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Analysis of breakdown mechanisms in heated short air gaps during contact opening in compact DC circuit breakers

Analysis of breakdown mechanisms in heated short air gaps during contact opening in compact DC circuit breakers
Analysis of breakdown mechanisms in heated short air gaps during contact opening in compact DC circuit breakers
DC commutative circuit breakers, characterised by their compact size and rapid commutation capabilities, are increasingly recognised for their potential in DC circuit inter-ruption. However, challenges such as arc re-ignition significantly hinder their scalability. This paper reviews traditional predictive models for breakdown behaviours, particularly Paschen's Law and Critical Field Theory, to explore their adequacy in explaining the mechanisms behind re-ignition post-commutation. This research addresses the observed discrepancies between theoretical predictions and experimental results in compact LC commutative circuit breakers, particularly in scenarios involving rapid contact separation and the presence of hot gas in the gap. It proposes that the Critical Field Theory, due to the remaining noticeable background ionisation, more accurately describes the breakdown mechanism during contact opening. The proposed study integrates detailed modelling of temperature distribution, electrical phenomena associated with the arc, and airflow effects within the air gap, supported by experimental validations. The findings enhance our understanding of the electrical breakdown dynamics and provide insights into improving the design and reliability of DC circuit breakers.
IEEE
Nan, Jing
fcf86170-2ab8-4b0e-bc84-2fc267b4cf26
Chen, George
3de45a9c-6c9a-4bcb-90c3-d7e26be21819
Golosnoy, Igor O.
40603f91-7488-49ea-830f-24dd930573d1
Nan, Jing
fcf86170-2ab8-4b0e-bc84-2fc267b4cf26
Chen, George
3de45a9c-6c9a-4bcb-90c3-d7e26be21819
Golosnoy, Igor O.
40603f91-7488-49ea-830f-24dd930573d1

Nan, Jing, Chen, George and Golosnoy, Igor O. (2024) Analysis of breakdown mechanisms in heated short air gaps during contact opening in compact DC circuit breakers. In 2024 IEEE 69th Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts (HOLM). IEEE. 8 pp . (doi:10.1109/HOLM56222.2024.10768674).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

DC commutative circuit breakers, characterised by their compact size and rapid commutation capabilities, are increasingly recognised for their potential in DC circuit inter-ruption. However, challenges such as arc re-ignition significantly hinder their scalability. This paper reviews traditional predictive models for breakdown behaviours, particularly Paschen's Law and Critical Field Theory, to explore their adequacy in explaining the mechanisms behind re-ignition post-commutation. This research addresses the observed discrepancies between theoretical predictions and experimental results in compact LC commutative circuit breakers, particularly in scenarios involving rapid contact separation and the presence of hot gas in the gap. It proposes that the Critical Field Theory, due to the remaining noticeable background ionisation, more accurately describes the breakdown mechanism during contact opening. The proposed study integrates detailed modelling of temperature distribution, electrical phenomena associated with the arc, and airflow effects within the air gap, supported by experimental validations. The findings enhance our understanding of the electrical breakdown dynamics and provide insights into improving the design and reliability of DC circuit breakers.

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More information

Submitted date: 16 May 2024
Accepted/In Press date: 11 July 2024
Published date: 3 December 2024

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 491294
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491294
PURE UUID: 38b9f440-2afb-45b3-a752-5560348842fb

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Date deposited: 19 Jun 2024 16:32
Last modified: 06 Dec 2024 17:39

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Contributors

Author: Jing Nan
Author: George Chen
Author: Igor O. Golosnoy

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