Arc motion and gas flow in current limiting circuit breakers operating with a low contact switching velocity
Arc motion and gas flow in current limiting circuit breakers operating with a low contact switching velocity
Arc motion in low voltage (240 VAC) high current (10/sup 3/-10/sup 4/A.) current limiting-circuit breakers is dominated by arc root mobility. The mobility is influenced by the gas flow and gas composition in the contact region, but there is little experimental data on these effects. New pressure and spectral data measurement during arc movement are presented using a flexible test apparatus and an arc imaging system. These measurements are used to investigate gas flow characteristics in the arc chamber. The chemical and physical phenomena occurring during the arc motion are discussed. The combination of optical and spectral data provides new insight into the arc motion. The influences of arc chamber material, contact material, and contact opening speed, are investigated to improve arc control for a low contact opening velocity.
circuit-breaking arcs, electrical contacts, external flows, fault current limiters
427-433
McBride, J.W.
d9429c29-9361-4747-9ba3-376297cb8770
Pechrach, K.
58bf3627-cfd9-4909-a76b-d236bfdcadca
Weaver, P.M.
649cbff1-3909-4d09-bab6-79ef325089d0
September 2002
McBride, J.W.
d9429c29-9361-4747-9ba3-376297cb8770
Pechrach, K.
58bf3627-cfd9-4909-a76b-d236bfdcadca
Weaver, P.M.
649cbff1-3909-4d09-bab6-79ef325089d0
McBride, J.W., Pechrach, K. and Weaver, P.M.
(2002)
Arc motion and gas flow in current limiting circuit breakers operating with a low contact switching velocity.
IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies, 25 (3), .
(doi:10.1109/TCAPT.2002.804607).
Abstract
Arc motion in low voltage (240 VAC) high current (10/sup 3/-10/sup 4/A.) current limiting-circuit breakers is dominated by arc root mobility. The mobility is influenced by the gas flow and gas composition in the contact region, but there is little experimental data on these effects. New pressure and spectral data measurement during arc movement are presented using a flexible test apparatus and an arc imaging system. These measurements are used to investigate gas flow characteristics in the arc chamber. The chemical and physical phenomena occurring during the arc motion are discussed. The combination of optical and spectral data provides new insight into the arc motion. The influences of arc chamber material, contact material, and contact opening speed, are investigated to improve arc control for a low contact opening velocity.
Text
22256.pdf
- Version of Record
More information
Published date: September 2002
Keywords:
circuit-breaking arcs, electrical contacts, external flows, fault current limiters
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 22256
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/22256
ISSN: 1521-3331
PURE UUID: 239b41ae-f797-43c1-ad73-4046ac127d4d
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 23 Mar 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:37
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
K. Pechrach
Author:
P.M. Weaver
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
