Electrical Circuits Experiment interim report

Theoretical Analysis and Calculation of Arc Contact

Erosion of High Voltage Circuit Breaker
Introduction
Abstract—Arc contact condition is the determinant factor that influences
the electrical lifetime of high voltage circuit breaker and the decrease of
electrical lifetime means the deterioration of insulation and opening
capacity of arc distinguishing chamber. Present prediction method of
electrical lifetime cannot directly obtain the condition of arc contact. In
this paper, the short-circuit current is generated by the circuit breaker
synthesis test circuit to simulate the erosion of the arc contact during the
opening operation. The contact travel throughout the erosion tests has
been measured by dynamic resistance measurement (DRM). The
decrement of contact travel for each erosion test with the same opening
current and arc time is constant. The calculated value of contact travel
decrement (0.27mm) for each erosion test is close to the measured value
(0.32mm) based on contact erosion theory.

Thoughts
This article mainly talks about research on how the arc can erode the wire.
Their research on this topic addresses the increasing demand for
electrical appliances. Once the electrical life of the circuit breaker exceeds
the range of use, the interrupter chamber is very prone to re-breakdown,
reducing the insulation performance of the equipment and causing a
serious impact on the stability and reliability of the power system. They
used a specific circuit to calculate the change in erosion. It also takes into
account the material science of the conductor, i.e. the temperature at
which the conductor evaporates after being heated by an electric arc.
Eventually, they came up with a series of equations as test results.