Experimental diagnostic of an industrial SF/sub 6/ PTFE confined circuit breaker

Summary form only given. An experimental study of an electrical arc has been achieved in an industrial SF/sub 6/ puffer circuit breaker using a PTFE nozzle as a quenching chamber. The arc was created at the moment of separation of two copper hollow cylindrical contacts during the discharge of a capacitor bank allowing peak currents ranging from 4.7 to 13.7 kA. The are remained confined by the nozzle, inducing a strong vaporization of PTFE. Simultaneously the arc was blown in the hollow electrodes by a SF/sub 6/ flow created by a piston linked to the electrode movement. This mechanical flow induced a strong cooling at the moment of zero current.