METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE OPERATING CONDITIONS OF A SWITCHING APPARATUS

Described herein is a method for determining a presence of anomalous conditions in a switching apparatus installed in an electric line of an electric power distribution grid. The method includes a sequence of steps for adjusting a lumped-parameter model describing, for each electric phase, the behavior of the switching apparatus during the opening maneuvers of the switching apparatus. Simulation values provided by the lumped-parameter model are used for calculating estimation values indicative of the amounts of arc energy released by the breaking components of the switching apparatus during the opening maneuvers of the switching apparatus.