Numerical simulation of anode thermal processes of different materials in vacuum arc

Electrode material seriously influences the characteristics of vacuum arc and further affects the performance of switches. In this paper, thermal processes of six kinds of metal anodes (including pure metal and alloy anodes) are simulated and researched. Two kinds of temperature calculation methods are used. Simulation results show that W and Mo anodes have the higher temperature than Cu, Cr, CuCr25 and CuCr50 anodes. Pure Cr anode has the biggest melting width, and highest saturated vapor pressure. Cu anode has the biggest melting depth. W anode has the smallest melting area. Axial temperature gradient is related to the thermal conductivity, the Cr anode has the largest axial temperature gradient. The thermal characteristics of CuCr25 and CuCr50 anodes are located between the pure Cu and Cr anodes. There are two melting points appear in the results of CuCr alloys, between the two melting points, the alloy anodes are in solid-liquid mixture state.