Investigation of available toggle switches for thermostatic control systems

A useful approach to the investigation of toggle switches has been devised which gives new insight into their electrical performance. A high-speed camera is used to generate the nonlinear contact velocity characteristics and two digital transient recorders record voltage and current transients across the contacts. The information gained is combined to produce arc energy data which give an indication of long-term switch performance under AC operating conditions. Results are presented for commercially available toggle switches, but the method appears to be suitable for most switches, including medium-capacity circuit breakers.