Strategies for selecting monitoring of circuit breakers

Diagnostics and monitoring can be used to optimize maintenance practices, replacement, and utilization of aged circuit breakers. Monitoring practices should be selected with realistic expectations. Monitoring techniques and strategies for circuit breakers can vary depending on the application. Some monitoring techniques do not provide sufficient benefit to justify the cost and effort. Conversely, appropriate selection of monitoring can provide significant benefits. A new "IEEE Guide for the Selection of Monitoring for Circuit Breakers" has been published. It outlines the majority of monitoring options, and includes the important role and application of failure modes and effect analyzes. Various monitoring techniques and strategies are reviewed using the new guide as a reference for selecting the most appropriate monitoring for a given application.