Numerical Simulation of Impact Effect of Internal Gas Pressure on Chamber Housing in Low-Voltage Circuit Breaker

Abstract

In this paper, the fluid-solid interaction model of the impact process of internal pressure in arc chamber on housing structure of low-voltage circuit breaker is established, including the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) module that can assess 3-D pressure distribution of internal gas flow in the arcing chamber and finite element module (FEM) to calculate the impact of high-pressure gas flow on the housing. Based on the CFD module, the internal pressure distribution under different breaking currents and venting conditions is simulated, in which the simulation results agree well with the experimental results. Then, based on the 3-D pressure distribution, through the 3-D FEM of housing impact, the dynamic stress and deformation of chamber housing are simulated and analyzed. By this method, the stress concentration region of arc chamber housing can be predicted, which can provide reference for structure optimization design of arc chamber. For the region where stress is concentrated, structural strength needs to be enhanced, which can effectively avoid rupture problems due to local excessive stress on the housing.