive currents up to 250 A up to the rated voltage of 12 kV without restrikes, and thus without overvoltages.

Switching of reactors (e.g. in industrial distribution systems, DC-link reactors, power factor correction systems)

Switching of resistive consumers (e.g. heating resistors, electrical furnaces)

Type	3TL81	3TL61	3TL65	3TL71
Rated voltage	7.2 kV	7.2 kV	12 kV	24 kV
Rated frequency	50/60 Hz	50/60 Hz	50/60 Hz	50/60 Hz
Rated normal current	400 A	450 A	400 A	800 A
Rated making current*	4000 A	4500 A	4000 A	4500 A
Rated breaking current*	3200 A	3600 A	3200 A	3600 A
Mechanical service life of the contractor*	1 million operating cycles	3 million operating cycles	1 million operating cycles	1 million operating cycles
Electrical service life of the vacuum interrupter (rated current)*	0.25 million operating cycles	1 million operating cycles	0.5 million operating cycles	0.5 million operating cycles