Patent ID: 7904266

Claim:
A method for calculating the separation time of arcing contacts of a high-voltage switchgear which is operatively coupled to a synchronous switching device and to an auxiliary switch, said auxiliary switch having separable auxiliary contacts which are operatively connected to said arcing contacts, the method comprising: operating said high-voltage switchgear in a testing phase; executing during said testing phase of said high-voltage switchgear a predefined operating condition of said switchgear; measuring the separation time of said arcing contacts and the separation time of said auxiliary contacts during execution of the predefined operating condition; calculating the time delay between the measured separation time of said arcing contacts and the measured separation time of the auxiliary contacts for the executed predefined operating condition; upon separation of said arcing contacts under an operating condition other than said predefined operating condition, measuring the separation time of the auxiliary contacts for said operating condition other than said predefined operating condition; and calculating the separation time of the arcing contacts as the difference between the separation time of said auxiliary contacts measured during said operating condition other than said predefined operating condition and said calculated time delay.