Investigating influence of the magnetic arc blow in multi-break vacuum circuit breakers

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of the interactive magnetic field in multi-break vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) on the arc plasma and the post-arc characteristics. The magnetic field of multi-break VCBs is asymmetric and off-center because of the interactive magnetic field, which is also called bias magnetic field (BMF). The BMF distribution of double-break VCBs is gained by electromagnetic analysis. The test circuit of the magnetic arc blow in multi-break VCBs is established by simplifying as the interaction between the vacuum arc and the BMF. The influence of the magnetic arc blow on the arc plasma is studied by the high-speed CMOS camera and the post-arc current measure. While the vacuum arc is in the direction of the Ampere force with the BMF at 200 mT, it is in the retrograde direction when the BMF is below 100 mT, which results in the post-arc charge obviously varying from 9 μC to 50 μC. The relationship between the BMF and the post arc charge is gained. The mechanism of the magnetic arc blow in multi-break VCBs is discussed. Therefore, this paper can provide the base of construct and configuration to avoid the influence of the magnetic arc blow.