Effect of axial magnetic field on chopping current level of a vacuum switch

Author

Jiyan, Zou ; Lichun, Cheng ; Yuehong, Shen

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Power Eng., Huazhing Univ. of Sci. & Technol., Hubei, China

fYear

1990

fDate

20-24 Aug 1990

Firstpage

558

Lastpage

560

Abstract

The influence of an axial magnetic field (AMF) on chopping current level is experimentally investigated to aid in the design of a low-surge vacuum switch. The AMF can lower chopping level of vacuum switches to a certain extent. A range of 0.5-2 mT gives a satisfactory result for low-current applications. When the arc current is higher, the effect of AMF on chopping levels declines. An improved contact material can compensate for this effect at the higher current range. Cu-WC is satisfactory in this application. A good contact material with suitable AMF can result in an average chopping level lower than 0.5 A and a maximum chopping level lower than 2 A

Keywords

circuit breakers; copper alloys; electrical contacts; tungsten compounds; 0.5 to 2 A; 0.5 to 2 mT; Cu-WC contact materials; arc current; axial magnetic field effect; chopping current level; contact material; higher current range; low-current applications; low-surge vacuum switch; Contacts; Electrodes; Interrupters; Magnetic fields; Magnetic switching; Power engineering; Surges; Switches; Vacuum technology; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electrical Contacts, 1990. Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth IEEE Holm Conference on ... and the Fifteenth International Conference on Electrical Contacts

Conference_Location

Montreal, Que.

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/HOLM.1990.113058

Filename

113058