Transients Due to Multiple Prestrike Phenomenon when Energizing Capacitor Banks with a Vacuum Circuit-Breaker

The phenomenon of multiple pre-strikes of the are was observed in field measurements of the energization of a single 4.8 MVAR, 13.2 kV capacitor bank. This paper presents field measurements records and the results of the computer simulation of the transients when energizing the capacitor bank, carried out in order to calculate the over-voltages generated in remote points. A method to avoid the phenomenon is proposed.