Multiarc Generator

A multiarc generator, comprised of stacked metal contact disks, has been tested. Arc formation occurred in the gaps between each cylindrically shaped contact piece during 3-to 30-kA discharges through various stacked disk configurations. Severe current limiting was demonstrated by stacked disks whose axial length was less than their diameter. Current extinction time periods for discharges through the stacked disks were as much as 80 percent less than those measured for similar amplitude discharges through a solid metal rod. The energy dissipated per gap by arcing was calculated and found to increase as contact disk mass decreased. The i2dt action integral calculated for 3- to 12-kA discharges ranged from 53 A2s to 4210 A2s, respectively. The multiarc formation process is attributed to longitudinal electrodynamic forces separating the contact disks during current discharge.