Title :
Transition from the anodic arc phase to the cathodic metallic arc phase in vacuum at low DC electrical level
Author :
Morin, L. ; Jemaa, N. Ben ; Jeannot, D. ; Sone, H.
Author_Institution :
Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan
Abstract :
Contact material transfer in relays has been described in several papers. Transfer from the anode to the cathode has been attributed to the anodic arc phase, and opposite transfer from the cathode to the anode has been attributed to the cathodic arc phase. In a previous paper, we showed that the transition from the anodic to the cathodic arc occurs when a breaking arc becomes longer than a critical arc length, independent of electrical and mechanical parameters. In this paper, we completed our work using the same breaking apparatus (14 VDC, 40 A) equipped with an arc length control device. We showed that the transition from the anodic to the cathodic arc occurs always at the same critical arc length independent of the opening speed and the ambient pressure. Through measurements of material transfer in vacuum, indications are that transfer direction is independent from metallic and gaseous phases, though further work is needed for full confirmation. Finally, we showed that it was possible to distinguish the transition from anodic to cathodic arc by observing the evolution of the arc spots on the rivets
Keywords :
anodes; cathodes; circuit-breaking arcs; electrical contacts; electronic equipment testing; relays; 14 V; 40 A; DC electrical level; ambient pressure; anode to cathode material transfer; anodic arc phase; anodic arc phase to cathodic metallic arc phase transition; arc length control device; arc spot evolution; breaking apparatus; breaking arc; cathode to anode material transfer; cathodic arc phase; cathodic metallic arc phase; contact material transfer; contact opening speed; critical arc length; electrical parameters; gaseous phase; mechanical parameters; metallic phase; relays; transfer direction; vacuum material transfer; vacuum transition; Anodes; Cathodes; Contactors; Contacts; Inorganic materials; Laboratories; Phase measurement; Relays; Vacuum arcs; Vacuum technology;
Conference_Titel :
Electrical Contacts, 2001. Proceedings of the Forty-Seventh IEEE Holm Conference on
Conference_Location :
Montreal, Que.
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-6667-0
DOI :
10.1109/HOLM.2001.953194
