Analysis of metallic phase arc duration at a break contact with the use of Weibull distribution method

This paper includes two main purposes. The first of them is to show the different types of distribution of metallic phase arc duration acquired as the result of experimental measurement and the second of them is to propose a distribution function for approximating the measured results. The measurement was made from the viewpoint of contact material and arc current. Ag, Cu, Pd and W were tested as contact material. The current range was selected where the metallic phase arc ignition rate increased from 10% to 90%. Weibull distribution method was used to analyse the measured distribution of the arc duration. Taking the resultant distribution function into account, three factors are estimated in the metallic phase arc extinction.