IEC 62271-103 revised in 2021 – The standard for alternating current switches IEC 62271-103 has been updated to align with other related product standards (for example IEC 62271-102 for earthing switches/disconnectors) for the kinematic chain and test on the position indicating device, making tests more uniform and have more clear acceptance criteria for the test .
The behavior of the switch during breaking tests has been elaborated further and stricter boundaries for restrikes during braking tests have been specified. A switch now has a defined time of clearing the current after contact separation, to avoid invalid and dangerous operations in energy networks.
For a switch, the tests are specified to be performed at a rated frequency (50Hz or 60Hz) in IEC 62271-103. The latest edition, however, gives a procedure for combining tests at both rated frequencies. With a limited number of additional tests, a switch can be tested and certified for both rated frequencies.
For the dielectric tests and continuous current tests, there are no major differences other than for these tests it is now referring to the current edition of IEC 62271-1 (2017). As a result, a clear procedure is now described for preconditioning tests in case vacuum interrupters are incorporated. Also, temperature-rise limits have been changed for the continuous current test.