Title :
Arc erosion reduction on electrical contacts using transverse current injection
Author :
Parkansky, Naum ; Boxman, Raymond L. ; Goldsmith, Samuel ; Rosenberg, Yuri
Author_Institution :
Fleishman Fac. of Eng., Tel Aviv Univ., Israel
fDate :
8/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Electrical contact lifetime is often directly determined by arc erosion. A method for reducing are erosion was developed consisting of injecting from an external current source an additional electrical current flowing parallel to the contact surface. This method was examined in three are environments using the additional transverse electrical current with a density less than 1 A/mm2: 1) automobile ignition contacts; 2) pulsed air arc; and 3) low pressure (P=100 mTorr) arc in nitrogen, SEM and X-ray examination showed that application of a transverse current in a contact during arcing changed the phase composition and microstructure of the contact surface. Under optimal conditions, the microstructure which is formed is significantly more erosion resistant than without the transverse current injection
Keywords :
X-ray chemical analysis; X-ray diffraction; arcs (electric); electrical contacts; plasma applications; plasma-wall interactions; scanning electron microscopy; wear; 100 mtorr; N2; SEM; X-ray examination; arc erosion reduction; arcing; automobile ignition contacts; contact surface; electrical contacts; electrical current flow; external current source; low pressure arc; microstructure; optimal conditions; phase composition; pulsed air arc; transverse current injection; Automobiles; Circuit testing; Conducting materials; Contacts; Crystalline materials; Electrodes; Frequency; Ignition; Microstructure; Surface discharges;
Journal_Title :
Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on
