Abstract
The influence of initiation behavior of the drawn arc on the arc motion, on arc characteristics during the active phase, as well as on the post-arc parameters, was studied. The study was focused on arc dynamics, determination of the anode surface temperature after current interruption, and diagnostics of metal vapor density after current zero crossing. Different optical diagnostics, namely high-speed camera video enhanced by narrow-band optical filters, near infrared spectroscopy, and optical absorption spectroscopy was applied. The initiation behavior of the drawn arc had a clear influence on arc parameters. Higher local electrode temperature occurs in case of the electrodes with ignition point near the outer electrode boundary. This further causes an enhanced density of chromium vapor, even in cases with lower arc duration. The results of this study are important for design development of switching RMF contacts for future green energy applications.
Highlights
Vacuum technology provides environmentally compatible and emission-free solutions for switching applications in power grids [1,2]
The switching contacts in real vacuum interrupters are manufactured under special conditions
The arc duration has an insignificant influence on Cr density only
Summary
Vacuum technology provides environmentally compatible and emission-free solutions for switching applications in power grids [1,2]. Some advantages of vacuum circuit breakers include a high number of operations under standard load conditions, safe and reproducible short-circuit current interruption capability, and maintenance-free operation. Further development of such devices requires fundamental knowledge about the switching process and interaction of materials used with the working medium—the vacuum arc plasma. While the arc appears as diffuse glow for currents typically below 10 kA [1,2,3], constriction effects dominate at higher currents. The application of external magnetic fields helps either to hold the arc in diffuse stage (axial magnetic field (AMF)) or causes the rotation of the constricted arc (radial magnetic field (RMF)) or transverse magnetic field (TMF)) [1]
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