To study the interaction between the electrode and the electrical arc in a SF6 self-blast circuit breaker, a coupling between experimental and theoretical approaches is proposed. The experimental approach allows physical variables such as the temperature just below the contact surface and the total metallic vapour mass in the electrical arc to be measured. The theoretical study is based on a hydrodynamic model for electrical arc modelling, which takes into account Joule heating, radiation and real-gas effects. The arc/electrode interaction model is built on an energy balance at the boundary between the gas flow (the arc) and the electrode (cathode or anode). The validation is obtained through comparisons between measured and calculated results.

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