Numerical analysis of arc plasma behaviour during contact opening process in low-voltage switching device

Wu, Yi; Rong, Mingzhe; Zhiqiang, Sun; Wang, Xiaohua; Yang, Fei; Li, Xingwen

doi:10.1088/0022-3727/40/3/016

Cited by 82 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…When the current is high and the arc remains within the splitter plates for a sufficiently long time, the vaporization of the metal will be inevitable and important. Because of its complexity, the arc splitting process with metal vapor was seldom referred to in air arc simulation before [1], [2]. In this paper, a 3-D arc model is developed to study the influence of splitter-plate erosion on the air arc splitting process.…”

Section: Simulation Of Arc Splitting Process Consideringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Arc Splitting Process Considering Splitter-Plate Erosion

Yang

Rong

et al. 2011

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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A 3-D simulation model of air arc plasma in a low-voltage circuit breaker, considering the production of iron vapor from splitter-plate erosion, is developed. The distributions of temperature and mass fraction of iron vapor are calculated. The simulation results indicate that the arc splitting process is strongly influenced by the presence of iron vapor from the splitter plate. Images of arc simulation results are presented.Index Terms-Arc splitting, erosion, simulation. Q UENCHING chambers with splitter plates are the most effective method of arc extinction in low-voltage circuit breakers (LVCBs). The splitter plates occupy the largest fraction of the chamber. When the current is high and the arc remains within the splitter plates for a sufficiently long time, the vaporization of the metal will be inevitable and important. Because of its complexity, the arc splitting process with metal vapor was seldom referred to in air arc simulation before [1], [2]. In this paper, a 3-D arc model is developed to study the influence of splitter-plate erosion on the air arc splitting process.The model geometry is a simplified version of a LVCB with only one splitter plate. We adopt a symmetric half-chamber model (120 × 24.2 × 7 mm). The distance between two electrodes is 17 mm. The splitter plate is 2 mm thick. The whole chamber is enclosed by insulating sidewalls and electrodes, except for two vents connecting the outside atmosphere. The model is based on magnetohydrodynamic theory including an extra equation for the conservation of iron vapor mass. The thermodynamic and transport properties of the gas mixture are taken from [3]. The nonequilibrium effects on electrode boundary layers are taken into account by a simplified sheath model. The anode and the cathode boundary are treated differently, and the energy balance at the electrodes is considered. More information of the model and boundary condition can be found in [4].During the splitting process, temperature and iron vapor mass fraction distribution sequences of the arc plasma are presented in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. From t ≈ 0.1 to 0.5 ms, the arc begins to expand and move along the electrodes. At t = 0.586 ms, the anode arc root has clearly moved further than the cathode arc root because the anode and the cathode are treated differently. A circular vortex emerges ahead of the cathode arc root, and the hot gas flow direction is mainly toward the upper region, which results in the cathode arc root moving slowly. When t > 0.7 ms, the arc column reaches the splitter plate, and the gas flow velocity near the arc roots increases and is mainly in the horizontal direction. This increases the heating of the air in front of both arc roots, which increases the electrical conductivity in these regions, and the cathode arc root catches up with the anode arc root. Subsequently, the arc column gradually bends and stretches due to the blocking effect of the relative cold splitter plate. At t = 1.086 ms, the high-temperature region of the plasma has entered the two gaps between the...

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Section: Simulation Of Arc Splitting Process Consideringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Arc Splitting Process Considering Splitter-Plate Erosion

Yang

Rong

et al. 2011

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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“…In other words, the arc is treated as a line and there is no deviation between anode and cathode roots. (5) If the arc length is equal with or larger than 6 pixels, cathode and anode arc root is treated separately. The cathode arc root is mean position of the edges as z varies from 1 to 3, while the anode one is that of the edges as z varies from z r to z r -2 (or from z v to z v -2 for the virtual arc).…”

Section: E Image Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on the TMF were falling into two categories: the one was simulation by solving a MHD model [4]- [5] and the other was experiment by analyzing time evolutions of arc images obtained by using a high speed camera [3], [6]- [8]. Influence of TMF on arc durations and arc roots positions on a pair of silver contacts was studied by Sekikawa [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study on Arcing Process and Contact Erosion under Transverse Magnetic Field

Zhai¹,

Zhou²,

Zhao

et al. 2009

2009 Proceedings of the 55th IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts

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Arc characteristics and contact erosion of Ag, AgNi and Ag/SnO 2 contacts were studied when the opening arcs were driven by transverse magnetic field. The experiments were carried out with a DC 28V/10A pure resistive load. The opening velocity varies from 10 mm/s to 50 mm/s. The transverse magnetic fields are provided by magnets and their flux density on the contact axes varies from 0 to 200 mT. The experiments were conducted in a hermetic chamber filled with pure nitrogen. Time variations of arc images were recorded by using a high speed camera. Relationships between flux density and arc parameters, such as arc durations, 2-dimensional distribution of arc positions and arc velocities, were obtained for those contacts. Contact erosion was observed and material transfer mass was measured after breaking operations. Decline ratio of the arc durations and alleviation of the mass transfer by the magnetic field no longer increase with the increment of the flux density, so the critical flux density for each contact material were finally obtained. The results can be used to design magnetic blow contacts in hermetic relays.

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“…Reference [2] used the business software ANSYS Fluent to simulate the multi-physical fields from a cutting arc. Reference [3] studied the arc motion along the arc runners and arc commutation during contact opening. Reference [4] built a 3-D simulation model for a miniature circuit breaker and calculated the multi-physical fields from an arc in a circuit breaker using Fluent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%