Numerical simulation of a moving arc in 3D

The condition of the arc determines the switching characteristics of switching devices. In order to fasten the process of current interruption or to minimise the devices´ geometrical extension, detailed knowledge of the processes, by which the arc is influenced, must be available. Besides experimental investigation, numerical simulation gains more and more relevance, as not only data at few points in space or time are available, but all modelled quantities are fully accessible. In this contribution, we present a transient 3D-simulation of the arc motion in a realistic low-voltage switchgear. The numerical results are finally compared with experiments and show good agreement.