Experimental Evaluation of the High-Current Drawn Arc Energy Balance

Abstract

The distribution of energy between anode and cathode of high-current drawn vacuum arc has been experimentally evaluated for different CuCr based contact materials. The energy distribution was determined by measurement of the temperature rise with one thermocouple soldered into drilled hole in the holder of the electrode, which was in turns cathode and anode. The measurements were carried out in the commercial vacuum interrupter, 36-55mm in diameter AMF electrodes were made from SSS CuCr 70/30 and LSS CuCr 50/50. The contacts were separated by magnetic actuator with stable and invariable average opening speed lm/s, maximum contact distance was 7MM. The arc duration was 8.5-9.5ms in all the tests. The study of material influence on the energy distribution has been done for the typical range of currents for commercial vacuum interrupter 5KA -40KA and for the extreme, knowingly overheating regime with current 60KA.