• DocumentCode
    1386470
  • Title

    Glowing Connection Experiments With Alternating Currents Below 1 {\\rm A}_{\\rm \\rms}

  • Author

    Urbas, Joe

  • Author_Institution
    Dept. of Eng. Technol., Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
  • Volume
    33
  • Issue
    4
  • fYear
    2010
  • Firstpage
    777
  • Lastpage
    783
  • Abstract
    It was experimentally shown that a glowing connection can develop in an electrical switch at a terminal connection comprised of a connector that utilizes a spring action against a conductor to provide electrical contact in household electrical appliances where vibration exists, and when the connection is loose. This can happen at a current flow such as 0.6 Arms at 120-V. Further, the glow can provide sufficient heat to degrade plastic in contact with the terminal components. Violent arcing involving intense gasification can then develop on nearby plastic areas, sometimes accompanied by intensely glowing areas inside the plastic. Sometimes the intense glowing areas inside plastic develop without the violent arcing. The intense arcing or the glow inside plastic often develops into flaming, which can be of sufficient intensity and duration to ignite combustible materials near the connection.
  • Keywords
    arcs (electric); domestic appliances; electrical contacts; sparks; switches; alternating currents; combustible materials; current 0.6 A; electrical contact; electrical switch; glowing connection; household electrical appliances; spring action; violent arcing; voltage 120 V; Arc discharges; Conductors; Degradation; Home appliances; Plastics; Switches; Vibrations; Fire re-creation; glowing connection; ignition;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Journal_Title
    Components and Packaging Technologies, IEEE Transactions on
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • ISSN
    1521-3331
  • Type

    jour

  • DOI
    10.1109/TCAPT.2010.2077737
  • Filename
    5643130