The need for the deve Zopment of a synchronous transmission breaker is discussed and the basic pretiminary specifications for such a circuit breaker are established and tabu Zated. for a synchronous pu Zse generator, (or eurrent zero predictor), for an operating mechanism and for a suitabZe interrupter are described in detait. ' The experimentaZ resu Zts obtained with vacuum interrupters and with axia Z bZast interrupters, using pure SF s' mixtures of SF 6 and N 2, and high pressure liquid SF 6 are reported. The resuZts are then evaZuated and the performances obtained with each interrupting media are compared arriving at the end to a choice of a pre4 ferred design. This preferred design, an interrupter that uses SF6 in the Ziquid state at pressures of 13.8 megapascals (2000 psi) is completely described. The resu Zts obtained in a series of experiments designed to estabZish Zimits of performance for this interrupter are aZso discussed.